I-iv-1: One should meditate on the syllable Om, the Udgitha, for one sings the Udgitha beginning with Om. Of this the explanation follows.
I-iv-2: Verily, the gods, being afraid of death, took refuge in the three Vedas. They covered themselves with the metrical hymns. Because they covered themselves with these, the metrical hymns are called Chandas.
I-iv-3: Just as a fisherman would see a fish in water, so did Death observe the gods in the (rites connected with) Rik, Saman and Yajus. They, too, knowing this, arose from the Rik, Saman and Yajus, and entered the Svara (the syllable Om).
I-iv-4: Verily, when one learns the Rik, he loudly pronounces ‘Om’. It is the same with Saman and with Yajus. This syllable Om is indeed Svara; it again is immortality and fearlessness. Having entered into Svara (i.e. having meditated) the gods became immortal and fearless.
I-iv-5: He who worships this syllable knowing it thus, enters this syllable, the Svara, which is immortality and fearlessness. And having entered it, he becomes immortal by that nectar, by which the gods became immortal.
I-v-1: Now, that which is Udgitha is verily Pranava and that which is Pranava is Udgitha. The yonder sun is Udgitha and also Pranava, for he moves along pronouncing ‘Om’.
I-v-2: ‘To him (the sun itself) I sung; therefore you are my only son’ thus said Kausitaki to his son. ‘Reflect upon the Udgitha as the rays of the sun, then surely, you will have many sons. This is the meditation with reference to the gods.
I-v-3: Now (is the meditation) with reference to the body: One should meditate on him who is this Prana in the mouth, as Udgitha, for he moves along pronouncing ‘Om’.
I-v-4: ‘To him (the Prana itself) did I sing; therefore you are my only son’, thus said Kausitaki to his son. “I shall get many sons”, thinking thus, sing praise to the Udgitha as the manifold Pranas.’
I-v-5: ‘Now, that which is Udgitha, is verily Pranava; and that which is Pranava, is Udgitha’, so one should think. As a result of it, even if he chants wrongly, he rectifies it by the act done from the seat of the Hotr priest.
I-vi-1: The earth is Rik, the fire is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The earth is ‘sa’, the fire is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vi-2: The sky is Rik, the air is Sama. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The sky is ‘sa’, the air is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vi-3: Heaven is Rik, the sun is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. Heaven is ‘sa’, the sun is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vi-4: The stars are Rik, the moon is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The stars are ‘sa’, the moon is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vi-5: Now, the while light of the sun is Rik, the blue (light) that is extremely dark is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik.
I-vi-6: Again, the white light of the sun is ‘sa’, the blue (light) that is extremely dark is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’. Now, that Person, effulgent as gold, who is seen within the sun, who is with golden beard and golden hair, is exceedingly effulgent even to the very tips of his nails.
I-vi-7: His eyes are bright like a red lotus. His name is ‘ut’. He has risen above all evils. Verily, he who knows thus rises above all evils.
I-vi-8: Rik and Saman are his two joints. Therefore he is Udgitha. Because the priest is the singer of this ‘ut’, he is the Udgitha. Moreover, he (this Person called ‘ut’) controls the worlds which are above that sun, as also the desires of the gods. This is with reference to the gods.
I-vii-1: Now (is the meditation) with reference to the body: Speech is Rik, Prana is Sama. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. Speech is ‘sa’, Prana is ‘ama’ and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vii-2: The eye is Rik, the self (reflected in the eye) is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The eye is ‘sa’, the self is ‘ama’, and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vii-3: The ear is Rik, the mind is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The ear is ‘sa’, the mind is ‘ama’, and that makes “Sama’.
I-vii-4: Now, the white light of the eye is Rik, the blue (light) that is extremely dark is Saman. This Saman rests upon that Rik. Therefore the Saman is sung as resting upon the Rik. The white light of the eye is ‘sa’, the blue (light) that is extremely dark is ‘ama’ and that makes ‘Sama’.
