SanskritIASTMeaning
यत्yatthat which; that which
सप्तान्नानिsaptānnānithe seven kinds of food; the seven nourishments
मेधयाmedhayāby intelligence; by a wise design
तपसाtapasāby tapas; by the heat of austerity
अजनयत्ajanayathe begot; brought forth
पिताpitāthe father; the parent
इतिitithus; how
मेधयाmedhayāby intelligence; by a wise design
हिhiindeed; truly
तपसाtapasāby tapas; by the heat of austerity
अजनयत्ajanayathe begot; brought forth
पिताpitāthe father; the parent
एकम्ekamthe single; single
अस्यasyait; of this
साधारणम्sādhāraṇamcommon; shared in common
इतिitithus; how
इदम्idamthis; this world
एवevaindeed; only
अस्यasyait; of this
तत्tatthat; this
साधारणम्sādhāraṇamcommon; shared in common
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
यद्yadwhen; that which
इदम्idamthis; this world
अद्यतेadyatethey are eaten (pass. of √ad); is eaten; they eat
सःsaḥhe; that one
यःyaḥwho; the one who
एतद्etadthis; the present
उपास्तेupāstehe venerates; beholds
नnanot; no
सःsaḥhe; that one
पाप्मनःpāpmanaḥof evil; of sin
व्यावर्ततेvyāvartateit turns away (vi-ā + √vṛt; na vyāvartate — 'does not turn away'); shrinks back; goes forth
मिश्रम्miśrammixed (miśra); blended; mixed
हिhiindeed; truly
एतत्etatthis; the present
द्वेdvethe two; the two
देवान्devānof the gods; divine powers
अभाजयत्abhājayathe divided; he assigned a share
इतिitithus; how
हुतम्hutamthe oblation (huta); offered; the huta
चcaand; as well as
प्रहुतम्prahutamthe offering (pra-huta); what is presented; the prahuta
चcaand; as well as
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
देवेभ्यःdevebhyaḥto the gods; for the divine powers
जुह्वतिjuhvatithey make the oblation; they offer into the fire
चcaand; as well as
प्रpraforth; separately
चcaand; as well as
जुह्वतिjuhvatithey make the oblation; they offer into the fire
अथोathoand further; further
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
दर्शपूर्णमासौdarśapūrṇamāsauthe new and full moon rites (darśa-pūrṇamāsa, dual); the new-moon and full-moon rites; the darśa and the pūrṇamāsa
इतिitithus; how
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
नnanot; no
इष्टियाजुकःiṣṭiyājukaḥone who performs only iṣṭi rites; confined to the lesser offerings
स्यात्syātvery well; becomes
पशुभ्यःpaśubhyaḥto the animals; for the cattle
एकम्ekamthe single; single
प्रायच्छत्prāyacchathe handed on; he handed them over
इतिitithus; how
तत्tatthat; this
पयःpayaḥmilk (payas); the milk; milk
पयःpayaḥmilk (payas); the milk; milk
हिhiindeed; truly
एवevaindeed; only
अग्रेagreat the outset; before
मनुष्याःmanuṣyāḥpeople; human beings
चcaand; as well as
पशवःpaśavaḥcattle; animals
चcaand; as well as
उपजीवन्तिupajīvantithey live upon it (upa + √jīv); they feed; live
तस्मात्tasmāttherefore; for that reason
कुमारम्kumāramthe newborn (kumāra, acc.); the infant; the child
जातम्jātamwhat had been born; what had appeared
घृतम्ghṛtamclarified butter (ghṛta); ghee; butter
वाvātruly; surely
एवevaindeed; only
अग्रेagreat the outset; before
प्रतिलेहयन्तिpratilehayantithey give it to lick; they smear it for tasting
स्तनम्stanamthe bosom; the breast
वाvātruly; surely
अनुधापयन्तिanudhāpayantithey give it to suck; they put it to the breast
अथathathereupon; further
वत्सम्vatsamthe calf; the young one
जातम्jātamwhat had been born; what had appeared
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
तृणात्tṛṇātto the grass; from the grass
इतिitithus; how
तस्मिन्tasminin It; in this
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
प्रतिष्ठितम्pratiṣṭhitamis established; has a support
यत्yatthat which; that which
चcaand; as well as
प्राणितिprāṇitihe breathes with the prāṇa; lives by breath
यत्yatthat which; that which
चcaand; as well as
नnanot; no
इतिitithus; how
पयसिpayasiin milk; upon milk
हिhiindeed; truly
इदम्idamthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
प्रतिष्ठितम्pratiṣṭhitamis established; has a support
यत्yatthat which; that which
चcaand; as well as
प्राणितिprāṇitihe breathes with the prāṇa; lives by breath
यत्yatthat which; that which
चcaand; as well as
नnanot; no
तद्tadthat; this
यद्yadwhen; that which
इदम्idamthis; this world
आहुःāhuḥthey say; they declare
संवत्सरम्saṃvatsarama year; the yearly round
पयसाpayasāwith milk; by means of milk
जुह्वत्juhvatone who makes the oblation; one who offers into the fire
अपapaaway; beyond the bound
पुनर्मृत्युम्punarmṛtyumrepeated death; death again
जयतिjayatihe conquers; he conquers
इतिitithus; how
नnanot; no
तथाtathāthus; in this way
विद्यात्vidyāthe would know; he would realise
यद्yadwhen; that which
अहर्aharthe day; the light
एवevaindeed; only
जुहोतिjuhotihe makes the oblation; he sacrifices
तद्tadthat; this
अहःahaḥthe day; this day
पुनर्मृत्युम्punarmṛtyumrepeated death; death again
अपजयतिapajayatihe conquers; overcomes
एवम्evamthus; in this way
विद्वान्vidvānknowing; one who has known
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
हिhiindeed; truly
देवेभ्यःdevebhyaḥto the gods; for the divine powers
अन्नाद्यम्annādyameatable food; food to be eaten
प्रयच्छतिprayacchatigives; he provides
कस्मात्kasmātout of which; whence
तानिtānithose; of them
नnanot; no
क्षीयन्तेkṣīyantethey run out; they are used up
अद्यमानानिadyamānānibeing eaten; being consumed
सर्वदाsarvadāalways; at all times
इतिitithus; how
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
वाvātruly; surely
अक्षितिःakṣitiḥunfailingness; an inexhaustible source
सःsaḥhe; that one
हिhiindeed; truly
इदम्idamthis; this world
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
पुनःpunaḥagain; once more
पुनःpunaḥagain; once more
जनयतेjanayatehe brings forth; he produces
यःyaḥwho; the one who
वैvaitruly; indeed
ताम्tāmit; that
अक्षितिम्akṣitimunfailingness; inexhaustibility
वेदvedaknows; realises
इतिitithus; how
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥthe puruṣa; the person; the indweller
वाvātruly; surely
अक्षितिःakṣitiḥunfailingness; an inexhaustible source
सःsaḥhe; that one
हिhiindeed; truly
इदम्idamthis; this world
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
धियाdhiyāwith thought; by intelligence
धियाdhiyāwith thought; by intelligence
जनयतेjanayatehe brings forth; he produces
कर्मभिःkarmabhiḥby acts; by deeds
यद्yadwhen; that which
हhasurely; as is known
एतत्etatthis; the present
नnanot; no
कुर्यात्kuryātone should do; he would do
क्षीयेतkṣīyetait would be exhausted; it would run out
हhasurely; as is known
सःsaḥhe; that one
अन्नम्annamfood; nourishment
अत्तिattieats; consumes
प्रतीकेनpratīkenawith the mouth; through the front part
इतिitithus; how
मुखम्mukhamthe countenance; the lips
प्रतीकम्pratīkamthe front part; the mouth as the front
मुखेनmukhenawith the mouth; by the mouth
इतिitithus; how
एतत्etatthis; the present
सःsaḥhe; that one
देवान्devānof the gods; divine powers
अपिगच्छतिapigacchatiattains; comes to
सःsaḥhe; that one
ऊर्जम्ūrjamthe power of nourishment; energy
उपजीवतिupajīvatihe lives by feeding; he sustains his life
इतिitithus; how
प्रशंसाpraśaṃsāpraise; glorification
Here begins the exposition of the verses, line by line — the oldest specimen of Vedic exegesis: the Upaniṣad itself shows how a sacred text is to be read. The common food is "mixed" (miśra): in ordinary fare the shares of all are mingled, and one who appropriates it entirely "does not turn away from evil" — a dinner without a sharing-out is a quiet theft from all the participants of the world's meal; the Gītā will say it outright: "he eats sin who cooks for himself" (BG 3.13).
The two divine foods are huta and prahuta, the poured and the presented: heaven has its share in every day; and the caveat "do not sacrifice for gain" (na iṣṭi-yājukaḥ syāt) guards the sacrifice itself from turning into a transaction. The food of the animals is milk, and here comes the tenderest item on the list: all life, human and animal, begins with milk; the first food of everything born is a gift and not a spoil. The world opens to every creature as a nursing breast — such is the Father's design for the beginning of every life.