ଛାନ୍ଦୋଗ୍ଯୋପନିଷଦ୍

• ଓଁ (oṃ)The sacred syllable. आप्यायन्तु (āpyāyantu) – May they be nourished and strong. ममाङ्गानि (mamāṅgāni) – My limbs, my parts of the body. वाक् प्राणः चक्षुः (vāk prāṇaḥ cakṣuḥ) – Speech, prāṇa (life force), and eyes. श्रोत्रम् अथः बलम् (śrotram athaḥ balam) – Ears and strength. इन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि (indriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi) – All my senses. सर्वं ब्रह्म उपनिषदं (sarvam brahma upaniṣadaṃ) – All this is in the essence of Brahman found in the Upaniṣads. माऽहं ब्रह्म निराकुर्यां (mā'haṃ brahma nirākuryāṃ) – May I never deny Brahman. मा मा ब्रह्म निराकरोद् (mā mā brahma nirākarod) – May Brahman never deny me. अनिराकरणम् अस्तु (anirākaraṇam astu) – Let there be no denial at all (of Brahman). अनिराकरणं मे अस्तु (anirākaraṇam me astu) – Let there be no denial in/for me (of Brahman). तत् आत्मनि (tat ātmani) – In that Self. निरते (nirate) – Those who are engaged or absorbed. यः उपनिषत्सु धर्माः (yaḥ upaniṣatsu dharmāḥ) – The virtues found in the Upaniṣads. मयि सन्तु (mayi santu) – May they be realised in me. ते मयि सन्तु (te mayi santu) – May they be fully realised in me. (Repeated for emphasis) ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः (oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ) – Oṃ peace, peace, peace (at all levels).

note The purpose of this Shanti mantra is to prepare oneself before studying or learning spiritual knowledge, particularly before reading the Upanishads (ancient Indian spiritual texts). The seeker sincerely asks that all parts of their being — their physical organs, limbs, speech, prana (vital air), strength, and all sense organs — become efficient enough to perform their respective duties properly and without any hindrance to the main objective, which is to truly grasp and learn what they are about to study. The mantra then focuses on Brahman (the ultimate Reality) and the teachings of the Upanishads. When it says "sarvam brahmopaniṣadam", it is expressing that everything is Brahman, as propounded and abundantly made clear in the Upanishads. As the mantra progresses, there is a request for the non-rejection of Brahman. "Mā’ham brahma nirākuryām" means "May I not reject Brahman." The subsequent phrase "mā mā brahma nirākarod anirākaraṇamastvanirākaraṇaṃ me'stu" is a repeated plea for inseparation between the seeker and Brahman, the Reality that they wish to realize or recognize. It is essentially a prayer for the devotee to never be ignorant of or deny the ultimate truth of Brahman. The prayer deepens with the plea: "May all the virtues (as described in the Upanishads) of those wise men who dwell in the Ātman (or the Supreme Self) become part of me and reside in me." Thus, we come to understand that this is a humble prayer asking for the physical, mental, and spiritual strength to absorb and live by the teachings of the Upanishads. A prayer that the teachings of the Upanishads be realized and internalized in their very being.

• Om iti, this Om [is closest to Brahman]
• etat akṣaram udgītham upāsīta, recite this syllable as part of your upāsanā [ritual]
• hi om iti udgāyati, how you recite this Om
• tasya upavyākhyānam, is being explained.

note Om is as good as Brahman. To begin with, it is a symbol of Brahman. But it is not just a symbol; it is Brahman itself. The Upaniṣad says to recite Om as if you are worshipping Brahman. This recitation is called udgītha, and it is loud recitation. You recite Om aloud, but you do it with the feeling that you are worshipping Brahman. This worship then eventually purifies the mind. The importance of Om is being explained in the following verses.

• Eṣām bhūtānām, of these beings
• pṛthivī rasaḥ, the earth is the essence
• pṛthivyāḥ, of the earth
• āpaḥ, water
• rasaḥ, is the essence
• apām oṣadhayaḥ rasaḥ, plants are the essence of water
• oṣadhīnām puruṣaḥ rasaḥ, human beings are the essence of plants
• puruṣasya vāk rasaḥ, speech is the essence of human beings
• vācaḥ ṛg rasaḥ, the Ṛg Veda is the essence of speech
• ṛcaḥ sāma rasaḥ, the Sāma Veda is the essence of the Ṛg Veda
• sāmnaḥ udgīthaḥ rasaḥ, the part known as udgītha is the essence of the Sāma Veda.

note There are both living and non-living things on the earth. What sustains them? Obviously the earth. They all come out of the earth, are sustained by the earth, and finally dissolve into the earth. But what sustains the earth? Water. The earth is a mixture of water and earth, and there can be no earth without water. Plants are said to be the essence of water, for they grow from water. Similarly, human beings are the essence of plants, because the human body is the outcome of the food eaten by human beings. Speech is the essence of human beings, for it is the best part of them. The best speech is the Ṛg Veda, and the essence of the Ṛg Veda is the Sāma Veda. Finally, udgītha—that is, Om—is the essence of the Sāma Veda.

• Saḥ, that
• eṣaḥ, this
• rasānām, of all the essences
• rasatamaḥ, the best essence
• paramaḥ, the best
• parārdhyaḥ, ranking the highest
• aṣṭamaḥ, the eighth [in the order of earth, water, plants, human beings
• speech, the Ṛg Veda, the Sāma Veda, and udgītha]
• yāt, that
• udgīthaḥ, udgītha [Om].

note The best of all essences is the udgītha, which is Om. It is the highest and best because it is the same as Brahman.

• Katamā, which
• katamā ṛk, which are the Ṛks
• katamat katamat sāma, which are the Sāmas
• katamaḥ katamaḥ udgīthaḥ, which are the udgīthas
• iti vimṛṣṭam bhavati, this is the question.

note It has been stated that speech is the essence of the Ṛg Veda. The question now arises: Which ones are the Ṛk, which ones are the Sāma, and which ones are the udgītha? The word katama, ‘which,’ is repeated to emphasize the importance of the question. But why is the word ‘which’ being used here? ‘Which’ is used when you have to pinpoint one thing out of many. The Ṛg Veda is taken as a single whole, so how is the use of ‘which’ justified here? The answer is that here ‘which’ refers to individual Ṛk mantras, and not to the whole body of the Ṛg Veda.

• Vāk eva ṛk, speech is Ṛk [being the cause of the Ṛk]
• prāṇaḥ sāma, prāṇa [breath, or the life force] is Sāma [for you can sing the Sāma if your prāṇa is strong]
• om iti etat akṣaram udgīthaḥ, the syllable ‘Om’ is the udgītha [for you recite it out of love for the Sāma]
• tat etat vai mithunam, it is like a couple
• yat vāk ca prāṇaḥ ca ṛk ca sāma ca, which are speech and prāṇa, Ṛk and Sāma.

note The word ‘couple,’ or ‘pair,’ is being used to suggest a relationship of cause and effect. Cause and effect are, in fact, one and the same. Speech is the cause, According to this Upaniṣad, the evolution of the gross world is in this order: earth, water, plants, human beings, speech, Ṛk, Sāma, and udgītha (Om). Udgītha is rasatamā, the essence of all essences, the cause of all causes. It occupies the eighth position—that is, it is the ultimate in the evolution of things. It is the Paramātman, the Self of all selves.

• Tat, that
• etat, this
• mithunam, dual combination [i.e., speech and life]
• om iti etasmin akṣare saṃsṛjyate, meet in this syllable Om
• yadā vai, whenever
• mithunau samāgacchataḥ, a couple [a male and a female] come together
• tau, they
• anyonyasya kāmam āpayataḥ vai, naturally satisfy each other’s desires.

note Those two, speech and life, merge into each other in Om. They attain their fulfilment in this way. Om thus stands for the fulfilment of all things.

• Āpayitā, he receives
• ha vai kāmānām, all he desires
• bhavati, this happens
• yaḥ, he who
• etat, this
• evam, this way [as the one who receives everything]
• vidvān, knows
• akṣaram, Om
• udgītham, as udgītha [Brahman]
• upāste, worships.

note If you worship Om, you acquire the qualities of Om. If you worship Om as the one who receives everything, you also, like Om, receive everything you desire. The śruti says: ‘You become whatever or whomever your object of worship is.’ (Maṇḍala Brāhmaṇa 20)

• Tat, that
• vai etat, this
• anujñā akṣaram, syllable [Om] indicates assent
• yat, when
• hi kim ca anujānāti, assent is to be indicated
• om iti, this Om
• eva tadā āha, is then uttered
• eṣā u eva, this
• samṛddhiḥ, progress
• yat, that
• anujñā, assent
• samardhayitā, makes it possible
• ha vai kāmānām bhavati, one attains those desires
• yaḥ, he who
• etat, this
• evam, this way
• vidvān, having known
• akṣaram udgītham upāste, worships the syllable Om as the udgītha [Brahman],

note The word Om means ‘yes.’ Once someone named Śākalya asked the sage Yājñavalkya, ‘How many gods and goddesses are there?’ Yājñavalkya replied, ‘Thirty-three.’ Then Śākalya indicated his agreement by saying ‘Om.’ When you say Om it is also an indication of your faith in yourself. It is proof of your strength and vigour, and proof also of your prosperity. Om is therefore a symbol of certain basic qualities. When you worship Om you acquire those qualities, and you begin to progress and also prosper.

• Tena, by this [Om]
• iyam, this
• trayī vidyā vartate, threefold Vedic ritual begins
• om iti, with Om
• āśrāvayati, the recitation begins
• om iti śaṃsati, with Om begins the singing of the hymn
• om iti udgāyati, with Om the udgān [the praise to Om] begins
• etasya akṣarasya, to this akṣara [Brahman]
• eva apacityai, to pay homage
• mahimnā, for its greatness
• rasena, with the essence [of Om],

note To create some interest in Om, it is being praised here. Om is indispensable even if you are performing a Vedic ritual. You begin reciting a Vedic verse with Om, singing a Vedic hymn with Om, and closing your final udgān with Om. In short, the whole procedure is dedicated to Om. Not only that, those who participate in this ritualistic worship derive their strength and vigour from Om, for the butter or barley syrup they drink as a stimulant is from Om. How? Om is the medium through which sacrifices are performed, and the effects of the sacrifices are carried to the sun. These then return to the earth as rain. From rain come life and food. Again, because of life and food, a person is able to perform sacrifices. Thus, it is the essence of Om that makes ritualistic worship, such as sacrifices, possible. Ritualistic worship is therefore a testimony to the greatness of Om. Om is both the cause and the effect.

• Ubhau, both [kinds of persons]
• tena, by the power of that [Om]
• kurutaḥ, work
• yaḥ ca, whoever
• evam, as such
• veda, knows
• etat, this [i.e., about Om]
• yaḥ ca na veda, he who does not know
• vidyā ca avidyā ca nānā tu, knowledge and ignorance are entirely different things
• yat eva, anything
• vidyayā karoti, one does with knowledge [about Om]
• śraddhayā, with respect for one’s teachers and the scriptures
• upaniṣadā, as taught by the Upaniṣads [i.e., according to yoga]
• tat eva, that [work]
• vīryavattaram bhavati,. is more powerful [i.e., more fruitful]
• iti, this
• khalu, certainly
• etasya eva akṣarasya upavyākhyānam bhavati, is the right tribute to this Om. Iti prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the first section.

note Two kinds of people work: one kind knowing what Om means and another kind knowing nothing about it. Both kinds of people, however, are able to work because of Om. What is the difference between the two? What special advantage does a person who knows about Om have? Someone may argue: Suppose a person takes a medicine knowing what medicine he is taking and why he is taking it, and another person takes it without any knowledge of what he is taking and why he is taking it. Will the medicine produce different results in them? The answer is: The analogy does not apply here. Knowledge is always an advantage, especially knowledge about Om. If you work because you are told to work, and if you work because you want to use the work as a stepping-stone to the attainment of Om—there is a vast difference between the two approaches. In the first instance, you are content with whatever the work produces; in the second, you are content only if it paves the way to your attainment of Om.

• Devāsurāḥ. the gods and goddesses and the demons
• ha vai yatra saṃyetire, fought among themselves
• ubhaye, [though] both
• prājāpatyāḥ, were Prajāpati’s children
• tat, at that time
• ha devāḥ, the gods and goddesses then
• udgītham ājahruḥ, adopted the path of the udgītha
• anena, by this
• enān, them [the demons]
• abhibhaviṣyāmah, will overcome
• iti, thinking thus.

note The gods and goddesses are ‘bright’ by virtue of their self-control, while the demons are ‘dark’ because they have no control over themselves. Though they were offspring of the same Prajāpati, they often clashed with each other. The gods and goddesses represent virtue; the demons represent vice. This conflict between virtue and vice is eternal, but it is virtue that always prevails. Virtue is here said to be the udgītha—that is, reciting Om while performing sacrifices. The gods and goddesses choose the path prescribed by the scriptures, whereas the demons do just the opposite and defy the scriptures. No wonder then the demons lose. The udgītha is supreme because it is Om. It is the Paramātman, the Cosmic Self.

• Te, they [the gods and goddesses]
• ha nāsikyam prāṇam udgītham upāsāñcakrire, worshipped as udgītha the prāṇa [life principle] presiding over the nostrils
• asurāḥ ha, the asuras, however
• tam pāpmanā vividhuḥ, pierced it with evil [i.e., misused it, as if it were meant only for sense pleasure such as enjoying fragrance]
• hi, this is why
• eṣaḥ, this [prāṇa presiding over the nostrils]
• pāpmanā viddhaḥ, is tainted with evil
• tasmāt, therefore
• tena, by it [i.e., the nostrils]
• jighrati, smells
• surabhi ca, good odour
• durgandhi ca, and also bad odour.

note Mark the contrast between the attitude of the gods and goddesses and of the demons. To the demons, the nostrils were only an organ for smelling. Being what they are, it is natural that they would think so. But to the gods and goddesses, the nostrils are the seat of prāṇa, the vital breath, and they worship prāṇa there. The nostrils are also holy to them for another reason: they use the nostrils in reciting the udgītha to prāṇa. The demons know nothing about prāṇa or udgītha. To them, prāṇa is merely that which carries good and bad odours.

• Atha ha, next
• vācam, speech
• udgītham upāsāñcakrire, [the gods and goddesses] worshipped as udgītha
• tām ha asurāḥ pāpmanā vividhuḥ, the asuras pierced it with evil [i.e., misused it]
• tasmāt, that is why
• tayā, by it [the organ of speech]
• vadati, one speaks
• ubhayam satyam ca anṛtam ca, both truth and untruth
• pāpmanā hi eṣā viddhā, because this [speech] was pierced with evil [by the ignorant demons].

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Atha ha, next
• cakṣuḥ udgītham upāsāñcakrire, [the gods and goddesses] worshipped the eye as udgītha [in praise of Om]
• asurāḥ ha, the demons, however
• tat, that [eye]
• pāpmanā vividhuḥ, pierced with evil [misused it from ignorance]
• tasmāt, this is why
• tena, by this [eye]
• paśyati, one sees
• ubhayam darśanīyam ca adarśanīyam ca, both good and bad sights
• hi, because
• etat, this [eye]
• pāpmanā viddham, was pierced by evil.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Atha ha, next
• śrotram udgītham upāsāñcakrire, [the gods and goddesses] worshipped the faculty of hearing as their udgītha [praise to Om]
• asurāḥ ha, the asuras, however
• tat, that faculty
• pāpmanā vividhaḥ, pierced with evil [misused from ignorance]
• tasmāt, that is why
• tena, by it [the organ of hearing]
• ubhayam śṛṇoti śravaṇīyam ca aśravaṇīyam ca, one hears both pleasant and unpleasant things
• hi, because
• etat, this [faculty]
• pāpmanā viddham, was pierced by evil [i.e., was misused by the ignorant],

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Atha ha, next
• manaḥ udgītham upāsāñcakrire, [the gods and goddesses] worshipped the mind for its role in chanting the udgītha
• asurāḥ ha, the asuras, however
• tat, that [mind]
• pāpmanā vividhuḥ, poisoned it with bad thoughts
• tasmāt, for that reason
• tena, in the mind
• ubhayam saṅkalpanīyam ca asaṅkalpanīyam ca saṅkalpayate, one thinks both good and bad thoughts
• pāpmanā hi etat viddham, because the mind is vitiated by evil [ignorance],

note Prāṇa is another name for Brahman. Prāṇa is pure, but when it is associated with the sense organs it is not pure. Similarly, Brahman as Brahman is pure, but with adjuncts it is not pure. It is not pure in the sense that it is subject to change. Here, these adjuncts are referred to as pāpma, impure or evil, because they are limitations imposed on Brahman. These limitations are not real, however, but only apparent. When the Upaniṣad speaks of the organs, it means the organs with their presiding deities. Both are described as pāpma. In these verses, some of the organs are mentioned, but it is to be understood that what is stated here about some organs applies to all the organs and their presiding deities.

