अथ यदेतदादित्यस्य शुक्लं भाः सैवर्गथ यन्नीलं परः कृष्णं तत्साम तदेतदेतस्यामृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम तस्मादृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम गीयते
Now, that which is the white brilliance of the sun is the Sāman; that which is blue or dark is the Sāman. That Sāman is indeed woven upon this Ṛc; therefore, the Sāman is sung upon the Ṛc.
अथ यदेवैतदादित्यस्य शुक्लं भाः सैव साथ यन्नीलं परः कृष्णं तदमस्तत्सामाथ य एषोऽन्तरादित्ये हिरण्मयः पुरुषो दृश्यते हिरण्यश्मश्रुर्हिरण्यकेश आप्रणखात्सर्व एव सुवर्णः
Now, that which is the white brilliance of the sun is the Sāman; that which is blue or dark is the Sāman. And that golden person who is seen within the sun—golden-bearded, golden-haired, from toenail to tip entirely golden.
तस्य यथा कप्यासं पुण्डरीकमेवमक्षिणी तस्योदिति नाम स एष सर्वेभ्यः पाप्मभ्य उदित उदेति ह वै सर्वेभ्यः पाप्मभ्यो य एवं वेद
His eyes are like lotuses just opened by the sun; his name is Uditi. He rises above all evils; indeed, he rises above all evils, whoever knows this.
तस्यर्क्च साम च गेष्णौ तस्मादुद्गीथस्तस्मात्त्वेवोद्गातैतस्य हि गाता स एष ये चामुष्मात्पराञ्चो लोकास्तेषां चेष्टे देवकामानां चेत्यधिदैवतम्
For him, the Ṛc and the Sāman are in the two cheeks; therefore, the udgītha, therefore, the singer sings for him. He is the one who acts for all those worlds beyond, and for the desires of the gods—thus is the explanation with regard to the deities.
अथाध्यात्मं वागेवर्क्प्राणः साम तदेतदेतस्यामृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम तस्मादृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम गीयते वागेव सा प्राणोऽमस्तत्साम
Now, as to the self: speech is the Rik, breath is the Sāman. This Sāman is indeed woven upon that Rik. Therefore, the Sāman is sung as woven upon the Rik; speech is truly that, breath is its essence—such is the Sāman.
चक्षुरेवर्गात्मा साम तदेतदेतस्यामृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम तस्मादृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम गीयते चक्षुरेव सात्मामस्तत्साम
The eye is the essence of the Rik, the Sāman is that. This Sāman is indeed woven upon that Rik. Therefore, the Sāman is sung as woven upon the Rik; the eye is truly that, its essence is the Sāman.
साम तदेतदेतस्यामृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम तस्मादृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम गीयते श्रोत्रमेव सा मनोऽमस्तत्साम
The Sāman is that which is woven upon the Rik. Therefore, the Sāman is sung as woven upon the Rik; the ear is truly that, the mind is its essence—such is the Sāman.
अथ यदेतदक्ष्णः शुक्लं भाः सैवर्गथ यन्नीलं परः कृष्णं तत्साम तदेतदेतस्यामृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम तस्मादृच्यध्यूढꣳ साम गीयते अथ यदेवैतदक्ष्णः शुक्लं भाः सैव साथ यन्नीलं परः कृष्णं तदमस्तत्साम
Now, that which is the white brightness in the eye, that is the Rik; that which is blue or dark, that is the Sāman. This Sāman is indeed woven upon that Rik. Therefore, the Sāman is sung as woven upon the Rik. Now, that which is the white brightness in the eye, that is the Rik; that which is blue or dark, that is the Sāman, its essence.
अथ य एषोऽन्तरक्षिणि पुरुषो दृश्यते सैवर्क्तत्साम तदुक्थं तद्यजुस्तद्ब्रह्म तस्यैतस्य तदेव रूपं यदमुष्य रूपं यावमुष्य गेष्णौ तौ गेष्णौ यन्नाम तन्नाम
Now, the person who is seen in the eye, he is the Rik, that is the Sāman, that is the Uktha, that is the Yajus, that is Brahman. That is his form, whatever his form is, as large as the shadow, so is his shadow; whatever his name, that is his name.
