1764 verses · verified Sanskrit text · IAST · English translation
yadā vā r̥camāpnotyomityevātisvaratyevasāmaivṃ yajureṣa u svaro yadetadakṣarametadamr̥tamabhayṃ tatpraviśya devā amr̥tā abhayā abhavan ||
“Reaching a hymn one sounds Om aloud; so with chant and rite. This tone, this syllable, is immortal, fearless; entering it, the gods became immortal and fearless.”
sa ya etadevṃ vidvānakṣarṃ praṇautyetadevākṣara svaramamr̥tamabhayṃ praviśati tatpraviśya yadamr̥tā devāstadamr̥to bhavati ||
“Who, knowing thus, intones the syllable enters this same syllable, the tone, the immortal, fearless; entering it as the immortal gods did, he becomes immortal.”
iti caturthḥ khaṇḍḥ || atha khalu ya udgīthḥ sa praṇavo yḥ praṇavḥ sa udgītha ityasau vā āditya udgītha eṣa praṇava omiti hyeṣa svaranneti ||
“Here ends the fourth section. What is udgītha is praṇava, what is praṇava is udgītha — yonder sun is udgītha, it is praṇava, for moving it hums Om.”
etamu evāhamabhyagāsiṣṃ tasmānmama tvameko'sīti ha kauṣītakiḥ putramuvāca raśmīstvṃ paryāvartayādbahavo vai te bhaviṣyantītyadhidaivatam ||
“'To it alone I sang' — so Kauṣītaki told his son: 'thou art one with me; turn thou the rays — many shall be thine' — so with respect to the gods.”
athādhyātmṃ ya evāyṃ mukhyḥ prāṇastamudgīthamupāsītomiti hyeṣa svaranneti ||
“Now with respect to the self: worship the chief breath in the mouth as udgītha, for moving it hums Om.”
etamu evāhamabhyagāsiṣṃ tasmānmama tvameko'sīti ha kauṣītakiḥ putramuvāca prāṇāstvṃ bhūmānamabhigāyatādbahavo vai me bhaviṣyantīti ||
“'To it alone I sang' — so Kauṣītaki told his son: 'thou art one with me; sing thou the many breaths as the full — many shall be mine.'”
atha khalu ya udgīthḥ sa praṇavo yḥ praṇavḥ sa udgītha iti hotr̥ṣadanāddhaivāpi durudgīthamanusamāharatītyanusamāharatīti ||
“What is udgītha is praṇava, what is praṇava is udgītha — so even from the hotṛ's seat one retrieves a mis-sung udgītha, retrieves it.”
iti pañcamḥ khaṇḍḥ || iyamevargagniḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha़ sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma gīyata iyameva sāgniramastatsāma ||
“Here ends the fifth section. This earth is ṛc, fire sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Earth is sa, fire ama — that is sāman.”
antarikṣamevargvāyuḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma gīyate'ntarikṣameva sā vāyuramastatsāma ||
“Sky is ṛc, wind sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Sky is sa, wind ama — that is sāman.”
dyaurevargādityḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma gīyate dyaureva sādityo'mastatsāma ||
“Heaven is ṛc, sun sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Heaven is sa, sun ama — that is sāman.”
nakṣatrānyevarkcandramāḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma gīyate nakṣatrāṇyeva sā candramā amastatsāma ||
“Stars are ṛc, moon sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Stars are sa, moon ama — that is sāman.”
atha yadetadādityasya śuklṃ bhāḥ saivargatha yannīlṃ parḥ kr̥ṣṇṃ tatsāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma gīyate ||
“The sun's white light is ṛc, its deep blue-black is sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc.”
atha yadevaitadādityasya śuklṃ bhāḥ saiva sātha yannīlṃ parḥ kr̥ṣṇṃ tadamastatsāmātha ya eṣo'ntarāditye hiraṇmayḥ puruṣo dr̥śyate hiraṇyaśmaśrurhiraṇyakeśa āpraṇasvātsarva eva suvarṇḥ ||
“And the sun's white light itself is sa, its deep blue-black ama — that is sāman. And the golden person seen within the sun, golden-bearded, golden-haired, all golden to the nails.”
