Skip to content
Reading size
Aitareya Upanishad

Chapter 1

प्रथमाध्याये प्रथमः खण्डः

Adhyaya 1 · Khanda 1

Verses

  1. Verse 1

    oṃ vāṅ me manasi pratiṣṭhitā mano me vāci pratiṣṭhitamāvirāvīrma edhi | vedasya ma āṇīsthaḥ śrutaṃ me mā prahāsīranenādhītenāhorātrān sandadhāmyṛtaṃ vadiṣyāmi satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi | tanmāmavatu tadvaktāramavatvavatu māmavatu vaktāramavatu vaktāram || oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

    Meaning

    May my speech be founded on my mind; may my mind be founded on my speech. O self-effulgent Brahman, reveal Yourself to me. May mind and speech bring me the (substance of the) Veda; may what I have heard not depart from me. By this study I join day with night. I shall speak of the right (rita); I shall speak the true (satya). May That protect me; may That protect the teacher — protect me, protect the teacher, protect the teacher. Om, peace, peace, peace.

  2. Verse 2

    oṃ ātmā vā idameka evāgra āsīnnānyatkiñcana miṣat | sa īkṣata lokānnu sṛjā iti || 1||

    Meaning

    In the beginning this (universe) was but the Self (Atman) alone; nothing else whatsoever stirred. He thought, 'Let me create the worlds.'

  3. Verse 3

    sa imāṃ llokānasṛjata | ambho marīcīrmaramāpo'do'mbhaḥ pareṇa divaṃ dyauḥ pratiṣṭhā'ntarikṣaṃ marīcayaḥ | pṛthivī maro yā adhastātta āpaḥ || 2||

    Meaning

    He created these worlds: ambhas (the waters above the heaven), the marichis (the shining mid-region), mara (the mortal — the earth), and the (nether) waters. Beyond, above the heaven, is ambhas, with the heaven for its support; the marichis are the mid-air; the earth is mara; and below are the waters.

  4. Verse 4

    sa īkṣateme nu lokā lokapālānnu sṛjā iti || so'dbhya eva puruṣaṃ samuddhṛtyāmūrchayat || 3||

    Meaning

    He thought, 'Here now are the worlds; let me create guardians for the worlds.' From the very waters He drew forth a Person (purusha) and gave him a form.

  5. Verse 5

    tamabhyatapattasyābhitaptasya mukhaṃ nirabhidyata yathā'ṇḍaṃ mukhādvāgvāco'gnirnāsike nirabhidyetaṃ nāsikābhyāṃ prāṇaḥ | prāṇādvāyurakṣiṇī nirabhidyetamakṣībhyāṃ cakṣuścakṣuṣa ādityaḥ karṇau nirabhidyetāṃ karṇābhyāṃ śrotraṃ śrotraddiśastvaṅnirabhidyata tvaco lomāni lomabhya oṣadhivanaspatayo hṛdayaṃ nirabhidyata hṛdayānmano manasaścandramā nābhirnirabhidyata nābhyā apāno'pānānmṛtyuḥ śiśnaṃ nirabhidyata śiśnādreto retasa āpaḥ || 4||

    Meaning

    He brooded over him; as he was brooded over, his mouth was differentiated, like an egg. From the mouth came speech, from speech fire (Agni); the nostrils — from them breath, from breath the wind (Vayu); the eyes — from them sight, from sight the sun (Aditya); the ears — from them hearing, from hearing the quarters; the skin — from it the body-hairs, from the hairs herbs and trees; the heart — from it the mind, from the mind the moon (Chandra); the navel — from it the down-breath (apana), from apana death; the generative organ — from it semen, from semen the waters.

Chapters