Taittiriya Upanishad (Brahmānanda Valli, Chapter 2, Verse 2)

aṉnādvai prajāḥ prajāyante | yāḥ kāśca pṛthivīṁśritāḥ |

atho annenaiva jīvanti | athainadapi yantyantataḥ |

aṉṇaṁ hi bhūtānāṁ jyeṣṭham | tasmāt sarvauṣadhamucyate |

sarvaṁ vai te’ṉnamāpnuvanti | ye’ṉnaṁ brahmopāsate |

aṉṇaṁ hi bhūtānāṁ jyeṣṭham | tasmāt sarvauṣadhamucyate |

aṉnādbhūtāni jāyante | jātānyannena vardhante |

adyate’tti ca bhūtāni | tasmādannaṁ taduçyate iti |

tasmādvā etasmādanna rasamayaḥ | anyo’ntara ātmā prāṇamayaḥ |

tenaiṣa pūrṇaḥ | sa vā eṣa puruṣavidh eva |

tasya puruṣavidhatām | anvayaṁ puruṣavidhḥ |

tasya prāṇa eva śiraḥ | vyāno dakṣiṇaḥ pakṣaḥ |

apāna uttaraḥ pakṣaḥ | ākāśa ātmā |

pṛthivī pucchaṁ pratiṣṭhā | tadapy eṣa śloko bhavati | 1 |

iti dvitīyo’nuvākaḥ |

Word-by-word Transcription and English Translation

• aṉnādvai – From food indeed

• prajāḥ – Beings (creatures)

• prajāyante – Are born

• yāḥ – Those

• kāśca – Who

• pṛthivīṁśritāḥ – Dwell on the Earth

• atho – Moreover

• annenaiva – By food alone

• jīvanti – Live (exist)

• athainadapi – And then they

• yantyantataḥ – Depart (return to the source)

• aṉṇaṁ – Food

• hi – Indeed

• bhūtānāṁ – Of all beings

• jyeṣṭham – The most important, the highest

• tasmāt – Therefore

• sarvauṣadhamucyate – It is called the medicine (sustaining power of the universe)

• sarvaṁ – All

• vai – Indeed

• te’ṉnamāpnuvanti – They attain food

• ye’ṉnaṁ – Those who worship food

• brahmopāsate – Who meditate upon Brahman (the Supreme)

• aṉṇaṁ – Food

• hi – Indeed

• bhūtānāṁ – Of beings

• jyeṣṭham – The most important

• tasmāt – Therefore

• sarvauṣadhamucyate – It is called the medicine

• aṉnādbhūtāni – Beings are born from food

• jātānyannena – Born and sustained by food

• vardhante – Thrive, grow

• adyate’tti – They eat and are nourished

• ca – And

• bhūtāni – Beings

• tasmādannaṁ – Therefore food

• taduçyate – Is called thus, it is referred to as

• iti – Thus

Translation of the First Part

Indeed, all beings are born from food. Those who dwell on the earth live by food, and in the end, they return to it. Food is the highest of all the elements, and therefore it is called the universal medicine. All beings derive their sustenance from food, and those who meditate on food attain Brahman. Therefore, food is considered the source of all life and existence.

• tasmādvā – From that

• etasmādanna – From this food

• rasamayaḥ – Made of essence

• anyo’ntara – Another, internal

• ātmā – Soul

• prāṇamayaḥ – Made of life (vital breath)

• tena – By that

• eṣa – This

• pūrṇaḥ – Full (complete)

• saḥ – He (the individual soul)

• vā – Indeed

• eṣaḥ – This

• puruṣavidh eva – Is indeed the form of the person

• tasya – His

• puruṣavidhatām – Form of the person

• anvayaṁ – Sequence, connection

• puruṣavidhḥ – Form of the person

• tasya – His

• prāṇa eva – The breath (vital force) itself

• śiraḥ – Head

• vyāno – Vital breath (of circulation)

• dakṣiṇaḥ – Right

• pakṣaḥ – Wing

• apāna – The downward breath

• uttaraḥ – Left

• pakṣaḥ – Wing

• ākāśa – Space

• ātmā – Soul

• pṛthivī – Earth

• pucchaṁ – Tail

• pratiṣṭhā – Foundation

• tadapy – Even that

• eṣa – This

• śloko – Verse

• bhavati – Becomes

• 1 – (Verse number)

• iti – Thus

• dvitīyo’nuvākaḥ – Second section

Translation of the Second Part

“From this food, the essence is created; another internal soul, made of life (prāṇa), exists within. This soul is full and complete. It follows the form of the person, where the breath is the head, the right wing is the vital breath of circulation, the left wing is the downward breath, the soul is the space (ether), the earth is the tail, and the foundation is established in the tail. This structure is expressed in this verse. Thus, this is the second section.”

This verse from the Taittiriya Upanishad describes the creation of life and beings from food, and it symbolically represents the human body as a microcosm of the universe. The body’s functions, like breath and vital force, are likened to elements in the cosmos. The verse emphasizes the deep connection between food, life, and the universe.