tasya yathā kapyāsṃ puṇḍarīkamevamakṣiṇī tasyoditi nāma sa eṣa sarvebhyḥ pāpmabhya udita udeti ha vai sarvebhyḥ pāpmabhyo ya evṃ veda ||
“His eyes are like lotuses red as the sun's orb; his name is Ut (risen) — risen above all evils. Rises above all evils who knows thus.”
tasyarkca sāma ca geṣṇau tasmādudgīthastasmāttvevodgātaitasya hi gātā sa eṣa ye cāmuṣmātparāñco lokāsteṣāṃ ceṣṭe devakāmānāṃ cetyadhidaivatam ||
“Hymn and chant are his joints, hence udgītha, hence udgātṛ — for he sings this. He rules the worlds beyond yonder sun and the gods' desires — so with respect to the gods.”
iti ṣaṣṭhḥ khaṇḍḥ || athādhyātmṃ vāgevarkprāṇḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍha sāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma gīyate| vāgeva sā prāṇo'mastatsāma ||
“Here ends the sixth section. Now with respect to the self: speech is ṛc, breath sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Speech is sa, breath ama — that is sāman.”
cakṣurevargātmā sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma gīyate | cakṣureva sātmāmastatsāma ||
“Sight is ṛc, self sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Sight is sa, self ama — that is sāman.”
śrotramevarṅmanḥ sāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma gīyate | śrotrameva sā mano'mastatsāma ||
“Hearing is ṛc, mind sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc, hence sāman is sung resting on ṛc. Hearing is sa, mind ama — that is sāman.”
atha yadetadakṣṇḥ śuklṃ bhāḥ saivargatha yannīlṃ parḥ kr̥ṣṇṃ tatsāma tadetadetasyāmr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma tasmādr̥cyadhyūḍhasāma gīyate | atha yadevaitadakṣṇḥ śuklṃ bhāḥ saiva sātha yannīlṃ parḥ kr̥ṣṇṃ tadamastatsāma ||
“The eye's white light is ṛc, its deep blue-black sāman; this sāman rests on that ṛc. And the eye's white light is sa, its deep blue-black ama — that is sāman.”
atha ya eṣo'ntarakṣiṇi puruṣo dr̥śyate saivarktatsāma tadukthṃ tadyajustadbrahma tasyaitasya tadeva rūpṃ yadamuṣya rūpṃ yāvamuṣya geṣṇau tau geṣṇau yannāma tannāma ||
“The person seen within the eye is ṛc and sāman, chant and rite and prayer; his form is as yonder's form, his joints as his joints, his name as his name.”
sa eṣa ye caitasmādarvāñco lokāsteṣāṃ ceṣṭe manuṣyakāmānāṃ ceti tadya ime vīṇāyāṃ gāyantyetṃ te gāyanti tasmātte dhanasanayḥ ||
“He rules the worlds below on this side and men's desires; those who sing to the lute sing him, hence they win wealth.”
atha ya etadevṃ vidvānsāma gāyatyubhau sa gāyati so'munaiva sa eṣa cāmuṣmātparāñco lokāstāścāpnoti devakāmāśca ||
“Who, knowing thus, sings sāman sings both — through yonder he wins the worlds beyond and the gods' desires.”
athānenaiva ye caitasmādarvāñco lokāstāścāpnoti manuṣyakāmāśca tasmādu haivṃvidudgātā brūyāt ||
“And through this (self) he wins the worlds below and men's desires. Hence the knower-udgātṛ should say:”
kṃ te kāmamāgāyānītyeṣa hyeva kāmāgānasyeṣṭe ya evṃ vidvānsāma gāyati sāma gāyati ||
“'What wish of thine shall I sing?' — for he rules the singing of wishes who, knowing thus, sings sāman.”
iti saptamḥ khaṇḍḥ || trayo hodgīthe kuśalā babhūvuḥ śilakḥ śālāvatyaścaikitāyano dālbhyḥ pravāhaṇo jaivaliriti te hocurudgīthe vai kuśalāḥ smo hantodgīthe kathāṃ vadāma iti ||
“Here ends the seventh section. Three were skilled in udgītha — Śilaka Śālāvatya, Caikitāyana Dālbhya and Pravāhaṇa Jaivali. They said, 'We are skilled in udgītha; come, let us discourse on udgītha.'”
