Section 1.3

1.3.1 Prajapati's children were of two kinds, gods and Asuras. Of these, the gods were fewer, the Asuras more numerous. They contended for these worlds. The gods said, "Come, let us overcome the Asuras in the sacrifice through the Udgitha chant."

1.3.2 They said to speech, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," speech said, and sang the Udgitha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in speech, it sang for the gods; whatever good it speaks, it kept for itself. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil is precisely this: the unbecoming things one says. That is the evil.

1.3.3 Then they said to the breath in the nose, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," the breath said, and sang the Udgitha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in the breath, it sang for the gods; whatever good it smells, it kept for itself. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil is precisely this: the unbecoming things one smells. That is the evil.

1.3.4 Then they said to sight, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," sight said, and sang the Udgitha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in sight, it sang for the gods; whatever good it sees, it kept for itself. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil is precisely this: the unbecoming things one sees. That is the evil.

1.3.5 Then they said to hearing, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," hearing said, and sang the Udgitha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in hearing, it sang for the gods; whatever good it hears, it kept for itself. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. What is that evil? The unbecoming things one hears. That is the evil.

1.3.6 Then they said to mind, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," mind said, and sang the Udgitha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in mind, it sang for the gods; whatever good it conceives, it kept for itself. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. What is that evil? The unbecoming things one conceives. That is the evil. In this way they afflicted these deities with evils; in this way they pierced them with evil.

1.3.7 Then they said to this breath within the mouth, "Sing the Udgitha for us." "Yes," this breath said, and sang the Udgitha for them. The Asuras realized, "With this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and tried to pierce it with evil. But as a clod of earth shatters when it strikes a stone, they shattered and perished, scattered in every direction. Then the gods prospered, and the Asuras were defeated. Whoever knows this prospers in person, while the hostile rival who hates that person is defeated.

1.3.8 They said, "Where was the one who held us fast in this way?" "Here, within the mouth." He is Ayasya Angirasa, for he is the essence of the limbs.

1.3.9 This deity is named Dur, the Distant, for death is far from it. Death is far from whoever knows this.

1.3.10 This deity struck away evil—death—from these deities and carried it to the farthest limits of these directions. There it laid down their evils. Therefore one should not go to those people or to the farthest limits, lest one meet with evil, with death.

1.3.11 Having struck away evil—death—from these deities, this deity carried them beyond death.

1.3.12 It carried speech across first. When speech was freed from death, it became fire. This fire shines beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.13 Then it carried the breath in the nose across. When that breath was freed from death, it became wind. This wind blows beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.14 Then it carried sight across. When sight was freed from death, it became the sun. That sun gives heat beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.15 Then it carried hearing across. When hearing was freed from death, it became the directions. These directions are beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.16 Then it carried mind across. When mind was freed from death, it became the moon. That moon shines beyond death, having passed beyond it. In just this way, this deity carries whoever knows this beyond death.

1.3.17 Then it sang food for itself to eat. Whatever food is eaten is eaten by this breath alone; in it the food comes to rest.

1.3.18 The gods said, "All this is only as much as the food there is, and you have sung it for yourself. Give us a share in this food." "Then gather around me," it said. "Yes," they said, and settled all around it. Therefore, when one eats food through this breath, these faculties are satisfied by it. In just this way, the kin of one who knows this gather around that person, who becomes their supporter, their foremost member, their leader, an eater of food, their overlord. Anyone who tries to rival such a knower among that person's own kin cannot support their dependents. But anyone who follows that person, or who wishes to support dependents by following that person, can indeed support them.

1.3.19 He is Ayasya Angirasa, for he is the essence of the limbs. Breath is the essence of the limbs. Breath is indeed the essence of the limbs. Therefore, whatever limb breath leaves withers away. It is indeed the essence of the limbs.

1.3.20 It is also Brihaspati. Speech is Brihati, and it is her lord; therefore it is Brihaspati.

1.3.21 It is also Brahmanaspati. Speech is the sacred formula, and it is her lord; therefore it is Brahmanaspati.

1.3.22 It is also the Saman chant. Speech is sa, and this breath is ama: that is why Saman is called Saman. It is also equal to a termite, equal to a mosquito, equal to an elephant, equal to these three worlds, equal to all this; therefore it is Saman, the equal. Whoever knows this Saman in this way attains union with Saman and shares its world.

