Taittirīyopaniṣat 02.05

तदप्येष श्लोको भवति। अन्नाद्वै प्रजाः प्रजायन्ते। याः काश्च पृथिवीग्ग् श्रिताः। अथो अन्नेनैव जीवन्ति। अथैनदपियन्त्यन्ततः। अन्नगं हि भूतानां ज्येष्ठम्। तस्मात् सर्वौषधमुच्यते। सर्वं वै तेऽन्नमाप्नुवन्ति। येऽन्नं ब्रह्मोपासते। अन्नगं हि भूतानां ज्येष्ठम्। तस्मात् सर्वौषधमुच्यते। अन्नाद् भूतानि जायन्ते। जातान्यन्नेन वर्धन्ते। अद्यतेत्ति च भूतानि। तस्मादन्नं तदुच्यत इति ॥५॥

tad apy eṣa śloko bhavati। annād vai prajāḥ prajāyante। yāḥ kāś ca pṛthivīṃ śritāḥ। atho annenaiva jīvanti। atha enad api yanti antataḥ। annagaṃ hi bhūtānāṃ jyeṣṭham। tasmāt sarvauṣadham ucyate। sarvaṃ vai te 'nnam āpnuvanti। ye 'nnaṃ brahmopāsate। annagaṃ hi bhūtānāṃ jyeṣṭham। tasmāt sarvauṣadham ucyate। annād bhūtāni jāyante। jātāni annena vardhante। adyate iti ca bhūtāni। tasmād annaṃ tad ucyata iti ॥5॥

[तत् (tat) - that; अपि (api) - also; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; श्लोकः (ślokaḥ) - verse; भवति (bhavati) - is; अन्नात् (annāt) - from food; वै (vai) - indeed; प्रजाः (prajāḥ) - creatures; प्रजायन्ते (prajāyante) - are born; याः (yāḥ) - who; काः (kāḥ) - which; च (ca) - and; पृथिवीम् (pṛthivīm) - earth; श्रिताः (śritāḥ) - reside; अथ (atha) - then; अन्नेन (annena) - by food; एव (eva) - only; जीवन्ति (jīvanti) - live; अथ (atha) - then; एनत् (enat) - this; अपि (api) - also; यन्ति (yanti) - go; अन्ततः (antataḥ) - at the end; अन्नगम् (annagam) - source of food; हि (hi) - indeed; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; ज्येष्ठम् (jyeṣṭham) - eldest; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सर्वौषधम् (sarvauṣadham) - all-medicine; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; सर्वम् (sarvam) - all; वै (vai) - indeed; ते (te) - they; अन्नम् (annam) - food; आप्नुवन्ति (āpnuvanti) - attain; ये (ye) - who; अन्नम् (annam) - food; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; उपासते (upāsate) - worship; अन्नगम् (annagam) - source of food; हि (hi) - indeed; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; ज्येष्ठम् (jyeṣṭham) - eldest; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सर्वौषधम् (sarvauṣadham) - all-medicine; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; अन्नात् (annāt) - from food; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; जायन्ते (jāyante) - are born; जातानि (jātāni) - born; अन्नेन (annena) - by food; वर्धन्ते (vardhante) - grow; अद्यते (adyate) - is eaten; इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; अन्नम् (annam) - food; तत् (tat) - that; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; इति (iti) - thus;]

This verse declares: "From food, indeed, all creatures are born. All who dwell upon the earth live only by food, and at the end, they also go to it. The source of food is the eldest of beings; therefore, it is called the universal medicine. All those who worship food as Brahman attain all food. The source of food is the eldest of beings; therefore, it is called the universal medicine. From food, beings are born; by food, the born grow. Beings are what is eaten; therefore, it is called food".

Taittirīya Bhāshya 02.05

Lord Viṣṇu, the creator of beings and superior in qualities, is the one who, though unborn, is again born from food, because he is all-pervading. Those who possess clear discernment perceive Lord Keśava as the essence of food, as the essence of the body, as the universal medicine, as established in all parts of the body. Lord Hari is nourished by abundance and is always served by the abundant.

"स एष भगवान् विष्णुर्भूतस्रष्टा गुणाधिकः। स एवान्नात् पुनर्जातो ह्यजातोऽपि यतो विभुः॥

"sa eṣa bhagavān viṣṇur bhūtasraṣṭā guṇādhikaḥ। sa evānnāt punar jāto hy ajāto'pi yato vibhuḥ॥

[स (sa) - he; एष (eṣa) - this; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu; भूतस्रष्टा (bhūtasraṣṭā) - creator of beings; गुणाधिकः (guṇādhikaḥ) - superior in qualities; स (sa) - he; एव (eva) - indeed; अन्नात् (annāt) - from food; पुनः (punar) - again; जातः (jātaḥ) - born; हि (hi) - indeed; अजातः (ajātaḥ) - unborn; अपि (api) - even; यतः (yataḥ) - because; विभुः (vibhuḥ) - all-pervading;]

"This very Lord Viṣṇu, the creator of beings and superior in qualities, is the one who, though unborn, is again born from food, because he is all-pervading.

अन्नात्मनि शरीरेऽसौ व्यज्यते सुविवेकिभिः। अन्नस्य सारभूतोऽयं शरीरस्य च केशवः॥

annātmani śarīre'sau vyajyate suvivekibhiḥ। annasya sārabhūto'yaṃ śarīrasya ca keśavaḥ॥

[अन्नात्मनि (annātmani) - in the essence of food; शरीरे (śarīre) - in the body; असौ (asau) - this; व्यज्यते (vyajyate) - is manifested; सुविवेकिभिः (suvivekibhiḥ) - by those of clear discernment; अन्नस्य (annasya) - of food; सारभूतः (sārabhūtaḥ) - the essence; अयम् (ayam) - this; शरीरस्य (śarīrasya) - of the body; च (ca) - and; केशवः (keśavaḥ) - Keśava (Krishna);]

Those who possess clear discernment perceive that Lord Keśava, the essence of food; is also the essence of the body.