• Atha ha, next
• yaḥ eva mukhyaḥ prāṇaḥ, the chief prāṇa [the vital force, inclusive of its five aspects—prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna]
• tam udgītham upāsāñcakrire, [the gods and goddesses] worshipped him as udgītha
• yathā, just as
• ākhaṇam, unbreakable
• aśmānam, stone
• ṛtvā, hit against
• vidhvaṃseta, broken into pieces [and are destroyed]
• [in the same way] asurāḥ ca, the demons also
• tam ha ṛtvā vidadh vaṃsuḥ, hit against it [prāṇa] and were destroyed.

note The gods and goddesses worshipped pure prāṇa—that is, prāṇa without the organs—as udgītha. As before, the demons tried to hurt prāṇa, but they failed. In fact, they got lost in prāṇa. They met the same fate as chunks of earth thrown against granite. When the chunks hit the granite, they break into pieces and are destroyed. Similarly, it is beyond the power of the demons to do any harm to prāṇa.

• Evam yathā, just as [chunks of earth]
• ākhaṇam, unbreakable
• aśmānam, stone
• ṛtvā, having hit
• vidhvaṃsate, are smashed
• evam ha eva, in the same way
• saḥ vidhvaṃsate, a person gets totally destroyed
• yaḥ pāpam kāmayate, who wishes ill
• evamvidi, of a person who knows thus [the true nature of prāṇa]
• yaḥ ca enam abhidāsati, or who causes an injury to such a person
• saḥ eṣaḥ, he [who knows] this [prāṇa]
• aśmā ākhaṇaḥ, [is like] a stone that can never be broken.

note What is the difference between mukhya prāṇa (the chief prāṇa) and the prāṇa that is associated with our breathing, or smelling? Mukhya prāṇa is supreme prāṇa—that is, it is Brahman. It is pure, all-pervasive, and self-sufficient. But our breathing is associated with the organ of smelling and is not independent. It is also not pure. It has limitations and is susceptible to pāpma, impurities—that is, it is sometimes good and sometimes bad. Mukhya prāṇa, however, is always pure, always the same. One who knows the true nature of prāṇa is immune to injury. And anyone trying to hurt him will end up hurting himself.

• Etena eva, by this [chief prāṇa]
• nā surabhi, no sweet odour
• na durgandhi, no bad odour
• vijānāti, is known
• hi, because
• eṣaḥ, this [prāṇa]
• apahata-pāpmā, is pure [untouched by evil]
• tena, by that [prāṇa]
• yat aśnāti, whatever a person eats
• yat pibati, whatever a person drinks
• tena, by this [eating and drinking]
• itarān prāṇān, the sense organs
• avati, sustains
• u antataḥ, at the time of death
• etam, this [chief prāṇa]
• avittvā eva, without receiving any food and drink
• utkrāmati, goes out of the body
• [this is why] antataḥ, at the time of death
• vyādadāti eva, a person has the mouth open.

note For the chief prāṇa, there is no good or bad odour because it is pure. Egotism is the source of impurity, and the chief prāṇa is free from egotism. And being free from egotism, the chief prāṇa is selfless. People eat and drink because of the chief prāṇa. But the chief prāṇa does not eat or drink for itself. It enables But how do we know that the food and drink the chief prāṇa consumes goes to sustain the organs? When death occurs the chief prāṇa stops eating and drinking. As a result, the sense organs stop functioning, as if they have left the body. It is seen, however, that when a person dies his mouth is open. This is indicative of the desire of the chief prāṇa to eat and drink.

• Tam, that [the chief prāṇa]
• ha aṅgirāḥ, the sage Aṅgirā
• udgītham, as udgītha [the Supreme]
• upāsāñcakre, worshipped
• etam, this [Supreme Being, the chief prāṇa]
• u eva āṅgirasam, as Āṅgirasa
• manyante, [people] regard
• aṅgānām yat rasaḥ, for it is the essence [support] of all the aṅgas [the organs].

note The word āṅgirasa is derived from aṅga + rasa. That is, āṅgirasa is the rasa (essence) of the aṅgas (organs). It is the support of the organs. It is the same as prāṇa. When the sage Aṅgirā worships prāṇa, he is worshipping himself.

• Tena, for that reason
• bṛhaspatiḥ, Bṛhaspati
• ha tam, that [prāṇa]
• udgītham upāsāñcakre, worshipped prāṇa as udgītha [as Brahman, to whom Om is sung]
• etam u eva bṛhaspatim manyante, they regard this [prāṇa] as Bṛhaspati
• hi, for
• vāk, speech
• bṛhatī, is powerful
• tasyāḥ eṣaḥ patiḥ, prāṇa is its lord.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Tena, for that reason
• tam, that [i.e., the chief prāṇa]
• ha āyāsya, the sage Āyāsya [or, that which comes out of the mouth]
• udgītham, as udgītha
• upāsāñcakre, worshipped
• etam u eva āyāsyam manyante, they regarded this as Āyāsya
• yat āsyāt ayate, that which comes out of the mouth.

note Prāṇa is also Bṛhaspati because it is the lord of all speech. Āyāsya means ‘that which comes out of the mouth.’ It is prāṇa, but it is also the name of a sage. Aṅgirā, Bṛhaspati, and Āyāsya—these sages worshipped prāṇa as udgītha. They, in fact, worshipped themselves.

• Dālbhyaḥ, the son of Dalbha
• bakaḥ, the sage Baka
• ha tam, that [prāṇa]
• tena, with the qualities as stated
• vidāñcakāra, came to know
• saḥ, he [Baka]
• ha naimiṣīyānām, of the sages of Naimiṣa forest
• udgātā, the singer of the udgītha
• babhūva, became
• ha ebhyaḥ kāmān, according to the wishes [of the forest dwellers]
• saḥ āgāyati sma, he sang [the udgītha].

note Not only did Aṅgirā and other sages worship prāṇa, but Baka, son of Dalbha, also did the same. That is, he recognized the power of prāṇa. The sages of Naimiṣa forest were pleased with him, and appointed him to sing the udgītha for them. He thus sang the udgītha in praise of prāṇa and pleased the sages by his performance.

• Yaḥ, he who
• evam, as such
• vidvān, knows
• etat, this [prāṇa]
• udgītham akṣaram, as udgītha akṣara [akṣara means both ‘syllable’ and ‘the undecaying,’ which is a name of Brahman]
• upāste, worships [or meditates on]
• vai kāmānām āgātā ha bhavati, he thereby becomes the udgātā [singer] of all that he desires
• iti adhyātmam, this is so far as the udgītha relating to the body is concerned. Iti dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ here ends the second section.

note Singing for prāṇa is the same as singing for all, for prāṇa is all. You may even achieve all you desire through it. This is so far as the individual is concerned. Praising Om has a threefold reward: relating to the body (adhyātma), relating to animals (adhibhūta), and relating to the elements (adhidaiva).

• Atha, next
• adhidaivatam, relating to the elements [such as rain, lightning, and other forces of nature]
• yaḥ eva asau, that [i.e., the sun] over there which
• tapati, gives us heat
• tam, to that
• udgītham upāsīta, worship as udgītha
• udyan, as it rises
• vai eṣaḥ, this [sun]
• prajābhyaḥ, for all living beings
• udgāyati, [as if] it prays for their well-being
• udyan, as [the sun] rises
• tamaḥ bhayam apahanti, it removes the fear of darkness
• yaḥ, one who
• evam veda, knows this
• vai bhayasya, the fear [of birth and death]
• tamasaḥ, ignorance
• apahantā bhavati, overcomes.

note There are many ways of using udgītha as worship. This verse gives an example of how you use it in worshipping the forces of nature (adhidaivata). There is the sun above giving us heat. The Upaniṣad says to worship udgītha as the sun. But if udgītha is Om, how can it stand for the sun? The sun helps the plants, such as paddy, to grow. Without the sun, life on this planet would be impossible. It is as if the sun sings the udgītha for us to sustain us. This is why the sun is referred to as the udgītha. As udgītha, the sun also dispels our fear of darkness. One who knows this is no longer afraid of birth and death. That is, he knows he is immortal.

• Ayam, this [prāṇa]
• ca asau, and that [sun]
• samānaḥ eva, are equivalent
• u ayam, this [prāṇa]
• uṣṇaḥ, is warm
• ca asau, and that [sun]
• uṣṇaḥ, is warm
• imam, this [prāṇa]
• svaraḥ iti ācakṣate, [sages] call it svara [‘outgoing,’ at the time of death]
• amum, that [sun]
• svaraḥ iti, has set
• pratyāsvaraḥ iti, [and] has returned [this is what people say]
• tasmāt vai, for that reason
• etam, this [going out]
• imam, this [prāṇa]
• ca amum, and that [sun]
• udgītham upāsīta, worship as udgītha.

note Prāṇa and āditya (the sun) are similar. Both are warm. Sages call both svara, which means ‘going out.’ The difference is that while prāṇa goes out (at the time of death), the sun goes out (when it sets) and also returns (pratyāsvara, when it rises). Thus, prāṇa and āditya are similar in name and quality. It is therefore appropriate to worship both as udgītha. Both are Om.

• Atha, indirectly
• khalu vyānam eva udgītham upāsīta, one should worship vyāna [the bridge between prāṇa (breathing in) and apāna (breathing out)] as udgītha
• yat vai prāṇiti, that which is breathed in
• saḥ prāṇaḥ, that is prāṇa
• yat apāniti, that which is breathed out
• saḥ apānaḥ, that is apāna
• atha yat prāṇa-apānayoḥ sandhiḥ, then the bridge between prāṇa and apāna
• saḥ vyānaḥ, that is vyāna
• yaḥ vyānaḥ sā vāk, that which is vyāna is speech
• tasmāt, therefore
• aprāṇan, without inhaling
• anapānan, without exhaling
• vācam abhivyāharati, a person speaks.

note Here vyāna is being presented for worship as udgītha, for vyāna is only a form of prāṇa. What is vyāna? Vyāna is the bridge between prāṇa and apāna, between breathing in and breathing out. Vyāna is the state in which you hold your breath. Vyāna is also called vāk, speech, for when you speak you have to hold your breath. Śaṅkara says prāṇa is breathing out and apāna is breathing in. According to Monier-Williams, it is the other way around—prāṇa is breathing in and apāna is breathing out. Macdowell is of the same opinion. Both meanings are correct, depending on the context in which the word is used.

• Yā vāk sā ṛk, that which is speech is Ṛk
• tasmāt, because [they are one]
• aprāṇan anapānan, breathing in and out are suspended
• ṛcam, the Ṛg Veda
• abhivyāharati, one recites
• yā ṛk tat sāma, that which is the Ṛk is also the Sāma
• tasmāt, because [they are one and the same]
• aprāṇan anapānan sāma gāyati, one suspends breathing in and out when singing the Sāma
• yat sāma saḥ udgīthaḥ, that which is the Sāma is the udgītha
• tasmāt aprāṇan anapānan udgāyati, because one sings the udgītha by suspending both breathing in and breathing out.

note The Ṛk is a collection of words, and the Sāma is based on the Ṛk. Again, the Sāma and the udgītha are the same. To recite any of these, or even to speak, you have to resort to vyāna—that is, you must hold your breath.

• Ataḥ, this is why
• yāni, those
• anyāni, other
• vīryavanti, demanding great strength
• karmāṇi, feats
• yathā, such as
• agneḥ manthanam, igniting a fire by rubbing one piece of wood against another
• ājeh, a target
• saraṇam, running up to
• dṛḍhasya dhanuṣaḥ āyamanam, bending a stiff bow
• aprāṇan anapānan, without breathing in or breathing out
• tāni, all those [feats]
• karoti, one accomplishes
• etasya hetoḥ, for this reason
• vyānam eva, vyāna
• udgītham, as udgītha [Om]
• upāsīta, one should worship.

note Whenever you do something that demands much application of strength, you must resort to vyāna. Take, for instance, deeds such as producing fire by grinding one piece of wood against another, or running up to a target, or bending a stiff bow. In doing each of these feats, you have to hold your breath. Even when you speak, you hold your breath. This distinguishes vyāna from other forms of breathing. Vyāna, therefore, deserves special worship, for vyāna is in a class by itself. It gives you strength.

• Atha, now
• khalu udgīthākṣarāṇi ‘ut-gī-tha’ iti upāsīta, worship the syllables ut, gī, and tha separately in the word udgītha
• prāṇaḥ eva ut, prāṇa is this ut
• prāṇena hi, because by prāṇa
• uttiṣṭhati, arises [everything]
• vāk gīḥ, vāk [speech] is gī
• vācaḥ ha giraḥ iti ācakṣate, because words are called ‘gira’
• annam tham, food is tha
• hi idam sarvam, for all this [i.e., this world]
• anne sthitam, is supported by food.

note The word udgītha is comprised of the syllables ut, gī, and tha. It is worthwhile meditating on these syllables, for each one is significant. For instance, ut, in brief, is uttham, rising. It stands for prāṇa, because out of prāṇa everything comes into being. From prāṇa everything ‘rises’; otherwise it goes down. The syllable gī stands for speech, because scholars prefer to use the word gira to mean speech. Similarly, the syllable tha stands for food, for tha means ‘that which supports.’ It is well known that food supports everything. Thus the syllables ut, gī, and tha stand for the whole word udgītha. It is like thinking of the name ‘Ram Misra.’ As you think of the name, you also think of the person who bears that name. Try to think of each syllable in the word udgītha as above.

• Dyauḥ, heaven
• eva ut, is ut
• antarikṣam gīḥ, the space between heaven and earth is gī
• pṛthivī tham, the earth is tha
• ādityaḥ eva ut, the sun is ut
• vāyuḥ gīḥ, air is gī
• agniḥ tham, fire is tha
• sāma vedaḥ eva ut, the Sāma Veda is ut
• yajur vedaḥ gīḥ, the Yajur Veda is gī
• ṛg vedaḥ tham, the Ṛg Veda is tha
• vāk, the Ṛg Veda and other scriptures
• asmai, to him [the spiritual seeker]
• doham, the goal [he is seeking]
• dugdhe, gives him of itself
• yaḥ vācaḥ dohaḥ, the goal is the knowledge of the scriptures
• yaḥ evam vidvān, the seeker who knows this
• etāni udgīthākṣarāṇi ut + gī + tha iti upāste, [and] worships these syllables of udgītha
• annavān, he has plenty of food
• annādaḥ bhavati, [and] he enjoys eating that food [i.e., he becomes illumined].

note Heaven is said to be ut because it is high above. Space is gī because it envelops the whole world. And the earth is tha because it is the support of all beings. Āditya, the sun, is ut because it is far above everything. Vāyu, air, is gī because it envelops everything. Agni, fire, is tha because it is the common element in every sacrificial rite. The Sāma Veda is said to be ut because it is known even in heaven. The Yajur Veda is gī because the butter used in performing the Yajur Vedic rites is eaten by the gods and goddesses. The Ṛg Veda is tha because it supports the Sāma Veda. What do you gain by worshipping ut-gī-tha? You gradually understand the meaning of the Ṛg Veda and other Vedas. You also have plenty to eat, and you become like ‘a blazing fire’—that is, you become an illumined person.

• Atha khalu, now
• āśīḥ samṛddhiḥ, instructions about how desired objectives can be obtained
• upasaraṇāni, the things desired
• iti, in this way
• upāsīta, one should meditate upon
• yena sāmnā, by that Sāma
• stoṣyan syāt, one sings
• tat sāma upadhāvet, one should meditate upon that Sāma.

note You sing a particular Sāma for a particular thing you wish to get. Sing it always, and remember that it is the source of what you are wishing for.

• Tām ṛcam, that Ṛk
• yasyām ṛci, on which Ṛk [the Sāma is based]
• tam ṛṣim yat ārṣeyam, that sage who conceived of it
• yām devatām abhiṣṭoṣyan syāt, the deity to whom the prayer is addressed
• tām devatām, that deity
• upadhāvet, one should meditate on.

note When you recite a Sāma mantra, you should remember the Ṛk mantra from which it is derived, the sage

• Yena chandasā, by the Gāyatrī or whatever other hymn
• stoṣyan syāt, one is going to pray
• tat chandaḥ upadhāvet, one should meditate on that hymn
• yena stomena stoṣyamāṇaḥ syāt, the group of Sāmas by which a person is going to pray
• tam stomam upadhāvet, one should meditate on those Sāmas [along with the deities to whom they are addressed].

note Whether you use the Gāyatrī or some other hymn while praying, you should not forget to meditate on that hymn. In fact, whatever mantras you use, you should meditate on them as well as on the deities to whom they are directed.

• Yām diśam abhiṣṭoṣyan syāt, whatever direction a person may face while praying
• tām diśam upadhāvet, one should worship that direction [and also the deities presiding over that direction].

