Upanishads · Aitareya 1,3.9
॥
Devanāgarī
तत् शिश्नेन अजिघृक्षत् तत् न अशक्नोत् शिश्नेन ग्रहीतुम् सः यत् ह एनत् शिश्नेन अग्रहैष्यत् विसृज्य हैव अन्नम् अत्रप्स्यत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tat śiśnena ajighṛkṣat tat na aśaknot śiśnena grahītum saḥ yat ha enat śiśnena agrahaiṣyat visṛjya haiva annam atrapsyat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्tatthat; it
शिश्नेनśiśnenawith the generative organ; with the male organ
अजिघृक्षत्ajighṛkṣathe tried to seize; he wished to take
तत्tatthat; it
नnanot; no
अशक्नोत्aśaknothe was able; he had the power
शिश्नेनśiśnenawith the generative organ; with the male organ
ग्रहीतुम्grahītumto seize; to take
सःsaḥhe; that one
यत्yatwhen; that
हhaindeed; surely
एनत्enatthis; it
शिश्नेनśiśnenawith the generative organ; with the male organ
अग्रहैष्यत्agrahaiṣyatwould have seized; would have taken
विसृज्यvisṛjyahaving emitted (vi-√sṛj — 'to discharge'); having released; having spent himself
हैवhaivaprecisely then; verily
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
अत्रप्स्यत्atrapsyathe would have been satisfied; he would have mastered the food
Translation
He wished to seize it with the generative organ — and could not seize it with that. If he had seized it with that, one would be satisfied with food merely by emitting [seed].
Version
7efaa4c4722e · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:36:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The seventh attempt — śiśnena: with the generative power. If it could seize food — visṛjya haiva annam atrapsyat — "one would be full by emitting".
The miss is deeper than it seems: the generative power is the most creative of the bodily powers, the continuer of worlds; but its gesture is a giving-out (vi-√sṛj — "to discharge"), the opposite of assimilation: it sows, it does not reap. That is why the pleasure of this power does not satisfy — it empties: he who spends it in pursuit of fullness is hungrier than before (the Kaṭha, of all delights: "they wear out the vigour of the senses").
In this miss is the verdict on the whole strategy of "satiety through enjoyment": sex does not seize food, as a mouth does not bear children: confused services yield hunger instead of fullness. Seven faculties — from speech to seed — have signed their confession of impotence; one remains, the least presentable of all — and it is precisely to it that the victory will fall.