722 Srimad-Bhagavatam [ Canto 4, Ch. 18
vidhaya vatsarn duduhur
bila-patre visari payah
tatha—similarly ; ahayah—snakes without hoods; dandasitkah—scorpions;
sarpah—cobras; nagafi—big snakes; ca—and; taksakam—Taksaka, chief of
the snakes; vidhaya—making; vatsam—calf; duduhuh—milked out; bila-
patre—in the pot of snake holes; visam—poison; payah—as milk.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter cobras and snakes without hoods, large snakes, scorpions and
many other poisonous animals took poison out of the planet earth as their
milk and kept this poison in snake holes. They made a calf out of Taksaka.
PURPORT
Within this material world there are various types of living entities, and
the different types of reptiles and scorpions mentioned in this verse are
also provided with their sustenance by the arrangement of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The point is that everyone is taking
his eatables from the planet earth. According to one’s association with
the material qualities, one develops a certain type of character.
Payah-panam bhujaiganadm: if one feeds a serpent milk, the snake
will simply increase his venom. However, if one supplies milk to a
talented sage or saint, the sage will develop finer brain tissues by which he
can contemplate higher spiritual life. Thus the Lord is supplying everyone
food, but according to the living entity’s association with the modes of
material nature, the living entity develops his specific character.
TEXTS 23-24
TAN Tae gt reat Hat a ATT |
RII aq a Sie 12311
BUA: Mea: Ret FTEs TA BOA |
amine fremat aay 7 lvl
pasavo yavasam ksiram
vatsam krtva ca go-vrsam
aranya-patre cadhuksan
mrgendrena ca damstrinah