1.3.23 It is also Udgitha. Breath is ut, for by breath all this is held up. Speech is githa, song. Ut and githa: that is Udgitha.

1.3.24 On this matter Brahmadatta Chaikitaneya said, while drinking King Soma, "Let this king make my head fall off if Ayasya Angirasa sang the Udgitha with anything other than this breath!" For with speech and breath he sang the Udgitha.

1.3.25 Whoever knows the wealth of this Saman comes to possess wealth. Its wealth is tone. Therefore someone intending to serve as a priest should seek a resonant tone of voice, and should perform the priestly office with a voice endowed with tone. Therefore at a sacrifice people wish to see someone with a resonant voice—and someone who has wealth. Whoever knows the wealth of Saman in this way comes to possess wealth.

1.3.26 Whoever knows the gold of this Saman comes to possess gold. Its gold is tone. Whoever knows the gold of Saman in this way comes to possess gold.

1.3.27 Whoever knows the resting place of this Saman finds a firm resting place. Its resting place is speech, for this breath rests upon speech as it is sung. Some, however, say, "Upon food."

1.3.28 Now comes the ascent through the Pavamana chants. The Prastotri begins the Saman chant. When he begins, one should recite these words quietly:

"From the unreal lead me to the real.From darkness lead me to light.From death lead me to immortality."

When one says, "From the unreal lead me to the real," the unreal is death and the real is immortality. It means just this: "From death lead me to immortality; make me immortal." When one says, "From darkness lead me to light," darkness is death and light is immortality. It means just this: "From death lead me to immortality; make me immortal." In "From death lead me to immortality," nothing is concealed.

Then, in the other chants of praise, one should sing food for oneself to eat. Therefore, during those chants, one should choose a boon—whatever one desires. A Udgatri who knows this sings into being whatever he desires, for himself or for the sacrificer. This indeed wins a world. Whoever knows this Saman in this way has no fear of being left without a world.

1.3.1 Prajapati's children were of two kinds: gods and Asuras. The gods were the smaller group, and the Asuras the larger.They competed for these worlds.The gods said, "Come, let's overcome the Asuras through the Udgitha chant at the sacrifice."

1.3.2 They told speech, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," speech said, and sang for them.It sang for the gods the enjoyment found in speech.But the good things it said, it kept for itself.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at speech and pierced it with evil.That evil is the improper things that people say.That is the evil they put into speech.

1.3.3 Then they told the sense of smell, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," it said, and sang for them.It sang for the gods the enjoyment found in smelling.But the good things it smelled, it kept for itself.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at it and pierced it with evil.That evil is the improper things that people smell.That is the evil they put into it.

1.3.4 Then they told sight, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," sight said, and sang for them.It sang for the gods the enjoyment found in seeing.But the good things it saw, it kept for itself.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at sight and pierced it with evil.That evil is the improper things that people see.That is the evil they put into sight.

1.3.5 Then they told hearing, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," hearing said, and sang for them.It sang for the gods the enjoyment found in hearing.But the good things it heard, it kept for itself.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at hearing and pierced it with evil.What was that evil?The improper things that people hear.That is the evil they put into hearing.

1.3.6 Then they told the mind, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," the mind said, and sang for them.It sang for the gods the enjoyment found in thinking.But the good things it thought, it kept for itself.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at the mind and pierced it with evil.What was that evil?The improper things that people think.That is the evil they put into the mind.In this way they infected these gods with evils.In this way they pierced them with evil.

1.3.7 Then they told the breath in the mouth, "Sing the chant for us.""Yes," this breath said, and sang for them.The Asuras realized, "They will overcome us with this singer."They rushed at it and tried to pierce it with evil.But they broke apart and scattered in all directions, like a clod of earth that breaks apart when it strikes a rock.Then the gods succeeded, and the Asuras were defeated.Anyone who knows this succeeds, and the relative who hates them is defeated.

1.3.8 They said, "Where was the one who attached us to himself in this way?""Here, inside the mouth," they answered.He is Ayasya Angirasa: he is the essence, rasa, of the limbs, anga.

