Aitareya Upanishad 3.1

The Self Enters the BodyRig Veda

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Aitareya Upanishad 3.1
intermediate
तमशनायापिपासे अब्रूतामावाभ्यामभिप्रजानीहीति । ते अब्रवीदेतास्वेव वां देवतास्वाभजाम्येतासु भागिन्यौ करोमीति । तस्माद्यस्यै कस्यै च देवतायै हविर्गृह्यते भागिन्यावेवास्यामशनायापिपासे भवतः ॥

tam aśanāyā-pipāse abrūtām āvābhyām abhiprajānīhīti | te abravīd etāsv eva vāṁ devatāsv ābhajāmy etāsu bhāginyau karomīti | tasmād yasyai kasyai ca devatāyai havir gṛhyate bhāginyāv evāsyām aśanāyā-pipāse bhavataḥ ||

"Hunger and Thirst said to Him: "Provide an abode for us too." He said: "I assign you to these deities; I make you sharers with them." Therefore, to whichever deity an offering is made, hunger and thirst become sharers in it."

What This Means:

Hunger and Thirst demanded their place too. The Creator assigned them to share in all the other deities. This is why every sense experience involves some desire — hunger and thirst pervade all faculties.

Going Deeper:

Desire (hunger/thirst) is woven into every experience. Whenever the eye sees something beautiful, there's a hunger to see more. Whenever we hear something pleasing, there's thirst for more. Desire is not one sense but underlies them all.

How To Apply This:

Notice how desire piggybacks on every experience. You can't taste without wanting. You can't see without craving. This isn't a problem to fix but a structure to understand. Awareness of this can create space.

Key Sanskrit Terms:

Aśanāyā= HungerPipāsā= ThirstBhāginī= Sharer, participantHavis= Offering
#desire#underlying-nature#all-pervading