Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 6,2.11
॥
Devanāgarī
अयम् वै लोकः अग्निः गौतम तस्य पृथिवी एव समित् अग्निः धूमः रात्रिः अर्चिः चन्द्रमा अङ्गाराः नक्षत्राणि विष्फुलिङ्गाः तस्मिन् एतस्मिन् अग्नौ देवाः वृष्टिं जुह्वति तस्याः आहुत्या अन्नम् संभवति
Transliteration (IAST)
ayam vai lokaḥ agniḥ gautama tasya pṛthivī eva samit agniḥ dhūmaḥ rātriḥ arciḥ candramā aṅgārāḥ nakṣatrāṇi viṣphuliṅgāḥ tasmin etasmin agnau devāḥ vṛṣṭiṃ juhvati tasyāḥ āhutyā annam saṃbhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अयम्ayamthis; he
वैvaitruly; indeed
लोकःlokaḥthe world; dwelling
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
गौतमgautamaO Gautama; Gautama
तस्यtasyait; his
पृथिवीpṛthivīthe earth (pṛthivī); the solid earth; the earth
एवevaindeed; only
समित्samitfuel; the log
अग्निःagniḥfire; Agni
धूमःdhūmaḥsmoke; the smoke-form
रात्रिःrātriḥnight (rātri); night; night
अर्चिःarciḥflame; the radiance
चन्द्रमाcandramāthe moon (candramas); the lunar orb; the moon
अङ्गाराःaṅgārāḥthe coals; the burning coals
नक्षत्राणिnakṣatrāṇithe stars (nakṣatra, pl.); the constellations; the stars
विष्फुलिङ्गाःviṣphuliṅgāḥthe sparks; the flying sparks
तस्मिन्tasminin It; in this
एतस्मिन्etasminin this; upon this
अग्नौagnauin the fire; in this fire
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
वृष्टिंvṛṣṭiṃrain; the downpour
जुह्वतिjuhvatibring; they pour the libation
तस्याःtasyāḥit; of her
आहुत्याāhutyāout of the oblation; from the offering
अन्नम्annamfood (anna); food; food
संभवतिsaṃbhavatibecomes; arises; he comes into being
Translation
This world, Gautama, is a fire: the earth is its fuel, fire its smoke, night its flame, the moon its coals, the stars its sparks. Into this fire the gods offer rain; out of this oblation food is born.
Version
ceae4663a84f · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:25:52 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third fire is this world itself: earth for fuel, the night flame of growth, lunar coals, starry sparks. The rain offered into the earth becomes food: the chain has reached our table.
Bread is the fourth link of a liturgy that began with faith in heaven: to eat food is to receive the fruit of three altars. Hence a meal is holy by origin and not by custom: everything edible has already passed through three fires of the gods before it reaches the fourth, the human one.