सप्त छन्दांसि चतुरुत्तराण्यन्यो अन्यस्मिन्न् अध्यार्पितानि । कथं स्तोमाः प्रति तिष्ठन्ति तेषु तानि स्तोमेषु कथमार्पितानि
Seven meters, each with four more, one upon another, are established; how do the chants stand among them, and how are those chants placed within the stomas?
कथं गायत्री त्रिवृतं व्याप कथं त्रिष्टुप्पञ्चदशेन कल्पते । त्रयस्त्रिंशेन जगती कथमनुष्टुप्कथमेकविंशः
How did the Gayatri meter extend to threefold? How is the Trishtubh arranged with fifteen? How does the Jagati with thirty-three, the Anushtubh, and how the Ekavimsha?
{२३} अष्ट जाता भूता प्रथमजा ऋतस्याष्टेन्द्रर्त्विजो दैव्या ये । अष्टयोनिरदितिरष्टपुत्राष्टमीं रात्रिमभि हव्यमेति
Eight beings are born, the firstborn of truth; eight are Indra's divine priests; Aditi is the eightfold womb, mother of eight sons; the eighth night receives the offering.
इत्थं श्रेयो मन्यमानेदमागमं युष्माकं सख्ये अहमस्मि शेवा । समानजन्मा क्रतुरस्ति वः शिवः स वः सर्वाः सं चरति प्रजानन्
Thus, considering this as the better way, I have come to your assembly, seeking your friendship; your will is of one birth, auspicious is your resolve; may he, knowing, move among you all.
अष्टेन्द्रस्य षड्यमस्य ऋषीणां सप्त सप्तधा । अपो मनुष्यान् ओषधीस्तामु पञ्चानु सेचिरे
Eight for Indra, six for Yama, seven for the seers, sevenfold; waters, humans, and plants—these five have been sprinkled upon them.
केवलीन्द्राय दुदुहे हि गृष्टिर्वशं पीयूषं प्रथमं दुहाना । अथातर्पयच्चतुरश्चतुर्धा देवान् मनुष्यानसुरान् उत ऋषीन्
The cow yielded solely for Indra, the first milking, the sweet essence; then she satisfied four, in fourfold ways—the gods, humans, asuras, and the seers.
को नु गौः क एकऋषिः किमु धाम का आशिषः । यक्षं पृथिव्यामेकवृदेकर्तुः कतमो नु सः
Who is the cow? Who is the one seer? What is the abode? What are the wishes? What is the wonder on earth, the single form, the one doer—who indeed is he?
एको गौरेक एकऋषिरेकं धामैकधाशिषः । यक्षं पृथिव्यामेकवृदेकर्तुर्नाति रिच्यते
One is the cow, one the seer, one the abode, one the wish; the wonder on earth, the single form of the doer, is not surpassed.
विराड्वा इदमग्र आसीत्तस्या जातायाः सर्वमबिभेदियमेवेदं भविष्यतीति
In the beginning, Viraj alone existed; when she was born, she divided everything, thinking, 'This indeed will become.'
सोदक्रामत्सा गार्हपत्ये न्यक्रामत्। गृहमेधी गृहपतिर्भवति य एवं वेद
She moved forth, she entered the household fire; he who knows thus becomes a householder, a master of the house.
सोदक्रामत्साहवनीये न्यक्रामत्। यन्त्यस्य देवा देवहूतिं प्रियो देवानां भवति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she entered the āhavanīya fire; whoever knows thus, the gods go to his invocation, he becomes dear to the gods.
सोदक्रामत्सा दक्षिणाग्नौ न्यक्रामत्। यज्ञर्तो दक्षिणीयो वासतेयो भवति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she entered the southern fire; whoever knows thus, for him the sacrificial fee is proper, he becomes fit for hospitality.
सोदक्रामत्सा सभायां न्यक्रामत्। यन्त्यस्य सभां सभ्यो भवति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she entered the assembly; whoever knows thus, the assembly goes to him, he becomes foremost among the assembly.
सोदक्रामत्सा समितौ न्यक्रामत्। यन्त्यस्य समितिं सामित्यो भवति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she entered the council; whoever knows thus, the council goes to him, he becomes foremost in the council.
सोदक्रामत्सामन्त्रणे न्यक्रामत्। यन्त्यस्यामन्त्रणमामन्त्रणीयो भवति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she entered the consultation; whoever knows thus, the consultation goes to him, he becomes foremost in consultation.
