The Abode for Being

Any entity in the manifested universe needs food for sustenance and productive engagement. What is the source which can provide wholesome nourishment so that the entities can flourish in their assigned roles? This is being discussed here.

Ta eva devatah srushta asmin mahatyarnave prapatan
Tam ashanayapipasabhyam anvarjita
Ta enamabruvan
Ayatanam nah prahaneehi yasmin pratishta annamadameti

The paraphernalia created by the inner spirit when it expressed through a facet find themselves in the great ocean of causation. Caught in the field of cause and effect these entities are susceptible to hunger and thirst. So they spontaneously feel the need for a source of nourishment to sustain themselves. They appealed to the inner divinity: ‘Give us appropriate abodes where we can leverage our presence to acquire proper nourishment.’

Tabhyo gamanayata
Abruvanna vai no/yamalamiti
Tabhyo/shvamanayata
Abruvanna vai no/yamalamiti

In response to the appeal a cow was brought to them. A cow is a process with all logical connections. But the process with its rigid mechanical structure was not sufficient to provide adequate nourishment for the entities created by the inner divinity. The needs of the entities were more extensive than what could be provided by a logical structure in the physical plane. Then a horse was brought to them. A horse is the intense expression of vitality. May be a doze of vitality could whet the appetites that could not be satisfied by physical means. But this was not true. The flames of passion emanating from the intensity of vitality also were not sufficient to provide nourishment for the entities. Neither the docile process oriented approach of a conservative nor the passionate approach of an iconoclast can sustain a being with an identity in a healthy manner.

Tabhyah purushamanayata
Abruvan sukrutam
Bateti purushovava sukrutam
Ta abraveedhyathayatanam pravishateti

Then the concept of virility was brought to them. They immediately recognized that it can provide them nourishment for ever. They said with satisfaction: ‘this is well-made to suit our needs’. It is said that ‘the spirit of enterprise’ is behind all deeds that reflects excellence. Virility is the agent and reward for all good deeds. They accepted virility as their abode and flourished.

Human form is the organized template for all organized beings. It applies also to the organized expression of virility. In this form the different entities created by the inner spirit found their positions and remained there in different forms.

Agnir vagbhootva mukham pravishad

The fire of passion became words and entered the face. The passions transformed as verbosity became the spokesperson to engage the environment through verbal interpretations.

Vayuh prano/bhootva nasike pravishad

The currents of vitality became life forces and entered the nose. Nose became the instrument for the induction of vitality from the environment.

Adityashchakshurbhootva/kshinee pravishad

Aditya, the source of energy, from where all the processes emanate, became the equipment to see, and entered the eyes. Eyes became the instrument to perceive and evaluate all forms.

Disha shrotram bhootva karnam pravishan

The directions became the equipment for hearing, and entered the ears. The knowledge from the organized collective experience of the environment was now available to provide the sense of direction while moving around in this world.

Oshadhi vanaspatayo lomani bhootvatvacham pravisham

The herbs and trees – the means for modulation and the significant expressions that contribute to the infrastructure – became the outgrowths that dwelled on the boundaries.

Chandrama mano bhootva hrudayam pravisha

Moonlight, the reflection of the rays from aditya on earthiness, became the mind. It resided as feelings in the heart.

Mrutyurapano bhootva nabhim pravishad

Mortality – the principle of expending life forces – became apana, the outflow of vitality. It entered the navel waiting to sprout as creativity.

Apo reto bhootva shishnam pravishan

Apas became retas and entered the shishnam. The canalized sensibilities condensed into the sperms of productivity. It resided on the faculties for enjoyment.

Tamashanaya pipase abrootamavabhyam abhiprajaneehi iti
Te abraveedetasvevapam devatasva bhajamyetasu bhaginou karomeeti

Thus all creations of the inner spirit, excepting hunger and thirst, found their places in the organized form of virility. Hunger and thirst invoked the inner spirit and said: ‘Please define our productive engagement in this dispensation.’ The inner spirit said: ‘You are an integral part of the ideations that support this structure. You remain merged with the devatas – the presiding deities – of the ideas and are instrumental in bringing prosperity.’

Tasmadyasmai kasyai cha devatayai havirgruhyate
Bhaginya vevasyamashanaya pipase bhavatah

Thus when any devata aceepts the offerings in a yajna hunger and thirst also gets propitiated along with them. And this satisfaction of hunger and thirst manifest as prosperity. Hunger and thirst bring the power of relevance to the human plane.

Ityaitareyopanishadi prathamadhyaye dviteeya khandah

This is the second section of the first chapter of Eitereya Upanishad.