Upanishads · Aitareya 1,2.1
॥
Devanāgarī
ताः एताः देवताः सृष्टाः अस्मिन् महति अर्णवे प्रापतन् तम् अशनापिपासाभ्याम् अन्ववार्जत् ताः एनम् अब्रुवन् आयतनम् नः प्रजानीहि यस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठिताः अन्नम् अदाम इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tāḥ etāḥ devatāḥ sṛṣṭāḥ asmin mahati arṇave prāpatan tam aśanāpipāsābhyām anvavārjat tāḥ enam abruvan āyatanam naḥ prajānīhi yasmin pratiṣṭhitāḥ annam adāma iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ताःtāḥthey; those
एताःetāḥthese; the present
देवताःdevatāḥdeities; divine powers
सृष्टाःsṛṣṭāḥcreated; brought forth
अस्मिन्asmininto this; into it
महतिmahatigreat; vast
अर्णवेarṇaveinto the ocean (arṇava); into the deep; into the great waters
प्रापतन्prāpatanfell (pra-√pat); plunged down; tumbled
तम्tamhim; that one
अशनापिपासाभ्याम्aśanāpipāsābhyāmwith hunger and thirst (aśanā-pipāsā); with famine and thirst; with the need of food and drink
अन्ववार्जत्anvavārjatHe pierced, He afflicted (anu-ava-√vṛj); He subjected; He struck
ताःtāḥthey; those
एनम्enamto Him; to this one
अब्रुवन्abruvansaid; addressed
आयतनम्āyatanaman abode (āyatana); a dwelling; a receptacle
नःnaḥfor us; to us
प्रजानीहिprajānīhiappoint (pra-√jñā, imperative); determine; assign
यस्मिन्yasminin which; where
प्रतिष्ठिताःpratiṣṭhitāḥestablished; founded
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
अदामadāmawe may eat; we may partake of
इतिitithus; so saying
Translation
These created deities fell into this great ocean. He afflicted him with hunger and thirst. They said to Him: "Appoint us an abode, established in which we may eat food."
Version
50dfb7a4766d · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The deities born of the Puruṣa tā etā devatāḥ… asmin mahaty arṇave prāpatan — "fell into the great ocean": into the abyss of manifested being, into a flowing homelessness; and the Creator tam aśanā-pipāsābhyām anvavārjat — "pierced him (the created) with hunger and thirst": into the very nature of the created two needles of need are set.
Hunger and thirst here are not a curse but an engine: the satisfied seeks nothing; need drives the gods to the Creator with the world's first prayer: āyatanaṁ naḥ prajānīhi — "appoint us an abode": yasmin pratiṣṭhitā annam adāma — "established in which we may eat". Every power seeks a body; every faculty an organ; the creature's hunger for a vessel and for food is the first form of its craving for order, and through order for the Ordainer.
The theological depth of the scene: even gods are homeless without an abode given from above: a faculty without embodiment is a spark falling through the ocean. The plea "give us a place to stand" is the archetype of every prayer for a home, a body, a field of service; and the Creator will now begin to choose them a dwelling — by a trial in which the dignity of man will be settled.