Upanishads · Subāla 12.1
॥
Devanāgarī
ओं नारायणाद्वा अन्नमागतं पक्वं ब्रह्मलोके महासंवर्तके पुनः पक्वमादित्ये पुनः पक्वं क्रव्यादि पुनः पक्वं जालकिलक्लिन्नं पर्युषितं पूतमन्नमयाचितमसंक्लृप्तमश्नीयान्न कञ्चन याचेत
Transliteration (IAST)
oṃ nārāyaṇādvā annamāgataṃ pakvaṃ brahmaloke mahāsaṃvartake punaḥ pakvamāditye punaḥ pakvaṃ kravyādi punaḥ pakvaṃ jālakilaklinnaṃ paryuṣitaṃ pūtamannamayācitamasaṃklṛptamaśnīyānna kañcana yāceta
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ओं नारायणात् वै अन्नम् आगतम्oṃ nārāyaṇāt vai annam āgatamOṁ. From Nārāyaṇa came food; Oṁ. Victuals issued from Nārāyaṇa
पक्वम् ब्रह्मलोकेpakvam brahmalokecooked in the world of Brahmā; baked in the brahma-loka
महासंवर्तकेmahāsaṃvartakeat the great dissolution; in the season of the great folding-up
पुनः पक्वम् आदित्येpunaḥ pakvam ādityecooked again in the sun; baked again in the luminary
पुनः पक्वम् क्रव्यादिpunaḥ pakvam kravyādicooked again in the devouring fire; baked again in the flesh-eating flame
पुनः पक्वम्punaḥ pakvamcooked again; baked once more
जालकिलक्लिन्नम् पर्युषितम्jālakilaklinnam paryuṣitamsoftened, having stood; sodden and left standing
पूतम् अन्नम्pūtam annampure food; cleansed victuals
अयाचितम् असंक्लृप्तम् अश्नीयात्ayācitam asaṃklṛptam aśnīyātunasked, unprepared, let him eat; unbegged and unordered let him eat
न कञ्चन याचेतna kañcana yācetaand let him beg of no one; and from no one let him ask
Translation
Oṁ. From Nārāyaṇa came food, cooked in the world of Brahmā at the great dissolution, cooked again in the sun, cooked again in the devouring fire, cooked again. Softened food that has stood, pure — unasked and not prepared for him — let him eat; and let him beg of no one.
Version
398ea9043edf · published Jul 29, 2026, 4:12:03 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The khaṇḍa of food, and it begins with food's pedigree.
Food “came from Nārāyaṇa” and was cooked four times: in Brahmā's world at the great dissolution, in the sun, in the devouring fire, and once again. The word pakva means both “cooked” and “ripened”: both fit here. The bread on the table has passed a long way — through the luminaries, through fire, through ripening — and its beginning is in Nārāyaṇa.
Hence the rule given next. One is to eat food ayācita — “unbegged” — and asaṁkḷpta — “not prepared expressly for him”. That is, food that came of itself, without request and without order.
This is a direct echo of the Kauṣītaki, where the hidden rule of the knower was named na yācet, “let him not beg”, and the example was given of the beggar who sat down and refused the alms of this world. Here the same rule is given to the renouncer.
And words are added that trouble the squeamish reader: the food is called “softened, having stood”. The hermit is enjoined to eat not the fresh and not the best, but what is left over.
But all of it is lit by the first line. If food came from Nārāyaṇa and was cooked in suns, then to ask it of men is strange indeed: of whom shall one beg what is already given? The rule of not-begging turns out to be no feat of humility, but a plain consequence of where bread comes from.