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Antataḥ, as one ends one’s prayer
• kāmam dhyāyan apramattaḥ, one should think of whatever one desires, making sure that the pronunciation of words is correct
• ātmānam, oneself
• upasṛtya, thinking of [one’s name, lineage, and caste]
• stuvīta, praise
• yat kāmaḥ, whatever desire one has
• stuvīta, while praying
• kāmaḥ, that desire
• abhyāsaḥ, promptly
• ha, surely
• asmai, to the person concerned
• samṛdhyeta, prosperity goes. [The repetition is for emphasis.] Iti tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the third section.

note Here the udgātā (the singer) is told how he should pray. He should first repeat the Sāma songs, and then he should pray for whatever he desires. His prayer should be correct in every detail. And while praying, he should mention his own name, his lineage, and his caste. If these conditions are fulfilled, his prayer will be promptly granted. That this will happen is indicated by the repetition of the statement.

• Om iti, this Om [is closest to Brahman]
• etat akṣaram udgītham upāsīta, recite this syllable as part of your upāsanā [ritual]
• hi om iti udgāyati, how you recite this Om
• tasya upavyākhyānam, is being explained.

note This akśara is Brahman, and Om is that Brahman. Akṣara, Brahman, and Om are interchangeable words. As Brahman is abhaya, without fear, and amṛta, immortal, so Om and akṣara are also without fear and immortal.

• Devāḥ, the gods and goddesses
• vai mṛtyoḥ bibhyataḥ, are afraid of death
• trayīm vidyām prāviśan, they took refuge in the three Vedas [i.e., they decided to perform Vedic rites and rituals in order to escape death]
• te, they
• chandobhiḥ acchādayan, covered themselves with the mantras
• yat, because
• ebhiḥ,

note In ancient times the gods and goddesses decided to perform the sacrifices mentioned in the three Vedas to save themselves from death. It was as if they took ‘cover’ behind the Vedic mantras. It is from this word ‘cover’ (acchādan) that the mantras have come to be known as chandas.

• Yathā, just as
• udake, in shallow water
• matsyam, a fish [swimming]
• paripaśyet, a person can see
• evam, in the same way
• tatra, in those [Vedic rites and rituals]
• ṛci sāmni yajuṣi, in the Ṛg, Sāma, and Yajur Vedas
• tān, those gods and goddesses
• mṛtyuḥ, Death
• paryapaśyat, saw [i.e., they could not escape death through Vedic rituals]
• te, they [the gods and goddesses]
• nu viditvā, having realized [that they were still susceptible to death]
• ṛcaḥ sāmnaḥ yajuṣaḥ ūrdhvāḥ, turned away from Ṛk, Sāma, and Yajur rituals
• svaram eva prāviśan, took to [reciting] Om.

note Fish in shallow water are never safe, for people can easily catch them. Similarly, those who depend on karma (i.e., Vedic rituals) are always liable to being caught by death. When people realize this, they stop performing the rites and rituals and concentrate on reciting Om. They know that Om is a symbol of immortality and fearlessness.

• Yadā vai, whenever
• ṛcam āpnoti, a person recites Ṛk mantras
• om iti eva atisvarati, that person recites Om with great enthusiasm
• evam sāma evam yajuḥ, so also the Yajus and Sāma mantras
• eṣaḥ u svaraḥ yat etat akṣaram, this akṣara [Om] is svara
• etat amṛtam abhayam, this is immortal and fearless
• tat praviśya, having taken shelter in it
• devāḥ amṛtāḥ abhayāḥ abhavan, the gods and goddesses became immortal and fearless.

note Akṣara, Om, and svara are the same. When people recite Vedic mantras, they always start with the akṣara Om. By taking refuge in Om, one attains immortality and fearlessness.

• Saḥ yaḥ, one who
• evam etat akṣaram vidvān praṇauti, knows this akṣara and respects it as such
• etat eva svaram, that known as svara
• amṛtam abhayam akṣaram praviśati, becomes one with the immortal and fearless akṣara [Om]
• tat, that [akṣara]
• praviśya, having become one with [akṣara]
• devāḥ yat amṛtāḥ, by which the gods and goddesses became immortal
• tat amṛtaḥ bhavati, that person also becomes immortal. Iti caturthaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the fourth section.

note By worshipping svara (Om), the gods and goddesses entered into svara, which means they became one with it. And by becoming one with it, they became fearless and immortal. The same thing may happen to anyone who follows in their footsteps—that is, anyone who worships svara. The transformation is the same as in the case of the gods and goddesses—no more, no less.

• Atha, next
• yaḥ khalu udgīthaḥ, that which is udgītha
• saḥ praṇavaḥ, is praṇava [Om]
• yaḥ praṇavaḥ saḥ udgīthaḥ, that which is praṇava is also udgītha
• asau vai ādityaḥ udgīthaḥ, that sun is udgītha
• eṣaḥ praṇavaḥ, it is also praṇava
• hi, for
• eṣaḥ, the sun
• om iti svaran eti, appears with the word Om in its mind.

note This is how udgītha is to be worshipped: According to many scholars of the Ṛg Veda, udgītha is the same as praṇava (Om). What is praṇava to them is udgītha according to the Chāndogya. Similarly, according to many scholars, the sun is udgītha and also praṇava. How can the sun be referred to as udgītha? When the sun appears, it looks as if it is saying Om, or it has Om in its thoughts. According to Śaṅkara, the word svaran may also mean ‘uttering.’

• Kauṣītakiḥ putram uvāca, the sage Kauṣītaki said to his son
• etam, this [sun with its rays]
• eva, as one
• aham abhyagāsiṣam, I greeted [welcomed]
• tasmāt, because [of my worshipping it as one]
• tvam mama ekaḥ asi, you are my only son
• tvam raśmīn paryāvartayāt, if you worship the sun and its rays separately
• te bahavaḥ vai bhaviṣyanti, you will have many children
• iti adhidaivatam, this is the worship of the forces of nature.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Atha, now
• adhyātmam, concerning one’s own body
• yaḥ eva ayam mukhyaḥ prāṇaḥ, that which is the chief prāṇa [which divides itself into five functions: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna]
• tam udgītham upāsīta, one should worship as udgītha
• hi, for
• eṣaḥ, this [prāṇa]
• om iti svaran, uttering Om
• eti, activates [all the organs—of speech, vision, etc.].

note As far as the physical body is concerned, the Upaniṣad says to treat the chief prāna as Om. The chief prāṇa is responsible for what the organs of perception (the eyes, ears, nose, etc.) and the organs of action (the hands, feet, speech, etc.) do. It makes them active. Just as some people say Om before they do or say anything, so prāṇa seems to say Om as it makes the organs function. Not that it really says Om, but because the organs cannot act without its support, it is suggested that the chief prāṇa has to give the signal (that is, by saying Om) and then only do the organs start operating.

• Kauṣītakiḥ ha putram uvāca, Kauṣītaki said to his son
• aham u etam eva abhyagāsiṣam, I worshipped this [prāṇa] as one
• tasmāt, that is why
• tvam mama ekaḥ, you are my only son
• tvam prāṇān bhūmānam abhigāyatāt, you should worship prāṇa as many [i.e., with manifold qualities and forms]
• me bahavaḥ vai bhaviṣyanti iti, thinking, ‘May my children be many.’

note The sun and its rays are not separate, but if a person wants more than one child, he or she will have to worship the sun and its rays as separate entities. The same applies to the worship of the chief prāṇa and its subsidiaries (vyāna, udāna, etc.).

• Atha khalu, for certain
• yaḥ udgīthaḥ saḥ praṇavaḥ, that which is udgītha is praṇava
• yaḥ praṇava saḥ udgīthaḥ, that which is praṇava is also udgītha
• hotṛṣadanāt api eva ha durudgītam, it is not unlikely that the person performing a sacrifice will err in pronunciation
• anusamāharati iti, that can be rectified [the statement is repeated to emphasize its importance]. Iti pañcamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the fifth section.

note It has already been stressed that praṇava and udgītha should be regarded as one. Where the consciousness of this sameness prevails, any mistakes made while reciting the mantras may easily be rectified. The statement is intended to illustrate how it helps to have the knowledge of the sameness of udgītha and praṇava.

• Iyam, this [earth]
• eva ṛk, is like the Ṛg Veda
• agniḥ sāma, fire is like the Sāma Veda
• tat etat sāma etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, the Sāma Veda is based on the Ṛg Veda
• tasmāt, therefore
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma Veda is sung based on the Ṛg Veda
• iyam eva sā, this [earth] is the sā [of Sāma]
• agniḥ amaḥ, fire is ama [of Sāma]
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma [i.e., sā + ama].

note The Upaniṣad says to treat the earth as the Ṛg Veda and fire as the Sāma Veda. But how are they so related? The Sāma is based on the Ṛg Veda, and fire is based on the earth. Because of this relationship between them, they are thought of as identical.

• Antarikṣam, the space between heaven and earth
• eva ṛk, is nothing but the Ṛk
• vāyuḥ sāma, air is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma [called air]
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk [called the antarikṣa]
• tasmāt, this is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung as based on the Ṛk
• antarikṣam eva sā, the space between heaven and earth is sā
• vāyuḥ amaḥ, air is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Dyauḥ, the heaven
• eva ṛk, is Ṛk
• ādityaḥ sāma, the sun is Sāma
• tat etat sāma, that Sāma [which is known as the sun]
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk [heaven]
• tasmāt, that is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma [sāmagaiḥ] gīyate, the Sāma scholars sing the Sāma based on the Ṛk
• dyauḥ eva sā, heaven is nothing but sā
• ādityaḥ amaḥ, the sun is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Nakṣatrāṇi era ṛk, the stars together constitute the Ṛk
• candramāḥ sāma, the moon is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, that Sāma
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk
• tasmāt, that is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma scholars sing the Sāma based on the Ṛk
• nakṣatrāṇi eva sā, the stars are the sā
• candramaḥ amaḥ, the moon is the ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note The moon is the lord of the stars. This is why it is given the status of the Sāma Veda.

• Atha, next
• yat etat, that which is this
• ādityasya śuklam, whiteness of the sun
• bhāḥ, the glow
• sā eva ṛk, that is the Ṛk
• atha, next
• yat nīlam, that which is blue
• paraḥ, deep
• kṛṣṇam, black
• tat sāma, that is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk
• tasmāt, that is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung based on the Ṛk.

note The Upaniṣad gives another way of worshipping the udgītha: The white glow of the sun is compared to the Ṛk. But the sun also has a deep blue or black glow, which the Upaniṣad compares to the Sāma. This deep blue glow is not seen by many, people. Only a few persons who have studied the scriptures and have acquired an enlightened mind can see it.

• Atha, then
• yat eva etat ādityasya śuklam bhāḥ, that which is this white glow of the sun
• sā eva sā, that is the ‘sā’ [of Sāma]
• atha yat nīlam paraḥ kṛṣṇam, and that which is the deep black glow
• tat amaḥ, that is ‘ama’
• tat sāma, [when they are put together] that is Sāma
• atha antarāditye, again inside the orb of the sun
• yāḥ eṣaḥ hiraṇmayaḥ, there is a bright figure
• hiraṇyaśmaśruḥ, bright gold beard
• hiraṇyakeśaḥ puruṣaḥ dṛśyate, the person with bright gold hair seen [by the yogīs]
• āpraṇakhāt sarva eva suvarṇaḥ, bright gold all over the body, including even his nails.

note The sun is partly white and partly dark. These colours together make up ‘Sāma.’ The Upaniṣad does not mean to say that the sun is made of gold, and neither is the person in the orb of the sun. This is not to be taken literally. What is meant here is that the person in the sun is brilliant—brilliant in terms of moral and spiritual qualities. The word gold refers to his character and not to the colour of his skin. The word puruṣa means ‘one who covers the whole

• Tasya, his
• yathā, like
• kapyāsam [kapi, which means ‘he who drinks water’ (i.e, the sun) + āsa, which means blossomed], blossomed by the sun
• puṇḍarīkam evam, like the lotus
• akṣinī the eyes
• tasya ut iti nāma, his name is ‘ut’
• saḥ eṣaḥ sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyaḥ uditaḥ, he is above all weakness
• udeti, he rises
• ha vai sarvebhyaḥ pāpmabhyaḥ, above all weakness
• yaḥ, who
• evam veda, knows thus.

note It has been said that fire rests on the earth, space rests on air, the moon on the stars, and the dark glow of the sun on its white glow. But the Being in the orbit of the sun does not rest on anything He is above all that is evil, above everything. To signify this he is given the name ut (that which is above everything). This ‘ut’ suggests supremacy. It is the kind of supremacy which Vedānta attributes to Brahman. This ‘ut’ and Brahman are the same. Here, Rāmānuja’s interpretation has been followed for the word kāpyāsam. Śaṅkara gives another interpretation.

• Tasya, his
• ṛk ca sāma ca geṣṇau, the Ṛk and the Sāma are two singers [who sing his praise]
• tasmāt, this is why
• udgīthaḥ, he is [called] udgītha [the great God in whose praise songs are sung]
• tasmāt, this is why
• etasya hi gātā, the singers of it
• tu eva udgātā, are called udgātā, the musicians
• sāḥ eṣaḥ, he
• ye ca, who
• amuṣmāt parāñcaḥ, high above that [solar region]
• teṣām lokāḥ, those worlds
• ca iṣṭe, governs [decides]
• devakāmānām ca, the desires

note The word ut suggests supremacy. It is applied to that being who is the overlord of everything and also the source of everything—the earth, the- air, and fire; the Ṛk and Sāma; the gods and goddesses; and even the worlds above the sun. This ‘ut’ rules everything and is therefore identical with Brahman.

• Atha adhyātmam, now what relates to the body
• vāk eva ṛk, speech is Ṛk
• prāṇaḥ sāma, prāṇa is Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma [called prāṇa]
• etasyām ṛci adhyūdham, is based on Ṛk [speech]
• tasmāt, this is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung as based on the Ṛk
• vāk eva sā, speech is sā
• prāṇaḥ amaḥ, prāṇa is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note The word prāṇa means both the vital breath and the organ by which we smell. Physically, the organ of speech is below the organ of smell. Similarly, Sāma is known to be based on the Ṛk. In view of their respective positions, Ṛk is equated with speech, and Sāma is equated with prāṇa.

• Cakṣuḥ eva ṛk, the eyes are like the Ṛg Veda
• ātmā sāma, the self [as seen in the eyes] is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma [called the ātmā]
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on Ṛk [i.e., on the eyes]
• tasmāt, this is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung as based on the Ṛk
• cakṣuḥ eva sā, the eyes are sā
• ātmā amaḥ, the self [the form reflected in the eyes] is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note The ātmā, or self, here means the form which is reflected in the eyes. This is why the Upaniṣad says the eyes are the Ṛg Veda„ and the self is the Sāma Veda.

• Śrotram eva ṛk, the organ of hearing is the Ṛg Veda
• manaḥ sāma, the mind is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma [called the mind]
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk [the organ of hearing]
• tasmāt, this is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung as based on the Ṛk
• śrotram eva sā, the organ of hearing is sā
• manaḥ amaḥ, the mind is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note The mind is said to be the Sāma because it controls the organ of hearing.

• Atha, then
• akṣṇaḥ yat etat śuklam bhaḥ, that which is the white glow in the eyes
• saḥ eva ṛk, that is the Ṛg Veda
• atha yat nīlam paraḥ kṛṣṇam, then that which is blue and very dark
• tat sāma, that is the Sāma
• tat etat sāma, this Sāma
• etasyām ṛci adhyūḍham, is based on the Ṛk
• tasmāt, this is why
• ṛci adhyūḍham sāma gīyate, the Sāma is sung as based on the Ṛk
• atha yat eva etat akṣṇaḥ śuklam bhāḥ, then this white glow in the eye
• sā eva sā, that is sā
• atha yat nīlam paraḥ kṛṣṇam, and that which is blue and very dark
• tat amaḥ, that is ama
• tat sāma, that [if joined together] is Sāma.

note The sun is the support of the power of vision, because without the sun we cannot see. Similarly, the deep blue glow, which is identified with the Sāma, is supported by the white glow, which is the Ṛk.

• Atha, now
• yaḥ eṣaḥ puruṣaḥ, that person who
• antarakṣiṇi, inside the eye
• dṛśyate, is seen
• saḥ, that person
• eva ṛk, is the Ṛk
• tat sāma, he is the Sāma
• tat uktham, he is the uktha [a part of the Sāma]
• tat yajuḥ, he is the Yajus [i.e., mantras ending with svāhā, svadhā, and vaṣaṭ]
• tat brahma, he is Brahman [i.e., the three Vedas]
• tasya etasya, of this person [seen in the eye]
• tat eva rūpam, that same form
• yat amuṣya rūpam, of the form of that person [in the sun, having golden hair, etc.]
• amuṣya, of that one [in the sun]
• yau geṣṇau, two singers [i.e., the Ṛk and the Sāma sing in his praise]
• tau geṣṇau, the same two singers [sing in praise of that one]
• yat nāma tat nāma, the name of this is the same as the name of that.

note The Lord who rules the solar region is seen also in the eye. That Lord stands for the Ṛk. He controls the organ of speech and other organs of the body, as well as the earth and other planets. They are all parts of him. The three Vedas—Ṛk, Sāma, and Yajus—are often referred to as Brahman, so Brahman and the Vedas are the same. Brahman includes everything. It is in the sun, in the human body, and in the planets. It is here referred to as the Lord called Hiraṇmaya, the Lord with a golden body, because he is luminous. The words uk and uktha, and also svāhā, svadhā, and vaṣat, are all used in different Vedas in praise of the same Lord who is in the sun (ādhidaivika) as well as in the eye (ādhyātmika).