अन्ननामा चान्नसंस्थः शरीरेषु च संस्थितः। अत्तृत्वात् सर्वलोकानामन्नमित्युच्यते हरिः॥

annanāmā cānnasaṃsthaḥ śarīreṣu ca saṃsthitaḥ। attṛtvāt sarvalokānām annamity ucyate hariḥ॥

[अन्ननामा (annanāmā) - having the name 'anna'; च (ca) - and; अन्नसंस्थः (annasaṃsthaḥ) - abiding in food; शरीरेषु (śarīreṣu) - in bodies; च (ca) - and; संस्थितः (saṃsthitaḥ) - situated; अत्तृत्वात् (attṛtvāt) - due to being the eater; सर्वलोकानाम् (sarvalokānām) - of all worlds; अन्नम् (annam) - food; इति (iti) - thus; उच्यते (ucyate) - is called; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari;]

Lord Hari, who is known as 'anna', dwells in food and in all bodies; because He is the eater of all worlds, He is called 'food'.

उपजीव्यश्च भूतानामिति चान्नं जनार्दनः। स ज्यायान् सर्वभूतेभ्यस्तस्मात् सर्वौषधं स्मृतः। संसारे दह्यमानानामाश्रयत्वात् स औषधम्॥

upajīvyāś ca bhūtānām iti cānnaṃ janārdanaḥ। sa jyāyān sarvabhūtebhyas tasmāt sarvauṣadhaṃ smṛtaḥ। saṃsāre dahyamānānām āśrayatvāt sa auṣadham॥

[उपजीव्यः (upajīvyaḥ) - to be lived upon; च (ca) - and; भूतानाम् (bhūtānām) - of beings; इति (iti) - thus; च (ca) - and; अन्नम् (annam) - food; जनार्दनः (janārdanaḥ) - Janārdana (epithet of Viṣṇu); सः (saḥ) - he; ज्यायान् (jyāyān) - greater; सर्वभूतेभ्यः (sarvabhūtebhyaḥ) - than all beings; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; सर्वौषधम् (sarvauṣadham) - all-medicine; स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - is remembered; संसारे (saṃsāre) - in the world; दह्यमानानाम् (dahyamānānām) - of those being burned; आश्रयत्वात् (āśrayatvāt) - because of being a refuge; सः (saḥ) - he; औषधम् (auṣadham) - medicine;]

Lord Janārdana is that food upon which all beings subsist; he is greater than all beings and therefore is remembered as the universal medicine; because he is the refuge for those who are suffering in the world, he is the medicine.

प्रचुरं मय इत्युक्तं प्रचुरात्ता यतो हरिः। प्रचुरैस्सेव्यते नित्यमतोऽन्नमय ईरितः॥

pracuraṃ maya ity uktaṃ pracurāttā yato hariḥ। pracurais sevayate nityam ato'nnamaya īritaḥ॥

[प्रचुरम् (pracuram) - abundant; मय (maya) - by me; इति (iti) - thus; उक्तम् (uktam) - said; प्रचुरात् (pracurāt) - from abundance; ता (tā) - because; यतः (yataḥ) - since; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari (Vishnu); प्रचुरैः (pracuraiḥ) - by the abundant ones; सेव्यते (sevyate) - is served; नित्यम् (nityam) - always; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; अन्नमयः (annamayaḥ) - consisting of food; ईरितः (īritaḥ) - is called;]

I have called it 'abundant'; since Lord Hari is nourished by abundance, and is always served by the abundant; therefore he is called 'consisting of food' (annamaya).

देहस्यैव शिरस्यस्य शिरो विष्णोः प्रतिष्ठितम्। बाह्वोः पक्षौ तथा मध्ये मध्यं पश्चात्तनौ तथा॥ पुच्छमित्येष भगवाननिरुद्धः स्वयं हरिः॥"

dehasyaiva śirasyasya śiro viṣṇoḥ pratiṣṭhitam। bāhvoḥ pakṣau tathā madhye madhyaṃ paścāttanau tathā॥ pucchamityeṣa bhagavānaniruddhaḥ svayaṃ hariḥ॥"

[देहस्यैव (dehasyaiva) - of the body indeed; शिरस्यस्य (śirasyasya) - of the head; शिरः (śiraḥ) - head; विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ) - of Viṣṇu; प्रतिष्ठितम् (pratiṣṭhitam) - established; बाह्वोः (bāhvoḥ) - of the arms; पक्षौ (pakṣau) - the two sides (wings); तथा (tathā) - thus; मध्ये (madhye) - in the middle; मध्यं (madhyaṃ) - middle; पश्चात् (paścāt) - behind; तनौ (tanau) - in the body; तथा (tathā) - thus; पुच्छम् (puccham) - tail; इति (iti) - thus; एषः (eṣaḥ) - this; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; अनिरुद्धः (aniruddhaḥ) - Aniruddha; स्वयम् (svayam) - himself; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari (Viṣṇu);]

Indeed, in this body, the head is established as the head of Lord Viṣṇu; the arms are the wings, the middle is the centre, and the back is the rear part; the tail is thus — this is Lord Aniruddha himself, as Lord Hari."