tatheti ha samupaviviśuḥ sa ha prāvahaṇo jaivaliruvāca bhagavantāvagre vadatāṃ brāhmaṇayorvadatorvāca śroṣyāmīti ||
“'So be it,' they sat down. Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said, 'Sirs, speak ye first; I shall listen to two Brahmins discoursing.'”
sa ha śilakḥ śālāvatyaścaikitāyanṃ dālbhyamuvāca hanta tvā pr̥cchānīti pr̥ccheti hovāca ||
“Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya, 'Come, let me question thee.' 'Ask,' said he.”
kā sāmno gatiriti svara iti hovāca svarasya kā gatiriti prāṇa iti hovāca prāṇasya kā gatirityannamiti hovācānnasya kā gatirityāpa iti hovāca ||
“'What is sāman's goal?' 'Tone,' said he. 'What is tone's goal?' 'Breath.' 'What is breath's goal?' 'Food.' 'What is food's goal?' 'Waters.'”
apāṃ kā gatirityasau loka iti hovācāmuṣya lokasya kā gatiriti na svargṃ lokamiti nayediti hovāca svargṃ vayṃ loka sāmābhisṃsthāpayāmḥ svargasastāvahi sāmeti ||
“'What is the waters' goal?' 'Yonder world.' 'What is yonder world's goal?' 'One must not carry beyond heaven.' 'We establish sāman on heaven as its close, for sāman closes on heaven.'”
ta ha śilakḥ śālāvatyaścaikitāyanṃ dālbhyamuvācāpratiṣṭhitṃ vai kila te dālbhya sāma yastvetarhi brūyānmūrdhā te vipatiṣyatīti mūrdhā te vipatediti ||
“To him Śilaka said, 'Unfounded indeed is thy sāman, Dālbhya; if one now said thy head shall fall, it would fall.'”
hantāhametadbhagavato vedānīti viddhīti hovācāmuṣya lokasya kā gatirityayṃ loka iti hovācāsya lokasya kā gatiriti na pratiṣṭhāṃ lokamiti nayediti hovāca pratiṣṭhāṃ vayṃ loka sāmābhisasthāpayāmḥ pratiṣṭhāsastāva hi sāmeti ||
“'Come, let me learn it of thee, sir.' 'Know it,' said he. 'What is yonder world's goal?' 'This world.' 'What is this world's goal?' 'One must not carry beyond support.' 'We establish sāman on support as its close, for sāman closes on support.'”
ta ha pravāhaṇo jaivaliruvācāntavadvai kila te śālāvatya sāma yastvetarhi brūyānmūrdhā te vipatiṣyatīti mūrdhā te vipatediti hantāhametadbhagavato vedānīti viddhīti hovāca ||
“To him Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said, 'Finite indeed is thy sāman, Śālāvatya; if one now said thy head shall fall, it would fall. Come, let me learn it of thee, sir.' 'Know it,' said he.”
iti aṣṭamḥ khaṇḍḥ || asya lokasya kā gatirityākāśa iti hovāca sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtānyākāśādeva samutpadyanta ākāśṃ pratyastṃ yantyākāśo hyevaibhyo jyāyānakāśḥ parāyaṇam ||
“Here ends the eighth section. 'What is this world's goal?' 'Space,' said he — 'for all beings arise from space alone and set into space; space is greater than these; space is the final goal.'”
sa eṣa parovarīyānudgīthḥ sa eṣo'nantḥ parovarīyo hāsya bhavati parovarīyaso ha lokāñjayati ya etadevṃ vidvānparovarīyāsamudgīthamupāste ||
“This is the udgītha beyond the beyond, endless; beyond-beyond becomes his, he wins beyond-beyond worlds, who, knowing thus, worships the beyond-beyond udgītha.”
ta haitamatidhanvā śaunaka udaraśāṇḍilyāyoktvovāca yāvatta enṃ prajāyāmudgīthṃ vediṣyante parovarīyo haibhyastāvadasmilloke jīvanṃ bhaviṣyati ||
“Atidhanvan Śaunaka, telling it to Udaraśāṇḍilya, said: 'So long as thy offspring shall know this udgītha, so long shall their living in this world be beyond-beyond.'”
tathāmuṣmilloke loka iti sa ya etamevṃ vidvānupāste parovarīya eva hāsyāsmilloke jīvanṃ bhavati tathāmuṣmilloke loka iti loke loka iti ||
“'So too in yonder world.' Who, knowing thus, worships it — beyond-beyond indeed is his living in this world, and so in yonder world, world upon world.”
