Upanishads · Aitareya 1,3.5
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् चक्षुषा अजिघृक्षत् तत् न अशक्नोत् चक्षुषा ग्रहीतुम् सः यत् ह एनत् चक्षुषा अग्रहैष्यत् दृष्ट्वा हैव अन्नम् अत्रप्स्यत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tat cakṣuṣā ajighṛkṣat tat na aśaknot cakṣuṣā grahītum saḥ yat ha enat cakṣuṣā agrahaiṣyat dṛṣṭvā haiva annam atrapsyat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; it
चक्षुषाcakṣuṣāwith the eye; with sight
अजिघृक्षत्ajighṛkṣathe tried to seize; he wished to take
तत्tatthat; it
नnanot; no
अशक्नोत्aśaknothe was able; he had the power
चक्षुषाcakṣuṣāwith the eye; with sight
ग्रहीतुम्grahītumto seize; to take
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्yatwhen; that
हhaindeed; surely
एनत्enatthis; it
चक्षुषाcakṣuṣāwith the eye; with sight
अग्रहैष्यत्agrahaiṣyatwould have seized; would have taken
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen (from √dṛś); having looked; having glanced
हैवhaivaprecisely then; verily
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
अत्रप्स्यत्atrapsyathe would have been satisfied; he would have mastered the food
Translation
He wished to seize it with sight — and could not seize it with sight. If he had seized it with sight, one would be satisfied with food merely by seeing [it].
Version
92a86de4f409 · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third attempt — cakṣuṣā: with the eye. If sight could seize — dṛṣṭvā haiva annam atrapsyat — "one would be full by looking".
Of all the misses this is the most recognisable: to "eat with the eyes" is an eternal temptation: shop windows, feasts in pictures, other people's lives on screens — whole epochs learn to look instead of living. At the very dawn of time the Upaniṣad delivered its verdict: a glance does not nourish; you will not be fed with the eyes — hunger is only inflamed by staring (food, note, is running away — and the glance merely sees it go).
And again the same gesture outlines the organ's true service: sight is to find and to guide, not to consume: the eye is the scout of the meal, not the eater. Blessed are the organs that know their place; the ladder of misses descends further — to hearing.