Upanishads · Aitareya 1,2.3
॥
Devanāgarī
ताभ्यः पुरुषम् आनयत् ताः अब्रुवन् सुकृतम् बत इति पुरुषः वाव सुकृतम् ताः अब्रवीत् यथायतनम् प्रविशत इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tābhyaḥ puruṣam ānayat tāḥ abruvan sukṛtam bata iti puruṣaḥ vāva sukṛtam tāḥ abravīt yathāyatanam praviśata iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ताभ्यःtābhyaḥfor them; to them
पुरुषम्puruṣama man (puruṣa); the human form; the Puruṣa-man
आनयत्ānayatHe brought; He led up
ताःtāḥthey; those
अब्रुवन्abruvansaid; replied
सुकृतम्sukṛtamwell made (su-kṛta); beautifully created; excellently wrought
बतbataoh! (bata — an exclamation of wonder); ah!; bravo!
इतिitithus; so saying
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe Puruṣa; man
वावvāvaverily; indeed
सुकृतम्sukṛtamwell made (su-kṛta); beautifully created; excellently wrought
ताःtāḥthem; to those
अब्रवीत्abravītHe said; He spoke
यथायतनम्yathāyatanameach into his own abode (yathā-āyatana); into [your several] dwellings; each to his place
प्रविशतpraviśataenter (pra-√viś, imperative plural); step in; take up residence
इतिitithus; so saying
Translation
He brought them a man. They said: "Oh, how well made!" Man is indeed well made. He said to them: "Enter, each into his own abode."
Version
f3c2f2d79191 · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The climax of the viewing: tābhyaḥ puruṣam ānayat — "He brought them a man" — and the gods exclaim: sukṛtaṁ bata — "oh, how well made!": bata is an exclamation of delighted wonder — bravo! The Upaniṣad solemnly repeats after them: puruṣo vāva sukṛtam — "man is verily the well-made thing": su-kṛta is the very word by which the Taittirīya called the well-created world: the human body is the masterpiece of creation, at the sight of which the gods applaud.
In what is it "well made"? In that every divine faculty finds room in it to unfold to its full height: speech may become a mantra, the mind contemplation, the hands sacrifice, hearing the hearing of revelation: the human form is the only one in which the faculties reach up to their divine prototypes. Hence human birth is in the tradition a crossroads: from here alone all the roads are open (the Kaṭha: even the gods would have wished to listen with Naciketas!).
yathāyatanaṁ praviśata — "enter, each into his own abode": the Creator distributes: to each his own place, according to rank. The next verse will accomplish the entering — and the human body will become what it is: a council of deities under one skin.