• Saḥ eṣaḥ, the person [in the eye]
• etasmāt arvāñcaḥ ye ca lokāḥ, those worlds below him
• teṣām ca iṣṭe, rules over them
• manuṣya-kāmānām ca, as well as all human desires
• iti, this marks the limit
• tat, therefore
• ye ime, those people who
• vīṇāyām gāyanti, sing with the vīṇā
• te etam gāyanti, they in fact sing in his honour
• tasmāt, therefore
• te, they [the musicians]
• dhanasanayaḥ, become wealthy.

note That person in the eye is the Lord of the world below and also of the minds of human beings. When people sing accompanied by the vīṇā, that music is dedicated to him. And because they sing in honour of him, they acquire much wealth.

• Atha yaḥ, now he who
• etat evam vidvān, knows this in this way
• sāma gāyati, sings the Sāma
• saḥ, he [the musician]
• ubhau, to both [to Āditya, the sun, and to the person in the eye]
• gāyati, sings
• saḥ, he [the musician]
• amunā eva, as that [Āditya]
• ye ca amuṣmāt, from that [Āditya]
• parāñcaḥ, above
• lokāḥ, the planes
• tām devakāmān, the things the gods and goddesses wish for
• ca, also
• saḥ eṣaḥ, that musician
• āpnoti, attains [i.e., he finds a place in the solar orb, and he becomes divine].

note When a person knows the real identity of the deity to whom he is singing the Sāma—that is, when he knows he is singing the Sāma in praise of both Āditya, the sun, and the deity in the eye—what does he gain? He becomes one with Āditya and becomes the master of the worlds above Āditya. He is also entitled to the things that the gods and goddesses desire. He, in fact, becomes divine.

• Atha, now
• anena eva, by this [i.e., by the grace of the Lord in the eye]
• ye ca etasmāt arvāñcaḥ lokāḥ, those planes which are below [him—i.e., the person in the eye]
• tām ca, those [planes] also
• āpnoti manuṣyakāmān ca, he also attains things desired by human beings
• tasmāt, this is why
• u ha udgātā evamvit, the singer who knows this
• brūyāt, will say.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Kam, what
• te, for yon
• kāmam, desire
• āgāyāni iti, shall I sing for
• eṣaḥ hi eva, he is the person who
• kāmāgānasya iṣṭe, influences the fulfilment of the desires as expressed through songs
• yaḥ, the musician [udgātā]
• evam, this
• vidvān, having known
• sāma gāyati sāma gāyati, he sings the Sāma, he sings the Sāma. Iti saptamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the seventh section.

note The Lord in the eye controls everything—the earth and other worlds, those who live in them, and also the desires of those people. This is the purport of the verse.

• Trayaḥ ha udgīthe kuśalāḥ bābhūvuḥ, in early days there were three sages skilled in the udgītha
• śilakaḥ śālāvatyaḥ, Śilaka, the son of Śalāvat
• caikitāyanaḥ dālbhyaḥ, Caikitāyana, the son of Cikitāyana, of the Dalbha clan
• pravāhaṇaḥ jaivaliḥ, Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala
• iti te ha ūcuḥ, they declared
• udgīthe vai kuśalāḥ smaḥ, we have mastered the art of the udgītha
• hanta udgīthe kathām vadāmaḥ iti, if you so wish we can discuss the udgītha.

note Śilaka, Caikitāyana Dālbhyah, and Pravāhaṇa—these three scholars had studied the udgītha very well, and in an assembly of scholars, they offered to discuss the subject, if the others so desired. It was not that they were trying to show off their knowledge. They just wanted the others to know that they were prepared to speak on this subject if the other scholars present so wished.

• Tathā iti, saying, ‘Let it be so’
• samupaviviśuḥ, they sat down
• saḥ pravāhaṇaḥ jaivaliḥ ha uvāca, Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala, said
• bhagavantau agre vadatām, you two respected ones may kindly start the discussion
• vadatoḥ brāhmaṇayoḥ vācam śroṣyāmi iti, I will listen to the debate of you two brāhmins.

note The scholars agreed to the debate, and sat down. Lest this be construed as impertinence, Prince Pravāhaṇa said to the other two that he wanted to hear the two brāhmins debating. The fact that Pravāhaṇa addressed them as brāhmins, shows that he regarded himself as inferior, being a kṣatriya.

• Saḥ śilakaḥ śālāvatyaḥ ha caikitāyanam dālbhyam uvāca, Śilaka, the son of Śalāvat, said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya
• hanta tvā pṛcchāni iti, if you permit, I would like to ask you this question
• pṛccha iti ha uvāca, yes, ask, [replied Dālbhya].

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Sāmnaḥ kā gatiḥ iti, [Śilaka asked,] what is it that supports Sāma [i.e., the udgītha of the Sāma]
• svaraḥ iti ha uvāca, [Dālbhya] replied, it is the voice
• svarasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of the voice
• prāṇaḥ iti ha uvāca, [Dālbhya] said, prāṇa [the vital breath]
• prāṇasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of prāṇa [asked Śilaka]
• annam iti ha uvāca, [Dālbhya] replied, it is food
• annasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of food
• āpaḥ iti ha uvāca, [Dālbhya] replied, water.

note Sāma here means the udgītha, the chanting. Dālbhya was asked what supported the chanting, and he replied, ‘The voice.’ Just as a pot is supported by the material of which it is made, which is earth, similarly, the chanting is supported by the voice. But what supports the voice? The vital breath. And the vital breath is supported by food. Similarly, food is supported by water, because it is from water that food grows.

• Apām kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of water
• asau lokaḥ, that world [i.e., heaven]
• iti ha uvāca, said [Dālbhya]
• amuṣya lokasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of that heaven
• svargam lokam na atinayet iti ha uvāca, one should not go beyond that heaven, replied [Dālbhya]
• svargam lokam, in that heavenly world
• vayam sāma abhisaṃsthāpayāmaḥ, we install Sāma
• svargasaṃstāvam hi sāma iti, this Sāma is worshipped as heaven.

note The next question Śilaka asked was about the support of water. To this Dālbhya replied, ‘That world—that is, heaven.’ Rain is said to come from heaven, so that is why heaven is called the support. But what supports heaven? When Śilaka put this question, Dālbhya replied that the question was irrelevant. There is nothing beyond heaven. Heaven is the ultimate. It is the real resort of Sāma. And this is why we say that Sāma is in heaven and why the scriptures show the same respect to heaven as to Sāma.

• Tam ha śilakaḥ śālāvatyaḥ caikitāyanam dālbhyam uvāca, Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya
• vai kila te dālbhya sāma, your Sāma is, O Dālbhya
• apratiṣṭhitam, without a base
• yaḥ tu etarhi brūyāt, if anyone says now
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall [if your statement about Sāma is found to be wrong]
• te mūrdhā vipatet iti, your head will surely fall.

note Śilaka said to Dālbhya that Sāma cannot have heaven as its support. He then quotes scriptures that what he says is true. He also adds that Dālbhya might be careful not to give the impression that he has any doubt about this. If he does, he will then risk being cursed by people who know the Sāma very well. They may curse him saying that his head will fall. Whether Dālbhya’s head will fall or not is a different matter. If you commit a mistake, you surely have to pay for it. The measure of your punishment, however, is decided by many factors.

• Hanta, if you permit
• aham etat bhagavataḥ vedāni iti, I would like to learn this from you, revered sir [said Dālbhya]
• viddhi iti ha uvāca, yes, learn from me, said [Śilaka]
• amuṣya lokasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of that world [Dālbhya asked]
• ayam lokaḥ iti ha uvāca, this earth, said [Śilaka]
• asya lokasya kā gatiḥ iti, what is the support of this earth [Dālbhya asked]
• pratiṣṭhām lokam na atinayet iti ha uvāca, [in order to find the support of Sāma] don’t go beyond the earth, replied [Śilaka]
• pratiṣṭhām lokam vayam sāma abhisaṃsthāpayāmaḥ, we see Sāma based on this earth
• pratiṣṭhāsaṃstāvam hi sāma iti, Sāma is respected because it is based on this earth.

note Heaven is supported by the various Vedic rites performed on the earth, and this is why the earth is said here to be the support of heaven. To be more precise, however, the gods and goddesses in heaven depend upon what men and women on earth offer them through their Vedic rites. In this sense, the earth is the support of heaven. The earth is the support of everything, and it is also the base of the Sāma. This is why the earth is described as a kind of chariot (rathantara) in the Sāma Veda.

• Tam ha pravāhaṇaḥ jaivaliḥ uvāca, Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said to him
• antavat vai kila te sāma śālāvatya, O Śālāvatya [Śilaka], your Sāma is not without an end
• yaḥ tu, if anyone
• etarhi, now
• brūyāt, says
• mūrdhā te vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall
• mūrdhā te vipatet, your head will fall off
• hanta aham bhagavataḥ vadāni iti, [Śilaka said,] if you please, O Lord, I would like to learn from you
• viddhi iti ha uvāca, yes, learn [from me, Pravāhaṇa replied]. Iti aṣṭamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the eighth section.

• Asya lokasya kā gatiḥ iti, [Śilaka Śālāvatya asked,] what is the end of this earth
• ākāśaḥ iti ha uvāca, [Pravāhaṇa] replied, space
• sarvāṇi ha vai imāni bhūtānī, all these beings
• ākāśāt eva samutpadyante, issue from space
• ākāśani prati astam yanti, they disappear into space
• ākāśaḥ hi eva ebhyaḥ jyāyān, Space is superior to these
• ākāśaḥ parāyaṇam, space is the highest goal.

note Space is described here as the source of everything. It is the source as well as the end of everything. In short, it is Paramātman, the Cosmic Self. Because space is the biggest thing visible, it can rightly claim to be the symbol of the Paramātman. All the other elements (air, fire, water, and earth) come from space and go back to space. But the scriptures also say that the Cosmic Self is the source and the end of the elements—indeed, of everything.

• Saḥ udgīthaḥ, that udgītha
• parovarīyān [paraḥ + varīyān], the best
• eṣaḥ, the Paramātman [i.e., the Supreme Self, earlier referred to as endless]
• saḥ eṣaḥ, the udgītha [which is also the Cosmic Self]
• anantaḥ, [is] endless
• yaḥ, the worshipper
• evam, as mentioned earlier
• vidvān, having known
• etat, this
• parovarīyāṃsam udgītham upāste, worships this udgītha knowing it as the best
• parovarīyasaḥ lokān jayati, he attains increasingly higher and higher worlds
• asya, the life of that worshipper
• parovarīyaḥ ha bhavati, also becomes higher and higher.

note It is important to realize that the udgītha is the Paramātman itself. When we know this we attain the highest—both materially and spiritually.

• Śaunakaḥ, the son of Śunaka
• atidhanvā, Atidhanvā [the sage having that name]
• tam, of that kind
• etam, this [udgītha]
• udaraśāṇḍilyāya, to Udaraśāṇḍilya [the disciple having that name]
• uktvā, having taught
• uvāca, he said
• ha yāvat, as long as
• te prajāyām, your progeny
• enam udgītham vediṣyante, will know this udgītha
• tāvat, so long
• [tāsām prajān, the life of those progeny]
• asmin loke, in this world
• jīvanam ebhyaḥ parovarīyaḥ ha bhaviṣyati, will grow better and better in quality judged by the standard of ordinary people.

note This udgītha is an invaluable asset which can uplift people both materially and spiritually for generations.

• Tathā, in the same way
• amuṣmin loke, in that other world
• lokaḥ iti, the place
• saḥ yaḥ, he who
• etat evam vidvān upāste, knows this and worships [the udgītha] accordingly
• parovarīyaḥ eva ha asya asmin loke jīvanam bhavati, his life in this world is the best possible
• tathā amuṣmin loke lokaḥ iti loke lokaḥ iti, his life in the other world [i.e., his life after death] is likewise the best, his life in the other world is likewise. Iti navamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the ninth section.

note The sage Atidhanvā told his disciple Udaraśāṇḍilya about the benefits of worshipping udgītha. He said that the benefits were not only material, but also spiritual. The worshipper is benefitted in this life as well as in his life after death. But the question may be raised, is this still valid today? What was true in earlier times may not be true now. Śaṅkara dispels this doubt. He says that even now people are enjoying the same benefits of worshipping the udgītha (that is, of chanting the Sāma Veda)—especially that part which is addressed to the Supreme Being.

• Maṭacīhateṣu, destroyed [hateṣu] by a thunderstorm [maṭacin]
• kuruṣu, in the land of the Kurus
• ātikyā jāyayā saha, with his child-wife
• uṣastiḥ, Uṣasti [a young man by that name]
• cākrāyaṇaḥ, the son of Cakra
• pradrāṇakaiḥ in great misery
• ibhyagrāme [ibhyaḥ, prosperous (i.e., where people owned elephants) + grāme, in a village], in a prosperous village
• uvāsa, lived.

note So far, much praise has been given to the udgītha, the purpose being to show the importance of the Sāma Veda. Now, prastāva and pratihāra are being introduced with the same object in view—that is, worship of the Sāma Veda. In order to introduce the subject, however, and to make it easy to understand, a story is given: At one time the land of the Kurus was hit by a very bad storm, which destroyed all the crops, and the country was in the grip of a famine. The son of Cakra, named Uṣasti, was starving and on the verge of death. He then moved with his child-wife to a prosperous village (that is, it was prosperous because people there owned elephants—ibha). According to Śaṅkara, the word maṭacī means ‘fire from thunder.’ According to the Śabdakalpadruma, it refers to a species of small red birds, and according to Ānandagiri it means ‘locusts.’ Another meaning is ‘hail.’

• Saḥ, he [Uṣasti]
• kulmāṣān, bad food grains
• khādantam, eating
• ibhyam, an elephant[-driver]
• bibhikṣe, begged
• ha tam uvāca, that [elephant-driver] said to him
• itaḥ, besides these [pulses]
• na anye vidyante, nothing further exists
• yat ye ca ime, that which [the pulses]
• me, my
• upanihitāḥ, thrown [into my eating bowl]
• [kim karomi, what should I do].

note The food itself was bad, and besides that, it was hardly enough for the elephant-driver, but there was nothing else he could give Uṣasti. By implication, he regretted his inability to help.

• Ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said
• eteṣām, out of this
• me dehi iti, give me [some]
• tān, those [pulses]
• asmai, to him [i.e., to Uṣasti]
• pradadau, gave away
• hanta, [the elephant-driver said] here is
• anupānam iti, drinking water
• iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said
• me ucchiṣṭam vai pītam syāt, [if I drink the water you are offering] I would be drinking unclean water [because someone else has drunk from it].

note Uṣasti must have been very hungry. Although the elephant-driver said he had no other food than what was in his bowl, Uṣasti begged for that anyway. The driver kindly obliged and then also offered him some water to drink. This, however, Uṣasti declined. He said he would then be drinking unclean (ucchiṣṭa) water—that is, water that someone else had already drunk from. But the driver raised the question: If Uṣasti could take the unclean (according to him) food, why could he not take the unclean water also?

• Svit ete api na ucchiṣṭāḥ iti, [the driver said, by the same token] aren’t these [pulses] also unclean
• ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] replied
• imān, these [pulses]
• akhādan, [if I] do not eat
• na vai ajīviṣyam iti, I will not survive
• udapānam, drinking water [on the other hand]
• me kāmaḥ iti, is left to me.

note Normally a person should not eat or drink, anything unclean (ucchiṣṭa)—that is, something which someone else has already eaten or drunk a part of. But when it is a question of survival, the scriptures condone such eating or drinking. Uṣasti was aware of the injunctions of the scriptures in this respect, and he knew they would permit his eating the unclean pulses, but not his drinking the unclean water. Clean water was easily available, so he would not have died if he refrained from drinking it. The scriptures take much pains to point out when eating or drinking unclean things is permissible. In this connection, the reader’s attention is drawn to sūtra 3.4.28 of the Brahma Sūtras.

