Chandogya Upanishad

एषा भूतानां पृथिवी रसः पृथिव्या अपो रसः अपामोषधयो रस ओषधीनां पुरुषो रसः पुरुषस्य वाग्रसो वाच ऋग्रस ऋचः साम रसः साम्न उद्गीथो रसः

This is the essence of beings: the essence of earth is water; the essence of water is plants; the essence of plants is man; the essence of man is speech; the essence of speech is the Rig; the essence of the Rig is the Sama; the essence of the Sama is the Udgitha.

स एष रसानाꣳ रसतमः परमः परार्ध्योऽष्टमो यदुद्गीथः

This Udgitha is the highest and most excellent among essences, the supreme, the eighth.

कतमा कतमर्क्कतमत्कतमत्साम कतमः कतम उद्गीथ इति विमृष्टं भवति

Which is it? Which Rig? Which Sama? Which Udgitha? Thus, inquiry arises.

सामोमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथस्तद्वा एतन्मिथुनं यद्वाक्च प्राणश्चर्क्च साम च

The syllable 'Om' is the Sama, and Udgitha is also that; moreover, this is a pair: speech and breath, Rig and Sama.

तदेतन्मिथुनमोमित्येतस्मिन्नक्षरे सꣳ सृज्यते यदा वै मिथुनौ समागच्छत आपयतो वै तावन्योन्यस्य कामम्

This is a pair: in this syllable 'Om', union is produced. When two come together as a pair, they fulfill each other's desire.

आपयिता ह वै कामानां भवति य एतदेवं विद्वानक्षरमुद्गीथमुपास्ते

He becomes a fulfiller of desires who, knowing thus, meditates upon this syllable 'Om' as Udgitha.

तद्वा एतदनुज्ञाक्षरं यद्धि किञ्चानुजानात्योमित्येव तदाहैषो एव समृद्धिर्यदनुज्ञा समर्धयिता ह वै कामानां भवति य एतदेवं विद्वानक्षरमुद्गीथमुपास्ते

This syllable is the syllable of consent; whatever one consents to, one says 'Om'. This is fullness; consent is fullness. He becomes a fulfiller of desires who, knowing thus, meditates upon this syllable 'Om' as Udgitha.

तेनेयं त्रयीविद्या वर्तते ओमित्याश्रावयत्योमितिशꣳसत्योमित्युद्गायत्येतस्यैवाक्षरस्यापचित्यै महिम्ना रसेन

By this, the threefold knowledge is maintained: one recites 'Om', one proclaims 'Om', one sings 'Om' as Udgitha. This is for the reverence, greatness, and essence of this syllable.

तेनोभौ कुरुतो यश्चैतदेवं वेद यश्च न वेद । नाना तु विद्या चाविद्या च यदेव विद्यया करोति श्रद्धयोपनिषदा तदेव वीर्यवत्तरं भवतीति खल्वेतस्यैवाक्षरस्योपव्याख्यानं भवति

By this, both who perform, whether knowing or not knowing, are affected differently: knowledge and ignorance are distinct. Whatever is done with knowledge, faith, and the Upanishad, that indeed becomes more powerful. Thus, this is the explanation of this syllable.

देवासुरा ह वै यत्र संयेतिरे उभये प्राजापत्यास्तद्ध देवा उद्गीथमाजह्रुरनेनैनानभिभविष्याम इति

The gods and demons once came together, both being offspring of Prajapati. The gods took up the Udgitha, saying, 'With this, we shall overcome them.'

ते ह नासिक्यं प्राणमुद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे तꣳ हासुराः पाप्मना विविधुस्तस्मात्तेनोभयं जिघ्रति सुरभि च दुर्गन्धि च पाप्मना ह्येष विद्धः

They meditated upon the Udgitha as the breath in the nose. The demons struck it with evil; therefore, one smells both pleasant and unpleasant odors, for this is struck by evil.

अथ ह वाचमुद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे ताꣳ हासुराः पाप्मना विविधुस्तस्मात्तयोभयं वदति सत्यं चानृतं च पाप्मना ह्येषा विद्धा

Then they meditated upon the Udgitha as speech. The demons struck it with evil; therefore, one speaks both truth and falsehood, for this is struck by evil.

अथ ह चक्षुरुद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे तद्धासुराः पाप्मना विविधुस्तस्मात्तेनोभयं पश्यति दर्शनीयं चादर्शनीयं च पाप्मना ह्येतद्विद्धम्

Then they meditated upon the Udgitha as the eye. The demons struck it with evil; therefore, one sees both what is pleasing and what is not pleasing, for this is struck by evil.

अथ ह श्रोत्रमुद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे तद्धासुराः पाप्मना विविधुस्तस्मात्तेनोभयꣳ शृणोति श्रवणीयं चाश्रवणीयं च पाप्मना ह्येतद्विद्धम्

Then they meditated upon the Udgitha as the ear. The demons struck it with evil; therefore, one hears both what is worth hearing and what is not worth hearing, for this is struck by evil.

अथ ह मन उद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे तद्धासुराः पाप्मना विविधुस्तस्मात्तेनोभयꣳ संकल्पते संकल्पनीयं चासंकल्पनीयं च पाप्मना ह्येतद्विद्धम्

Then they meditated upon the Udgitha as the mind. The demons struck it with evil; therefore, one imagines both what is worth imagining and what is not worth imagining, for this is struck by evil.

अथ ह य एवायं मुख्यः प्राणस्तमुद्गीथमुपासांचक्रिरे तꣳ हासुरा ऋत्वा विदध्वंसुर्यथाश्मानमाखणमृत्वा विध्वꣳ सेतैवम्

Then they meditated upon the Udgitha as the chief breath. The demons attacked it, but could not destroy it, just as one cannot break a stone by striking it.

