Prabhupada:

annad bhavanti bhutani
parjanyad anna-sambhavaḥ;
yajñad bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ; karma-samudbhavaḥ;
[Bg. 3.14]

(to translator, who translates throughout:) You will translate? No. I'll speak in English.

So here is a verse from Srimad-Bhagavad-gita, third chapter, fourteenth verse. Annad bhavanti bhutani. When I was coming to your village I saw there are so many agricultural field producing so much. So tobacco-producing can give you some money, but you will be shortage of food grains. Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, said that if you want to make happy and prosperous the people in general, then you must produce anna, food grains. Bhagavan has not said anywhere that you produce tobacco, jute, and similar other things which are not required at all.

The whole purpose of life is to perform yajña. In the Viṣṇu Puraṇa there is a verse

varṇasramacaravata puruṣeṇa paraḥ; puman
varṇasramacaravata puruṣeṇa paraḥ; puman
nanyat tat-toṣa-karaṇam
[Cc. Madhya 8.58] (Viṣṇu Puraṇa 3.8.9)

Yajñaiḥ; saṅkirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ; [SB 11.5.32]. Yajña means to satisfy the yajña-puruṣa, Narayaṇa, or Bhagavan. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam Prahlada Maharaja also says,

na te viduḥ; svartha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ
durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninaḥ;
andha yathandhair upaniyamanas
te 'pisa-tantryam uru-damni baddhaḥ;
[SB 7.5.31]

The people do not know that the aim of life is to approach Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu. That is the aim of life. Viṣṇur aradhyate pantha nanyat tat-toṣa-karaṇam.

So viṣṇu-aradhana is the ultimate goal of life. In the Puraṇas also, Lord Siva was instructing Parvati, aradhananaṁ sarveṣaṁ viṣṇor aradhanaṁ param. Lord Siva said that "Of all different types of worship, the worship of Viṣṇu is topmost." So human life is specially meant for worshiping Viṣṇu. Unfortunately, the blind leaders, they are not teaching people how to execute viṣṇu-aradhana. So this Krṣṇa consciousness movement is started just to educate people how to worship Lord Viṣṇu. Viṣṇor aradhanaṁ param—this is our mission to teach all over the world. [break] Krṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gita that yajñarthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ; [Bg. 3.9]. Yajñarthe. Yajña means Viṣṇu. Simply for satisfying Viṣṇu one should act. Any work one is habituated to do, it should be aimed to satisfy Viṣṇu. Otherwise we shall be implicated in the karma. Karma means we act in some way under the direction of material energy or illusionary energy, and we become implicated. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, karaṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu [Bg. 13.22]. According to our work and association with particular type of the modes of nature, we get different types of body. If we give up viṣṇu-aradhana, if we give up the aim of achieving the favor of Viṣṇu, then we are becoming implicated in the resultant action of our different activities.

Krṣṇa therefore teaches, yat karoṣi: "Whatever you do... It doesn't matter. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad asnasi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam: [Bg. 9.27] "Whatever you give, that doesn't matter, but the result should be given to Me." So at the present moment in this age, all over the world people have forgotten Viṣṇu, or God. They are whimsically doing things which will implicate them birth after birth, sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Either higher class of birth or lower class of birth, sat and asat. But this is not solution of life.

So here in this verse Krṣṇa says,

annad bhavanti bhutani
parjanyad anna-sambhavaḥ;
yajñad bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ; karma-samudbhavaḥ;
[Bg. 3.14]

So karma... Everyone has got different types of occupation. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, brahma-karma, kṣatriya-karma, vaisya-karma, sudra-karma. Sva-karmaṇa tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ; [Bg. 18.46]. There is no... In the worship of Krṣṇa, there is no such distinction that only the brahmaṇas can offer prayers or worship to Krṣṇa, but everyone can offer. Maṁ hi vyapasritya ye 'pi syuḥ; papa-yonayaḥ;. Even less than the sudras, they can also take the advantage of worshiping Krṣṇa. So yajñarthe karmaṇo 'nyatra. This karma should be performed for executing yajña. (aside:) Why... Translate.

So this yajña... Formerly yajña was performed very gorgeously. So many mounds of ghee and grains were put into the fire. But in this age, Kali-yuga, there is neither ghee nor grains to offer in the fire, yajña fire. Therefore in this Kali-yuga the yajña is performed by chanting the holy name of the Lord.

So I do not wish to take very much time. I have got another engagement. My only submission is that you produce enough quantity of food grains. Don't waste your time by producing tobacco. Besides that, in the sastra it is forbidden, striya suna pana dyuta yatra papas catur-vidha [SB 1.17.38]. Striya, avaidha, illicit sex, striya, suna, jiva ko hatya, killing the animals. Striya suna pana... Pana means smoking also. Drinking liquor and smoking. Dhuma pana. This pana is forbidden. Striya suna pana dyuta, and dyuta means gambling. So these four things, they are considered as sinful activities. And in the Bhagavad-gita it is said,

yeṣaṁ tv anta-gataṁ papaṁ
jananaṁ puṇya-karmaṇam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante maṁ drḍha-vrataḥ;
[Bg. 7.28]

Unless one is free from the sinful activities, he cannot be fully engaged in worshiping the Supreme Lord, Krṣṇa. So these four principle of sinful activities, illicit sex, and animal-killing, and intoxication, including smoking and drinking tea, and gambling... Anyone who wants really benefit of life, human life, they must give up these four principles of sinful life.

Krṣṇa therefore says to every one of us,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvaṁ sarva-papebhyo
mokṣayiṣyami ma sucaḥ;
[Bg. 18.66]

It is not possible that we can give up sinful activities by our own endeavor because in this age, Kali-yuga, everyone is addicted to some sort of sinful activities. But if we surrender to Krṣṇa as He is instructing, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66], fully, without any reservation, He will help us to become free from the sinful reactions. (end)

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