सोदक्रामत्सान्तरिक्षे चतुर्धा विक्रान्तातिष्ठत्
She stepped forth, she stood in the midspace, having advanced in fourfold manner.
तां देवमनुष्या अब्रुवन्न् इयमेव तद्वेद यदुभय उपजीवेमेमामुप ह्वयामहा इति
The gods and men said to her: 'She alone knows that by which we both subsist; let us call her here.'
तामुपाह्वयन्त
They called her.
ऊर्ज एहि स्वध एहि सूनृत एहीरावत्येहीति
'Come, O nourishment! Come, O inherent power! Come, O fair speech! Come, O one rich in refreshment!'
तस्या इन्द्रो वत्स आसीद्गायत्र्यभिधान्यभ्रमूधः
Of her, Indra was the calf, uttering the Gāyatrī, moving about, not wandering away.
बृहच्च रथंतरं च द्वौ स्तनावास्तां यज्ञायज्ञियं च वामदेव्यं च द्वौ
Bṛhat and Rathantara were her two udders, Yajñāyajñiya and Vāmadeva were her two (other) udders.
ओषधीरेव रथंतरेण देवा अदुह्रन् व्यचो बृहता
The gods milked the plants with Rathantara, they milked radiance with Bṛhat.
अपो वामदेव्येन यज्ञं यज्ञायज्ञियेन
They milked the waters with Vāmadeva, and the sacrifice with Yajñāyajñiya.
ओषधीरेवास्मै रथंतरं दुहे व्यचो बृहत्
The plants, indeed, milked Rathantara for him, radiance Bṛhat.
अपो वामदेव्यं यज्ञं यज्ञायज्ञियं य वेद
Whoever knows the waters as Vāmadeva, the sacrifice as Yajñāyajñiya—
सोदक्रामत्सा वनस्पतीन् आगच्छत्तां वनस्पतयोऽघ्नत सा संवत्सरे समभवत्। तस्माद्वनस्पतीनां संवत्सरे वृक्णमपि रोहति वृश्चतेऽस्याप्रियो भ्रातृव्यो य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she went to the trees; the trees struck her, she became one with the year; therefore, among trees, even what is cut off grows again in the year; his rival is not dear, whoever knows thus.
सोदक्रामत्सा पितॄन् आगच्छत्तां पितरोऽघ्नत सा मासि समभवत्। तस्मात्पितृभ्यो मास्युपमास्यं ददति प्र पितृयाणं पन्थां जानाति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she went to the ancestors; the ancestors struck her, she became one with the month; therefore, from the ancestors, they give the upamāsa in the month; he knows the path of the ancestors, whoever knows thus.
सोदक्रामत्सा देवान् आगच्छत्तां देवा अघ्नत सार्धमासे समभवत्। तस्माद्देवेभ्योऽर्धमासे वषट्कुर्वन्ति प्र देवयानं पन्थां जानाति य एवं वेद
She stepped forth, she went to the gods; the gods struck her, she became one with the half-month; therefore, for the gods, they make the vaṣaṭ in the half-month; he knows the path of the gods, whoever knows thus.
सोदक्रामत्सा मनुष्यान् आगच्छत्तां मनुष्या अघ्नत सा सद्यः समभवत्। तस्मान् मनुष्येभ्य उभयद्युरुप हरन्त्युपास्य गृहे हरन्ति य एवं वेद
She departed from there and came to humans; the humans struck her, and she immediately became manifest. Therefore, among humans, those who know thus, both day and night, bring her near, and she is brought into the house for worship.
सोदक्रामत्सासुरान् आगच्छत्तामसुरा उपाह्वयन्त माय एहीति । तस्या विरोचनः प्राह्रादिर्वत्स आसीदयस्पात्रं पात्रम् । तां द्विमूर्धार्त्व्योऽधोक्तां मायामेवाधोक्॥ तां मायामसुरा उप जीवन्त्युपजीवनीयो भवति य एवं वेद
She departed from there and came to the Asuras; the Asuras called to her, 'Come, O magic!' For her, Virocana Prahrāda was the calf, and the vessel was an unbaked pot. The two-headed priest milked her below, and only magic was milked out. The Asuras live by that magic; whoever knows thus becomes a possessor of magic for sustenance.