Verse 5

Aitreya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

तदुक्तमृषिणा— गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषामवेदमहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा। शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन्नधः श्येनो जवसा निरदीयम् इति। गर्भ एवैतच्छयानो वामदेव एवमुवाच॥५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

तत् । उक्तम् । ऋषिणा । गर्भे । नु । सन् । अन्वेषाम् । अवेदम् । अहम् । देवानाम् । जनिमानि । विश्वा । शतम् । मा । पुरः । आयसीः । अरक्षन् । अधः । श्येनः । जवसा । निर्-अदीयम् । इति । गर्भे । एव । एतत् । शयानः । वामदेवः । एवम् । उवाच ।

IAST Transliteration

tad uktam ṛṣiṇā— garbhe nu san anv eṣām avedam ahaṃ devānāṃ janimāni viśvā | śataṃ mā pura āyasīr arakṣann adhaḥ śyeno javasā niradīyam iti | garbha evaitac chayāno vāmadeva evam uvāca ||5||

Translation

ഋഷി പറഞ്ഞു— ‘ഗർഭത്തിൽ തന്നെയിരിക്കെ ഞാൻ ദേവന്മാരുടെ എല്ലാ ജന്മങ്ങളെയും അറിഞ്ഞു. ഇരുമ്പിന്റെ നൂറ് കോട്ടകൾ എന്നെ കാത്തു; പിന്നെ ഞാൻ പരുന്തുപോലെ വേഗത്തിൽ താഴോട്ടു പൊട്ടിച്ചിറങ്ങി (പുറത്ത്) വന്നു.’ ഗർഭത്തിൽ ശയിച്ചിരുന്ന വാമദേവൻ ഇങ്ങനെ ഉച്ഛരിച്ചു॥५॥

Academic Translation

This was said by the seer: ‘While still in the womb, I, being there, came to know all the births of the gods. A hundred iron fortresses guarded me; then, like a hawk, I swiftly burst downward (and out).’ Thus Vāmadeva spoke while lying in the womb.

Verse Context

• Jñāna as prior to bodily birth; ṛṣi’s realization; continuity of consciousness beyond embodiment
• Mahavakya: Supportive/anticipatory: aligns with the Upaniṣadic move to identify the true Self with knowing (prajñā), culminating later in Aitareya’s mahāvākya-like teaching (prajñānam brahma).
• Rig
• Śākala (Aitareya tradition of the Ṛgveda) Shakha
• Chandas: Tr̥ṣṭubh (quoted Ṛgvedic verse); surrounding prose