नमस्ते प्राण प्राणते नमो अस्त्वपानते । पराचीनाय ते नमः प्रतीचीनाय ते नमः सर्वस्मै त इदं नमः
Homage to you, O breath, as you breathe in; homage to you as you breathe out; homage to you as you move outward, homage to you as you move inward—homage to you in every way.
या ते प्राण प्रिया तनूर्यो ते प्राण प्रेयसी । अथो यद्भेषजं तव तस्य नो धेहि जीवसे
That dear form of yours, O breath, and that which is most beloved—also, whatever is your remedy—grant us that for our living.
प्राणः प्रजा अनु वस्ते पिता पुत्रमिव प्रियम् । प्राणो ह सर्वस्येश्वरो यच्च प्राणति यच्च न
Breath follows the offspring, as a father cherishes his beloved son; breath is truly the lord of all—of what breathes and what does not.
{११} प्राणो मृत्युः प्राणस्तक्मा प्राणं देवा उपासते । प्राणो ह सत्यवादिनमुत्तमे लोक आ दधत्
Breath is death, breath is disease; the gods worship breath; breath indeed places the truth-speaker in the highest world.
प्राणो विराट्प्राणो देष्ट्री प्राणं सर्व उपासते । प्राणो ह सूर्यश्चन्द्रमाः प्राणमाहुः प्रजापतिम्
Breath is the sovereign, breath is the guide; all worship breath; breath indeed is called the sun and the moon, breath is called Prajapati.
प्राणापानौ व्रीहियवावनड्वान् प्राण उच्यते । यवे ह प्राण आहितोऽपानो व्रीहिरुच्यते
Breath and expiration are called rice and barley; in barley, breath is established, expiration is called rice.
ब्रह्मचारीष्णंश्चरति रोदसी उभे तस्मिन् देवाः संमनसो भवन्ति । स दाधार पृथिवीं दिवं च स आचार्यं तपसा पिपर्ति
The student of sacred knowledge moves through both earth and heaven; in him the gods become united in mind. He upholds earth and sky, and with austerity sustains his teacher.
ब्रह्मचारिणं पितरो देवजनाः पृथग्देवा अनुसंयन्ति सर्वे । गन्धर्वा एनमन्वायन् त्रयस्त्रिंशत्त्रिशताः षट्सहस्राः सर्वान्त्स देवांस्तपसा पिपर्ति
The ancestors, the divine beings, and all the gods separately follow the student of sacred knowledge; the Gandharvas, thirty-three, and six thousand in all, follow him—he sustains the gods with his austerity.
आचार्य उपनयमानो ब्रह्मचारिणं कृणुते गर्भमन्तः । तं रात्रीस्तिस्र उदरे बिभर्ति तं जातं द्रष्टुमभिसंयन्ति देवाः
The teacher, initiating the student, makes him a fetus within; for three nights he carries him in his womb, and when he is born, the gods come together to see him.
इयं समित्पृथिवी द्यौर्द्वितीयोतान्तरिक्षं समिधा पृणाति । ब्रह्मचारी समिधा मेखलया श्रमेण लोकांस्तपसा पिपर्ति
This kindling-stick is the earth, the second is the sky, and the atmosphere fills with fuel; the student, with his kindling-stick, girdle, and effort, sustains the worlds with austerity.
पूर्वो जातो ब्रह्मणो ब्रह्मचारी घर्मं वसानस्तपसोदतिष्ठत्। तस्माज्जातं ब्राह्मणं ब्रह्म ज्येष्ठं देवाश्च सर्वे अमृतेन साकम्
The student of sacred knowledge, born first from Brahman, wearing the sacred garment, rises with austerity; from him was born the Brahmin, Brahman the eldest, and all the gods together with immortality.
ब्रह्मचार्येति समिधा समिद्धः कार्ष्णं वसानो दीक्षितो दीर्घश्मश्रुः । स सद्य एति पूर्वस्मादुत्तरं समुद्रं लोकान्त्संगृभ्य मुहुराचरिक्रत्
The student of sacred knowledge, kindled with the kindling-stick, wearing black garments, consecrated, with long hair—he at once goes from the former to the further ocean, grasping the worlds in a moment.
ब्रह्मचारी जनयन् ब्रह्मापो लोकं प्रजापतिं परमेष्ठिनं विराजम् । गर्भो भूत्वामृतस्य योनाविन्द्रो ह भूत्वासुरांस्ततर्ह
The student, generating sacred knowledge, the waters, the world, Prajapati, the supreme lord, and the sovereign—becoming the embryo in the womb of immortality, becoming Indra, he then overcame the demons.
आचार्यस्ततक्ष नभसी उभे इमे उर्वी गम्भीरे पृथिवीं दिवं च । ते रक्षति तपसा ब्रह्मचारी तस्मिन् देवाः संमनसो भवन्ति
The teacher has shaped both these vast and deep spaces—earth and sky; the student of sacred knowledge protects them with austerity; in him the gods become united in mind.
इमां भूमिं पृथिवीं ब्रह्मचारी भिक्षामा जभार प्रथमो दिवं च । ते कृत्वा समिधावुपास्ते तयोरार्पिता भुवनानि विश्वा
The student of sacred knowledge, as a beggar, first took this earth and sky; having done so, he worships with the kindling-stick—upon them all the worlds are established.
