Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3: The Path of Action
Bhagavad Gita 3.14
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भवः ।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञः कर्मसमुद्भवः ॥
annādbhavanti bhūtāni parjanyādannasambhavaḥ | yajñādbhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karmasamudbhavaḥ ||
Beings arise from food, food arises from rain, rain arises from sacrifice, and sacrifice arises from action.
Modern context
Beings live on food, food depends on rain, rain is sustained by sacrifice, and sacrifice comes from human action. In the language of its time the verse describes a cycle in which human conduct is one of the links. We now know very well that how people act affects the rains and the harvest. The world is a system, and our work is part of what keeps it going.