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.
मनो होच्चक्राम तत्संवत्सरं प्रोष्य पर्येत्योवाच कथमशकतर्ते मज्जीवितुमिति यथा बाला अमनसः प्राणन्तः प्राणेन वदन्तो वाचा पश्यन्तश्चक्षुषा शृण्वन्तः श्रोत्रेणैवमिति प्रविवेश ह मनः
The mind departed; after spending a year away, it returned and asked, 'How did you manage to live without me?' Just as children are mindless, yet breathing with breath, speaking with speech, seeing with the eyes, hearing with the ears—so it was. Then the mind re-entered.
अथ ह प्राण उच्चिक्रमिषन्स यथा सुहयः पड्वीशशङ्कून्संखिदेदेवमितरान्प्राणान्समखिदत्तँहाभिसमेत्योचुर्भगवन्नेधि त्वं नः श्रेष्ठोऽसि मोत्क्रमीरिति
Then breath prepared to depart. Just as a noble horse pulls up the pegs, so breath pulled up the other breaths. They approached and said, 'Revered one, stay! You are the best among us. Do not depart.'
अथ हैनं वागुवाच यदहं वसिष्ठोऽस्मि त्वं तद्वसिष्ठोऽसीत्यथ हैनं चक्षुरुवाच यदहं प्रतिष्ठास्मि त्वं तत्प्रतिष्ठासीति
Then speech said to him, 'That which makes me most excellent, you are that most excellent.' Then the eye said to him, 'That which makes me foundation, you are that foundation.'
अथ हैनँश्रोत्रमुवाच यदहं सम्पदस्मि त्वं तत्सम्पदसीत्यथ हैनं मन उवाच यदहमायतनमस्मि त्वं तदायतनमसीति
Then the ear said to him, 'That which makes me prosperity, you are that prosperity.' Then the mind said to him, 'That which makes me abode, you are that abode.'
न वै वाचो न चक्षूँषि न श्रोत्राणि न मनाँसीत्याचक्षते प्राणा इत्येवाचक्षते प्राणो ह्येवैतानि सर्वाणि भवति
Indeed, they do not say 'speech,' 'eyes,' 'ears,' or 'mind'; they say only 'breaths,' for breath truly becomes all these.
स होवाच किं मेऽन्नं भविष्यतीति यत्किञ्चिदिदमा श्वभ्य आ शकुनिभ्य इति होचुस्तद्वा एतदनस्यान्नमनो ह वै नाम प्रत्यक्षं न ह वा एवंविदि किञ्चनानन्नं भवतीति
He asked, 'What will be my food?' They replied, 'Whatever is here, from dogs to birds.' That, indeed, is the food for breath. The name 'mind' is directly perceived; in such knowledge, nothing is without food.
स होवाच किं मे वासो भविष्यतीत्याप इति होचुस्तस्माद्वा एतदशिष्यन्तः पुरस्ताच्चोपरिष्टाच्चाद्भिः परिदधति लम्भुको ह वासो भवत्यनग्नो ह भवति
He asked, 'What will be my clothing?' They replied, 'Water.' Therefore, those who are hungry cover themselves with water both in front and above; water is truly clothing, and one becomes unclothed without it.
तद्धैतत्सत्यकामो जाबालो गोश्रुतये वैयाघ्रपद्यायोक्त्वोवाच यद्यप्येनच्छुष्काय स्थाणवे ब्रूयाज्जायेरन्नेवास्मिञ्छाखाः प्ररोहेयुः पलाशानीति
Satyakama Jabala spoke this to Goshruti Vaigyrapadya: 'Even if one were to say this to a dried-up stump, the branches would indeed sprout leaves.'
अथ यदि महज्जिगमिषेदमावास्यायां दीक्षित्वा पौर्णमास्याँ रात्रौ सर्वौषधस्य मन्थं दधिमधुनोरुपमथ्य ज्येष्ठा श्रेष्ठाय स्वाहेत्यग्नावाज्यस्य हुत्वा मन्थे सम्पातमवनयेत्
Now, if one desires great achievement, after undertaking the vow on the new moon, during the night of the full moon, he churns together the mixture of all medicinal herbs with curd and honey, and after offering clarified butter in the fire with the invocation 'To the eldest, to the best, svāhā,' he pours the residue of the churning into the fire.
वसिष्ठाय स्वाहेत्यग्नावाज्यस्य हुत्वा मन्थे सम्पातमवनयेत्प्रतिष्ठायै स्वाहेत्यग्नावाज्यस्य हुत्वा मन्थे सम्पातमवनयेत्सम्पदे स्वाहेत्यग्नावाज्यस्य हुत्वा मन्थे सम्पातमवनयेदायतनाय स्वाहेत्यग्नावाज्यस्य हुत्वा मन्थे सम्पातमवनयेत्
After offering clarified butter in the fire with the invocation 'To Vasiṣṭha, svāhā,' he pours the residue of the churning into the fire; after offering clarified butter in the fire with the invocation 'To Establishment, svāhā,' he pours the residue of the churning into the fire; after offering clarified butter in the fire with the invocation 'To Prosperity, svāhā,' he pours the residue of the churning into the fire; after offering clarified butter in the fire with the invocation 'To Abode, svāhā,' he pours the residue of the churning into the fire.
