एतꣳ संयद्वाम इत्याचक्षत एतꣳ हि सर्वाणि वामान्यभिसंयन्ति सर्वाण्येनं वामान्यभिसंयन्ति य एवं वेद
'This is called the gathering place of all that is dear, for indeed, all that is dear gathers to it; all that is dear gathers to him who knows thus.'
एष उ एव वामनीरेष हि सर्वाणि वामानि नयति सर्वाणि वामानि नयति य एवं वेद
'He alone is the gatherer of all that is dear, for he leads all that is dear; he leads all that is dear who knows thus.'
एष उ एव भामनीरेष हि सर्वेषु लोकेषु भाति सर्वेषु लोकेषु भाति य एवं वेद
He indeed is the radiant one; for he shines in all the worlds, he shines in all the worlds who knows thus.
अथ यदु चैवास्मिञ्छव्यं कुर्वन्ति यदि च नार्चिषमेवाभिसम्भवन्त्यर्चिषोऽहरह्न आपूर्यमाणपक्षमापूर्यमाणपक्षाद्यान्षडुदङ्ङेति मासाꣳस्तान्मासेभ्यः संवत्सरꣳ संवत्सरादादित्यमादित्याच्चन्द्रमसं चन्द्रमसो विद्युतं तत् पुरुषोऽमानवः
Now, whatever is offered as an oblation here, whether with or without flame, they reach only the flame; from the flame to the day, from the day to the waxing fortnight, from the waxing fortnight to the months, from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to lightning; there, a person, non-human, leads them.
स एनान्ब्रह्म गमयत्येष देवपथो ब्रह्मपथ एतेन प्रतिपद्यमाना इमं मानवमावर्तं नावर्तन्ते नावर्तन्ते
He leads them to Brahman; this is the path of the gods, the path to Brahman. By proceeding along this path, they do not return to this human cycle, they do not return.
एष ह वै यज्ञो योऽयं पवते एष ह यन्निदꣳ सर्वं पुनाति । यदेष यन्निदꣳ सर्वं पुनाति तस्मादेष एव यज्ञस्तस्य मनश्च वाक्च वर्तनी
This indeed is the sacrifice which is purified; this indeed purifies all this. Because this purifies all this, therefore this alone is the sacrifice. Its two guiding rails are mind and speech.
तयोरन्यतरां मनसा सꣳस्करोति ब्रह्मा वाचा होताध्वर्युरुद्गातान्यतराꣳस यत्रौपाकृते प्रातरनुवाके पुरा परिधानीयाया ब्रह्मा व्यवदति
Of these two, one is prepared with mind: the Brahman priest; the other with speech: the Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, and Udgātṛ. When, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest gives the signal—
अन्यतरामेव वर्तनीꣳ सꣳस्करोति हीयतेऽन्यतरा स यथैकपाद्व्रजन्रथो वैकेन चक्रेण वर्तमानो रिष्यत्येवमस्य यज्ञोरिष्यति यज्ञꣳ रिष्यन्तं यजमानोऽनुरिष्यति स इष्ट्वा पापीयान्भवति
If only one guiding rail is prepared, the other is lacking. Just as a chariot moving with only one wheel wobbles along, so the sacrifice wobbles; and the sacrificer, following a faltering sacrifice, becomes worse off after the offering.
अथ यत्रोपाकृते प्रातरनुवाके न पुरा परिधानीयाया ब्रह्मा व्यवदत्युभे एव वर्तनी सꣳस्कुर्वन्ति न हीयतेऽन्यतरा
But when, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest does not give the signal, both guiding rails are prepared; neither is lacking.
स यथोभयपाद्व्रजन्रथो वोभाभ्यां चक्राभ्यां वर्तमानः प्रतितिष्ठत्येवमस्य यज्ञः प्रतितिष्ठति यज्ञं प्रतितिष्ठन्तं यजमानोऽनुप्रतितिष्ठति स इष्ट्वा श्रेयान्भवति
Just as a chariot moving with both wheels stands firm, so the sacrifice stands firm; and the sacrificer, following a firm sacrifice, becomes better off after the offering.