स एष ये चैतस्मादर्वाञ्चो लोकास्तेषां चेष्टे मनुष्यकामानां चेति तद्य इमे वीणायां गायन्त्येतं ते गायन्ति तस्मात्ते धनसनयः
He, and those worlds that are below this, he rules over them, and the desires of men as well. Those who sing to the vīṇā, they sing of him; therefore, they are called singers of wealth.
अथ य एतदेवं विद्वान्साम गायत्युभौ स गायति सोऽमुनैव स एष ये चामुष्मात्पराञ्चो लोकास्ताꣳ श्चाप्नोति देवकामास्ताꣳ श्च
And whoever, knowing this, sings the Sāman, he sings both; he, with that, attains those worlds that are beyond, and the desires of the gods as well.
अथानेनैव ये चैतस्मादर्वाञ्चो लोकास्ताꣳ श्चाप्नोति मनुष्यकामाꣳश्च तस्मादु हैवंविदुद्गाता ब्रूयात्
And by this very means, he attains those worlds that are below, and the desires of men as well. Therefore, one who knows thus should be called upon to sing the Sāman.
कं ते काममागायानीत्येष ह्येव कामागानस्येष्टे य एवं विद्वान्साम गायति साम गायति
For which desire shall I sing for you? For he alone truly fulfills the desire for whom one who knows thus sings the Sāman.
त्रयो होद्गीथे कुशला बभूवुः शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनो दाल्भ्यः प्रवाहणो जैवलिरिति ते होचुरुद्गीथे वै कुशलाः स्मो हन्तोद्गीथे कथां वदाम इति
Three skilled in the Udgītha arose: Śilaka Śālāvatya, Caikitāyana Dālbhya, and Pravāhaṇa Jaivali. They said, 'We are skilled in the Udgītha; come, let us discuss the Udgītha.'
तथेति ह समुपविविशुः स ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाच भगवन्तावग्रे वदतां ब्राह्मणयोर्वदतोर्वाचꣳ श्रोष्यामीति
'So be it,' they sat together. Then Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said, 'Let the two most venerable among you speak first; I will listen to the words of the two Brāhmaṇas as they speak.'
स ह शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनं दाल्भ्यमुवाच हन्त त्वा पृच्छानीति पृच्छेति होवाच
Then Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya, 'Come, I will ask you.' He replied, 'Ask.'
का साम्नो गतिरिति स्वर इति होवाच स्वरस्य का गतिरिति प्राण इति होवाच प्राणस्य का गतिरित्यन्नमिति होवाचान्नस्य का गतिरित्याप इति होवाच
'What is the goal of the Sāman?' He replied, 'The svara (tone).' 'What is the goal of the svara?' 'Breath,' he replied. 'What is the goal of breath?' 'Food,' he replied. 'What is the goal of food?' 'Water,' he replied.
अपां का गतिरित्यसौ लोक इति होवाचामुष्य लोकस्य का गतिरिति न स्वर्गं लोकमति नयेदिति होवाच स्वर्गं वयं लोकꣳ सामाभिसंस्थापयामः स्वर्गसꣳस्तावꣳ हि सामेति
'What is the goal of water?' 'That world,' he replied. 'What is the goal of that world?' 'Let him not lead it to the world of heaven,' he replied. 'We establish the world of heaven through the Sāman, for that is the praise of heaven.'
तꣳ ह शिलकः शालावत्यश्चैकितायनं दाल्भ्यमुवाचाप्रतिष्ठितं वै किल ते दाल्भ्य साम यस्त्वेतर्हि ब्रूयान्मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मूर्धा ते विपतेदिति
Then Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya, 'Your Sāman is indeed without foundation; if you were to say this now, your head would fall off.' 'Let my head fall off,' he replied.
