Devanagari
शाकमूलामिषक्षौद्रफलपुष्पाष्टिभोजना: ।
अनावृष्टया विनङ्क्ष्यन्ति दुर्भिक्षकरपीडिता: ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
śāka-mūlāmiṣa-kṣaudra-
phala-puṣpāṣṭi-bhojanāḥ
anāvṛṣṭyā vinaṅkṣyanti
durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ
Synonyms
śāka
—
leaves
;
mūla
—
roots
;
āmiṣa
—
meat
;
kṣaudra
—
wild honey
;
phala
—
fruits
;
puṣpa
—
flowers
;
aṣṭi
—
and seeds
;
bhojanāḥ
—
eating
;
anāvṛṣṭyā
—
because of drought
;
vinaṅkṣyanti
—
they will become ruined
;
durbhikṣa
—
by famine
;
kara
—
and taxation
;
pīḍitāḥ
—
tormented .
Translation
Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, they will become completely ruined.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by drought, they will become completely ruined.
Purport
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
authoritatively describes the future of our planet. Just as a leaf disconnected from a plant or tree dries up, withers and disintegrates, when human society is disconnected from the Supreme Lord it withers up and disintegrates in violence and chaos. Despite our computers and rockets, if the Supreme Lord does not send rain we shall all starve.