SB 4.17.24 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

त्वं खल्वोषधिबीजानि प्राक् सृष्टानि स्वयम्भुवा न मुञ्चस्यात्मरुद्धानि मामवज्ञाय मन्दधी: ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

tvaṁ khalv oṣadhi-bījāni prāk sṛṣṭāni svayambhuvā na muṣcasy ātma-ruddhāni mām avajṣāya manda-dhīḥ

Synonyms

tvam — you ; khalu — certainly ; oṣadhi — of herbs, plants and grains ; bījāni — the seeds ; prāk — formerly ; sṛṣṭāni — created ; svayambhuvā — by Lord Brahmā ; na — do not ; muṣcasi — deliver ; ātma — ruddhāni — hidden within yourself ; mām — me ; avajṣāya — disobeying ; manda — dhīḥ — less intelligent .

Translation

You have so lost your intelligence that, despite my orders, you do not deliver the seeds of herbs and grains formerly created by Brahmā and now hidden within yourself.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Disobeying men, you foolishly do not release the seeds of plants previously created by Brahmā, which are contained within you.

Purport

While creating all the planets in the universe, Lord Brahmā also created the seeds of various grains, herbs, plants and trees. When sufficient water falls from the clouds, the seeds fructify and produce fruits, grains, vegetables, etc. By his example, Pṛthu Mahārāja indicates that whenever there is a scarcity in food production, the head of the government should take steps to see why production is being held up and what should be done to rectify the situation.