प्रजापतिर्लोकानभ्यतपत्तेषां तप्यमानानाꣳरसान्प्रावृहदग्निं पृथिव्या वायुमन्तरिक्षातादित्यं दिवः
Prajāpati heated the worlds; from those being heated, he extracted their essences: fire from earth, air from the atmosphere, and the sun from the sky.
स एतास्तिस्रो देवता अभ्यतपत्तासां तप्यमानानाꣳरसान्प्रावृहदग्नेर्ऋचो वायोर्यजूꣳषि सामान्यादित्यात्
He heated these three deities; from those being heated, he extracted their essences: the Ṛg verses from fire, the Yajus formulas from air, and the Sāman chants from the sun.
स एतां त्रयीं विद्यामभ्यतपत्तस्यास्तप्यमानाया रसान्प्रावृहद्भूरित्यृग्भ्यो भुवरिति यजुर्भ्यः स्वरिति सामभ्यः
He heated this threefold knowledge; from it being heated, he extracted its essences: 'Bhūḥ' from the Ṛg verses, 'Bhuvaḥ' from the Yajus formulas, and 'Svaḥ' from the Sāman chants.
तद्यदृक्तो रिष्येद्भूः स्वाहेति गार्हपत्ये जुहुयादृचामेव तद्रसेनर्चां वीर्येणर्चां यज्ञस्य विरिष्टꣳ सन्दधाति
If there is a fault in the Ṛg, one should offer with 'Bhūḥ, Svāhā' in the Gārhapatya fire; thus, with the essence of the Ṛg, with the power of the Ṛg, he restores what was lost in the sacrifice.
स यदि यजुष्टो रिष्येद्भुवः स्वाहेति जुहुयाद्यजुषामेव तद्रसेन यजुषां वीर्येण यजुषां यज्ञस्य विरिष्टꣳ सन्दधाति
If there is a fault in the Yajus, one should offer with 'Bhuvaḥ, Svāhā'; thus, with the essence of the Yajus, with the power of the Yajus, he restores what was lost in the sacrifice.
अथ यदि सामतो रिष्येत्स्वः स्वाहेत् जुहुयात्साम्नामेव तद्रसेन साम्नां वीर्येण साम्नां यज्ञस्य विरिष्टं सन्दधाति
If there is a fault in the Sāman, one should offer with 'Svaḥ, Svāhā'; thus, with the essence of the Sāman, with the power of the Sāman, he restores what was lost in the sacrifice.
तद्यथा लवणेन सुवर्णꣳ सन्दध्यात्सुवर्णेन रजतꣳ रजतेन त्रपु त्रपुणा सीसꣳ सीसेन लोहं लोहेन दारु दारु चर्मणा
Just as with salt one restores gold, with gold silver, with silver tin, with tin lead, with lead iron, and with iron wood, and with wood leather—
एवमेषां लोकानामासां देवतानामस्यास्त्रय्या विद्याया वीर्येण यज्ञस्य विरिष्टꣳ सन्दधाति भेषजकृतो ह वा एष यज्ञो यत्रैवंविद्ब्रह्मा भवति
So, by the power of these worlds, these deities, and this threefold knowledge, he restores what was lost in the sacrifice. Indeed, this sacrifice is a remedy when there is such a knowing Brahman priest.
एष ह वा उदक्प्रवणो यज्ञो यत्रैवंविद्ब्रह्मा भवत्येवंविदꣳ ह वा एषा ब्रह्माणमनुगाथा यतो यत आवर्तते तत्तद्गच्छति
This sacrifice is inclined towards water when there is such a knowing Brahman priest. Indeed, this is the verse about the Brahman priest: wherever he returns from, there he goes.
मानवो ब्रह्मैवैक ऋत्विक्कुरूनश्वाभिरक्षत्येवंविद्ध वै ब्रह्मा यज्ञं यजमानꣳ सर्वाꣳश्चर्त्विजोऽभिरक्षति तस्मादेवंविदमेव ब्रह्माणं कुर्वीत नानेवंविदं नानेवंविदम्
The Brahman priest alone, among the officiants, protects the Kurus and the people; such a knowing Brahman priest protects the sacrifice, the sacrificer, and all the officiants. Therefore, one should appoint only such a knowing Brahman priest, not one who does not know thus, not one who does not know thus.
