स ह प्रातः सञ्जिहान उवाच यद्बतान्नस्य लभेमहि लभेमहि धनमात्राꣳ राजासौ यक्ष्यते स मा सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैर्वृणीतेति
In the morning, as he was preparing to go, he said, 'If only we could obtain food, or at least a little wealth. The king is going to perform a sacrifice; may he choose me with all the officiating priests.'
तं जायोवाच हन्त पत इम एव कुल्माषा इति तान्खादित्वामुं यज्ञं विततमेयाय
His wife said to him, 'Here, eat these very beans.' After eating them, he went to the place where the sacrifice was being prepared.
तत्रोद्गातॄनास्तावे स्तोष्यमाणानुपोपविवेश स ह प्रस्तोतारमुवाच
There, as the udgātṛs were about to sing praises, he sat down among them. He then addressed the prastotṛ.
प्रस्तोतर्या देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रस्तोष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति
He said to the prastotṛ, 'The deity of the prastāva depends upon the prastāva. If you, not knowing her, sing the prastāva, your head will fall off.'
एवमेवोद्गातारमुवाचोद्गातर्या देवतोद्गीथमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वानुद्गास्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति
In the same way, he addressed the udgātṛ: 'The deity of the udgītha depends upon the udgītha. If you, not knowing her, sing the udgītha, your head will fall off.'
एवमेव प्रतिहर्तारमुवाच प्रतिहर्तर्या देवता प्रतिहारमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रतिहरिष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति ते ह समारतास्तूष्णीमासांचक्रिरे
In the same way, he addressed the pratihartṛ: 'The deity of the pratihāra depends upon the pratihāra. If you, not knowing her, recite the pratihāra, your head will fall off.' Thus, being afraid, they all sat in silence.
अथ हैनं यजमान उवाच भगवन्तं वा अहं विविदिषाणीत्युषस्तिरस्मि चाक्रायण इति होवाच
Then the sacrificer approached him and said, 'I wish to know the venerable one.' He replied, 'I am Ushasti, son of Chakrayana.'
स होवाच भगवन्तं वा अहमेभिः सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैः पर्यैषिषं भगवतो वा अहमवित्त्यान्यानवृषि
He said, 'Venerable one, I have sought you out among all the officiating priests. Not finding you, I chose others.'
भगवाꣳ स्त्वेव मे सर्वैरार्त्विज्यैरिति तथेत्यथ तर्ह्येत एव समतिसृष्टाः स्तुवतां यावत्त्वेभ्यो धनं दद्यास्तावन्मम दद्या इति तथेति ह यजमान उवाच
'Venerable one, let me be among all the officiating priests.' 'So be it,' he replied. 'Then, let only these who have been chosen together with me sing the praises. As much wealth as you give to them, so much give to me.' 'So be it,' said the sacrificer.
अथ हैनं प्रस्तोतोपससाद प्रस्तोतर्या देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रस्तोष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मा भगवानवोचत्कतमा सा देवतेति
Then the prastotṛ approached him and said, 'The deity of the prastāva depends upon the prastāva. If you, not knowing her, sing the prastāva, your head will fall off.' 'Do not say this, venerable one. Which is that deity?'
प्राण इति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतानि प्राणमेवाभिसंविशन्ति प्राणमभ्युज्जिहते सैषा देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रास्तोष्यो मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत्तथोक्तस्य मयेति
He said: 'Prāṇa (the vital breath).' Indeed, all these beings enter into prāṇa and rise up from prāṇa. This deity is dependent on the Prastāva. If, not knowing this, you recite the Prastāva, your head would fall off—so I have declared.
अथ हैनमुद्गातोपससादोद्गातर्या देवतोद्गीथमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वानुद्गास्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मा भगवानवोचत्कतमा सा देवतेति
Then Udgātha approached him. For the Udgātṛ, the deity is dependent on the Udgītha. If, not knowing this, you sing the Udgītha, your head would fall off—so do not do it, revered sir. 'Which is that deity?' he asked.
आदित्य इति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतान्यादित्यमुच्चैः सन्तं गायन्ति सैषा देवतोद्गीथमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वानुदगास्यो मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत्तथोक्तस्य मयेति
He said: 'The sun (Āditya).' Indeed, all these beings sing to the sun as it rises high. This deity is dependent on the Udgītha. If, not knowing this, you sing the Udgītha, your head would fall off—so I have declared.
अथ हैनं प्रतिहर्तोपससाद प्रतिहर्तर्या देवता प्रतिहारमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रतिहरिष्यसि मूर्धा ते विपतिष्यतीति मा भगवानवोचत्कतमा सा देवतेति
Then the Pratihartṛ approached him. For the Pratihartṛ, the deity is dependent on the Pratihāra. If, not knowing this, you recite the Pratihāra, your head would fall off—so do not do it, revered sir. 'Which is that deity?' he asked.
