Upanishads · Aitareya 1,3.3
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् एनत् सृष्टम् पराङ् अत्यजिघांसत् तत् वाचा अजिघृक्षत् तत् न अशक्नोत् वाचा ग्रहीतुम् सः यत् ह एनत् वाचा अग्रहैष्यत् अभिव्याहृत्य हैव अन्नम् अत्रप्स्यत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tat enat sṛṣṭam parāṅ atyajighāṃsat tat vācā ajighṛkṣat tat na aśaknot vācā grahītum saḥ yat ha enat vācā agrahaiṣyat abhivyāhṛtya haiva annam atrapsyat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; this
एनत्enatthis; it
सृष्टम्sṛṣṭamcreated; brought forth
पराङ्parāṅaway (parāñc); outward; into flight
अत्यजिघांसत्atyajighāṃsatsought to escape (ati-√hā, desiderative); rushed to run off; wished to slip away
तत्tatthat; it
वाचाvācāwith speech; with the word
अजिघृक्षत्ajighṛkṣathe wished to seize (desiderative of √grah); he tried to catch; he longed to lay hold of
तत्tatthat; it
नnanot; no
अशक्नोत्aśaknothe was able; he had the power
वाचाvācāwith speech; with the word
ग्रहीतुम्grahītumto seize; to take
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्yatwhen; that
हhaindeed; surely
एनत्enatthis; it
वाचाvācāwith speech; with the word
अग्रहैष्यत्agrahaiṣyatwould have seized; would have taken
अभिव्याहृत्यabhivyāhṛtyahaving pronounced (abhi-vi-ā-√hṛ); having uttered; having spoken it out
हैवhaivaprecisely then; verily
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
अत्रप्स्यत्atrapsyathe would have been satisfied (from √tṛp); he would have been sated; he would have been full
Translation
Created, it sought to escape away. He wished to seize it with speech — and could not seize it with speech. If he had seized it with speech, one would be satisfied with food merely by speaking [of it].
Version
f2f35bc358a8 · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here begins one of the wittiest parables of the Upaniṣads — the chase after food. tad enat sṛṣṭaṁ parāṅ atyajighāṁsat — "created, it rushed away": food runs off! — everything desirable in the world slips away from the grasper: such is the nature of an object of desire — it is created to flee (the hunger set in the creature and the flight of food are the engine of the whole hunt of the world).
The first attempt: vācā ajighṛkṣat — "he wished to seize it with speech — and could not". And the argument is a smile: if speech could seize food — abhivyāhṛtya haiva annam atrapsyat — "one would be satisfied by pronouncing it": one would be full of words! The Upaniṣad makes the eternal joke about those who "eat by talking": to name a dinner is not to dine; to say "honey" leaves the mouth unsweetened.
Behind the humour is the strict epistemology which the whole parable will build: each faculty will try to seize — and miss, proving its limit ex contrario: a word does not assimilate reality. A lesson for all ages, and for the spiritual life: a sermon about nectar is not nectar; the tasting will be entrusted to quite another, the humblest of functions.