Text 30] Explanation of Devotional Service 1263
tatra—among them; api—moreover; sparsa-vedibhyah—than those per-
ceiving touch; pravarah—better; rasa-vedinah—those perceiving taste;
tebhyah—than them; gandha-vidah—those perceiving smell; sresthah—
better; tatah—than them; sabda-vidah—those perceiving sound; varah—
better.
TRANSLATION

Among the living entities who have developed sense perception, those
who have developed the sense of taste are better than those who have
developed only the sense of touch. Better than them are those who have
developed the sense of smell, and better still are those who have developed
the sense of hearing.

PURPORT

Although Westerners accept that Darwin first expounded the doctrine of
evolution, the science of anthropology is not new. The development of the
evolutionary process was known long before from the Bhagavatam, which
was written 5,000 years ago. There are records of the statements of
Kapila Muni, who was present almost in the beginning of the creation.
This knowledge has existed since the Vedic time, and all these sequences
are disclosed in Vedic literature; the theory of gradual evolution or
anthropology is not new to the Vedas.

It is said here that amongst the trees there are also evolutionary
processes; the different kinds of trees have touch perception. It is said that
better than the trees are the fish because fish have developed the sense of
taste. Better than the fish are the bees, who have developed the sense of
smell, and better than them are the serpents because serpents have
developed the sense of hearing. In the darkness of night a snake can find
its eatables simply by hearing the frog’s very pleasant cry. The snake can
understand, ‘There is the frog,” and he captures the frog simply because
of its sound vibration. This example is sometimes given for persons who
vibrate sounds simply for death. One may have a very nice tongue that can
vibrate sound like the frogs, but that kind of vibration is simply calling
death. The best use of the tongue and of sound vibration is to chant
Hare Krgna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare. That will protect one from the hands of cruel
death.

TEXT 30
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Tt TERA: ARTE EIA 11321!
