Verse 14

Prashna

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अन्नं वै प्रजापतिः। ततो ह वै तद्रेतः। तस्मादिमाः प्रजाः प्रजायन्त इति॥१४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अन्नम् वै प्रजापतिः । ततः ह वै तत् रेतः । तस्मात् इमाः प्रजाः प्र-जायन्ते इति ॥१४॥

IAST Transliteration

annaṃ vai prajāpatiḥ | tato ha vai tad retaḥ | tasmād imāḥ prajāḥ prajāyanta iti ||14||

Translation

Sesungguhnya makanan itulah Prajāpati. Dari itu, sungguh, timbul benih (esensi kreatif). Karena itu makhluk-makhluk ini dilahirkan.

Academic Translation

Food, indeed, is Prajāpati. From that, indeed, is that seed (semen/creative essence). Therefore these creatures are born.

Verse Context

• Rayi/anna (matter, food) as creative principle; Prajāpati as material cause in cosmological teaching
• Mahavakya: Indirect: cosmological account (sṛṣṭi-prakriyā) used as a teaching aid; not a direct mahāvākya but can serve as preparatory understanding before non-dual identity teachings.
• Atharva
• Atharvaveda (Prashna Upanishad; traditionally linked with the Paippalāda tradition) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose