14.31

matira vikara anna khaile deha-pusti haya

mati khaile roga haya, deha yaya ksaya

SYNONYMS

matira—of the dirt; vikara—transformation; anna—food grains; khaile—by eating; deha—of the body; pusti—nourishment; haya—becomes; mati—the dirt; khaile—by eating; roga—disease; haya—becomes; deha—the body; yaya—goes; ksaya—to destruction.

Replying to the Mayavada idea of the child philosopher, mother Saci said, "My dear boy, if we eat earth transformed into grains, our body is nourished, and it becomes strong.

But if we eat dirt in its crude state, the body becomes diseased instead of nourished, and thus it is destroyed.