Upaniṣads · Chāndogya 1,11.9
॥
Devanāgarī
अन्नम् इति ह उवाच सर्वाणि ह वै इमानि भूतानि अन्नम् एव प्रतिहरमाणानि जीवन्ति सा एषा देवता प्रतिहारम् अन्वायत्ता ताम् चेद् अविद्वान् प्रत्यहरिष्यः मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत् तथोक्तस्य मया इति तथोक्तस्य मया इति
Transliteración (IAST)
annam iti ha uvāca sarvāṇi ha vai imāni bhūtāni annam eva pratiharamāṇāni jīvanti sā eṣā devatā pratihāram anvāyattā tām ced avidvān pratyahariṣyaḥ mūrdhā te vyapatiṣyat tathoktasya mayā iti tathoktasya mayā iti
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अन्नम्annamfood; food
इतिitithus; how
हhaindeed; surely
उवाचuvācahe said; He spoke
सर्वाणिsarvāṇiall; the whole
हhaindeed; surely
वैvaiverily; indeed
इमानिimānithese; all these
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; the elements
अन्नम्annamfood; food
एवevaindeed; surely
प्रतिहरमाणानिpratiharamāṇānithose that receive (prati-√hṛ — 'to take toward oneself'); those that take up [the food]; the receivers
जीवन्तिjīvantilive (from √jīv); exist; thrive
साsāshe; that one
एषाeṣāthis; such is
देवताdevatāthe deity; divine power
प्रतिहारम्pratihāramthe pratihāra; the responding part of the chant
अन्वायत्ताanvāyattāconnected with; on which it depends
ताम्tāmit; that
चेद्cedif; but if
अविद्वान्avidvānthe ignorant one; the ignorant man
प्रत्यहरिष्यःpratyahariṣyaḥyou would have performed the pratihāra; you would have answered in song
मूर्धाmūrdhāthe head; the summit
तेteto you; for you
व्यपतिष्यत्vyapatiṣyatit would fall; it would drop off
तथोक्तस्यtathoktasyaof what was thus said; according to what was said
मयाmayāby me; from me
इतिitithus; how
तथोक्तस्यtathoktasyaof what was thus said; according to what was said
मयाmayāby me; from me
इतिitithus; how
Traducción
"Food," said he. "All these beings live by taking up food itself. That is the deity that belongs to the pratihāra. Had you taken it up without knowing it, your head would have fallen off — just as I told you; just as I told you."
Versión
0b1d54769bc6 · publicado 26 jul 2026, 22:31:57 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The third answer: annam iti hovāca — "Food": sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāny annam eva pratiharamāṇāni jīvanti — "all beings live by taking up (prati-har-!) food": the play of the root is perfect: the pratihāra — "the taking up" — is bound to Food, which everything living prati-harate, "takes up, receives to itself": the portion of receiving stands under the sign of the universal Reception: eating.
The triad of deities is assembled: Prāṇa — Āditya — Anna: Life, Light, Bread: source, height and sustenance: the whole service is bound to the axes of existence, and a priest who knows this sings the world's own order. The double seal tathoktasya mayeti — "just as I told you" — closes the khaṇḍa and the story: the man who had starved teaches about Food from the altar; yesterday's handful of beans and today's "all beings live by food" are one knowledge, tested in the belly and raised into liturgy. Such is Uṣasti: his theology smelt of hunger — and that is why it holds the singers' heads on.