अर्वागन्यः परो अन्यो दिवस्पृष्ठाद्गुहा निधी निहितौ ब्राह्मणस्य । तौ रक्षति तपसा ब्रह्मचारी तत्केवलं कृणुते ब्रह्म विद्वान्
One is near, another is far, hidden in the highest heaven—these two treasures are set in the Brahmin; the student of sacred knowledge protects them with austerity, and the knower of Brahman makes that alone his own.
{१४} अर्वागन्य इतो अन्यः पृथिव्या अग्नी समेतो नभसी अन्तरेमे । तयोः श्रयन्ते रश्मयोऽधि दृढास्तान् आ तिष्ठति तपसा ब्रह्मचारी
Here are two fires: one approaching from here, the other from the earth, united in the mid-region of the sky. Their firm rays rest upon them; the student, by his austerity, stands upon these.
अभिक्रन्दन् स्तनयन्न् अरुणः शितिङ्गो बृहच्छेपोऽनु भूमौ जभार । ब्रह्मचारी सिञ्चति सानौ रेतः पृथिव्यां तेन जीवन्ति प्रदिशश्चतस्रः
Roaring, thundering, red, with white-tipped flames and far-reaching tongues, he has seized the earth. The student pours seed on the summit; by that, the four directions of the earth are made alive.
अग्नौ सूर्ये चन्द्रमसि मातरिश्वन् ब्रह्मचार्यप्सु समिधमा दधाति । तासामर्चींषि पृथगभ्रे चरन्ति तासामाज्यं पुरुषो वर्षमापः
In fire, in the sun, in the moon, in the wind, the student places the kindling in the waters. Their flames move separately, mingling; from them, a man obtains clarified butter, rain, and water.
आचार्यो मृत्युर्वरुणः सोम ओषधयः पयः । जीमूता आसन्त्सत्वानस्तैरिदं स्वराभृतम्
The teacher is death, Varuṇa, Soma, the plants, and milk; the clouds are beings. By these, this world filled with light is upheld.
अमा घृतं कृणुते केवलमाचार्यो भूत्वा वरुणः यद्यदैच्छत्प्रजापतौ। तद्ब्रह्मचारी प्रायच्छत्स्वान् मित्रो अध्यात्मनः
At home, the teacher makes pure ghee; having become Varuṇa, whatever he desired among the creatures, that the student offered, his friend, to his own self.
आचार्यो ब्रह्मचारी ब्रह्मचारी प्रजापतिः । प्रजापतिर्वि राजति विराडिन्द्रोऽभवद्वशी
The teacher is the student; the student is Prajāpati. Prajāpati shines forth; the sovereign became Indra, the master.
ब्रह्मचर्येण तपसा राजा राष्ट्रं वि रक्षति । आचार्यो ब्रह्मचर्येण ब्रह्मचारिणमिच्छते
By student discipline and austerity, the king protects his kingdom. The teacher, by student discipline, seeks a student.
ब्रह्मचर्येण कन्या युवानं विन्दते पतिम् । अनड्वान् ब्रह्मचर्येणाश्वो घासं जिगीषति
By student discipline, a maiden finds a youthful husband. By student discipline, the bull seeks grass, and the horse desires fodder.
ब्रह्मचर्येण तपसा देवा मृत्युमपाघ्नत । इन्द्रो ह ब्रह्मचर्येण देवेभ्यः स्वराभरत्
By student discipline and austerity, the gods drove away death. Indeed, by student discipline, Indra brought the world filled with light to the gods.
ओषधयो भूतभव्यमहोरात्रे वनस्पतिः । संवत्सरः सह ऋतुभिस्ते जाता ब्रह्मचारिणः
The plants, what has been and what will be, day and night, the trees, the year together with the seasons—they all are born from the student.
{१५} पार्थिवा दिव्याः पशव आरण्या ग्राम्याश्च ये । अपक्षाः पक्षिणश्च ये ते जाता ब्रह्मचारिणः
Earthly and heavenly animals, wild and domestic, those without wings and those with wings—they all are born from the student.
पृथक्सर्वे प्राजापत्याः प्राणान् आत्मसु बिभ्रति । तान्त्सर्वान् ब्रह्म रक्षति ब्रह्मचारिण्याभृतम्
All beings of Prajāpati separately bear their life-breaths within themselves. All these, filled by the student, are protected by Brahman.
देवानामेतत्परिषूतमनभ्यारूढं चरति रोचमानम् । तस्माज्जातं ब्राह्मणं ब्रह्म ज्येष्ठं देवाश्च सर्वे अमृतेन साकम्
This is the highest of the gods, moving unapproached, shining. From it, the gods and all the immortals, together with the Brāhmaṇa, were born; Brahman is the eldest.
ब्रह्मचारी ब्रह्म भ्राजद्बिभर्ति तस्मिन् देवा अधि विश्वे समोताः । प्राणापानौ जनयन्न् आद्व्यानं वाचं मनो हृदयं ब्रह्म मेधाम्
The student bears the shining Brahman; in him all the gods are gathered. He generates the in-breath and out-breath, the diffused breath, speech, mind, heart, Brahman, and wisdom.