Adoration to Brahman! Adoration to thee, O Vāyu (air)! Thou indeed art the visible Brahman. I shall proclaim thee alone as the visible Brahman. I shall proclaim the right. I shall proclaim the true (scil. Brahman).
May glory come to both of us (teacher and pupil) together! May Vedic light belong to both of us!
First, with regard to the worlds. The earth is the former element, heaven the latter, ether their union;
That union takes place through Vāyu (air). So much with regard to the worlds.
Next, with regard to the heavenly lights. Agni (fire) is the former element, Āditya (the sun) the latter, water their union. That union takes place through lightning. So much with regard to the heavenly lights.
Next, with regard to knowledge. The teacher is the former element,
The pupil the latter, knowledge their union. That union takes place through the recitation of the Veda. So much with regard to knowledge.
Next, with regard to offspring. The mother is the former element, the father the latter, offspring their union. That union takes place through procreation. So much with regard to offspring.
Next, with regard to the self (body). The lower jaw is the former element, the upper jaw the latter, speech their union. That union takes place through speech. So much with regard to the Self. These are the great Saṃhitās. He who knows these Saṃhitās (unions), as here explained, becomes united with offspring, cattle, Vedic light, food, and with the heavenly world.
She (Śrī, happiness) brings near and spreads,
And makes, without delay, garments for herself, cows, food, and drink at all times; therefore bring that Śrī (happiness) hither to me, the woolly, with her cattle! Svāhā! May the Brahman-students come to me, Svāhā! May they come from all sides, Svāhā! May they come forth to me, Svāhā! May they practise restraint, Svāhā! May they enjoy peace, Svāhā!
May I be a glory among men, Svāhā! May I be better than the richest, Svāhā! May I enter into thee, O treasure (Om), Svāhā! Thou, O treasure, enter into me, Svāhā! In thee, consisting of a thousand branches, in thee, O treasure, I am cleansed, Svāhā! As water runs downward, as the months go to the year, so, O preserver of the world, may Brahman-students always come to me from all sides, Svāhā!
(1) Thou art a refuge! Enlighten me! Take possession of me!
Bhū is this world, Bhuvas is the sky, Suvas is the other world.
Mahas is the sun. All the worlds are increased by the sun. Bhū is Agni (fire), Bhuvas is Vāyu (air), Suvas is Āditya (sun). Mahas is the moon. All the heavenly lights are increased by the moon.
Bhū is the Ṛc-verses, Bhuvas is the Sāman-verses, Suvas is the Yajus-verses.
Mahas is Brahman. All the Vedas are increased by the Brahman.
(1-2) Bhū is Prāṇa (up-breathing), Bhuvas is Apāna, (down-breathing), Suvas is Vyāna (back-breathing). Mahas is food. All breathings are increased by food.
Thus there are these four times four, the four and four sacred interjections. He who knows these,
(1-2) Knows the Brahman. All Devas bring offerings to him.
There is the ether within the heart, and in it there is the Person (purusha) consisting of mind, immortal, golden.
Saying Suvas, he enters Āditya (sun); saying Mahas, he enters Brahman. He there obtains lordship, he reaches the lord of the mind. He becomes lord of speech, lord of sight, lord of hearing, lord of knowledge. Nay, more than this. There is the Brahman whose body is ether, whose nature is true, rejoicing in the senses (prāṇa), delighted in the mind, perfect in peace, and immortal.
(1) Worship thus, O Prācīnayogya!
‘The earth, the sky, heaven, the four quarters, and the intermediate quarters,’—’Agni (fire), Vāyu (air), Āditya (sun), Candramas (moon), and the stars,’—’Water, herbs, trees, ether, the universal Self (virāj),’—so much with reference to material objects (bhūta).
Now with reference to the self (the body): ‘Prāṇa (up-breathing), Apāna (down-breathing), Vyāna (back-breathing), Udāna (out-breathing), and Samāṇa (on-breathing),’—’The eye, the ear, mind, speech, and touch,’—’The skin, flesh, muscle, bone, and marrow.’ Having dwelt on this (fivefold arrangement of the worlds, the gods, beings, breathings, senses, and elements of the body), a Ṛshi said: ‘Whatever exists is fivefold (pāṅkta) .’
(1) By means of the one fivefold set (that referring to the body) he completes the other fivefold set.
Om means Brahman. 2. Om means all this. 3. Om means obedience. When they have been told, ‘Om, speak,’ they speak. 4. After Om they sing Sāmans. 5. After Om they recite hymns. 6. After Om the Adhvaryu gives the response. 7. After Om the Brahman-priest gives orders. 8. After Om he (the sacrificer) allows the performance of the Agnihotra. 9. When a Brāhmaṇa is going to begin his lecture, he says, 10. ‘Om, may I acquire Brahman (the Veda).’ He thus acquires the Veda.
(What is necessary?) The night, and learning and practising the Veda. The true, and learning and practising the Veda. Penance, and learning and practising the Veda. Restraint, and learning and practising the Veda. Tranquillity, and learning and practising the Veda. The fires (to be consecrated), and learning and practising the Veda. The Agnihotra sacrifice, and learning and practising the Veda. Guests (to be entertained), and learning and practising the Veda. Man’s duty, and learning and practising the Veda. Children, and learning and practising the Veda.
(1-6) Marriage, and learning and practising the Veda. Children’s children, and learning and practising the Veda.
Satyavacas Rāthītara thinks that the true only is necessary. Taponitya Pauraśishṭi thinks that penance only is necessary. Nāka Maudgalya thinks that learning and practising the Veda only are necessary,—for that is penance, that is penance.