हन्ताहमेतद्भगवतो वेदानीति विद्धीति होवाचामुष्य लोकस्य का गतिरित्ययं लोक इति होवाचास्य लोकस्य का गतिरिति न प्रतिष्ठां लोकमिति नयेदिति होवाच प्रतिष्ठां वयं लोकꣳ सामाभिसꣳस्थापयामः प्रतिष्ठासꣳ स्तावꣳ हि सामेति
'Well, I know this of the venerable one,' he said. 'Know it,' he replied. 'What is the goal of that world?' 'This world,' he replied. 'What is the goal of this world?' 'Let him not lead it to the world of foundation,' he replied. 'We establish the world of foundation through the Sāman, for that is the praise of foundation.'
तꣳ ह प्रवाहणो जैवलिरुवाचान्तवद्वै किल ते शालावत्य साम यस्त्वेतर्हि ब्रूयान्मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मूर्धा ते विपतेदिति हन्ताहमेतद्भगवतो वेदानीति विद्धीति होवाच
Then Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said to Śālāvatya, 'Your Sāman is indeed finite; if you were to say this now, your head would fall off.' 'Let my head fall off,' he replied. 'Well, I know this of the venerable one,' he said. 'Know it,' he replied.
अस्य लोकस्य का गतिरित्याकाश इति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतान्याकाशादेव समुत्पद्यन्त आकाशं प्रत्यस्तं यन्त्याकाशो ह्येवैभ्यो ज्यायानकाशः परायणम्
'What is the goal of this world?' 'Space,' he replied. 'Indeed, all these beings arise from space and return to space; space is greater than they, and space is their final resort.'
स एष परोवरीयानुद्गीथः स एषोऽनन्तः परोवरीयो हास्य भवति परोवरीयसो ह लोकाञ्जयति य एतदेवं विद्वान्परोवरीयाꣳसमुद्गीथमुपास्ते
This is the higher, more excellent udgitha; this indeed is the infinite. Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this higher udgitha, becomes higher and more excellent, and he conquers the worlds that are higher and more excellent.
तꣳ हैतमतिधन्वा शौनक उदरशाण्डिल्यायोक्त्वोवाच यावत्त एनं प्रजायामुद्गीथं वेदिष्यन्ते परोवरीयो हैभ्यस्तावदस्मिꣳल्लोके जीवनं भविष्यति
To him, Atidhanvan Shaunaka, having spoken to Udara Shandilya, said: 'As long as people in this world will know this udgitha among their descendants, so long will there be life for them in this world.'
तथामुष्मिꣳ ल्लोके लोक इति स य एतमेवं विद्वानुपास्ते परोवरीय एव हास्यास्मिꣳल्लोके जीवनं भवति तथामुष्मिꣳल्लोके लोक इति लोके लोक इति
In the same way, in the other world, there is a world. Thus, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, for him there is life in this world that is higher and more excellent; and in the other world, there is world after world.
मटचीहतेषु कुरुष्वाटिक्या सह जाययोषस्तिर्ह चाक्रायण इभ्यग्रामे प्रद्राणक उवास
In the land of the Kurus, in the village of Vāṭikā, there lived a man named Chakrayana of the Ibhya clan, together with his wife.
स हेभ्यं कुल्माषान्खादन्तं बिभिक्षे तꣳ होवाच । नेतोऽन्ये विद्यन्ते यच्च ये म इम उपनिहिता इति
He begged for some cooked beans from them while they were eating, and one of them said to him: 'There are no others here except those that have been set aside for us.'
एतेषां मे देहीति होवाच तानस्मै प्रददौ हन्तानुपानमित्युच्छिष्टं वै मे पीतꣳ स्यादिति होवाच
He said, 'Give me some of these.' So they gave them to him. He said, 'Let me have the leavings as well, for perhaps I have already eaten the main portion.'
न स्विदेतेऽप्युच्छिष्टा इति न वा अजीविष्यमिमा न खादन्निति होवाच कामो म उदपानमिति
They replied, 'These are not leavings either.' He said, 'I would not have survived if I had not eaten these.' He thought, 'May I obtain water.'
स ह खादित्वातिशेषाञ्जायाया आजहार साग्र एव सुभिक्षा बभूव तान्प्रतिगृह्य निदधौ
After eating, he brought the leftovers to his wife. She was truly well provided for, and after receiving them, she put them away.