अथ प्रतिसृप्याञ्जलौ मन्थमाधाय जपत्यमो नामास्यमा हि ते सर्वमिदँ स हि ज्येष्ठः श्रेष्ठो राजाधिपतिः स मा ज्यैष्ठ्यँ श्रैष्ठ्यँ राज्यमाधिपत्यं गमयत्वहमेवेदँ सर्वमसानीति
Then, having rinsed his hands, he places the churned mixture in his cupped hands and recites: 'O Amu, your name is Amu, for all this belongs to you. You are the eldest, the best, the ruler and king. May you grant me seniority, excellence, sovereignty, and rulership. May I alone attain all this.'
अथ खल्वेतयर्चा पच्छ आचामति तत्सवितुर्वृणीम इत्याचामति वयं देवस्य भोजनमित्याचामति श्रेष्ठँ सर्वधातममित्याचामति तुरं भगस्य धीमहीति सर्वं पिबति
Then, with this recitation, he sips: 'We choose the radiance of Savitṛ,' he sips; 'We partake of the food of the deity,' he sips; 'The best, the essence of all,' he sips; 'Quickly, may we possess the fortune,' thus he drinks it all.
निर्णिज्य कँसं चमसं वा पश्चादग्नेः संविशति चर्मणि वा स्थण्डिले वा वाचंयमोऽप्रसाहः स यदि स्त्रियं पश्येत्समृद्धं कर्मेति विद्यात्
After cleansing, he sits behind the fire, either on a wooden bowl, on a skin, or on bare ground, and remains silent, not speaking. If he sees a woman, it is to be understood that the ritual has succeeded.
तदेष श्लोको यदा कर्मसु काम्येषु स्त्रियँ स्वप्नेषु पश्यन्ति समृद्धिं तत्र जानीयात्तस्मिन्स्वप्ननिदर्शने तस्मिन्स्वप्ननिदर्शने
There is this verse: When, in rituals for desire, women appear in dreams, and prosperity is seen, one should know that in that dream-vision, in that dream-vision, success has occurred.
पञ्चालानाँ समितिमेयाय तँ ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाच कुमारानु त्वाशिषत्पितेत्यनु हि भगव इति
When he came to the assembly of the Pañcālas, Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said to him, 'Did your father instruct you as a student?' He replied, 'Yes, revered sir.'
वेत्थ यदितोऽधि प्रजाः प्रयन्तीति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पुनरावर्तन्त3 इति न भगव इति वेत्थ पथोर्देवयानस्य पितृयाणस्य च व्यावर्तना3 इति न भगव इति
He asked, 'Do you know where beings go from here?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.' He asked, 'Do you know how they return again?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.' He asked, 'Do you know the divergence of the paths, the path of the gods and the path of the ancestors?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.'
वेत्थ यथासौ लोको न सम्पूर्यत3 इति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति नैव भगव इति
He asked, 'Do you know why that world is not filled?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.' He asked, 'Do you know how, at the fifth offering, water assumes the form of a person?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.'
अथानु किमनुशिष्ठोऽवोचथा यो हीमानि न विद्यात्कथँ सोऽनुशिष्टो ब्रुवीतेति स हायस्तः पितुरर्धमेयाय तँ होवाचाननुशिष्य वाव किल मा भगवानब्रवीदनु त्वाशिषमिति
Then he asked, 'After being instructed, what did you say?' He replied, 'How can one who does not know these things, even if instructed, speak about them?' He went to his father and said, 'You did not instruct me, revered sir, but you said you had instructed me.'
पञ्च मा राजन्यबन्धुः प्रश्नानप्राक्षीत्तेषां नैकञ्चनाशकं विवक्तुमिति स होवाच यथा मा त्वं तदैतानवदो यथाहमेषां नैकञ्चन वेद यद्यहमिमानवेदिष्यं कथं ते नावक्ष्यमिति
A royal relative asked me five questions; I was unable to answer even one of them. He said, 'Just as you did not answer them, so I do not know even one of them. If I knew them, how could I not tell you?'
स ह गौतमो राज्ञोऽर्धमेयाय तस्मै ह प्राप्तायार्हाञ्चकार स ह प्रातः सभाग उदेयाय तँ होवाच मानुषस्य भगवन्गौतम वित्तस्य वरं वृणीथा इति स होवाच तवैव राजन्मानुषं वित्तं यामेव कुमारस्यान्ते वाचमभाषथास्तामेव मे ब्रूहीति स ह कृच्छ्री बभूव
Gautama went to the king and, upon arrival, was honored. In the morning, after sharing a meal, Udaya said to him, 'Choose a boon of human wealth, Gautama.' He replied, 'Let the human wealth remain yours, king. Tell me only what you spoke to the prince at the end.' He became troubled.