Once, the sacred teachings of the Sāman were being explored by earnest seekers. Among them, the wise teacher declared, “Prāṇa, the vital breath, is the foundation. All beings enter into prāṇa and rise from prāṇa. This deity, prāṇa, is linked to the Prastāva. If you recite the Prastāva without knowing this, your head would fall off; such is the power of ignorance in sacred recitation.” Next, the Udgātha, the singer of the Udgītha, approached the teacher. He was told, “For the Udgātṛ, the deity is bound to the Udgītha. If you sing the Udgītha without understanding this, your head would fall off—so refrain, revered one.” The Udgātha asked, “Which is that deity?” The teacher replied, “It is the sun, Āditya. All beings sing to the sun as it rises high. This deity is dependent on the Udgītha. If you sing the Udgītha unknowing, your head would fall off; thus have I declared.” Then, the Pratihartṛ, the reciter of the Pratihāra, approached. He too was warned, “For the Pratihartṛ, the deity is connected to the Pratihāra. If you recite the Pratihāra without knowing this, your head would fall off—so do not do it, revered sir.” When he asked, “Which is that deity?” the teacher answered, “It is food, Anna. All beings live by taking in food. This deity is bound to the Pratihāra. If you recite it without understanding, your head would fall off—so I have declared, so I have declared.” In another time, the Śauva Udgītha was being studied by Bako Dālbhya and Glāva, son of Maitreyī. As they set forth for their studies, a white dog appeared to them. Soon, other dogs gathered around and said to the white dog, “Sir, please sing for us; we are hungry.” The white dog answered, “Do not come here in the morning.” Curious, Bako Dālbhya and Glāva watched to see what would happen. As dawn approached, the dogs began to move as those about to sing the Bahiṣpavamāna hymn, slithering along. They sat together and made a resonant sound: “hiṃ.” Then they intoned, “Om, let us eat! Om, let us drink! The god Varuṇa, Prajāpati, Savitṛ has brought food here. O lord of food, bring food here, bring it, bring it!” The teacher then revealed the deeper meanings of the Sāman sounds: “This world is the ‘hā’ sound; the wind is the ‘ikāra’; the moon is the ‘kāra’; the self is the ‘hakāra’; fire is the ‘īkāra.’ The sun is the ‘ūkāra’; the call is the ‘ekāra’; all the gods are the ‘auhoyikāra’; Prajāpati is the ‘hiṅkāra’; prāṇa is the svara; food is the yā; and speech is Virāj. The Stobha is sañcara; huṅkāra. For the knower of this Upaniṣad of the Sāmans, speech yields milk—such a one becomes possessed of food and an eater of food.” The teachings continued: “The worship of the Sāman as a whole is good. What is good is called Sāman; what is not good is not Sāman. He who approaches with the Sāman approaches well; with what is not Sāman, not well. When it is good, people say, ‘Sāma, indeed, for us!’ When not good, ‘Not Sāma for us!’ Whoever, knowing thus, worships Sāman as ‘not good Sāman,’ even if unrighteous people approach or bow to him, they will come near and submit.” The master then instructed on meditation upon the fivefold Sāman in all things. “In the worlds, meditate thus: earth is the hiṅkāra, fire is the prastāva, the atmosphere is the udgītha, the sun is the pratihāra, and heaven is the nidhana. In descending order: heaven is the hiṅkāra, the sun is the prastāva, the atmosphere is the udgītha, fire is the pratihāra, and earth is the nidhana. Whoever knows this, for him both the ascending and descending worlds become attainable. Meditate on the fivefold Sāman in rain: the east wind is the hiṅkāra, the cloud that forms is the prastāva, when it rains that is the udgītha, when it flashes and thunders that is the pratihāra, and what is gathered is the nidhana. Whoever meditates thus, rain comes for him. Meditate on the fivefold Sāman in all waters: the gathering cloud is the hiṅkāra, when it rains that is the prastāva, the eastward-flowing streams are the udgītha, the westward-flowing are the pratihāra, and the nidhana. He who knows this does not depart from the waters; he becomes possessed of water. Meditate on the fivefold Sāman in the seasons: spring is the hiṅkāra, summer is the prastāva, the rainy season is the udgītha, autumn is the pratihāra, and winter is the nidhana. The seasons become attainable for him who knows this. Meditate on the fivefold Sāman in animals: goats are the hiṅkāra, sheep are the prastāva, cows are the udgītha, horses are the pratihāra, and man is the nidhana. Animals come to him who knows this. Meditate on the supreme fivefold Sāman in the vital forces: prāṇa is the hiṅkāra, speech is the prastāva, the eye is the udgītha, the ear is the pratihāra, and the mind is the nidhana—these are the supreme. He who knows this becomes supreme and conquers the supreme worlds. Now, regarding the sevenfold Sāman in speech: in speech, whatever is ‘hum’ is the hiṅkāra, what goes forth is the prastāva, what comes is the beginning, what rises is the udgītha, what returns is the pratihāra, what approaches is the upadrava, and what ends is the nidhana. Speech yields milk for him who knows this; such a one is possessed of food and is an eater of food. Meditate also on the sun as the sevenfold Sāman: always, with the complete Sāman, pray, ‘May it come to me, may it return to me.’ In him all beings are dependent. What is before sunrise is the hiṅkāra, upon which animals depend; thus, they utter the hiṅkāra, for they are the recipients of this portion of the Sāman. At the first rising, it is the prastāva, to which humans are connected—those who seek praise are recipients of this part. When the sun mingles, it is the ādi, connected to birds, who fly unsupported in mid-air, recipients of the ādi. At midday, it is the udgītha, to which the gods are connected—the best among Prajāpati’s progeny are the recipients of this. After midday and before afternoon is the pratihāra, to which the darbha grasses are connected, and they are gathered up as recipients of this portion.” Thus, the teachings revealed the profound unity of the Sāman with all aspects of the cosmos—breath, sun, food, rain, waters, seasons, animals, vital forces, speech, and the very movement of the sun—showing that through right knowledge and meditation, one becomes possessed of the very essence of life and the worlds.