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.
द्यौरेवोदन्तरिक्षं गीः पृथिवी थमादित्य एवोद्वायुर्गीरग्निस्थꣳ सामवेद एवोद्यजुर्वेदो गीर्ऋग्वेदस्थं दुग्धेऽस्मै वाग्दोहं यो वाचो दोहोऽन्नवानन्नादो भवति य एतान्येवं विद्वानुद्गीथाक्षराण्युपास्त उद्गीथ इति
Heaven is 'ud', the midspace is 'gī', earth is 'tha'; the sun is 'ud', wind is 'gī', fire is 'tha'; the Sāmaveda is 'ud', the Yajurveda is 'gī', the Ṛgveda is 'tha'. Speech is the milking of the cow for him; whoever knows the milking of speech becomes possessed of food and an eater of food, who thus meditates upon these syllables of Udgitha.
अथ खल्वाशीःसमृद्धिरुपसरणानीत्युपासीत येन साम्ना स्तोष्यन्स्यात्तत्सामोपधावेत्
Now, one should meditate upon blessing, prosperity, and approach; whichever sāman one intends to praise with, to that sāman one should resort.
यस्यामृचि तामृचं यदार्षेयं तमृषिं यां देवतामभिष्टोष्यन्स्यात्तां देवतामुपधावेत्
Whichever ṛc one intends to use, to that ṛc one should resort; whichever seer, to that seer; whichever deity one intends to praise, to that deity one should resort.
येन च्छन्दसा स्तोष्यन्स्यात्तच्छन्द उपधावेद्येन स्तोमेन स्तोष्यमाणः स्यात्तꣳ स्तोममुपधावेत्
With whichever metre one intends to praise, to that metre one should resort; with whichever stoma one intends to praise, to that stoma one should resort.
यां दिशमभिष्टोष्यन्स्यात्तां दिशमुपधावेत्
Whichever direction one intends to praise, to that direction one should resort.
आत्मानमन्तत उपसृत्य स्तुवीत कामं ध्यायन्नप्रमत्तोऽभ्याशो ह यदस्मै स कामः समृध्येत यत्कामः स्तुवीतेति यत्कामः स्तुवीतेति
Having approached oneself at the end, one should praise, contemplating one's desire, vigilant; for when that desire is fulfilled for him, it is because he praised for that desire—he praised for that desire.
ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपासीतोमिति ह्युद्गायति तस्योपव्याख्यानम्
One should meditate upon this syllable 'Om' as the udgītha; for indeed, when one sings, it is 'Om' that is sung. Now, here is its explanation.
देवा वै मृत्योर्बिभ्यतस्त्रयीं विद्यां प्राविशꣳस्ते छन्दोभिरच्छादयन्यदेभिरच्छादयꣳस्तच्छन्दसां छन्दस्त्वम्
The gods, fearing death, entered into the threefold knowledge; they covered themselves with the metres, as with veils. That which is the essence of the metres is the essence of the metres.
तानु तत्र मृत्युर्यथा मत्स्यमुदके परिपश्येदेवं पर्यपश्यदृचि साम्नि यजुषि । ते नु विदित्वोर्ध्वा ऋचः साम्नो यजुषः स्वरमेव प्राविशन्
There, death watched them as a fish watches in water; in the Ṛc, the Sāman, and the Yajus, it observed them. Knowing this, they ascended beyond the Ṛc, the Sāman, and the Yajus, and entered into the sound.
यदा वा ऋचमाप्नोत्योमित्येवातिस्वरत्येवꣳ सामैवं यजुरेष उ स्वरो यदेतदक्षरमेतदमृतमभयं तत्प्रविश्य देवा अमृता अभया अभवन्
Whenever one reaches the Ṛc, one surpasses it with 'Om'; thus with the Sāman, thus with the Yajus. This sound, this syllable, is immortal and fearless. Entering into it, the gods became immortal and fearless.