Upanishads · Aitareya 1,2.5
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् अशनापिपासे अब्रूताम् अवाभ्याम् अभिप्रजानीहि इति ते अब्रवीत् एतासु एव वाम् देवतासु आभजामि एतासु भागिन्यौ करोमि इति तस्मात् यस्यै कस्यै च देवतायै हविः गृह्यते भागिन्यौ एव अस्याम् अशनापिपासे भवतः
Transliteration (IAST)
tam aśanāpipāse abrūtām avābhyām abhiprajānīhi iti te abravīt etāsu eva vām devatāsu ābhajāmi etāsu bhāginyau karomi iti tasmāt yasyai kasyai ca devatāyai haviḥ gṛhyate bhāginyau eva asyām aśanāpipāse bhavataḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम्tamHim; that one
अशनापिपासेaśanāpipāsehunger and thirst; the desire for food and drink
अब्रूताम्abrūtāmthe two said; they addressed
अवाभ्याम्avābhyāmfor us two; to the two of us
अभिप्रजानीहिabhiprajānīhiappoint a share; determine a place
इतिitithus; so saying
तेteto them; to those two
अब्रवीत्abravītHe said; He spoke
एतासुetāsuin these; among these
एवevaprecisely; only
वाम्vāmto you two; for the two of you
देवतासुdevatāsudeities; divine powers
आभजामिābhajāmiI apportion (ā-√bhaj — 'to endow with a share'); I divide [you] among; I give a portion
एतासुetāsuin these; among these
भागिन्यौbhāginyausharers (bhāginī, dual — 'partakers of a portion'); partners; participants in the share
करोमिkaromiI make; I appoint
इतिitithus; so saying
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
यस्यैyasyaito whatever; to which
कस्यैkasyaiwhichever; any
चcaand; as well
देवतायैdevatāyaideity; divine power
हविःhaviḥan oblation (havis — an offering); a libation; a sacrificial gift
गृह्यतेgṛhyateis taken (from √grah, passive); is received; is offered
भागिन्यौbhāginyausharers (bhāginī, dual — 'partakers of a portion'); partners; participants in the share
एवevaprecisely; only
अस्याम्asyāmin it; in this
अशनापिपासेaśanāpipāsehunger and thirst; the desire for food and drink
भवतःbhavataḥbecome; are
Translation
Hunger and thirst said to Him: "Appoint [a share] for us two." He said to them: "I apportion you among these deities, I make you sharers in them." Therefore, to whatever deity an oblation is offered, hunger and thirst are sharers in it.
Version
5f5273f66d0e · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
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Two remain unassigned — hunger and thirst: aśanā-pipāse — those very needles of need with which the Creator pierced the created (verse 5). For them there is no separate organ — and the Creator gives them a portion by a brilliant decision: etāsu eva vāṁ devatāsv ābhajāmi — "I apportion you within these deities": hunger and thirst become co-sharers (bhāginyau — "partners in a portion") of all the faculties: every god in the body is hungry and thirsty — sight craves the visible, hearing the audible, the mind the thinkable.
Hence the law of sacrifice is derived: yasyai kasyai ca devatāyai havir gṛhyate bhāginyāv evāsyām aśanā-pipāse bhavataḥ — "to whatever god an oblation is taken, hunger and thirst are sharers in it": a sacrifice feeds not only its addressee but the world's very need: offering to the gods, you feed the hunger of all that lives.
The depth of this ordinance is immeasurable: need is not banished from the sacred — it is legitimated within it: hunger is not the creature's shame but its built-in longing, and the way of healing it is not suppression but inclusion in the sacrificial circle: hunger that has received its share in the offering turns from a tormentor into a participant in worship. All that lives is hungry — and piety begins where hunger is given its lawful portion at the common table.