• Ha khāditvā, having eaten
• atiśeṣān, whatever was left over
• saḥ jāyāyai ājahāra, he [Uṣasti] brought for his wife
• sā, she
• agre eva subhikṣā babhūva, had already obtained good alms
• tān, them [the pulses]
• pratigṛhya, she accepted
• nidadhau, [and] put them aside.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Saḥ, he [Uṣasti]
• prātaḥ, in the morning
• sañjihānaḥ, while getting up from bed
• ha uvāca, said [to his wife]
• yat bata, oh, if only
• annasya labhemahi, I could get some food
• labhemahi dhanamātrām, I could earn a little money
• asau, over there
• rājā, the king
• yakṣyate, is performing a sacrifice
• saḥ, he [the king]
• mā, me
• sarvaiḥ ārtvijyaiḥ, all the work of a ṛtvik [a priest who sings hymns or otherwise helps with the performance of a sacrifice]
• vṛṇīta iti, would have appointed.

note Uṣasti was a highly qualified ṛtvik, and he hoped the king would appoint him to assist at the sacrifice he was going to perform. If that hope of his materialized, he would then be able to earn some money. The snag was, however, that he was too weak from hunger to do anything. If he could only get something to eat!

• Jāyā tam uvāca, the wife said to him
• hanta pate, O dear husband
• ime eva kulmāṣāḥ iti, here are those pulses [you gave me]
• tān, them [the pulses]
• khāditvā, having eaten
• amum vitatam yajñam, that ensuing sacrifice
• eyāya, he went.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Tatra, there [at the site of the sacrifice]
• āstāve, at the place where hymns were being sung
• udgātṛn stosyamāṇān, those who were singing the hymns
• upa, near
• upaviveśa, he sat
• prastotāram, to him who was reciting the prastāva
• saḥ ha uvāca, he said.

note Prastāva, pratihāra, and udgītha—these are some of the Sāma mantras recited during a sacrifice. One who recites the prastāva is called the prastotā, one who recites the pratihāra is called the pratihartā, and one who recites the udgītha is called the udgātā.

• Prastotaḥ, O Prastotā
• yā devatā, that god who
• prastāvam anvāyattā, underlies this prastāva hymn
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet, if
• prastoṣyasi, you recite the prastāva
• te, your
• mūrdhā, head
• vipatiṣyati iti, will fall.

note Here the question arises whether or not an ignorant person is permitted to recite the scriptures. According to Śaṅkara, he is permitted, but if he commits errors, he will be liable to punishment. It may not cost him his head, but he may go after death to the world of his ancestors, rather than to the world of the gods. But perhaps he would have gone there anyway because of his other errors. As to the falling of the head, the curse need not be taken literally.

• Evam eva udgātāram uvāca, he then said the same thing to the udgātā [who sings the udgītha]
• udgātaḥ, O Udgātā
• yā devatā udgītham anvāyattā, the god who is related to the udgītha
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet udgāsyasi, if you sing about him
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Evam eva pratihartāram uvāca, he said the same thing to the person who was singing the pratihāra
• pratihartaḥ, O Pratihartā
• yā devatā pratihāram anvāyattā, that god to whom your pratihāra relates
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet pratihariṣyasi, if you sing the pratihāra
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall
• te, they [the singers]
• ha samāratāḥ, stopped
• āsāñcakrire tūṣṇīm, [and] remained silent. Iti daśamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the tenth section.

note When Uṣasti spoke thus to the singers, they all stopped their hymns. They were afraid they would lose their heads because they did not know about the deities

• Atha, then
• yajamānaḥ, the person performing the sacrifice [the prince]
• ha enam uvāca, said to him [to Uṣasti]
• bhagavantam vai aham vividiṣāṇi iti, Sir, I want to know who you are
• iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] replied
• uṣastiḥ cākrāyaṇaḥ asmi, I am Uṣasti, the son of Cakra.

note Uṣasti’s reply suggests that he assumes the prince already knows him by name.

• Saḥ ha uvāca, he [the prince] said
• aham, I
• bhagavantam, you, revered sir
• vai ebhiḥ sarvaiḥ ārtvijyaiḥ, for all the work of the priests
• paryaiṣiṣam, looked for
• bhagavataḥ, you, sir
• avittyā, not being able to locate
• aham vai anyān avṛṣi, I chose others.

note The prince had obviously heard of Uṣasti’s reputation as a versatile scholar, and had wanted to give the responsibility of the sacrifice to him. As he could not find him, however, he had no option but to entrust the work to other brāhmins.

• Bhagavān, O Lord
• eva tu, for certain
• sarvaiḥ ārtvijyaiḥ me iti, [take on] all the work of the ṛtvik for me
• tathā iti, [Uṣasti said] let it be so
• atha tarhi, now therefore
• ete eva, these [priests already engaged by you]
• samatisṛṣṭāḥ, as instructed [by me]
• stuvatām, may recite
• tu ebhyaḥ yāvat dhanam dadyāḥ, but as much money as you are giving these [priests]
• tāvat, that much [money]
• mama dadyāḥ iti, you have to give me [also]
• yajamānaḥ, the performer of the sacrifice [the prince]
• iti ha uvāca, said
• tathā, it will be so.

note Uṣasti did not want the priests who had already been engaged to be dismissed. He only wanted them to follow his instructions about their recitations.

• Atha, then
• prastotā, the person reciting the prastāva
• ha enani upasasāda, came to him [i.e., to Uṣasti, and said]
• prastotaḥ yā devatā prastāvam anvāyattā, O Prastotā, that deity to whom the prastāva is related
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet prastoṣyasi, if you sing [about him]
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall
• bhagavān mā avocat, revered sir, you said to me
• katamā sā devatā iti, what is that deity?

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Prāṇa iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said, it is prāṇa [the vital force]
• ha vai, for
• imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni, all these beings [moving or unmoving]
• prāṇam eva, in prāṇa
• abhi, totally
• saṃviśanti, disappear [at the time of destruction]
• prāṇam abhi ujjihate, [and] out of prāṇa they appear [when they come into existence]
• sā eṣā devatā, that [prāṇa] is the deity
• prastāvam anvāyattā, the prastāva is addressed to
• cet, if
• tām, that [deity]
• avidvān, from ignorance
• prastoṣyaḥ, you had praised
• [then] tathā, like that
• mayā uktasya, in spite of being warned by me
• te mūrdhā vyapatiṣyat iti, your head would surely have fallen.

note The prastotā had immediately stopped singing and then had approached Uṣasti in a humble manner. This pleased Uṣasti, and he gladly proceeded to teach the brāhmin.

• Atha, then
• udgātā, the person reciting the udgītha
• ha enam upasasāda, came to him [i.e., to Uṣasti, and said]
• bhagavān mā avocat, revered sir, you said to me
• udgātaḥ yā devatā udgītham anvāyattā, O Udgātā, that deity to whom the udgītha is related
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet udgāsyasi, if you sing [about him]
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall
• katamā sā devatā iti, what is that deity?

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Ādityaḥ iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said, it is āditya [the sun]
• ha vai for
• imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni, all these beings [moving and unmoving]
• uccaiḥ santam ādityam gāyanti, sing in praise of āditya, who is high above
• sā eṣā devatā, that [āditya] is the deity
• udgītham anvāyattā, the udgītha is addressed to
• cet, if
• tām, that [deity]
• avidvān, from ignorance
• ’ udgāsyaḥ you had sung the udgītha
• [then] tathā, like that
• mayā uktasya, in spite of being warned by me
• te mūrdhā vyapatiṣyat iti, your head would surely have fallen.

note Earlier, prāṇa was described as the deity of the prastāva. The word prāṇa begins with pra, and prastāva also begins with pra. It is surmised that this is why prāṇa is the deity of the prastāva. By the same token, the udgītha is addressed to āditya, the sun, for āditya is urdhatva, which is ut (high), and udgītha is also ut. Therefore it is reasonable that the deity of the udgītha should be āditya.

• Atha, next
• pratihartā, the person reciting the pratihāra
• ha enam upasasāda, came to him [i.e., to Uṣasti, and said]
• bhagavān mā avocat, revered sir, you said to me
• pratihartaḥ yā devatā pratihāram anvāyattā, O Pratihartā, that deity to whom the pratihāra is related
• tām avidvān, without knowing anything about him
• cet pratihariṣyasi, if you sing the pratihāra
• te mūrdhā vipatiṣyati iti, your head will fall
• katamā sā devatā iti, what is that deity?

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Annam iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said, it is anna [food]
• ha vai, for
• imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni, all these beings
• annam eva pratiharamāṇāni jīvanti, support themselves by collecting food
• sā eṣā devatā, that [food] is the deity
• pratihāram anvāyattā, the pratihāra is addressed to
• cet, if
• tām, that [deity]
• avidvān, from ignorance
• pratyahariṣyaḥ, you had sung the pratihāra
• [then] tathā, like that
• mayā uktasya, in spite of being warned by me
• te mūrdhā vyapatiṣyat iti, your head would surely have fallen [the repetition is for the sake of emphasis]. Iti ekādaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the eleventh section.

note Every living being has to support itself by collecting food. It involves much effort, but each one has to make that effort. Prati means ‘each and every.’ The deity is pratihāra because each and every being has to ‘collect’ (āharam) food for himself. In short, you worship prāṇa (the vital force) through the prastāva, āditya (the sun) through the udgītha, and anna (food) through the pratihāra. What is the result of this? The result is progress in every way.

• Atha ataḥ, since then
• tat ha, in this connection
• śauvaḥ udgīthaḥ, an udgītha [to food] sung by dogs [i.e., sages in the form of dogs]
• bakaḥ dālbhyaḥ, Baka, the son of Dalbha
• glāvaḥ maitreyaḥ vā, or Glāva, the son of Mitrā
• svādhyāyam udvavrāja, went to a quiet place to study the scriptures [i.e., the udgītha].

note Sometimes people are driven by hunger to eat ‘unclean’ food. The story of Uṣasti is an example. Here, in this section, a story is told of how some dogs avoid such a situation: There was a sage who was known as Baka on his father’s side and Glāva on his mother’s side. Wanting to learn an udgītha that would bring him food, he went to a quiet place to study the scriptures.

• Tasmai, [as a favour] to him
• śvā, a dog
• śvetāḥ, white
• prādurbabhūva, appeared
• tam, to him [i.e., to the white dog]
• anye śvānaḥ, other dogs
• upasametya, came
• ūcuḥ, [and] said
• annam, food
• naḥ, for us
• bhagavān, O Lord
• āgāyatu, please sing
• aśanāyāma vai iti, we are hungry [and want to eat].

note It would seem that some god or sage was pleased with Baka’s Vedic studies and as a favour, appeared before him as a white dog. Then, as if by coincidence, some other smaller dogs approached the white dog and told him they were very hungry and needed food. They asked the white dog to sing the appropriate Sāma so that they could get some food immediately. Very likely, these small dogs were also sages in disguise. Another explanation is also possible: The white dog represents prāṇa, and the smaller dogs are the sense organs controlled by prāṇa. Prāṇa is pleased when someone studies the scriptures. And if prāṇa is pleased, the sense organs are able to perceive their respective sense objects well. Like dogs, the sense organs are ‘hungry’ and enjoy perceiving. In order to express their appreciation of the scholar’s efforts, they appear before him as dogs.

• Tān, to them [the other dogs]
• ha uvāca, [the white dog] said
• iha eva, here
• prātaḥ, tomorrow morning
• mā upasamīyāta iti, all of you come to me
• bakaḥ dālbhyaḥ glāvaḥ maitreyaḥ vā, Baka, the son of Dalbha, who was also known as Glāva, the son of Mitrā
• pratipālayāñcakāra, waited [for the white dog]
• tat ha, there.

note The smaller dogs were obviously very hungry, so why didn’t the white dog sing immediately? He asked them to come back in the morning because the morning is the best time to sing the udgītha. In the afternoon the sun turns away from us. He is the one who gives us food, and if he has already begun to turn away, it is too late to ask him to give us anything. Morning is the time when we are face to face with him, and that is why morning is the best time to make a request of him. The sage Baka came early the next morning also and waited for the white dog.

• Te ha, they
• yathā era, just as
• idam, this
• bahiṣpavamānena, by the hymn called bahiṣpavamāna
• stoṣyamāṇaḥ, while reciting
• saṃrabdhāḥ, touching each other
• sarpanti, proceed
• iti evam āsasṛpuḥ, went about this way
• te ha, they
• samupaviśya, sitting down
• him, the word ‘him’
• cakruḥ, uttered.

note When sages sing the hymn baḥiṣpavamāna, they join their hands together, or otherwise touch each other, and then they move forward. The dogs did likewise. Each took the tail of the one in front in its mouth and started moving. Finally they sat down and uttered the sound him.

• Om adāma, Om, we will eat
• om pibāma, Om, we will drink
• om devaḥ varuṇaḥ prajāpatiḥ savitā, Om Deva [the shining one], Varuṇa, Prajāpati, Savitā
• annam iha āharat, bring food here
• annapate annam iha āhara āhara om, O Lord of food, bring food here, bring [food here], Om. Iti dvādaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the twelfth section.

note This verse is also known as the hiṃkāra. The sun is the only thing that shines, so he is called here deva (that which shines). Varuṇa is the deity who gives rain, and Prajāpati protects all beings. Because Āditya, the sun, gives birth to all, he is known as Savitā. It is, in fact, Āditya who at one point gives us light, and at another gives us rain. It is because of him that there is food. This is why we ask him to bring us food (anna). As a mark of special respect, and also urgency, the request is repeated.

• Ayam vāva lokaḥ hāukāraḥ, this earth [is known by] the syllable ‘hāu’
• vāyuḥ hāikāraḥ, air by the syllable ‘hāi’
• candramā athakāraḥ, the moon by the syllable ‘atha’
• ātmā ihakāraḥ, the individual self by the syllable ‘iha’
• agniḥ īkāraḥ, fire by the syllable ‘ī’.

note So long the Upaniṣad has shown how Sāma can be worshipped through the udgītha. Now another way of worshipping Sāma is being shown—through stobhas. Stobhas are syllables such as hiṃ, hāu, hāi, and so forth, and they are all from the Sāma Veda. By themselves these syllables have no meaning. They are symbols representing objects, or they are used to fill in gaps in sentences. The idea here is that stobhas like hāu should be applied to the earth, fire, etc. A symbol has to have something in common with the object it represents. The Sāma Veda says, ‘This earth is also called rathantara.’ And in the Sāma, the stobha hāu stands for rathantara. Thus, it is reasonable to say that hāu stands for the earth. The stobha hāi occurs in the Sāma called Vāmadevya. The Vāmadevya Sāma is about the relationship of air with water. This is why vāyu (air) is represented by the symbol hāi. Why is the moon represented by atha? This world is sustained by food (anna), and the moon and food are identical. A stands for anna, and tha stands for stha in sthita, which means ‘sustained.’ A plus tha is atha. Thus, atha can rightly be said to represent the moon. Then the self is said to be iha, which means ‘here’ or ‘this,’ for the self is obvious to everyone. And the stobha ī represents fire, because wherever fire is referred to in the Sāma, the words end with ī. The syllable ī then is rightly used as a symbol of fire, and to meditate on this symbol is to meditate on fire.

• Ādityaiḥ Āditya, the sun
• ūkāraḥ, [is represented by] the stobha ‘ū’
• nihavaiḥ the welcoming address
• ekāraḥ, [is represented by] the stobha ‘e’
• viśvedevāḥ, the Viśvadevas [i.e., a class of gods]
• auhoyi-kāraḥ, [are represented by] the stobha ‘auhoyi’
• prajāpatiḥ, Prajāpati [the Lord of all beings]
• hiṃkāraḥ, [is represented by] the stobha ‘hiṃ’
• prāṇaḥ, prāṇa [the presiding deity of life]
• svaraḥ, [is represented by] the stobha ‘svara’
• annam, food
• yā, [is represented by] the stobha ‘yā’
• virāṭ Virāṭ
• vāk, [is represented by] the stobha ‘vāk’.

note Āditya, the sun, is far above in the sky. The letter ū suggests urdhvam, which means ‘above.’ So. in The word nihava means ‘welcome,’ which in Sanskrit is ehi. For this reason e stands for the nihava, the welcoming hymn. The stobha auhoyi stands for the Viśvadevas, the gods, for it occurs in the Sāma in honour of the Viśvadevas. The stobha hiṃ represents Prajāpati. No one knows the meaning of the word hiṃ; similarly, no one knows what Prajāpati, the Lord of all beings, is like. Prāṇa is represented by svara, because svara, the musical scale, is derived from prāṇa (the Lord of life, or the vital breath). Yā represents anna, food, for yāti (going) is possible because of food. The stobha vāk occurs in the Sāma called Vairāja or Virāṭa. Thus vāk stands for Virāṭ.

• Sañcaraḥ, variously interpreted
• aniruktaḥ, not clearly defined
• trayodaśaḥ stobhaḥ, the thirteenth stobha
• huṅkāraḥ, the syllable ‘huṃ’.

note Earlier, twelve stobhas were explained along with how they could be used for meditation. Those stobhas are: hāu, hāi, atha, iha, ī, ū, e, auhoyi, hiṃ, svara, yā, and vāk. Now the thirteenth stobha, huṃ, is being discussed. The Upaniṣad says here, however, that no one knows for certain what huṃ means, so people are free to meditate on it as they please.

