AITAREYA UPANISHAD - “By a Peasant for the Peasant”: 5. Rishi Maheedasa Aitareya.

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Monday 15, December 2025, 19:10.
AITAREYA UPANISHAD: “By a Peasant for the Peasant” :  
Composed by Rishi Maheedasa Aitareya

Series of 10 Lectures - by SWAMI ADVAYANANDAJI
Acharyaji, 15th Batch Vedanta Course
AT SANDEEPANY SADHANALAYA, POWAI, MUMBAI
February 15th – February 23rd, 2013.

Reflections by SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA
PART 1: Chapter - 1:  4 mantras:  The Theory of CREATION:
Post-5.

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Mantram - 1.4: The Eight Chief Devatas are Created:

11. 

Tam abhyatapat = He (Brahman) brooded upon this “lump” (Hiranyagarbha);  

tasya abhitaptasya = as He was thus brooding upon it, 

i)  The Agni Devata:

12.

Mukham nir-abhi-dyata, = i) A Mouth burst forth from it as a cleft,  

yathaa andam; mukhaat = just as an egg crack; from the Mouth proceeded 

vaak, vaachah agnih; = Speech, from Speech emerged Agni, the Fire Deity.   

ii)  The Vayu Devata:

13.

 Naasike nirabhidyetaam, = ii) Then His (Hiranyagarbha’s) Nostrils burst forth. 

naasikaabhyaam praanah, = from the nostrils, emerged the sense of smell.     

praanaad vaayuh; = and from smell emerged Vayu, the Air Deity. 

iii)  The Aditya Devata:

14.

Akshinee nirabhidyetaam; =  iii) Then the Eyes burst open on the lump.     

akshibhyaam chakshuh; = from the Eyes, sight emerged.   

chakshushah aadityah; = and from sight, Aditya, the Sun Deity. 

iv)  The Disha Devata:

15. 

 Karnau nirbhidyetaam; = iv) Then the Ears burst forth.  

karnaabhyaam shrotam; = from the Ears proceeded hearing.

shrotraat dishah; = from hearing, Dishah, the Deity of Directions/Space. 

v)  The Vanaspataya Devata:

16.

Tvak nirabhidyata; = v) Then the Skin suddenly appeared.  

tvachah lomaani; lomabhyah = from the Skin came out hair; and from hair,  

oshadhih vanaspatayah; =v) Then the Skin suddenly appeared.  

vi)  The Chandramaa Devata:

 17. 

Hridayam nirabhidyata; = vi) Then the Heart sprung up.  

hridayaat manah; =    from the Heart proceeded the mind.  

manasah chandramaah; = from the mind, Chandramaah, the Moon Deity. 

 vii)  The Mrityuh Devata:

18. 

Naabhih nirabhidyata; = vii) Then a Navel burst forth.  

naabhyaa apaanah; = from the Navel, the Apana or power of excretion.  

apaanaat mrityuh;=  from Apana came Mrityuh, the Lord of Death. 

viii)  The Aapah Devata:

19. 

Shishnam nirbhidyata; = viii) Then the Generative Organ burst out.  

shishnaad retah; = from this Organ, the semen or seed.   

retasah aapah; = from semen came Aapah, the Water Deity.

LINE DEVATA OF ORGAN APPEARANCE OF ORGAN OBJECT OF ORGAN 

12 Fire             (Agni Devata) Cleft, Mouth       (Mukha) Speech                    (Vaak) 

13 Air               (Vayu Devata) Nostrils              (Naasika) Smell                      (Prana) 

14 Sun           (Aditya Devata) Eyes                  (Akshinee) Sight                  (Chakshu) 

15 Space        (Disha Devata) Ears                        (Karna) Hearing            (Shrotram) 

16 Earth       (Vanaspatayah) Skin                          (Tvak) Hair                    (Lomaani) 

17 Moon      (Chandramaah) Heart               (Hridayam) Mind                     (Manas) 

18 Death                 (Mrityuh) Navel                   (Naabhi) Excretion               (Apana) 

19 Water                  (Aapah) Genitals          (Shishnam) Semen or Seed       (Retas) 

 

If we bring to mind a developing foetus, we may well be tempted to link the appearance of the above eight organs to the development of a human foetus. After all, as far as the physical observation is concerned, the organs in a foetus do indeed simply “burstout” through the lump of human flesh which is the foetus in its early stages. The idea is to relate the process of creating the Deities of this universe to the process of childbirth so that the common man can understand it better. 

We are familiar with the 5-element model of Creation. This theory also has the same 5 elements, each of which has its own Deity. The three additional Deities mentioned are the Sun, Moon and Death. All eight Deities play a major role in governing the Universe.   In some theories of Creation, a 3-element model is used, as in the Chhandogya Upanishad. Variations of this sort are not to be taken too seriously. They are illustrative of a common principle at work. Hence, it should not alarm us to find such variations in the scriptures.

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Here ends Chapter 1 of Part 1  

Next
THE HUMAN BIRTH – Destined for Divinity – 
PART 1:   Chapter 2 - 5 Mantras:  ABODES for the Devatas 
Continues

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