Maitri (Maitrāyaṇīya) Upaniṣad 6.10

6.10

athāparaṃ veditavyamuttaro vikāro'syātmayajñasya yathānnamannādaśceti asyopavyākhyānaṃ puruṣaścetā pradhānāntaḥsthaḥ sa eva bhoktā prākṛtamannaṃ bhuṅkta iti tasyāyaṃ bhūtātmā hyannamasyakartā pradhānaḥ tasmāttriguṇaṃ bhojyaṃ bhoktā puruṣo'ntasthaḥ atra dṛṣṭaṃ nāma pratyayam yasmādbījasambhavā hi paśavastasmādbījaṃ bhojyamanenaiva pradhānasya bhojyatvaṃ vyākhyātaṃ tasmādbhoktā puruṣo bhojyā prakṛtistatstho bhuṅkta iti prākṛtamannaṃ triguṇabhedapariṇamatvānmahadādyaṃ viśeṣāntaṃ liṅgamanenaiva caturdaśavidhasya mārgasya vyākhyā kṛtā bhavati sukhaduḥkhamohasaṃjñaṃ hyannabhūtamidaṃ jagat na hi bījasya svāduparigraho'stīti yāvannaprasūtiḥ tasyāpyevaṃ tisṛṣvavasthāsvannatvaṃ bhavati kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā pariṇamatvātatdannatvamevaṃ pradhānasya vyaktatāṃ gatasyopalabdhirbhavati tatra buddhyādīni svāduni bhavantyadhyavasāyasaṅkalpābhimānā iti athendriyārthān pañcasvāduni bhavanti evaṃ sarvāṇīndriyakarmāṇi prāṇakarmāṇi evaṃ vyaktamannamavyaktamannam asya nirguṇo bhoktā bhoktṛtvāccaitanyaṃ prasiddhaṃ tasya yathāgnirvai devānāmannadaḥ somo'nnamagninaivānnamityevaṃvit somasaṃjño'yaṃbhūtatmā'gnisaṃjño'pyavyaktamukhā iti vacanātpuruṣo hyavyaktamukhena triguṇaṃ bhuṅkta iti yo haivaṃ veda saṃnyāsī yogī cātmayājī ceti atha yadvanna kaścicchūnyāgāre kāminyaḥ praviṣṭāḥ spṛśatīndriyārthān tadvad yo na spṛśati praviṣṭān saṃnyāsī yogī cātmayājī ceti ||

10. Now, there is something else to be known. There is a higher development of this Ātman-sacrifice, namely as concerns food and the eater. The further explanation of this [is as follows].

The conscious person stands in the midst of Matter (pradhāna). He is an enjoyer, for he enjoys the food of Nature (prakṛti). Even this elemental soul (bhūtātman) is food for

him; its maker is Matter. Therefore that which is to be enjoyed consists of the three Qualities (guṇa), and the enjoyer is the person who stands in the midst.

Here observation is clearly proof. Since animals spring from a source, therefore what is to be enjoyed is the source. Thereby is explained the fact that Matter is what is to be enjoyed. Therefore the person is an enjoyer, and Nature is what is to be enjoyed. Being therein, he enjoys.

The food derived from Nature through the transformation in the partition of the three Qualities becomes the subtile body (liṅga), which includes from intellect up to the separate elements (viśeṣa). Thereby an explanation is made of the fourteenfold course.

Called pleasure, pain, and delusion (moha),
Truly, this whole world exists as food!

There is no apprehension of the sweetness of the source, so long as there has been no production.

It [i. e. Nature] also comes to have the condition of food in these three conditions: childhood, youth, and old age. The condition of food is because of the transformation.

Thus, as Matter passes on to the state of being manifest, there arises the perception of it. And therein, [namely] in [the tasting of] sweetness, there arise intellect and the like, even determination, conception, and self-conceit. So, in respect to objects of sense, the five [organs of sense] arise in [the tasting of] sweetness. Thus arise all actions of organs and actions of senses.

Thus the Manifest is food, and the Unmanifest is food.

The enjoyer thereof is without qualities. [But] from the fact of his enjoying it is evident that he possesses consciousness (caitanya).

As Agni (Fire), verily, is the eater of food among the gods and Soma is the food, so he who knows this eats food with Fire.

The elemental soul (bhūtātman) is called Soma. He who has the Unmanifest as his mouth is called Agni (Fire), because of the saying: ‘The person, truly, with the Unmanifest as his mouth, enjoys the three Qualities.’

He indeed who knows this is an ascetic (saṃnyāsin) and a devotee (yogin) and a ‘performer of the sacrifice to the Soul (Ātman).’ Now, as there is no one to touch harlots who have entered into a vacant house, so he who does not touch objects of sense that enter into him is an ascetic and a devotee and a ‘performer of the sacrifice to the Soul (Ātman).’