• Yaḥ, that person who
• etām evam, this as stated earlier
• sāmnām, the Sāma with its stobhas
• upaniṣadam, the science of it
• veda, knows
• vācaḥ, of the organ of speech
• yaḥ dohaḥ, the essence
• doham, [that] essence
• vāk, the organ of speech
• asmai, to him [who knows]
• dugdhe, gives
• [saḥ, he]
• annavān, rich with food
• annādaḥ, a great eater of food
• bhavati, becomes. Iti trayodaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the thirteenth section. Iti chāndogya upaniṣadi prathamaḥ adhyāyaḥ, here ends the first chapter of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad.

note In the previous verses, mention was made of the stobhas. Now the benefit of meditating on them is being described. A person who knows the real import of those stobhas receives the best that the organ of speech has to offer.

• Samastasya khalu sāmnaḥ upāsanam, the worship of the Sāma as a whole [inclusive of all its parts]
• sādhu, [is] good
• yat khalu sādhu, whatever is good
• tat sāma iti ācakṣate, that is called sāma
• yat asādhu, whatever is bad
• tat asāma iti, that is asāma.

note Much has been said already about the Sāma and the udgītha. And it has also been said that much good follows from their worship. Similarly, the Upaniṣad has discussed the stobhas and shown their importance. So long, the Sāma has been discussed in parts. Now it will be discussed as a whole. The point of this verse is to emphasize how beautiful it is to worship the Sāma. The Sāma is beautiful and to worship the Sāma is beautiful. The qualifying word used is sādhu. Sādhu means ‘good,’ ‘beautiful,’ ‘chaste,’ ‘elegant,’ and so on. It also means ‘honest,’ ‘morally sound,’ ‘beneficial,’ ‘perfect,’ and ‘above reproach.’ Anything opposed to sādhu is asāma.

• Tat uta āhuḥ api, this is why people say
• sāmnā, by virtue of sāma
• enam, a [high-placed] person
• upāgāt iti, someone got access to
• sādhunā, [they mean] by good conduct
• enam upāgāt iti eva, he got access to him
• tat āhuḥ, [similarly] this is what people say
• asāmnā, by virtue of asāma
• enam upāgāt iti, he got access to him
• asādhunā, [when they mean] by bad conduct
• enam upāgāt iti eva, he got access to him
• tat āhuḥ, this is what people say.

note The question is: What is good and what is bad? Suppose you have to meet a very distinguished person who is far above you in status. It is very difficult to meet that person, but without doing anything wrong you are, somehow or other, able to meet him. This is called sādhu—fair, honest, good, beautiful, decent, elegant. The opposite of this is asādhu—bad, ugly, dishonest, condemnable.

• Atha uta api, then also
• āhuḥ, [people] say
• naḥ bata sāma iti, it is sāma for us
• yat sādhu bhavati, that which is good
• sādhu bata id eva tat āhuḥ, the words mean that what is good has happened
• naḥ bata asāma iti, [similarly, people say] it is asāma for us
• yat asādhu bhavati, that which is bad
• asādhu bata id eva tat āhuḥ, they mean to say that what is bad has happened.

note The words sādhu and sāma are synonymous. When people say, ‘We have had something sāma happen,’ they mean that they have had something sādhu happen. Both the words mean the same thing: good, beautiful, fair, and so on.

• Saḥ yaḥ, whoever
• etat, this [Sāma]
• evam vidvān, knows in this way
• sādhu sāma iti upāste, [and] worships Sāma as ‘sādhu’
• enam, to this worshipper
• sādhavaḥ dharmāḥ, the good qualities that are associated with a perfect [sādhu] person
• abhyāśaḥ ha, quickly
• yat āgaccheyuḥ ca, come
• upa ca nameyuḥ, and are a source of satisfaction. Iti prathamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the first section.

note First and foremost, a person should know the good qualities of the Sāma. But that is not enough. He should also worship the Sāma along with those good qualities. Then those qualities will soon manifest themselves in him, and they will eventually become a great source of satisfaction too.

• Pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, one should worship the Sāma in a fivefold manner
• lokeṣu, as the worlds [such as the earth]
• hiṃkāraḥ, [for instance, thinking of] the syllable hiṃ
• pṛthivī, [as] the earth
• prastāvaḥ agniḥ, the prastāva as fire
• udgīthaḥ antarikṣam, the udgītha as the sky
• pratihāraḥ ādityaḥ, the pratihāra as the sun
• nidhanam dyauḥ, the nidhana as heaven
• ūrdhveṣu iti, which is up above.

note What is the meaning of sādhu? It may mean either dharma or Brahman. Both, however, mean the same thing, more or less. Those who worship Sāma should know that they are worshipping either of these two, and that they are worshipping something uplifting, something propitious (sādhu). When a person worships thus, he becomes what he is worshipping. He becomes a new person altogether. He is totally transformed. But where is a person to find the Sāma? This Sāma is everywhere, in everything—in the earth, in fire, in the sky, in the sun, and in heaven. But since you cannot approach all of these, you can worship them through their symbols. In this verse, five symbols have been mentioned, which can be used for worship: hiṃkāra, prastāva, udgītha, pratihāra, and nidhana. This fivefold worship of Sāma is being recommended here for everyone.

• Atha, next
• āvṛtteṣu, from the highest [world] to the lowest
• dyauḥ hiṃkāraḥ, the heaven is the syllable hiṃ
• ādityaḥ prastāvaḥ, the sun is the prastāva
• antarikṣam udgīthaḥ, the sky is the udgītha
• agniḥ pratihāraḥ, fire is the pratihāra
• pṛthivī nidhanam, the earth is nidhana.

note As Sāma is everywhere, it is also in the five worlds most familiar to us. Starting from the top, these five worlds are dyauḥ (heaven), āditya (the sun), antarikṣa (the sky), agni (fire), and pṛthivī (the earth). To meditate on Sāma in these worlds, then, we can use the five symbols, which are respectively: hiṃkāra, prastāva, udgītha, pratihāra, and nidhana. When we use the term symbol, we understand that there is always a connection between the symbol and the thing symbolized. In this case, hiṃkāra is the first among the symbols, and heaven is the highest among the worlds. This is why hiṃkāra stands for heaven. Prastāva stands for the sun, for when the sun rises everyone gets ready to work. The word prastāva means ‘getting ready.’ The sky is gagana. It begins with ga, and the word udgītha also contains ga. So udgītha stands for gagana, the sky. Pratihāra stands for fire, because fire makes people ‘scatter’ (pratiharim). The earth is nidhana (extinction), for all things fall from above and finally disappear on the earth.

• Yaḥ, he who
• etaṭ, this [Sāma]
• evam, as such [i.e., as good]
• vidvān, having known
• lokeṣu, the worlds [the earth, etc.]
• pañcavidham, fivefold [i.e., using hiṃ and the other four symbols]
• sāma upāste, worships the Sāma
• ūrdhvāḥ ca, going upwards
• āvṛttāḥ ca, and coming downwards
• lokāḥ ha asmai kalpante, the worlds are there for him to enjoy. Iti dvitīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the second section.

note What benefit do you derive from worshipping Sāma in the worlds? The benefit is that you have all the five worlds—from the lowest to the highest and from the highest to the lowest—for your enjoyment. This is because you know Sāma is the essence of everything in these worlds.

• Vṛṣṭau, in the rain
• pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, one can perform the fivefold Sāma worship
• purovātaḥ, the wind that starts before the rainfall
• hiṃkāraḥ, is hiṃkāra
• meghaḥ jāyate, the clouds that gather
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• varṣati saḥ udgīthaḥ, [when] the rain falls that is the udgītha
• vidyotate, [when] the lightning flashes
• stanayati, [and] roars
• saḥ pratihāra, that is the pratihāra.

note The syllable hiṃ indicates the beginning of something. When the wind starts blowing hard, we know that it will soon rain, so that is hiṃkāra. Then, when the clouds start gathering, that is the prastāva, for it means that rain is just about to start. Soon the rain follows. That is the udgītha, for the udgītha is always welcome. It is a blessing. The clouds produce lightning, and lightning is accompanied by thunder. That is the pratihāra, for the pratihāra is that which ‘scatters,’ or ‘spreads out,’ or is ‘extensive.’

• Udgṛhṇāti tat nidhanam, the end of the rainfall is the nidhana [literally, ‘the end’]
• varṣati, it pours
• ha asmai, for him [i.e., for the worshipper]
• varṣayati, he causes rain to fall
• ha yaḥ etat evam vidvān, he who, knowing all this as such
• vṛṣṭau, in the rain
• pañcavidham sāma upāste, performs the fivefold Sāma worship. Iti tṛtīyaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the third section.

• Sarvāsu apsu, in all kinds of water
• pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, a person should perform the fivefold Sāma worship
• meghaḥ yat saṃplavate, the clouds which join together and consolidate
• saḥ hiṃkāraḥ, that is hiṃkāra
• yat varṣati, that which pours rain
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• yāḥ prācyaḥ syandante, that [water, or river] which goes eastward
• saḥ udgīthaḥ, that is the udgītha
• yāḥ pratīcyaḥ, that which goes westward
• saḥ pratihāraḥ, that is the pratihāra
• samudraḥ nidhanam, the sea is the nidhana.

note The fivefold Sāma worship can be performed in all forms of water. For instance, when clouds come together to produce rain, that can be thought of as hiṃkāra, because the syllable hiṃ marks the beginning. And when rain starts falling, that is thought of as the prastāva, because the rain is ‘ready’ to scatter in all directions. (This ‘readiness’ is prastāva.) The water, or river, that flows eastward (the Ganges, for instance) is called the udgītha, because both represent excellence. The water flowing westward (pratīcya) is the pratihāra, because of the prefix prāti being common to both. The sea is the nidhana, because when the water flows into the sea it loses its separate identity, which is ‘death’ (nidhana).

• Yaḥ, he who
• evam, as mentioned
• etat, this [Sāma]
• vidvān, having known
• sarvāsu apsu, in all forms of water
• pañcavidham sāma upāste, performs the fivefold worship of Sāma
• [saḥ, that worshipper]
• apsu, in water
• na ha praiti, does not die [unless he wants to]
• apsumān bhavati, he has much water at his disposal. Iti caturthaḥ khaṇḥaḥ, here ends the fourth section.

note A person who performs this Sāma worship, taking water as the object of worship, will never be drowned unless he himself seeks his death that way. Also, he may be so lucky about water that he will even get it in a desert.

• Ṛtuṣu, in the seasons [spring, etc.]
• pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, one should perform the fivefold Sāma worship
• vasantaḥ hiṃkāraḥ, spring is hiṃkāra
• grīṣmaḥ prastāvaḥ, summer is the prastāva
• varṣāḥ udgīthaḥ, the rainy season is the udgītha
• śarat pratihāraḥ, autumn

note Spring is the first among the seasons, just as hiṃkāra is the first among the Sāma stobhas. Summer is the prastāva, because in summer people ‘get ready’ to harvest. Then, the rainy season is very important for crops, just as the udgītha is important. Autumn is thought of as pratihāra, for that is the time when the old and the sick start being ‘taken away.’ Finally, winter is the nidhana, for that is the time when many people die.

• Yaḥ, he who
• etat evam vidvān, having known this [Sāma] as above
• ṛtuṣu, in the seasons
• pañcavi- dham sāma upāste, performs this fivefold Sāma worship
• asmai, to him
• ṛtavaḥ kalpante, the seasons come for his enjoyment
• ha ṛtumān bhavati, and he also gets the pleasant things of those seasons for his enjoyment. Iti pañcamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the fifth section.

note The change of seasons does not bother such a worshipper. Each of them is pleasant to hiṃ, and the best things that each of them has are easily available to him.

• Paśuṣu, in animals
• pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, one can perform the fivefold Sāma worship
• ajāḥ, goats
• hiṃkāraḥ, are the syllable hiṃ
• avayaḥ prastāvaḥ, sheep are the prastāva
• gāvaḥ udgīthaḥ, cows are the udgītha
• aśvāḥ pratihāraḥ, horses are the pratihāra
• puruṣaḥ nidhanam, a human being is the nidhana.

note Goats are the most common of these animals, and they are also the most widely used in sacrifices. This is why they are given the first place as hiṃkāra. Ajā, goats, and avi, sheep, are often seen together, and they are very similar. So also, hiṃkāra and the prastāva are often together. This is why avi, sheep, are said to be the prastāva. Cows are the udgītha because they are superior to other animals, as the udgītha is superior. Then horses ‘carry’ (pratiharaṇa) people, so they are the pratihāra. And as animals ‘depend’ entirely upon human beings, so human beings are their nidhana (here, nidhana means ‘support’).

• Yaḥ, he who
• etat evam vidvān, having known this [Sāma] in this way
• paśuṣu pañcavidham sāma upāste, performs the fivefold Sāma worship in animals
• asya paśavaḥ bhavanti ha, he has many animals [for his enjoyment]
• paśumān bhavati, he acquires a large number of animals [for his personal wealth]. Iti ṣaṣṭhaḥ khaṇḍaiḥ here ends the sixth section.

• Prāṇeṣu pañcavidham sāma upāsīta, one should perform the fivefold worship of Sāma in all forms of prāṇa, the vital breath [or, the organs]
• parovarīyaḥ, in an increasingly better way
• prāṇaḥ hiṃkāraḥ, prāṇa [or, the organ of smell] is hiṃkāra
• vāk prastāvaḥ, the organ of speech is the prastāva
• cakṣuḥ udgīthaḥ, the eyes are the udgītha
• śrotram pratihāraḥ, the ears are the pratihāra
• manaḥ nidhanam, the mind is the nidhana
• etāni parovarīyāṃsi vai, all these should be worshipped, each more than the one before.

note The first prāṇa is the organ of smelling. This may be regarded as hiṃkāra. Then the organ of speech may be regarded as the prastāva, for through speech we propose (prastāva) to do something. The organ of speech is superior to the organ of smelling because we express our thoughts through speech. The eyes are better than the organ of speech, because through the eyes we can express even more than what we can through speech, so the eyes are the udgītha. The ears are the pratihāra, and they are superior to the eyes because the ears can hear more than the eyes can see. The mind is the nidhana, and it is superior to all other organs. Whatever the other organs collect is all stored in the mind. Also the mind can grasp things that no other organ can perceive.

• Yaḥ, he who
• etat evam vidvān, having known this thus
• prāṇeṣu, in the organs
• pañcavidham sāma upāste, performs the fivefold Sāma worship
• parovarīyaḥ, in an increasingly higher order
• asya, his [life]
• parovarīyaḥ ha bhavati, becomes increasingly more excellent
• parovarīyasaḥ ha lokān jāyati, he also attains increasingly higher worlds
• iti tu pañcavidhasya, this is the benefit of the fivefold [Sāma worship]. Iti saptamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the seventh section.

note Here much attention has been given to the fivefold Sāma worship. This is only to prepare the worshipper for the next step, in which he will be asked to perform the sevenfold Sāma worship. It would be quite all right, however, if he bypasses the fivefold worship and goes straight to the sevenfold worship.

• Atha, next
• saptavidhasya, [a discussion] on the sevenfold [Sāma worship]
• saptavidham sāma upāsīta, one should perform the sevenfold worship of Sāma
• vāci, in speech
• yāt kiṃca vācaḥ huṃ iti, in whatever speech occurs the syllable ‘huṃ’
• saḥ hiṃkāraḥ, that is the syllable ‘hiṃ’
• yat pra iti, where the syllable ‘pra’ occurs
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• yat ā iti, where ‘ā’ occurs
• saḥ ādiḥ, that is to be taken for ādi [the beginning].

note The fivefold Sāma worship has been discussed. Now The first meditation is on speech. Sometimes you may come across the sound huṃ in speech. This sound is to be thought of as hiṃkāra, because the letter h is common in both. Then, when you come across the sound pra, that is to be thought of as the prastāva. The sound ā in speech is to be thought of as ādi. But what is ādi? Ādi is that with which you begin something. It is Om, for everything in the Vedas starts with Om.

• Yat ut iti, where there is the sound ‘ut’
• saḥ udgīthaḥ, that is the udgītha
• yat prati iti, where there is the sound ‘prati’
• saḥ pratihāraḥ, that is the pratihāra
• yat upa iti, where there is the sound ‘upa’
• saḥ upadravaḥ, that is the upadrava [upadrava is anything in praise of the Sāma]
• yat ni iti, where there is the syllable ‘ni’
• tat nidhanam, that is the nidhana.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Yaḥ, the person who
• etat evam vidvān, having known this [about the Sāma]
• vāci, in speech
• saptavidham sāma upāste, performs the sevenfold Sāma worship
• asmai, to him [i.e., to the worshipper]
• vāk, speech
• doham, milk [i.e., a good, precious gift]
• yaḥ vācaḥ dohaḥ, which is the essence of the words
• dugdhe, presents
• annavān annādaḥ bhavati, he has plenty of food and he eats it [thereby becoming radiant]. Iti aṣṭamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the eighth section.