अन्नमिति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतान्यन्नमेव प्रतिहरमाणानि जीवन्ति सैषा देवता प्रतिहारमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रत्यहरिष्यो मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत्तथोक्तस्य मयेति तथोक्तस्य मयेति
He said: 'Food (Anna).' Indeed, all these beings live by taking in food. This deity is dependent on the Pratihāra. If, not knowing this, you recite the Pratihāra, your head would fall off—so I have declared, so I have declared.
शौव उद्गीथस्तद्ध बको दाल्भ्यो ग्लावो वा मैत्रेयः स्वाध्यायमुद्वव्राज
Śauva Udgītha—then Bako Dālbhya and Glāva, son of Maitreyī, went forth for study.
तस्मै श्वा श्वेतः प्रादुर्बभूव तमन्ये श्वान उपसमेत्योचुरन्नं नो भगवानागायत्वशनायाम वा इति
To him a white dog appeared. Other dogs gathered around and said, 'Sir, please sing for us; we are hungry.'
तान्होवाचेहैव मा प्रातरुपसमीयातेति तद्ध बको दाल्भ्यो ग्लावो वा मैत्रेयः प्रतिपालयाञ्चकार
He said to them, 'Do not come here in the morning.' So Bako Dālbhya and Glāva, son of Maitreyī, waited and watched.
ते ह यथैवेदं बहिष्पवमानेन स्तोष्यमाणाः सꣳरब्धाः सर्पन्तीत्येवमाससृपुस्ते ह समुपविश्य हिं चक्रुः
Just as those who are about to sing the Bahiṣpavamāna begin, so they started moving, slithering along. They sat together and made a sound: 'hiṃ.'
ओ3मदा3मों3पिबा3मों3 देवो वरुणः प्रजापतिः सविता3न्नमिहा2हरदन्नपते3ऽन्नमिहा2हरा2हरो3मिति
"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!"
अयं वाव लोको हाउकारः वायुर्हाइकारश्चन्द्रमा कार आत्मेहकारोऽग्निरीकारः
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.'
आदित्य ऊकारो निहव एकारो विश्वे देवा औहोयिकारः प्रजापतिर्हिङ्कारः प्राणः स्वरोऽन्नं या वाग्विराट्
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; speech is Virāj.
स्तोभः सञ्चरो हुङ्कारः
Stobha is sañcara; huṅkāra.
दुग्धेऽस्मै वाग्दोहं यो वाचो दोहोऽन्नवानन्नादो भवति य एतामेवꣳ साम्नामुपनिषदं वेदोपनिषदं वेदेति
For him, speech yields milk. Whoever knows this Upaniṣad of the Sāmans, as the Upaniṣad of the Sāmans, becomes one who has food and who eats food.
समस्तस्य खलु साम्न उपासनꣳ साधु यत्खलु साधु तत्सामेत्याचक्षते यदसाधु तदसामेति
Indeed, the worship of the Sāman as a whole is good. What is good, they call Sāman; what is not good, they call not Sāman.
साम्नैनमुपागादिति साधुनैनमुपागादित्येव तदाहुरसाम्नैनमुपागादित्यसाधुनैनमुपगादित्येव तदाहुः
He approached him with the Sāman; 'He approached him well with the Sāman,' they say. He approached him with what is not Sāman; 'He approached him not well,' they say.
साम नो बतेति यत्साधु भवति साधु बतेत्येव तदाहुरसाम नो बतेति यदसाधु भवत्यसाधु बतेत्येव तदाहुः
"Sāma, indeed, for us!"—when it is good, they say, "Good, indeed, for us!" "Not Sāma for us!"—when it is not good, they say, "Not good, indeed, for us!"
स य एतदेवं विद्वानसाधु सामेत्युपास्तेऽभ्याशो ह यदेनꣳसाधवो धर्मा आ च गच्छेयुरुप च नमेयुः
Whoever, knowing thus, worships Sāman as 'not good Sāman,' even if unrighteous people were to approach him or bow to him, they would come near and submit.
लोकेषु पञ्चविधꣳ सामोपासीत पृथिवी हिङ्कारोऽग्निः प्रस्तावोऽन्तरिक्षमुद्गीथ आदित्यः प्रतिहारो द्यौर्निधनमित्यूर्ध्वेषु
One should meditate on the fivefold Sāman in the worlds: the earth is the hiṅkāra, fire is the prastāva, the atmosphere is the udgītha, the sun is the pratihāra, and the heaven is the nidhana—thus in the higher worlds.
अथावृत्तेषु द्यौर्हिङ्कार आदित्यः प्रस्तावोऽन्तरिक्षमुद्गीथोऽग्निः प्रतिहारः पृथिवी निधनम्
Now, in the descending order: heaven is the hiṅkāra, the sun is the prastāva, the atmosphere is the udgītha, fire is the pratihāra, and the earth is the nidhana.