Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Brahmana 3
The gods (devd) and the devils (asurd) were the twofold offspring of Prajapati. Of these the gods were the younger, the devils the older. They were struggling with each other for these worlds. The gods said • * Come, let us overcome the devils at the sacrifice with the Udgitha.' 2
They said to Speech: c Sing for us the Udgitha. 'So be it/ said Speech, and sang for them. Whatever pleasure there is in speech, that it sang for the gods; what- ever good one speaks, that for itself. They [i. e. the devils] knew: ' Verily, by this singer they will overcome us.' They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil was the improper thing that one speaks. That was the evil.
Then they [i.e. the gods] said to the In-breath (prana): c Sing for us the Udgitha.' e So' be it/ said the In-breath, and sang for them. Whatever pleasure there is in the in-breath, that it sang for the gods; whatever good one breathes in, that for itself. They [i.e. the devils] knew: 'Verily, by this singer they will overcome us.' They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil That evil was the improper thing thai one breathes in. This, truly, was that evil.
Then they [i.e. the gods] said to the Eye: cSing for us the Udgitha.' cSo be it/ said the Eye, and sang for them. Whatever pleasure there is in the eye, that it sang for the gods; what- ever good one sees, that for itself. They [i.e. the devils] knew: 'Verily, by this singer they will overcome us/ They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil was the improper thing that one sees. This, truly, was that evil.
Then they [i. e. the gods] said to the Ear: * Sing for us the Udgltha/ ' So be it/ said the Ear, and sang for them. Whatever pleasure there is in the ear, that it sang for the gods; whatever good one hears, that for itself. They [i.e. the devils] knew. 'Verily, by this singer they will overcome us/ They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil was the improper thing that one hears. This, truly, was that evil.
Then they [i.e. the gods] said to the Mind: ' Sing for us the Udgltha/ c So be it/ said the Mind, and sang for them. Whatever pleasure there is in the mind, that it sang for the gods, what- ever good one imagines, that for itself. They [i.e. the devils] knew: 'Verily, by this singer they will overcome us/ They rushed upon him and pierced him with evil. That evil was the improper thing that one imagines. This, truly, was that evil. And thus they let out upon these divinities with evil, they pierced them with evil.
Then they [i.e. the gods] said to this Breath in the mouth: ' Sing for us the Udgltha/ They [i.e. the devils] knew: c Verily, by this singer they will overcome us/ They rushed upon him and desired to pierce him with evil. As a clod of earth would be scattered by striking on a stone, even so they were scattered in all directions and perished. Therefore the gods increased, the demons became inferior. He increases with himself, a hateful enemy becomes inferior for him who knows this.
Then they said, * What, pray, has become of him who stuck to us thus? ' c This one here (ay am) is within the mouth (asyd)! ' He is called Ayasya Angirasa, for he is the essence (rasa) of the limbs (ahgct).
Verily, that divinity is Dur by name, for death is far (durani) from it. From him who knows this, death is far.
Verily, that divinity having struck off the evil of these divinities, even death, made this go to where is the end of the quarters of heaven. There it set down their evils. Therefore one should not go to [foreign] people, one should not go to the end [of the earth], lest he fall in with evil, with death.
Verily, that divinity by striking off the evil, the death, of those divinities carried them beyond death.
Verily, it carried Speech over as the first. When that was freed from death, it became fire. This fire, when it has crossed beyond death, shines forth.
Likewise it carried Smell across. When that was freed from death, it became wind. This wind, when it has crossed beyond death, purifies.
Likewise it carried the Eye across. When that was freed from death, it became the sun. That sun, when it has crossed beyond death, glows.
Likewise it carried the Ear across. When that was freed from death, it became the quarters of heaven. These quarters of heaven have crossed beyond death. 1 6. Likewise it carried the Mind across. When that was freed from death, it became the moon. That moon, when it has crossed beyond death, shines. Thus, verily, that divinity carries beyond death him who knows this.
Then it [i.e. breath] sang out food for itself, for what- ever food is eaten is eaten by it. Hereon one is established. 1 8. Those gods said: c Of such extent, verily, is this universe as food. You have sung it into your own possession. Give us an after-share in this food.' fore whatever food one eats by this breath, these are satisfied by It. Thus, verily, his people come to him, he becomes the supporter of his people, their chief, foremost leader, an eater of food, an overlord— he who knows this. And whoever among his people desires to be the equal of him who has this knowledge suffices not for his dependents. But whoever follows after him and whoever, following after him, desiies to support ^his dependents, he truly suffices for his dependents.
He is Ayasya Angirasa, for he is the essence (rasa) of the limbs (anga). Verily, breath is the essence of the limbs, for vcnly breath is the essence of the limbs. Therefore from whatever limb the breath departs, that indeed dries up, for it is verily the essence of the limbs. so. And also it is Brihaspati. The Brihati l is speech. He is her lord (pati), and is therefore Brihaspati.
1. And it is also Brahmanaspati. Prayer (brahman)? verily, is speech. He is her lord (pati), and is therefore Brah- manaspati. A glorification of the Chant as breath
2. And it is also the Sama-Veda. The Chant (saman\ verily, is speech. It is sa (she) and ama (he). That is the origin of the word sdman. Or because it is equal (sama) to a gnat, equal to a fly, equal to an elephant, equal to these three worlds, equal to this uni- verse, therefore, indeed; it is the Sama-Veda. He obtains intimate union with the Saman, he wins its world who knows thus that Saman.
And it is also the Udgitha. The breath verily is up (uj) for by breath this whole world is upheld (ut-tabdha}. Song (glthd), verily, is speech; ut and githa— that is Udgitha.
As also Brahmadatta Caikitaneya, while partaking of King [Soma], said: 'Let this king cause this man's head to fall off, if Ayasya Angirasa sang the Udgitha with any other means than that, for/ said he, 'only with speech and with breath did he sing the Udgitha/
He who knows the property of that Saman has that property. Its property, truly, is tone. Therefore let him who is about to perform the duties of an Ritvij priest desire a good itself. tone in his voice. Being possessed of such a voice, let him perform the duties of the Ritvij priest. Therefore people desire to see at the sacrifice one who has a good tone, as being one who has a possession. He has a possession who knows thus the property of the Saman.
He who knows the gold of that Saman comes to have gold. The tone (svara), verily, is its gold. He comes to have gold who knows thus that gold of the Saman.
He who knows the suppoit of that Saman is indeed supported. Voice, verily, is its support, for when supported on voice the breath sings. But some say it is supported on food. Prayers to accompany an intelligent performance of the Chant
Now next, the praying of the puiificatory formulas (pavamana). — The Prastotri priest (Praiser), verily, begins to praise with the Chant (sdman). When he begins to praise, then let [the sacrlficer] mutter the following: — ' From the unreal (asaf) lead me to the real (sat) I From darkness lead me to light! From death lead me to immortality ' ' When he says ' From the unreal lead me to the real/ the unreal, verily, is death, the real is immortality. * From death lead me to immortality. Make me immortal ' — that is what he says. death, the light is immortality. ' From death lead me to im- mortality. Make me immortal ' — that is what he says. ' From death lead me to immortality '—there is nothing there that seems obscure. Now whatever other verses there are of a hymn of praise (stotra), in them one may win food for himself by singing. And, therefore, in them he should choose a boon, whatever desire he may desire. That Udgatri priest who knows this — whatever desire he desires, either for himself or for the sacri- ficer, that he obtains by singing. This, indeed, is world-con- quering. There is no prospect of his being without a world who knows thus this Saman.