• Atha, next
• khalu, for certain
• amum ādityam, the sun over there
• saptavidham sāma upāsīta, worship as the sevenfold Sāma
• sarvadā samaḥ, [the sun is] always the same
• tena, therefore
• sāma, [the sun is] Sāma
• mām prati mām prati, [for instance, ‘It is looking] at me, [it is looking] at me’
• iti, in this way [it makes everyone think]
• sarveṇa samaḥ, it is the same to all
• tena, for this reason
• sāma, [the sun is called] Sāma.

note The question is, how can the sun be identified with the Sāma? The sun is always the same [i.e., sama], for it never changes. This is where the sun and the Sāma are the same. Again, when we look at the sun, we all think it is turned towards us. Similarly, the Sāma is also the same for everyone.

• Tasmin, on that [i.e., the sun]
• imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni, all these beings
• anvāyattāni, are dependent
• iti vidyāt, one should know this
• tasya, of that [sun]
• yat, the way [it looks then]
• purodayāt, before it rises
• saḥ, that [form]
• hiṃkāraḥ, is hiṃkāra
• paśavaḥ, the animals
• tat asya anvāyattāḥ, are dependent on that [form] of it [i.e., of the sun as Sāma]
• tasmāt, this is why
• te, they
• hiṃ kurvanti, make the sound hiṃ
• hiṃkārabhājinaḥ hi etasya sāmnaḥ, they share in the hiṃkāra of the Sāma.

note As the sun rises, it has a very pleasant and favourable look. This is called hiṃkāra. It is an expression of love and adoration for the Sāma. The animals are devoted to this hiṃkāra, for they also make the sound hiṃ as the sun rises. This is how they pay their tribute to the hiṃkāra of the Sāma.

• Athā, next
• yatprathamodite [i.e., prathama + udite], that [form] which [the sun has] when it first rises
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• manuṣyāḥ, all human beings
• tat asya anvāyattāḥ, are charmed by that [form] of it [i.e., of the sun, which is the Sāma]
• tasmāt, this is why
• te, they
• prastutikāmāḥ, wanting praise
• praśaṃsākāmāḥ, wanting adoration
• prastāvabhājinaḥ hi etasya sāmnaḥ, they join in the prastāva of the Sāma.

note The beauty that the sun has as it rises in the morning is the Sāma prastāva addressed to the sun god (Āditya). Human beings are under the spell of this beauty. And as they have the habit of praising and adoring the prastāva of the Sāma, they also desire praise and adoration for themselves. Praise means the good words you say about a person in his presence, and adoration means the good thoughts you cherish in your mind about that person.

• Atha, next
• yat, that
• saṅgavavelāyām, in the morning [i.e., after sunrise, when the sunlight has spread far and wide]
• saḥ ādiḥ, that is the ādi [of the Sāma worship]
• vayāṃsi, birds
• tat asya, that form of the sun [at that time]
• anvāyattāni, makes them feel secure
• tasmāt, this is why
• tāni, they [the birds]
• anārambaṇāni, without any support
• ātmānam, their own bodies
• ādāya,

note The sight of the sun after sunrise fascinates the birds. The form of the sun at this time is the ādi (or Om) of the Sāma, and the birds feel they are a part of this ādi. They feel secure. Though they have no support, they are able to fly about in the sky freely. It is as if they are joining in the ādi hymn offered to the Sāma. As the birds fly, they depend on their own ‘self’ (ātman). Because the words ātman and ādi have the common ā, the birds feel drawn towards the ādi.

• Atha, next
• yat, that
• samprati madhyandine, precisely at noon
• saḥ udgīthaḥ, that [form of the sun] is the udgītha
• devāḥ, the gods and goddesses
• tat asya, that form of the sun [at that time]
• anvāyattāni, are part of
• tasmāt, therefore
• prājāpatyānām, among all of Prajāpati’s children
• te, they [the gods and goddesses]
• sattamāḥ, are deemed the best
• hi, because
• etasya sāmnaḥ udgīthabhājinaḥ, they join in the udgītha of the Sāma.

note At midday the sun is at its brightest, and its form suggests that it is offering an udgītha. The gods and goddesses are devoted to the sun at this time, so they join in the offering of the udgītha. This is why they are the dearest to Prajāpati of all his children.

• Atha, next
• yat, that
• ūrdhvam madhyandināt, after midday
• prāk aparāhṇāt, before afternoon
• saḥ pratihāra, that is the pratihāra
• garbhāḥ, the foetuses in the womb
• tat asya, that [form] of [the sun]
• anvāyattāḥ are attached to
• tasmāt, that is why
• te, those [foetuses]
• pratihṛtāḥ, are held up
• na avapadyante, [and] do not drop down
• hi, for that reason
• etasya sāmnaḥ pratihārabhājinaḥ, they are entitled to share in the pratihāra of the Sāma.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Atha, next
• yat, that
• ūrdhvam aparāhṇāt, as the afternoon begins
• prāk astamayāt, before sunset
• saḥ upadravaḥ, that is the upadrava
• āraṇyāḥ, wild animals
• tat asya, that [form] of [the sun]
• anvāyattāḥ, are attached to
• tasmāt, that is why
• te, those [wild animals]
• puruṣam, a human being
• dṛṣṭvā, seeing
• kakṣam, into their lair [or, the forest]
• śvabhram, a hole
• upadravanti, quickly run to
• hi, for this reason
• etasya sāmnaḥ upadravabhājinaḥ, they join in the upadrava offered to the Sāma.

note In the later part of the afternoon, the animals are able to find food to sustain themselves, and they can also watch out for human beings. If they see one, they hurry back to the forest or to any place where they feel safe. Their going away in haste (upadruta) suggests that they worship the upadrava (i.e., ‘going back’) of the Sāma.

• Atha, next
• yat, that
• prathamāstamite [he., prathama + astamite], just as the sun sets
• tat nidhanam, that is the nidhana
• pitaraḥ, the ancestors
• tat asya, that [form] of [the sun]
• anvāyattāḥ, are attached to
• tasmāt, therefore
• tān, them
• nidadhati, one places on straws [or, one places offerings to the ancestors on straws while performing special rites in their honour]
• hi, for this reason
• etasya sāmnaḥ nidhanabhājinaḥ, they participate in the nidhana in honour of the Sāma
• khalu amum ādityam saptavidham sāma upāste, this is how the sun is offered the sevenfold Sāma worship. Iti navamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the ninth section.

note Because the ancestors love the form of the sun as it sets, people honour them at that time of the day by placing offerings to them on straw. And while doing so, they sing the nidhana hymn of the Sāma. If a person performs the sevenfold Sāma worship with the feeling that he is worshipping the sun this way, he becomes one with the sun.

• Atha, next [i.e., after worshipping the sun as the Sāma]
• khalu, for certain
• ātma-sammitam, with an equal number of parts [i.e., syllables]
• atimṛtyu, that which overcomes death
• saptavidham sāma upāsīta, one should perform the sevenfold Sāma worship
• hiṃkāraḥ, the word hiṃkāra
• iti tryakṣaram, is three-syllabled
• prastāvaḥ, the word prastāva
• iti tryakṣaram, is [also] three-syllabled
• tat samam, therefore they [hiṃkāra and prastāva] are equal.

note Śaṅkara says that the sun divides time into units. It therefore distinguishes between life and death, and it is death itself. Is there any way of overcoming death? Yes, it can be overcome by worshipping the Sāma, and that is why these instructions are being given here.

• Ādiḥ iti dvi-akṣaram, the word ādi is two-syllabled
• pratihāraḥ iti catuḥ-akṣaram, the word pratihāra is four-syllabled
• tataḥ, from that [i.e., from the word pratihāra]
• ekam, [take away] one [syllable]
• iha, [and add] here [to the word ādi]
• tat samam, that makes them equal [both three-syllabled].

note Om is the ādi of the sevenfold Sāma. It is ādi (the beginning) because a person begins singing the Sāma with Om.

• Udgīthaḥ iti tri-akṣaram, the word udgītha is three-syllabled
• upadravaḥ iti cataḥ-akṣaram, the word upadrava is four-syllabled
• tribhiḥ tribhiḥ samam bhavati, if they are taken as three-syllabled they become the same
• akṣaram atiśiṣyate, one syllable becomes superfluous
• tri-akṣaram tat samam, taken as three-syllabled they become identical.

note The syllable va, if taken away, makes no difference when a person recites the hymn.

• Nidhanam iti tri-akṣaram, the word nidhana is three-syllabled
• tat samam eva bhavati, that makes it the same [as the other three-syllabled words forming parts of the Sāma]
• tāni ha vai etāni, all these together constitute
• dvāviṃśatiḥ akṣarāṇi, twenty-two syllables.

note There are seven ways of worshipping the Sāma: through hiṃkāra, prastāva, ādi, pratihāra, udgītha, upadrava, and nidhana. Taken together these words have twenty-two syllables. Taken separately each of them may be treated as three-syllabled and recited accordingly. They are therefore all equal for purposes of the Sāma worship.

• Ekaviṃśatyā, by twenty-one [syllables]
• ādityam āpnoti, one attains union with the sun [because the sun marks the end of everything, and it is therefore death]
• ekaviṃśaḥ vai, [the sun is] the twenty-first [after the twelve months, the five seasons, and the three worlds]
• itaḥ, from this [world]
• asau ādityaḥ, the sun over there
• dvāviṃśena, by [knowing] the twenty-second [syllable]
• ādityāt param jayati, one attains the next higher world from the sun
• tat nākam, that [place is] joyful
• tat viśokaṃ, that [place is] free from all suffering.

note The Upaniṣad says that if you worship Sāma with these twenty-one syllables, you attain the sun, which is the same as death. But how is the number significant? It is significant because the sun occupies the twenty-first position after the things that intervene between the earth and the sun. According to the Vedas those things are the twelve months, the five seasons, and the three worlds. But if you worship the Sāma with twenty-two syllables, you then go beyond the sun. Where? To a place called Nāka, where there is only happiness and no suffering.

• Āpnoti ha ādityasya jayam, one wins the state of the sun
• paraḥ ha ādityajayāt asya jayaḥ bhavati, one wins a world even higher than the sun
• yaḥ, one who
• etat evam vidvān, knows this [Sāma] thus
• ātmasammitam, as oneself
• atimṛtyu saptavidham sāma upāste sāma upāste, performs the deathless sevenfold Sāma worship [the repetition marks the end of the section]. Iti daśamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the tenth section.

• Manaḥ hiṃkāraḥ, the mind is the hiṃkāra
• vāk prastāvaḥ, the organ of speech is the prastāva
• cakṣuḥ udgīthāḥ, the eyes are the udgītha
• śrotram pratihāraḥ, the ears are the pratihāra
• prāṇaḥ nidhanam, the vital breath is the nidhana
• etāt gāyatram, this Gāyatrī prayer
• prāṇeṣu protam, is rooted in the vital breath.

note So long the fivefold and the sevenfold Sāma worships have been discussed, but the names of those worships have not been mentioned. Gāyatra is the first among them. Corresponding to the Gāyatra is the hiṃkāra, with which the worship begins. Similarly, in any act of worship, the mind may be regarded as the hiṃkāra, for it is the mind that must act first before all the other organs. Next to the mind is the organ of speech. A person first thinks and then speaks out his intentions. The organ of speech is therefore the prastāva. The eyes are the udgītha because of their importance. The ears are the pratihāra, for you can ‘turn away from’ things you don’t want to hear. Prāṇa, the vital breath, is the nidhana, for when you have suṣupti, dreamless sleep, all the organs merge into the vital breath. The Gāyatrī is worshipped as the vital breath. This is why the Sāma called Gāyatra is. said to be rooted in the vital breath.

• Saḥ yaḥ, he who
• evam, this way
• etat gāyatram, this Gāyatra Sāma
• prāṇeṣu protam, rooted in the prāṇas
• veda, knows
• prāṇī, with life
• bhavati, is endowed
• sarvam āyuḥ, the full span of life
• eti, attains
• jyok jīvati, a bright [life]
• mahān prajayā, great in progeny
• paśubhiḥ, [and] animals
• bhavati, becomes [rich with]
• mahān kīrtyā, with a good reputation
• mahāmanāḥ syāt, is noble in character
• tat vratam, that is the aim of his life. Iti ekādaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the eleventh section.

note Whoever knows that the Sāma named Gāyatra is based on the prāṇas is truly alive—that is, all his organs are strong and healthy and he is never physically handicapped. The full span of a person’s life is said to be a hundred years. A person who worships the Sāma lives that long. And he lives a wonderful life, able to influence many people. He is respected as one of the greatest people in the world. He has many children and many domestic animals, but his sole aim in life is to have a large heart, without a trace of meanness in his mind.

• Abhimanthati, rubbing [one piece of wood against another to produce fire]
• saḥ hiṃkāraḥ, that is the hiṃkāra
• dhūmaḥ jāyate, the smoke it produces
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• jvalati, the flames that appear
• saḥ udgīthaḥ, that is the udgītha
• aṅgārāḥ bhavanti, the charcoals that result
• saḥ pratihāraḥ, that is the pratihāra
• upaśāmyati, when the fire begins to go out
• tat nidhanam, that is the nidhana
• saṃśāmyati, when the fire is completely extinguished
• tat nidhanam, that [also] is the nidhana
• etat rathantaram, this [Sāma] called Rathantara
• agnau protam, is rooted in fire.

note The rubbing of two pieces of wood together to produce fire is the hiṃkāra, for that is the beginning of the fire. And the smoke that results is the prastāva, for both are likely to continue. When the fire bursts into flame, that is the udgītha, because when there are flames the oblations are offered into them for the gods and goddesses. This is why this part is superior and why the flames are called the udgītha. The charcoals that are formed are called the pratihāra, for the charcoals are collected for future use. Upaśām means the process of subsiding—that is, the fire begins to subside but does not quite go out. Then the word saṃśām means ‘completely extinguished.’ The fire is then dead, so it is like the nidhana (death). The Rathantara Sāma is said to be based on fire, for when fire is being produced by rubbing the two sticks, the Rathantara Sāma is recited.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat rathantaram agnau protam veda, he who knows that this Rathantara Sāma is rooted in fire
• brahmavarcasī, acquires the glow that Vedic knowledge gives
• annādaḥ bhavati, he enjoys eating food
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, he lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, he lives a bright life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, he distinguishes himself by his children and by the animal wealth he acquires
• mahān kīrtyā, his reputation spreads far and wide
• tat vratam, his principle is
• na pratyak agnim ācāmet, never to

note By his moral character and his scholarship in the Vedas, he acquires a radiance about him. [The underlying thought in these two mantras is that everything a person does is spiritual. This includes even physical experiences.]

• test, remove me.

note There is no commentary available for this verse.

• Udyan, the rising sun
• hiṃkāraḥ, [is] the hiṃkāra
• uditaḥ, the sun that has already risen
• prastāvaḥ, [is] the prastāva
• madhyandina, the midday sun
• udgīthaḥ, [is] the udgītha
• aparāhṇaḥ, the afternoon sun
• pratihāraḥ, [is] the pratihāra
• yat astam, that which is setting
• nidhanam, [is] the nidhana
• etat bṛhat,

note The rising sun is the hiṃkāra, for that is the time when we first see the sun. When the sun has risen it is the prastāva, for that is when people start performing their daily religious riteṣ and rituals. The midday sun is the udgītha, because that is the best time of the day. Then the afternoon sun is the pratihāra, because that is the time when cattle are driven back home. And the setting sun is the nidhana, for at night domestic animals are kept confined in their pens. This Bṛhat Sāma is based on the sun, because the sun is its presiding deity.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat bṛhat āditye protam veda, he who knows that the Sāma called Bṛhat is rooted in the sun
• tejasvi, is spirited
• annādaḥ bhavati, has a great appetite
• sarvam āyuḥ etḥ lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, becomes famous for his children and for his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, is highly respected
• tapantam na nindet, he never uses a bad word against the hot sun
• tat vratam, that is his vow. Iti caturdaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the fourteenth section.

• Abhrāṇi, light clouds [bearing water]
• saṃplavante, when they consolidate
• saḥ hiṃkāraḥ, that is the hiṃkāra
• meghaḥ jāyate, when clouds likely to pour rain appear
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, that is the prastāva
• varṣati saḥ udgīthaḥ, when it starts raining that is the udgītha
• vidyotate, when lightning flashes
• stanayati, [and] thunder roars
• saḥ pratihāraḥ, that is the pratihāra
• ut gṛhṇāti, when everything is over
• tat nidhanam, that is the nidhana
• etat vairūpam, this [Sāma called] Vairūpa
• parjanye protam, is rooted in the clouds.

note The word abhra means a cloud which bears ap, water. A cloud that pours rain is called megha. The English word ‘cloud’ is actually in Sanskrit parjanya. Abhra, megha, parjanya—these different names all mean cloud, but indicate the cloud in a different state. This is why the cloud is described here as vairūpa, with different forms. It is the sun that produces the cloud, and this is why the Sāma is first worshipped as the sun and then as the cloud.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat vairūpam parjanye protam veda, he who knows that this [Sāma called] Vairūpa is rooted in the clouds
• virūpān ca surūpān ca paśūn avarundhe, he comes to possess a large variety of animals and beautiful animals also
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, he lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, he has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, he becomes famous for his children and for his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, he is renowned for his achievements
• varṣantam na nindet tat vratam, his vow is not to criticize the clouds that pour rain. Iti pañcadaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the fifteenth section.

note It is a characteristic of those who worship the Sāma that they never find fault with others. This is why they do not say anything bad about even the clouds that give rain.