I-vii-5: Now, this person who is seen within the eye – he indeed is Rik, he is Saman, he is Uktha, he is Yajus, he is the Vedas. The form of this (person seen in the eye) is the same as the form of that (person seen in the sun). His joints are the same as those of the other; his name is the same as that of the other.
I-vii-6: That (person in the eye) is the lord of all the worlds that are extended below, as also of the desired objects of men. So those who sing on the lute, sing of him alone and thereby become endowed with wealth.
I-vii-7: Now he who sings the Saman after knowing the deity Udgitha thus, sings to both. Through that (person in the sun), he (that singer) gets the worlds beyond that sun and also the desired objects of gods.
I-vii-8-9: Similarly, through this person in the eye, one gets the worlds that are extended below this person, and also the desired objects of men. For this reason, the Udgatir priest who knows thus should ask (the sacrificer): ‘What desire shall I obtain for you by singing the Saman ?’ For he alone becomes capable of obtaining desires by singing , who knowing thus sings the Saman – yea, sings the Saman.
I-viii-1: In ancient times there were three proficient in Udgitha: Silaka the son of Salavat, Caikitayana of the Dalbhya family and Pravahana the son of Jivala. They said, ‘We are proficient in Udgitha. If you agree, let us enter on a discussion of Udgitha’.
I-viii-2: ‘Let it be so’, saying this they sat down. Then Pravahana Jaivali said, ‘You two, revered sirs, speak first; and I shall listen to the words of two Brahmanas conversing’.
I-viii-3: Then Silaka Salavatya said to Caikitayana Dalbhya, ‘If you permit, I shall question you’. ‘Question’, said he.
I-viii-4: (Silaka asked), ‘What is the essence of Saman ?’ ‘The tune’, said (Dalbhya). ‘What is the essence of the tune ?’ ‘Prana’, said (Dalbhya). ‘What is the essence of Prana ?’ ‘Food’, said (Dalbhya). ‘What is the essence of food ?’ ‘Water’, said (Dalbhya).
I-viii-5: ‘What is the essence of water ?’ ‘That (heavenly world)’, said (Dalbhya). ‘What is the essence of the world ?’ ‘One cannot carry (the Saman) beyond the heavenly world’, said Dalbhya; ‘we locate the Saman in the world of heaven, for Saman is praised as heaven’.
I-viii-6: Then Silaka Salavatya said to Caikitayana Dalbhya: ‘O Dalbhya, your Saman is not indeed established. If someone one were to say, “Your head shall fall down”, surely your head would fall down’.
I-viii-7: (Dalbhya) ‘Will you permit me, sir, to learn this of you ?’ ‘Learn’, said (Silaka). ‘What is the essence of that (heavenly) world ?’ ‘This earth’, said (Silaka), ‘What is the essence of this earth ?’ ‘One cannot carry the Saman beyond this world as its support’, said Silaka; ‘we locate the Saman in this world as its support, for Saman is extolled as the earth’.
I-viii-8: Pravahana Jaivali said to him, ‘O Salavatya, your Sama, really, has a further end. If someone now were to say, “Your head shall fall down”, surely your head would fall down. (Salavatya) ‘Will you permit me, sir, to learn (this of you ?) ‘Learn’, said (Jaivali).
I-ix-1: (Salavatya) ‘What is the essence of this world ?’ ‘Akasa’ said (Pravahana); ‘All these beings arise from Akasa alone and are finally dissolved into Akasa; because Akasa alone is greater than all these and Akasa is the support at all times.’
I-ix-2: It is this Udgitha which is progressively higher and better. This again is endless. He who, knowing thus, meditates upon the progressively higher and better Udgitha, obtains progressively higher and better lives and wins progressively higher and better worlds.
I-ix-3: Atidhanvan, the son of Sunaka, having taught this to Udarasandilya, said, ‘As long as among your descendants, this knowledge of the Udgitha continues, so long their life in this world will be progressively higher and better than ordinary lives.’
I-ix-4: ‘And in that other world also their state will be similar’. He who knows and meditates thus – his life in this world surely becomes progressively higher and better, and so also his state in that other world – yea, in that other world.