Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3

नैवेह किंचनाग्र आसीत् । मृत्युनैवेदमावृतमासीदशनायया — अशनाया हि मृत्युः । तन्मनोऽकुरुत — आत्मन्वी स्यामिति । सोऽर्चन्नचरत् । तस्यार्चत आपो अजायन्त । अर्चते वै मे कमभूदिति । तदेवार्कस्यार्कत्वम् । कं ह वा अस्मै भवति य एवमेतदर्कस्यार्कत्वं वेद ॥

naiveha kimchanagra asit | mrityunaivedamavritam asid ashanayaya — ashanaya hi mrityuh | tan mano'kuruta — atmanvi syam iti | so'rchann acharat | tasyarchata apo ajayanta | archate vai me kam abhud iti | tad evarkasyaarkatvam | kam ha va asmai bhavati ya evam etad arkasyaarkatvam veda ||

In the beginning there was nothing whatsoever here. All this was covered by Death alone, by Hunger — for hunger is death. He created the mind, thinking: 'Let me have a self.' Then he moved about, worshipping. From him, as he was worshipping, water was produced. 'Verily, while I was worshipping, water appeared' — that is why water is called arka. Happiness surely comes to him who thus knows the reason why water is called arka.

आरम्भ में यहाँ कुछ भी नहीं था। यह सब मृत्यु से ढँका था — भूख से — क्योंकि भूख ही मृत्यु है। उसने मन किया: 'मैं आत्मन्वी (आत्मा से युक्त) हो जाऊँ।' वह अर्चन करते हुए विचरा। उसके अर्चन करने से जल उत्पन्न हुए। 'अर्चन करते हुए मुझे कम (प्रसन्नता) हुई' — इसीलिए जल का नाम 'अर्क' है। जो इस प्रकार जानता है उसे कम (आनन्द) प्राप्त होता है।