Verse 1-1

Translation by Swami Sivananda
Om. May Mitra be propitious to us, and Varuna propitious be; may Aryaman propitious be to us; propitious be Indra and Brihaspati to us; to us propitious may Vishnu of vast extent be. Bow to Brahman! Bow to Thee, Vayu! Thou art indeed Brahman perceptible. Thee indeed will I declare Brahman perceptible. The right will I declare; and I will declare the true. May That protect me; may That protect the teacher. Me may That protect; may It protect the teacher.
Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

Verse 1-2

Om! We shall now explain the science of phonetics: sounds, accent or pitch, quality or measure, the effort put in articulation, uniformity and continuity in pronouncing the letters. Thus has been declared the lesson on phonetics.

Verse 1-3-1

The pupils say: ‘May we both, teacher and disciple, have the glory and effulgence born of holy life and scriptural study.’ The teacher says ‘now we shall explain the secret of teaching of conjunction.’ This teaching is based on five perceptible objects: a) Universe, b) Luminaries, c) Learning, d) Progeny, e) Body. These they call ‘the great combinations (or blendings)’. The teachings concerning the universe is this: The earth is the prior form, the heaven (firmament) is the posterior form. Atmosphere is the junction. Air is the junction. Thus one should meditate upon the Universe.

Verse 1-3-2

Now concerning the luminaries or meditations upon fire. Fire is the prior form, the sun is the posterior form. Water is the intermediate form and lightning is the connection. That one should meditate upon light.

Now concerning knowledge: The teacher is the prior form, the taught is the posterior form, learning is the intermediate form, and the instruction is the means of joining them – thus one should meditate on learning.

Verse 1-3-3

Now concerning Progeny: Mother is the prior form, father is the posterior form, progeny is the junction and procreation is the connection – thus one should meditate upon progeny.

Verse 1-3-4

What follows is concerning the individual or the body. The lower jaw is the prior form, the upper jaw the posterior form, speech is the conjunction, the tongue the means of union – thus one should meditate upon oneself.

These are called ‘the great conjunctions’ and he who understands them as expounded here, becomes united with progeny, cattle, food and the like, and with the glory of the holy lustre wealth and heavenly joys.

Verse 1-4-1

He whose form is manifold, who is pre-eminent among the sacred hymns of the Vedas, and who has sprung up from the sacred hymns which are immortal – that Indra (Omkara) may fill me with intellectual vigour. O Lord, may I become the possessor of the immortal revelations. May my body become able and active, my speech sweet and agreeable to the utmost. May I listen abundantly with my ears. Thou art the sheath of Brahman. may you preserve my learning.

Verse 1-4-2

O Lord, afterwards let prosperity be mine, consisting in hairy animals along with cattle. May fortune produce for me without delay and for all time, bringing continuously and in ever multiplying proportions, food and drink, cloth and cattle. All along, may celibate students, thirsty to know, come to me. Svaha! May them come to me from distant places and from all directions. May the students anxious to gain the knowedge of Brahman, control their senses. May the students, anxious to live the knowedge of Brahman, be peaceful. Svaha!

Verse 1-4-3

May I become successful among the people. Svaha! – May I become superior among the rich. Svaha! – O Lord of prosperity, may I enter into Thee. Svaha! – Mayst Thou enter into me. In that Self of Thine with a thousand branches, O Lord, may I purify myself from all my sins. Svaha! – As water flows downwards, as months fly into years, so too, O creator, may students of Brahma-vidya come to me from everywhere. Svaha! – Thou art the refuge! Beam upon me! Come to me!!

Verse 1-5-1

Bhuh, Bhuvah, Suvah are three short utterances of mystical significance. In addition to these, there is of course the fourth one, Mahah, made known by seer Mahacamasya. That is Brahman. This Mahah is (compared to) body; other Gods are its limbs. Bhuh is this world. Bhuvah is the sky. Suvah is the next world. Mahah is the sun. It is by the sun that all worlds are nourished.

Verse 1-5-2

Bhuh is fire, Bhuvah is air, Suvah is the sun, Mahah is the moon. Indeed, it is by the moon that all vitalities thrive.
Bhuh is the Rk, Bhuvah is the Saman, Suvah is the Yajus, Mahah is the Brahman (as represented by the syllable Om). It is by the Brahman indeed that the Vedas thrive.

Verse 1-5-3

Bhuh is Prana. Bhuvah is Apana. Savah is Vyana. Mahah is food. Indeed it is by food that the Pranas thrive.

These above mentioned four are themselves four-fold and the four Vyahrtis are each four in number. He who knows these knows Brahman. All the Devas carry offerings unto Him.

Bhuh – 1. World 2. Fire 3. Rk. 4. Prana
Bhuvah – 1. Sky 2. Air 3. Sama 4. Apana
Suvah – 1. Next world 2. Sun 3. Yajus 4. Vyana
Mahah – 1. Sun 2. Moon 3. Om 4. Food

Verse 1-6-1

Here in this space within the heart resides the intelligent, imperishable, effulgent Purusha or Entity. Between the palates, that which hangs nipple like (the uvula) – that is the birthplace of Indra, where the root of hair is made to part, opening the skull in the centre.

