Bhashya
स ऐक्षत— सः, एवं भीतं कृतरवं कुमारं दृष्ट्वा, मृत्युः ऐक्षत ईक्षितवान्, अशनायावानपि—यदि कदाचिद्वा इमं कुमारम् अभिमंस्ये, अभिपूर्वो मन्यतिर्हिंसार्थः, हिंसिष्ये इत्यर्थः; कनीयोऽन्नं करिष्ये, कनीयः अल्पमन्नं करिष्ये—इति; एवमीक्षित्वा तद्भक्षणादुपरराम; बहु ह्यन्नं कर्तव्यं दीर्घकालभक्षणाय, न कनीयः; तद्भक्षणे हि कनीयोऽन्नं स्यात्, बीजभक्षणे इव सस्याभावः ।सः एवं प्रयोजनमन्नबा-हुल्यमालोच्य, तयैव त्रय्या वाचा पूर्वोक्तया, तेनैव च आ-त्मना मनसा, मिथुनीभावमालोचनमुपगम्योपगम्य, इदं सर्वं स्थावरं जङ्गमं च असृजत, यदिदं किंच यत्किंचेदम्; किं तत्? ऋचः, यजूंषि, सामानि, छन्दांसि च सप्त गाय-त्र्यादीनि-- स्तोत्रशस्त्रादिकर्माङ्गभूतांस्त्रिविधान्मन्त्रान्गाय -त्र्यादिच्छन्दोविशिष्टान्, यज्ञांश्च तत्साध्यान्, प्रजास्त-त्कर्त्रीः, पशूंश्च ग्राम्यानारण्यान्कर्मसाधनभूतान् ।ननु त्रय्यामिथुनीभूतयास्सृजतेत्युक्तम् ; ऋगादीनीह कथमसृजतेति ?नैष दोषः ; मनसस्त्वव्यक्तोऽयं मिथुनीभावस्त्रय्या ; बाह्यस्तुऋगादीनां विद्यमानानामेव कर्मसु विनियोगभावेन व्यक्ती-भावः सर्ग इति ।सः प्रजापतिः, एवमन्नवृद्धिं बुद्ध्वा,यद्यदेव क्रियां क्रियासाधनं फलं वा किंचित् असृजत,तत्तदत्तुं भक्षयितुम् अध्रियत धृतवान्मनः ; सर्वं कृत्स्नं वैयस्मात् अत्ति, तत् तस्मात् अदितेः अदितिनाम्नो मृत्योःअदितित्वं प्रसिद्धम् ; तथा च मन्त्रः--'अदितिद्यौरदितिरन्त-रिक्षमदितिर्माता स पिता' इत्यादिः ; सर्वस्यैतस्य जगतोऽन्न-भूतस्य अत्ता सर्वात्मनैव भवति, अन्यथा विरोधात् ;न हि कश्चित्सर्वस्यैकोऽत्ता दृश्यते ; तस्मात्सर्वात्मा भव-तीत्यर्थः ; सर्वमस्यान्नं भवति ; अत एव सर्वात्मनो ह्यत्तुः सर्व-मन्नं भवतीत्युपपद्यते ; य एवमेतत् यथोक्तम् अदितेः मृत्योःप्रजापतेः सर्वस्यादनाददितित्वं वेद, तस्यैतत्फलम् ॥
In plain words
Seeing the newborn child crying in terror, Death thought to himself, even though ravenous: 'If I harm him now, my food will diminish. I must preserve him, just as a farmer preserves his seed-corn rather than eating it, so that a vast harvest may grow for the future.' Realizing this, Death refrained from devouring the infant. Through the power of his mind and the threefold Veda, he brought forth this entire universe—all moving and unmoving things, the sacred verses of the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāmaveda, the meters, the sacrifices, and all living beings. Someone might ask how these Vedas could be created if they already existed; but their creation simply means their outward manifestation and practical application in sacred rites. Knowing that all creation is ultimately food for sustenance, Death resolved to embrace and assimilate everything he created. Because he consumes all things, he is known as Aditi, the boundless mother and father of all. He who understands this profound truth—that the universal Self consumes all and becomes all—attains that very universality, for nothing remains outside of him.
Close to the Sanskrit
Seeing the frightened crying child, Death reflected, though hungry: 'If I should ever injure this child—abhi meaning injury—I will make the food smaller, I will make the food small.' Thus reflecting, he desisted from eating him; for much food should be made for long consumption, not a small amount. In eating him, indeed, the food would be small, like the absence of crops upon eating seed. Considering this purpose of food abundance, by that very threefold speech and by that same mind as self, undertaking a mental union, he created all this stationary and moving, whatever this is. What was that? Ṛk verses, Yajus formulas, Sāman chants, meters, the seven starting with Gāyatrī—the threefold mantras forming parts of ritual acts like stotra and śastra characterized by meters starting with Gāyatrī, the sacrifices accomplished by them, the subjects performing them, and domestic and wild animals serving as instruments of action. An objection is raised: 'It was said that he created through the threefold paired speech; how are the Ṛk and other verses created here?' This is no fault; this pairing of the threefold Veda is unmanifest in the mind, whereas the external manifestation of existing Ṛk and other verses through application in rituals is their creation. That Prajāpati, realizing this growth of food, whenever he created any action, instrument of action, or fruit, directed his mind to eat and consume it. Because he devours everything entirely, therefore the Aditi-name of Death, who is Aditi, is well known. And similarly the mantra: 'Aditi is heaven, Aditi is atmosphere, Aditi is mother, he is father,' etc. He who knows this Aditiness of Death-Prajāpati—that he is the consumer of all—becomes the consumer of all as the universal Self, for otherwise there would be contradiction; for no single consumer of everything is seen. Therefore he becomes the universal Self, and all becomes his food. Hence it is fitting that for the consumer who is the universal Self, all becomes food. Whoever thus knows this described Aditiness of Death-Prajāpati, this is his fruit.