• Vasantaḥ hiṃkāraḥ, spring is the hiṃkāra
• grīṣmaḥ prastāvaḥ, summer is the prastāva
• varṣāḥ udgīthaḥ, the rainy season is the udgītha
• śarat pratihāraḥ, autumn is the pratihāra
• hemantaḥ nidhanam, winter is the nidhana
• etat vairājam, this [Sāma called] Vairāja
• ṛtuṣu protam, is rooted in the seasons.

note The clouds determine the seasons. This is why the Sāma is first worshipped as the clouds and after that as the seasons.

• Saḥ yaḥ evani etat vairājam ṛtuṣu protam veda, he who knows that this [Sāma called] Vairāja is rooted in the seasons
• virājati, he lives
• prajayā paśubhiḥ, surrounded by his children and animals
• brahmavarcasena, he has the kind of radiance that is born of Vedic scholarship
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, he lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, he lives a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, he is known to be great for his children and animals
• mahān kīrtyā, he is famous for his deeds
• ṛtūn na nindet tat vratam, his vow is that he will never criticize the seasons. Iti ṣoḍhśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the sixteenth section.

note The person who knows that the Vairāja Sāma is rooted in the seasons becomes like the seasons himself. Each season has a beauty of its own. Similarly, this person has within him the beauty and grandeur of the good things he possesses, such as his wealth, good children, scholarship, and character. The rules of the Sāma forbid him from saying anything bad about the seasons, and he follows this.

• Pṛthivī hiṃkāraḥ, the earth is the hiṃkāra
• antarikṣam prastāvaḥ, the space between the earth and heaven is the prastāva
• dyauḥ udgīthaḥ, heaven is the udgītha
• diśaḥ pratihāraḥ, the quarters are the pratihāra
• samudraḥ nidhanam, the ocean is the nidhana
• etāḥ śakvaryaḥ lokeṣu protāḥ, these [the Sāma called] Śakvarī are rooted in the earth and other worlds.

note If the seasons come and go, as they ought to, then things on the earth and the other worlds remain in balance. This is why the Sāma is first worshipped as the seasons and then as the worlds. But the question is: Sāma is singular. Why then has a plural word, śakvarī, been used here for the Sāma? Doesn’t it imply that there are many Sāmas? No, the Sāma is always one and the same. There are not many Sāmas. The word śakvarī has a plural form, but it stands for the singular Sāma. Śaṅkara gives the example of the word revatī, which is similarly always used in the plural.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etāḥ śakvaryaḥ lokeṣu protāḥ veda, he who knows that these [i.e., the Sāma] known as Śakvarī are rooted in the worlds
• lokī bhavati, goes to the best world
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, is well known for his children and for his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, is well known for his great deeds
• lokān na nindet tat vratam, his vow is that he will never criticize the worlds. Iti saptadaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the seventeenth section.

• Ajāḥ hiṃkāraḥ, goats are the hiṃkāra
• avayaḥ prastāvaḥ, sheep are the prastāva
• gāvaḥ udgītha, cows are the udgītha
• aśvāḥ pratihāraḥ, horses are the pratihāra
• puruṣaḥ nidhanam, a human being is the nidhana
• etāḥ revatyaḥ paśuṣu protāḥ, these [i.e., the Sāma known as] Revatī are established in animals.

note Animals are useful to all the worlds. That is why, after worshipping the Sāma as the worlds, the worship as animals is suggested. As in the previous section in which the word śakvarī is always used in the plural (as śakvaryaḥ), here also, the word revatī is always used in the plural (revatyaḥ).

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etaḥ revatyaḥ protāḥ veda, he who knows that these [i.e., the Sāma] called Revatī are rooted in animals
• paśumān bhavati, comes to possess many animals
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, becomes a highly respected person because of his children and also his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, becomes a truly great person for his great deeds
• paśūn na nindet tat vratam, he observes the vow of never saying anything bad about animals. Iti aṣṭādaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the eighteenth section.

• Loma hiṃkāraḥ, hair is the hiṃkāra
• tvak prastāvaḥ, skin is the prastāva
• māṃsam udgīthaḥ, flesh is the udgītha
• asthi pratihāraḥ, bone is the pratihāra
• majjā nidhanam, marrow is the nidhana
• etat yajñāyajñīyam, this [Sāma called] Yajñāyajñīya
• aṅgeṣu protam, is spread all over the limbs of the body.

note We get much nourishment from animals to sustain our bodies. That is why, in the previous section, the Sāma has been worshipped in the animals, and now it is being worshipped in the various parts of the body. Hair is on top of the body, so it is given first place—the place given to the hiṃkāra when the Sāma is recited. Next to the hair is the skin. Similarly, next to the hiṃkāra is the prastāva. The flesh is the udgītha, for both are the most important part. Then the bones are the pratihāra, because after a body is cremated there will still be pieces of bone left, and these are ‘collected’ by the relatives. The marrow is the nidhana, for that is the end of everything.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat yajñāyajñīyam aṅgeṣu protam veda, he who knows that this Sāma called Yajñāyajñīya is located in the different parts of the body
• aṅgī bhavati, has a firm body
• na aṅgena vihūrchati, has no defect in his limbs or organs
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, he lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, he has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, he becomes great in respect of his children and his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, he becomes great because of his great deeds
• saṃvatsaram, for one whole year
• majjñaḥ, meat
• na aśnīyāt, will not eat
• majjñaḥ na aśnīyāt iti vā, or will not eat meat at all
• tat vratam, this is his vow. Iti ekonaviṃśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the nineteenth section.

note ‘A firm body’ means a good, sound body with none of its organs or limbs defective. Even his nails and his hair will be normal. The word majjña, meat, is in the plural here. This implies that both fish and meat should be avoided.

• Agniḥ hiṃkāraḥ, fire is the hiṃkāra
• vāyuḥ prastāvaḥ, air is the prastāva
• ādityaḥ udgīthaḥ, the sun is the udgītha
• nakṣatrāṇi pratihāraḥ, the stars are the pratihāra
• candramāḥ nidhanam, the moon is the nidhana
• etat rājanam, this [Sāma called] Rājana
• devatāsu protam, is rooted in the gods and goddesses.

note In the previous section the Sāma was worshipped in the parts of the body. Now it is being worshipped in the deities—that is, in the forces of nature. Fire is the first among the forces of nature, so it is the hiṃkāra. Next to the hiṃkāra is the prastāva. Air is called the prastāva because it comes next after fire, and it is also infinite. The sun is the udgītha, for just as the udgītha is the best among the Sāma songs, so also the sun is the best among the forces of nature. The stars lie scattered, and as we locate them it seems that we are ‘collecting’ (pratihāra) them. That is why the stars are said to be the pratihāra. The moon is said to be the nidhana, because active people go to Candraloka, the world of the moon, after death. The Sāma called Rājana is rooted in the gods and goddesses, for the deities are by nature luminous (rājana).

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat rājanam devatāsu protam veda, he who knows that this Sāma known as Rājana is established in the gods and goddesses [such as Agni (fire), Vāyu (air), etc.]
• etāsām eva devatānām salokatām gacchati, he shares with those gods and goddesses the same worlds
• sārṣṭitām, the same rights and privileges
• [vā] sāyujyam, [or] the same form
• sarvam āyuḥ eti, he lives the full span of his life
• jyok jīvati, he has a brilliant life
• mahān prajayā paśubhiḥ bhavati, he becomes great by virtue of his children and also his animal wealth
• mahān kīrtyā, he is great by his great deeds
• brāhmaṇān na nindet tat vratam, it is his vow that he will not speak ill of the brāhmins. Iti viṃśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the twentieth section.

note What does a person gain from worshipping the Sāma in such a way? He gets the right to live with the gods and goddesses in the same world, or to share the same rights and privileges with them, or to have the same form. It is not that he would get all these things. He would get any one of them. The scriptures say that the brāhmins themselves are the gods and goddesses. Obviously then one should not say anything derogatory about the brāhmins. Section Twenty-One

• Trayī vidyā hiṃkāraḥ, the three Vedas [the Ṛk, the Yajuḥ, and the Sāma] are the hiṃkāra
• trayaḥ ime lokāḥ, these three worlds [bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ]
• saḥ prastāvaḥ, [together] that is the prastāva
• agniḥ vāyuḥ ādityaḥ, fire, air, and the sun
• saḥ udgīthaḥ, [together] that is the udgītha
• nakṣatrāṇi vayāṃsi marīcayaḥ, the stars, the birds, and the rays
• saḥ pratihāraḥ, [together] that is the pratihāra
• sarpaḥ gandharvāḥ pitaraḥ, serpents, gandharvas [celestial musicians], and the ancestors
• tat nidhanam, [together] that is the nidhana
• etat sāma sarvasmin protam, this Sāma rests in everything.

note According to the scriptures the Ṛg Veda comes from fire, the Yajur Veda comes from air, and the Sāma Veda comes from the sun. In the previous section the worship of the Sāma as fire, air, etc., was discussed. Now the worship of the Sāma as the three Vedas is taken up. Knowledge of the three Vedas may be regarded as the hiṃkāra, for you have to use the hiṃkāra before you start doing any worship. After the hiṃkāra comes the prastāva. Similarly, after the three Vedas come the three worlds, so they are said to be the prastāva. Fire, air, and the sun are like the udgītha, for among all things they are of a higher order. The stars, the birds, and the rays come and go, so they are like the pratihāra. The serpents, the gandharvas, and The word Sāma does not refer to any specific Sāma. It refers to anything bearing that name. The word is meant according to the context, just as oblations are offered according to the deities for whom they are meant.

• Saḥ yaḥ evam etat sāma sarvasmin protam veda, he who knows that this Sāma resides in everything
• sarvam ha bhavati, he becomes everything.

note This is an example of how far the benefit of the knowledge of the Sāma can extend: If you know that the Sāma is everywhere and in everything, you become the supreme Lord of everything.

• Tat eṣaḥ ślokaḥ, here is a verse on the subject
• yāni pañcadhā, that [Sāma] which is divided into five parts [hiṃkāra, prastāva, udgītha, pratihāra, and nidhana]
• trīṇi trīṇi, each again divided into three parts [such as hiṃkāra representing the three Vedas]
• tebhyaḥ jyāyaḥ param anyat na asti, there is nothing higher than these.

note So long we have discussed the five forms of the Sāma: hiṃkāra, prastāva, udgītha, pratihāra, and nidhana. In the present verse the Upaniṣad says that each of these five can be divided further into three: hiṃkāra as the Ṛk, the Yajuḥ, and the Sāma; prastāva as the earth, the intermediate space (between the earth and heaven), and heaven; udgītha as fire, air, and the sun; pratihāra as the stars, the birds, and the rays; and nidhana as the snakes, the celestial musicians, and the ancestors. It is Sāma which is manifest in all of these fifteen

• Yaḥ tat veda, he who knows that [Sāma]
• saḥ veda sarvam, he knows all
• sarvāḥ diśaḥ, all the quarters
• balim, gifts
• asmai, for him
• haranti, bring
• sarvam asmi, I am all
• iti upāsīta, this is how he will meditate
• tat vratam tat vratam, this is his vow, this is his vow. Iti ekaviṃśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ, here ends the twenty-first section.

note Sāma is the inmost being of all, and he who knows it as such becomes like Sāma—that is, he becomes the inmost being of all, and he knows everything. People come from everywhere with gifts to show him their respect. ‘I am Sāma, the inmost being of all’—this is how Sāma is to be worshipped. One should constantly repeat this to oneself. In fact, it should be treated as a vow. Section Twenty-Two

• Vinardi, the voice called vinardi, which is deep, like that of a bull
• sāmnaḥ, for [singing] the Sāma
• vṛṇe iti, I pray for
• paśavyam, good for animals
• agneḥ, of the god of fire
• udgītha aniruktaḥ, the udgītha sung in the anirukta voice, which is not very distinct
• prajāpateḥ, of Prajāpati, the Lord of all
• niruktaḥ, the voice called nirukta, which is clear
• somasya, of the god Soma
• mṛdu ślakṣṇam, the voice called ślakṣṇa that is soft and soothing
• vāyoḥ, of the god Vāyu, air
• ślakṣṇam balavat, the voice called ślakṣṇa that is soothing yet powerful
• indrasya, of Indra
• krauñcam, the voice called krauñca, which is like that of the krauñca bird
• bṛhaspateḥ, of Bṛhaspati
• apadhvāntam, the voice called apadhvānta, which sounds like a broken metal pot
• varuṇasya, of the god Varuṇa
• tān sarvān era upaseveta, practise on all of them
• tu eva vāruṇam, except that of Varuṇa
• varjayet, one should avoid.

note When you sing the udgītha, be careful that you sing it in the right voice. The voice is important because it determines the benefit you derive from your singing. For instance, there is a type of voice that sounds like that of a bull. Agni, fire, is the presiding deity of this voice. If you sing the udgītha in this type of voice, it means you are singing for the good of the animals and you are also praying that you may have that kind of voice. Similarly, there is a type of voice called anirukta, which has Prajāpati as its presiding deity. Prajāpati, the Lord of all beings, has no form of his own. Similarly, he does not have a distinct voice. This is why it is called anirukta, indistinct. The voice of Soma, the moon, is nirukta, clear; that of Indra is powerful; and that of Bṛhaspati sounds like a krauñca, a bird similar to a crane. Varuṇa’s voice is the worst. It is like the sound of a broken brass vessel. All these voices can be used except that of Varuṇa.

• Āgāyet, one should sing [with the resolve]
• amṛtatvam devebhyaḥ āgāyāni iti, I will get immortality for the gods and goddesses by singing
• svadhām, offerings
• pitṛbhyaḥ, for the ancestors
• āśām manuṣyebhyaḥ, hope for humanity
• tṛṇodakam paśubhyaḥ, food and water for the animals
• svargam lokam, heavenly worlds
• yajamānāya, for those who perform sacrifices
• annam ātmane, food for myself
• āgāyāni iti, I shall win by singing thus
• etāni, all these
• manasā dhyāyan, thinking mentally
• apramattaḥ, without raising the voice too much
• stuvīta, one should sing.

note When you sing the Sāma, you should keep in mind the things you are singing for—such as immortality for the gods and goddesses, etc. But you must also take care that when you sing, your pronunciation and accents are correct, and that you do not miss any syllables.

• Sarve svarāḥ, all the vowels
• indrasya ātmānaḥ, are like the body [with its limbs] of Indra
• sarve ūṣmāṇaḥ, all the sibilants
• prajāpateḥ ātmānaḥ, are like the body [with its limbs] of Prajāpati
• sarve sparśāḥ, all the consonants, starting with ka
• mṛtyoḥ ātmānaḥ, are like the body [with all its limbs] of Death
• yadi upālabheta, if anyone criticizes
• tam, him [the udgātā, who is singing the Sāma]
• svareṣu, regarding his pronunciation of the vowels
• indram śaraṇam prapannaḥ abhūvam, [the udgātā will then say:] I took refuge in Indra [when I started singing the vowels]
• saḥ, he [Indra]
• tvā prativakṣyati iti, will give you the right reply
• enam brūyāt, say to him.

note The vowels are said to be Indra’s body, for when you start doing something, including even a recitation, you have to feel strong enough to do the job fully and correctly. And in order that you may feel that you have the requisite strength, you pray for Indra’s blessings, and you feel that he is transmitting his strength to you. You feel that the vowels you are using are his body, the sibilants are the body of Prajāpati, and the consonants are the body of Death. Then if anyone criticizes your pronunciation of the vowels, you can tell him to ask Indra for the reason

• Atha, then
• yadi enam ūṣmasu upālabheta, if a person criticizes him for his pronunciation of the sibilants
• prajāpatim śaraṇam prapanṇaḥ abhūvam, I took refuge in Prajāpati [when I started singing]
• saḥ, he [Prajāpati]
• tvā pratipekṣati iti, will crush you
• enam brūyāt, he will say to him
• atha, then
• yadi enam sparśeṣu upālabheta, if someone criticizes him for his pronunciation of the consonants
• mṛtyum śaraṇam prapannaḥ abhūvam, I took refuge in Death [when I started singing]
• saḥ, he [Death]
• tvā pratidhakṣyati iti, will burn you to ashes
• enam brūyāt, he will say to him.

note If you are reciting a hymn, seek Prajāpati’s protection concerning the sibilants. Then, even if you err, he will protect you. Similarly, you should seek Death’s protection concerning the consonants. He will protect you from harm for any mistakes you might make. In fact, those who find fault with you will themselves be punished, for by criticizing your singing, they are insulting Prajāpati or Death.