Verse 1-6-2

With the word Bhuh, he stands in fire; in the air in the shape of Bhuvah; as Suvah in the sun; in the Brahman as Mahah. He obtains self-effulgence. He obtains lordship over minds; he becomes the Lord of Speeech, Lord of the eyes, Lord of the ears, the Lord of the Knowledge. Then he becomes this Brahman, whose body is space, whose nature is truth, who sports in dynamic life, prana whose mind is bliss, who is full of peace, who is immortal. Thus, O Descendant of ancient Yoga-culture, meditate.

Verse 1-7

The earth, the sky, the interspace (antariksham), the heaven, the main quarter, the intermediate quarters; the fire, the air, the sun, the moon and the stars; the waters, the herbs, the forest trees, the space and Atman – So far, regarding all living creatures. Then come those respecting the Soul (adhyatmam) – the Prana, the Vyana, the Apana, the Udana and the Samana; the eyes, the ears, the mind, the speech and the touch; the skin, the flesh, the muscles, the bones and the marrow. After analysis and determining these, the seer said: ‘All this is Paanktam or five-fold or pentadic. The one set of fivefold grouping sustains the other pentadic grouping.’

Verse 1-8

The sacred ‘Om’ sound is Brahman. All this is the syllable ‘Om’.
‘Om’ – This verily is compliance and with the chanting of Om they start their singing of the Sama verses; and with ‘Om Som’ they recite the Shastras. The Adhvaryu answers with syllable ‘Om’. With ‘Om’ the chief priest Brahma expresses his assent. One permits the offering of oblation to the fire with ‘Om’. May I obtain the Brahman – with this determination the brahmana says ‘Om’ before he begins to recite the Veda; and he does obtain the Brahman.

Verse 1-9

The practice of what is right and proper as fixed by the scriptural texts is to be done along with the reading the texts oneself and propagating the truths of the same. ‘Truth’, meaning practising in life of what is understood to be right and proper, is to be pursued along with regular studies and preaching. Penance, study and preaching; Control of the senses, study and preaching; tranquility study and preaching the ‘maintenance of fire’, study and preaching, offering of oblations in fire sacrifice, study and preaching of the Vedas; serving the guests, study and preaching; the performance of duties towards man, study and preaching; duties towards children, study and preaching; propagation of the race, study, and preaching – all these are things to be practiced sincerely.

Satyavacha the son of Rathitara, holds that truth alone is to be strictly practised. Taponitya, son of Purushista declares that penance alone is to be practised. Naaka, son of Mudgala holds the view that the study and preaching of the Vedas alone is to be practised; that verily is penance; aye, that is penance.

Verse 1-10

I am the stimulator of the tree of the Universe. My fame (glory) is high as the peaks of the mountains. High and pure am I like the essence in the sun. I am the power and the wealth, effulgent with intuition. Intelligent, imperishable and undecaying am I. This is the sacred recitation of Trishanku, after he realised the Truth.

Verse 1-11-1

Having taught the Vedas, the Guru enjoins the pupils: ‘Speak the truth, do your duty, never swerve from the study of the Vedas, do not cut off the line of descendants in your family, after giving the Guru the fee he desires. Never err from truth, never fall from duty, never overlook your own welfare, never neglect your prosperity, never neglect the study and the propagation of the Vedas.

Verse 1-11-2

Never swerve from your duties towards Gods and towards the departed souls (Manes). May the mother be, to thee, a God. May the father be to thee a God. May the Guru be to thee a God. May the guest be to thee a God.

Let only the actions that are free from blemishes be done – and not others. you must follow only those virtuous actions which are irreproachable – and not others.

Verse 1-11-3

You must not even breathe a word when those who are more distinguished than you are in discussion on spiritual matters (or, you must offer a seat to superiors and worship them with acts of reverence and love). Gifts should be given with faith; it should never be given without faith; it should be given in plenty, with modesty and with sympathy. Let there be also agreement in opinion or friendly feelings when gifts are offered.

Verse 1-11-4

Now, if there should arise any doubt regarding your acts, or any uncertainty in respect of your conduct in life, you should act in those matters exactly as those Brahmanas who are present there, who are thoughful, religious (experienced) not set on by others, not cruel (i.e. gentle) and are devoted to Dharma. And now with regard to those who are falsely accused of some crime: You should rule yourself exactly in the same manner as do the Brahmanas who are present there, who are thoughful, religious (experienced) not set on by others, not cruel (i.e. gentle) and are devoted to Dharma.

This is the command. This is the teaching. This is the secret of the Vedas. This is the commandment. This should be observed. Verily, having understood this fully, one must act in the way taught above, continuously till the last – and not otherwise.

Verse 1-12

May the Mitra (Sun) be good to us. May Varuna be good to us. May Aryama be good to us. May Indra and Brhaspati be good to us. May the all-pervading Vishnu be good to us. Prostrations (salutations) to the Brahman. Prostrations to thee O Vayu. Thou indeed, art the visible Brahman. Thee I have declared the ‘Good’. That has protected me. That has protected the teacher.

Om Peace! Peace! Peace!