1.3.9 This god is called Dur, the distant one.Death is far away from it.Death stays far away from anyone who knows this.

1.3.10 This god drove evil, which is death, away from these gods and took it to the ends of the directions.There it put down their evils.That is why a person should not go to those people or to the outer boundary, thinking, "I must not come upon evil, which is death."

1.3.11 After driving evil, which is death, away from these gods, this god carried them beyond death.

1.3.12 First it carried speech across.When speech was freed from death, it became fire.This fire shines beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.13 Then it carried the sense of smell across.When it was freed from death, it became wind.This wind blows beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.14 Then it carried sight across.When sight was freed from death, it became the sun.That sun shines beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.15 Then it carried hearing across.When hearing was freed from death, it became the directions.These directions are beyond death, having passed beyond it.

1.3.16 Then it carried the mind across.When the mind was freed from death, it became the moon.That moon shines beyond death, having passed beyond it.This god carries anyone who knows this beyond death in the same way.

1.3.17 Then it sang for its own supply of food.Whatever food is eaten is eaten through this breath.It finds its support here.

1.3.18 The gods said,"Food is all there is.You have sung it for yourself.Give us a share in this food.""Then gather around me," it said."Yes," they said, and sat down all around it.That is why these faculties are satisfied by the food a person eats through this breath.The relatives of anyone who knows this gather around them in the same way. That person supports their relatives, becomes the best among them and their leader, and has food to eat and authority.Anyone who tries to rival a person with this knowledge among that person's relatives cannot support their own dependents.But anyone who follows such a person, or wants to support dependents after their example, can support them.

1.3.19 This is Ayasya Angirasa, because it is the essence of the limbs.Breath is the essence of the limbs.Breath really is the essence of the limbs.That is why any limb dries up when breath leaves it.Breath is the essence of the limbs.

1.3.20 It is also Brihaspati.Speech is Brihati.Breath is its lord, pati. That is why it is Brihaspati.

1.3.21 It is also Brahmanaspati.Speech is brahman, sacred utterance.Breath is its lord, pati. That is why it is Brahmanaspati.

1.3.22 It is also the Saman chant.Speech is sa, and breath is ama. This is why saman has its name.Also, it is equal, sama, in a termite, a mosquito, and an elephant; equal to these three worlds, and equal to all this. That too is why it is saman.Anyone who knows the Saman in this way becomes united with it and shares its world.

1.3.23 It is also the Udgitha chant.Breath is ut, up, because breath holds up everything here.Speech is githa, song.Ut and githa togethermake Udgitha.

1.3.24 While drinking the Soma king, Brahmadatta Chaikitaneya once said,"Let this king split my head if Ayasya Angirasa sang the chant with anything other than this breath."For he sang with speech and breath.

1.3.25 Anyone who knows the wealth of this Saman gains wealth.Its tone, svara, is its wealth, sva.That is why someone about to serve as a priest should look for a good tone in their voice.They should perform their priestly duties with a voice that has that tone.That is why people at a sacrifice want to see someone with a resonant voice.They also want to see someone who has wealth.Anyone who knows the wealth of this Saman gains wealth.

1.3.26 Anyone who knows the gold of this Saman gains gold.Its tone is its gold.Anyone who knows the gold of this Saman gains gold.

1.3.27 Anyone who knows the foundation of this Saman stands firmly.Speech is its foundation.For this breath rests on speech when it is sung.Some say that it rests on food.

1.3.28 Now comes the ascent through the Pavamana chants.The Prastotri priest begins the Saman.When he begins, the sacrificer should quietly recite these words:"Take me from the unreal to the real. Take me from darkness to light. Take me from death to immortality."When he says, "Take me from the unreal to the real,"the unreal is death, and the real is immortality. He is saying, "Take me from death to immortality. Make me immortal."When he says, "Take me from darkness to light,"darkness is death, and light is immortality. He is saying, "Take me from death to immortality. Make me immortal."When he says, "Take me from death to immortality,"there is nothing hidden in the meaning.In the other chants, the singer should sing for his own supply of food.That is why he should choose a blessing in those chants:whatever he desires.A Udgatri singer who knows this sings whatever he desires, either for himself or for the person offering the sacrifice.This wins a world.Anyone who knows this Saman cannot be left without a world.