यो ह वै ज्येष्ठं च श्रेष्ठं च वेद ज्येष्ठश्च ह वै श्रेष्ठश्च भवति प्राणो वाव ज्येष्ठश्च श्रेष्ठश्च
Whoever knows what is eldest and best, indeed becomes eldest and best; breath is truly both eldest and best.
यो ह वै वसिष्ठं वेद वसिष्ठो ह स्वानां भवति वाग्वाव वसिष्ठः
Whoever knows what is most excellent, indeed becomes most excellent among his own; speech is truly most excellent.
यो ह वै प्रतिष्ठां वेद प्रति ह तिष्ठत्यस्मिँश्च लोकेऽमुष्मिँश्च चक्षुर्वाव प्रतिष्ठा
Whoever knows what is foundation, indeed stands firm in this world and the next; the eye is truly the foundation.
यो ह वै सम्पदं वेद सँहास्मै कामाः पद्यन्ते दैवाश्च मानुषाश्च श्रोत्रं वाव सम्पत्
Whoever knows what is prosperity, to him desires come—both divine and human; the ear is truly prosperity.
यो ह वा आयतनं वेदायतनँ ह स्वानां भवति मनो ह वा आयतनम्
Whoever knows what is abode, indeed becomes the abode for his own; the mind is truly the abode.
अथ ह प्राणा अहँश्रेयसि व्यूदिरेऽहँश्रेयानस्म्यहँ श्रेयानस्मीति
Then the breaths arranged themselves for superiority, saying, 'I am superior, I am superior.'
ते ह प्राणाः प्रजापतिं पितरमेत्योचुर्भगवन्को नः श्रेष्ठ इति तान्होवाच यस्मिन्व उत्क्रान्ते शरीरं पापिष्ठतरमिव दृश्येत स वः श्रेष्ठ इति
Those breaths approached Prajapati, their father, and said, 'Sir, which of us is the best?' He replied, 'The one whose departure makes the body appear most wretched—that one is the best among you.'
सा ह वागुच्चक्राम सा संवत्सरं प्रोष्य पर्येत्योवाच कथमशकतर्ते मज्जीवितुमिति यथा कला अवदन्तः प्राणन्तः प्राणेन पश्यन्तश्चक्षुषा शृण्वन्तः श्रोत्रेण ध्यायन्तो मनसैवमिति प्रविवेश ह वाक्
Speech departed; after spending a year away, she returned and asked, 'How did you manage to live without me?' Just as people are mute, not speaking, yet breathing with breath, seeing with the eyes, hearing with the ears, thinking with the mind—so it was. Then speech re-entered.
चक्षुर्होच्चक्राम तत्संवत्सरं प्रोष्य पर्येत्योवाच कथमशकतर्ते मज्जीवितुमिति यथान्धा अपश्यन्तः प्राणन्तः प्राणेन वदन्तो वाचा शृण्वन्तः श्रोत्रेण ध्यायन्तो मनसैवमिति प्रविवेश ह चक्षुः
The eye departed; after spending a year away, it returned and asked, 'How did you manage to live without me?' Just as people are blind, not seeing, yet breathing with breath, speaking with speech, hearing with the ears, thinking with the mind—so it was. Then the eye re-entered.
श्रोत्रँ होच्चक्राम तत्संवत्सरं प्रोष्य पर्येत्योवाच कथमशकतर्ते मज्जीवितुमिति यथा बधिरा अशृण्वन्तः प्राणन्तः प्राणेन वदन्तो वाचा पश्यन्तश्चक्षुषा ध्यायन्तो मनसैवमिति प्रविवेश ह श्रोत्रम्
The ear departed; after spending a year away, it returned and asked, 'How did you manage to live without me?' Just as people are deaf, not hearing, yet breathing with breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eyes, thinking with the mind—so it was. Then the ear re-entered.