But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory.

Worldwide shortage of food grains

Perform Sankirtan Yajña for ample food grains

PRABHUPADA: We were discussing this verse yesterday. Anartha. This anartha means this material civilization. There is no need, and still we have accepted it. That is called anartha, meaningless. So there are hundreds and thousands of anarthas, as it is stated that shrotavyadini rajendra nrinam santi sahasrashah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.2]. Sahasrashah means thousands and thousands. Because we have created anartha, unnecessary necessities of life, therefore we have to know, we have to learn, we have to teach so many unwanted... Just like there is a problem now, especially in the Western countries, unwanted population. They do not want, but it is increasing. Similarly, unwanted necessities. This is called anartha. Simple thing. Just like we require some food. That is essential. We cannot live without taking food. That is not possible. So Krishna is giving very simple formula, that annad bhavanti bhutani. If there is sufficient quantity of anna, or eatables, then people become very nicely well-satisfied, either animal or man. If he can eat sufficiently, he's satisfied. So annad bhavanti bhutani. Bhavanti means flourish. He becomes healthy, he becomes strong, and he can think nicely, he can work nicely. So anna is required. But simple method is given how anna is produced. That is also given, annad bhavanti bhutani parjanyad anna-sambhavah. If there is sufficient rain, then you can easily produce food grain. Just like this year, the rain is sufficient; everywhere we go it is green. Green means sufficient food for the animals. And if the field is very soft, you can till it and you can get easily, very nicely, foodstuff. Therefore parjanya, water, rain, is required. Parjanyad anna-sambhavah. And yajñad bhavati parjanyah [Bhagavad-gita 3.14]: by performing yajña there will be cloud and rain. Yajña is required.

In this age, Kali-yuga, it is very difficult to perform the Vedic ritualistic yajñas. It requires tons of ghee and food grains. And people have nothing to eat even. But shastra [the Bhagavatam] has made it very easy. Yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah [SB 11.5.32]. If you perform the sankirtana-yajña—chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—then it is as good any other yajña. Yajña means to satisfy the yajña-purusha, Vishnu, Lord Vishnu. So in the Kali-yuga, simply by performing yajñas you can satisfy the Supreme Lord. Yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah. We have seen in many places by performing yajña, the sankirtana-yajña—chanting the holy names—where it was very dry, rain has fallen. This is practical. So things are very easy.

But instead of producing food grains, we are producing Goodyear tires. So how we can eat? Now when there is scarcity of foodstuff you cannot eat the Goodyear tires. But people's attention has been diverted in the industrial activities. They are given allurement, "Come here. I shall give you twenty rupees per day. You give up your agricultural activities. You come in the factory. Produce tire tube, iron stool," and so on so on. So we are violating the orders of Krishna. Krishna says that produce foodgrain. But we are producing unnecessary things. And therefore you are suffering.

Krishna is giving very good advice: annad bhavanti bhutani. You produce sufficient foodgrain, all over, not only here. Another anartha is this nationalism. Nationalism: "This is America," "This is India," "This is Africa," "This is Australia." Why? Ishavasyam idam sarvam [Ishopanishad mantra 1]. Simple thing. Everything belongs to God. Ishavasya. There will be no scarcity. I have studied very thoroughly that there are sufficient land still without any cultivation. In Africa I have seen sufficient land. But they are utilizing it for producing coffee and tea. No food grains. So these are the anarthas. Anartha, unnecessary. People will not die without coffee and tea. But they have made the whole world self-dependent on coffee and tea, mercantile policy. There is anartha.