iti navamḥ khaṇḍḥ || maṭacīhateṣu kuruṣvāṭikyā saha jāyayoṣastirha cākrāyaṇa ibhyagrāme pradrāṇaka uvāsa ||
“Here ends the ninth section. Among Kurus smitten by hail, Uṣasti Cākrāyaṇa with his young wife dwelt starving in a543 elephant-driver's village.”
sa hebhyṃ kulmāṣānkhādantṃ bibhikṣe ta hovāca | neto'nye vidyante yacca ye ma ima upanihitā iti ||
“He begged beans from a driver eating them, who said, 'I have none besides what stands before me.'”
eteṣāṃ me dehīti hovāca tānasmai pradadau hantānupānamityucchiṣṭṃ vai me pītasyāditi hovāca ||
“'Give me of these,' said he; he gave them. 'Give drink too' — 'that would be drinking a leftover,' said he.”
na svidete'pyucchiṣṭā iti na vā ajīviṣyamimānakhādanniti hovāca kāmo ma udapānamiti ||
“'Are these too not leftovers?' 'I could not have lived without eating these,' said he. 'Drink is my desire.'”
sa ha khāditvātiśeṣāñjāyāyā ājahāra sāgra eva subhikṣā babhūva tānpratigr̥hya nidadhau ||
“Eating, he brought the leavings to his wife; she had already eaten well. Taking them, she set them aside.”
sa ha prātḥ sṃjihāna uvāca yadbatānnasya labhemahi labhemahi dhanamātrārājāsau yakṣyate sa mā sarvairārtvijyairvr̥ṇīteti ||
“Awaking at dawn he said, 'Alas, if we could get food — we might get wealth. The king yonder will sacrifice and choose me for all priestly offices.'”
tṃ jāyovāca hanta pata ima eva kulmāṣā iti tānkhāditvāmuṃ yajñṃ vitatameyāya ||
“His wife said, 'Come, husband, here are those beans.' Eating them, he reached the spread sacrifice.”
tatrodgātr̥̄nāstāve stoṣyamāṇānupopaviveśa sa ha prastotāramuvāca ||
“There he sat down near the chanters about to sing the prelude, and said to the prastotṛ:”
prastotaryā devatā prastāvamanvāyattā tāṃ cedavidvānprastoṣyasi mūrdhā te vipatiṣyatīti ||
“'Prastotṛ, if unknowing thou singest the prelude to its deity, thy head shall fall.'”
evamevodgātāramuvācodgātaryā devatodgīthamanvāyattā tāṃ cedavidvānudgāsyasi mūrdhā te vipatiṣyatīti ||
“So he spoke to the udgātṛ: 'Udgātṛ, if unknowing thou singest the udgītha to its deity, thy head shall fall.'”
evameva pratihartāramuvāca pratihartaryā devatā pratihāramanvāyattā tāṃ cedavidvānpratihariṣyasi mūrdhā te vipatiṣyatīti te ha samāratāstūṣṇīmāsāṃcakrire ||
“So he spoke to the pratihartṛ: 'Pratihartṛ, if unknowing thou singest the response to its deity, thy head shall fall.' They, checked, sat silent.”
iti daśamḥ khaṇḍḥ || atha hainṃ yajamāna uvāca bhagavantṃ vā ahṃ vividiṣāṇītyuṣastirasmi cākrāyaṇa iti hovāca ||
“Here ends the tenth section. Then the sacrificer said to him, 'I would know thee, sir.' 'I am Uṣasti Cākrāyaṇa,' said he.”
sa hovāca bhagavantṃ vā ahamebhiḥ sarvairārtvijyaiḥ paryaiṣiṣṃ bhagavato vā ahamavittyānyānavr̥ṣi ||
“He said, 'Sir, I sought thee for all these priestly offices; not finding thee, I chose others.'”
bhagavāstveva me sarvairārtvijyairiti tathetyatha tarhyeta eva samatisr̥ṣṭāḥ stuvatāṃ yāvattvebhyo dhanṃ dadyāstāvanmama dadyā iti tatheti ha yajamāna uvāca ||
“'Do thou, sir, perform all offices for me.' 'So be it; but let these sing, released. So much wealth as thou givest them, so much give me.' 'So be it,' said the sacrificer.”