Verse 2.238

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

अन्नं विराडिति ज्ञेयं प्राणात्तदभिवर्धते ।
ऋग्यजुःसामरूपोऽतो वेदात्माऽन्तर्मनोमयः ॥ २३८ ॥

annaṃ virāḍiti jñeyaṃ prāṇāttadabhivardhate |
ṛgyajuḥsāmarūpo'to vedātmā'ntarmanomayaḥ || 238 ||

English translation of verse 2.238:

Food must be known as the Virāj. It has evolved from the vital air. Mind which is inward to the vital air constitutes the essence of the Veda in the form of Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma.

Notes:

Food (anna) or the physical matter represents the Virāj, the cosmic being in its gross aspect. Food or the Virāj has come out of the vital air (prāṇa) which Constitutes the vehicle of all activities (kriyā-śakti) of the Sūtrātman.

The Sūtrātman is endowed with two kinds of potency—kriyā-śakti and vijñāna-śakti. Kriyā-śakti is the potency involved in all outgoing activities due to the vital air in its various aspects. The word prāṇa which occurs in the verse refers to the kriyā-śakti of the Sūtrātman. It is from prāṇa that food has evolved. Vijñāna-śakti which is the potency involved in all kinds of knowledge is of two kinds—manas and vijñāna. One and the same internal organ (antaḥkaraṇa) is referred to as manas and vijñāna depending upon the nature of the knowledge it gives rise to. It is called manas when it gives rise to all concrete and differentiated (savikalpaka) thought (savikalpaka-jñānotpādana-śaktimadantaḥkaraṇaṃ manaḥśabda-vācyam). The Ṛg-veda, the Yajur-veda, and the Sāma-veda are the expressions of the work of the internal organ in its aspect called manas. It is from manas that prāṇa has evolved.

The nature of vijñana is explained in the next verse.