Taittriya Upanishad – 5

Chapter 2, Anuvaka 2 

Mantra 2.2.1:

annadvai prajah prajayante I

yah kascha prthivigmsritah I

atho annenaiva jivanti I athainadapiyantyantatah I

annagmhi bhutanaṃ jyeshtam I

tasmat sarvaushadhamuchyate I

sarvam vai te'nnamapnuvanti I

ye'nnam brahmopasateI

annagmhi bhutanam jyeshtam I

tasmatsarvaushadhamuchyate I

annadbhutani jayanteI jatanyannena vardhante I

adyate'tti cha bhutani I tasmadannam taduchyata iti II

All beings, that exist on the earth, are born out of food. Thereafter they live by food. Finally, they merge into this food. Food was verily born before all creatures; therefore, it is called the medicine for all. Those who meditate on food as Brahman certainly attain all food. Food was verily born before all creatures; therefore, it is called the medicine for all.  All beings are born out of food. Those that are born grow by (consuming) food.  Food is eaten by the beings and food eats the beings. Therefore, food is called ‘Annam’. 

            This is the Sruthi quotation regarding food referred to in the first anuvaka.  All the living beings of this world are the products of food, sustained by food and in the end dissolve as food, as they become food for other creatures who live on these bodies. This is the cycle and gives food its name ‘Annam’ which means that is eaten (adyete) and that which eats (atti).  As food being the product of earth is the first born after the pancha bhuthas, food is called jyeshtam, the first born of all the living beings. Food is also called sarvaushadham, the medicine for all as it cures the ‘disease of hunger’ of all beings.  If a person worships this food as Brahman i.e. as the origin, support and the end of all living beings, he gets all food that he wants. According to Sri Sankara each sheath that covers the Indweller is Brahman but not the Supreme Brahman. They are just starting points in pursuit of the Supreme Brahman. We start with the gross body and slowly we have to transcend it, from the gross to the finer, till we reach the Supreme Self.

Mantra 2.2.2:

tasmadva etasmadannarasamayat I

anyo'ntara athma pranamayah I tenaisha purnah I

sa va esha purushavidha eva I tasya purushavidhatam I

anvayam purushavidhah I tasya prana eva sirah I

vyano dakshinah pakshah I apana uttaraḥ pakshah I

akasa athma I pṛthivi puccham pratishta I

tadapyesha sloko bhavati II

Other than this sheath made of the essence of Food, there is another sheath within it made of Prana (Air).  By that (of Air) is this one (of Food) filled. This (Pranamaya) is of the same form as previous.  It is also verily of the human form. The human form of this, is exactly as the human form of the former.  Of this, Prana is the head; Vyana is the right side; Apana is the left side; Space or Samana is the trunk (body); and Earth is the tail (or support) that stabilizes.  Pertaining to this also is the following verse.

            The body is called annarasamaya, made of the essence of food, because it is the personification of what we eat which gets transformed into muscles, bone, blood etc.  After talking about the food sheath, the Upanishad now starts discussing about the sheath of vital breath, Pranamaya kosa. It says it is inside and separate from this gross body. The Upanishad calls it Athma of annamaya kosa.  It is like the individual self or soul of the gross body. The Prana is not just one part of the body; it fills everywhere in all parts of the body. The Prana is all over the body and is known by five different names based on the functions viz Prana (respiratory system), Apana (evacuatory system), Vyana (circulatory system), Udana (reversing system) and Samana (digestive system).  These five Pranas are compared to different parts of a bird as before. The description is as below:

1)    The head is Prana

2)    The right side is Vyana

3)    The left side is Apana

4)    The trunk is Samana

5)    The supporting tail is Udana

The anuvaka ends announcing a Sruthi Mantra in support which is quoted in the next anuvaka.  The, same presentation pattern is followed in the next three anuvakas, which is as below:

1)    Sruthi quotation on the “current kosa”

2)    “Next kosa” as the inner Self of "current kosa"

3)    Changeover: “next” becomes current and “current” becomes “previous”

4)    Bird comparison

5)    Announcement of a Sruthi Mantra in support

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