यथाश्मानमाखणमृत्वा विध्वꣳ सत एवꣳ हैव स विध्वꣳसते य एवंविदि पापं कामयते यश्चैनमभिदासति स एषोऽश्माखणः

Just as one cannot break a stone by striking it, so indeed it cannot be destroyed. Whoever desires evil against one who knows thus, or attacks him, that is like striking a stone.

नैवैतेन सुरभि न दुर्गन्धि विजानात्यपहतपाप्मा ह्येष तेन यदश्नाति यत्पिबति तेनेतरान्प्राणानवति एतमु एवान्ततोऽवित्त्वोत्क्रमति व्याददात्येवान्तत इति

By this, one whose sin has been removed does not perceive fragrance or foul odor; for it is with that by which he eats and drinks that he sustains the other vital breaths. Having realized this at the end, he departs; indeed, at the end, he takes it with him.

तꣳ हाङ्गिरा उद्गीथमुपासाञ्चक्र एतमु एवाङ्गिरसं मन्यन्तेऽङ्गानां यद्रसः

The Angiras meditated upon this as the Udgitha; they consider this to be the essence of the limbs.

तेन तꣳ ह बृहस्पतिरुद्गीथमुपासञ्चक्र एतमु एव बृहस्पतिं मन्यन्ते वाग्घि बृहती तस्या एष पतिः

With this, Brihaspati meditated upon the Udgitha; they consider this to be Brihaspati, for speech is the 'Brihati' and this is its lord.

तेन तꣳ हायास्य उद्गीथमुपासाञ्चक्र एतमु एवायास्यं मन्यन्त आस्याद्यदयते

With this, Ayasya meditated upon the Udgitha; they consider this to be Ayasya, for from the mouth food is eaten.

तेन तꣳ ह बको दाल्भ्यो विदाञ्चकार । स ह नैमिशीयानामुद्गाता बभूव स ह स्मैभ्यः कामानागायति

With this, Baka Dalbhya understood the Udgitha; he became the Udgātṛ for the people of Naimisha, and he sang for them their desires.

आगाता ह वै कामानां भवति य एतदेवं विद्वानक्षरमुद्गीथमुपास्त इत्यध्यात्मम्

Indeed, the fulfillment of desires comes to the one who, knowing thus, meditates upon this imperishable Udgitha—this is with regard to the self.

अथाधिदैवतं य एवासौ तपति तमुद्गीथमुपासीतोद्यन्वा एष प्रजाभ्य उद्गायति । उद्यꣳ स्तमो भयमपहन्त्यपहन्ता ह वै भयस्य तमसो भवति य एवं वेद

Now, with regard to the deities: one should meditate upon that which shines there as the Udgitha; as it rises, it sings forth for the beings. Rising, it dispels darkness and fear; indeed, whoever knows thus becomes a dispeller of fear and darkness.

समान उ एवायं चासौ चोष्णोऽयमुष्णोऽसौ स्वर इतीममाचक्षते स्वर इति प्रत्यास्वर इत्यमुं तस्माद्वा एतमिमममुं चोद्गीथमुपासीत

This one here and that one there are the same; this is warm, that is warm; this is the svara, that is the pratyasvara, so they say. Therefore, one should meditate upon this, that, and the other as the Udgitha.

अथ खलु व्यानमेवोद्गीथमुपासीत यद्वै प्राणिति स प्राणो यदपानिति सोऽपानः । अथ यः प्राणापानयोः सन्धिः स व्यानो यो व्यानः सा वाक् । तस्मादप्राणन्ननपानन्वाचमभिव्याहरति

Now, indeed, one should meditate upon vyāna as the Udgitha; for that which breathes is prāṇa, that which exhales is apāna. The junction of prāṇa and apāna is vyāna; and vyāna is speech. Therefore, without inhalation or exhalation, one cannot utter speech.

या वाक्सर्क्तस्मादप्राणन्ननपानन्नृचमभिव्याहरति यर्क्तत्साम तस्मादप्राणन्ननपानन्साम गायति यत्साम स उद्गीथस्तस्मादप्राणन्ननपानन्नुद्गायति

Indeed, speech is connected; therefore, without inhalation or exhalation, one cannot recite a ṛc; what is connected is sāman, so without inhalation or exhalation, one cannot sing a sāman; what is sāman is the Udgitha, so without inhalation or exhalation, one cannot chant the Udgitha.

अतो यान्यन्यानि वीर्यवन्ति कर्माणि यथाग्नेर्मन्थनमाजेः सरणं दृढस्य धनुष आयमनमप्राणन्ननपानꣳ स्तानि करोत्येतस्य हेतोर्व्यानमेवोद्गीथमुपासीत

Therefore, all other powerful actions, such as kindling fire by friction, running of a horse, drawing a strong bow, are performed without inhalation or exhalation; for this reason, one should meditate upon vyāna as the Udgitha.

अथ खलूद्गीथाक्षराण्युपासीतोद्गीथ इति प्राण एवोत्प्राणेन ह्युत्तिष्ठति वाग्गीर्वाचो ह गिर इत्याचक्षतेऽन्नं थमन्ने हीदꣳ सर्वꣳ स्थितम्

Now, one should meditate upon the syllables of Udgitha: 'udgītha'—'ud' is prāṇa, for by prāṇa one rises up; 'gī' is speech, for 'gīr' means speech; 'tha' is food, for upon food all this is established.