(15) Yama said: 'That word (or place) which all the Vedas record, which all penances proclaim, which men desire when they live as religious students, that word I tell thee briefly, it is Om.'

(1) 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.

(5) The threefold offspring- of Prajapati — gods, men, and devils (asura)— dwelt with their father Prajapati as students of sacred knowledge (brahviacarya). Having lived the life of a student of sacred knowledge, the gods said: ' Speak to us, Sir/ To them then he spoke this syllable, 'Da.' £ Did you understand? ' ' We did understand/ said they. ' You said to us? ct Restrain yourselves (damyata)? ' ' Yes (Om)! ' said he. « You did understand/

(16) 'That (imperishable) syllable means Brahman, that syllable means the highest (Brahman); he who knows that syllable, whatever he desires, is his.'

(5) The head of the person who is here in the right eye is Bhur— there is one head, this is one syllable. BJmvar is the arms — there are two arms, these are two syllables. Svar is the feet — there are two feet, these are two syllables (su-ar). The mystic name (upanisad) thereof is * I ' (akam). He slays evil, he leaves it behind ( */ka) who knows this.

(1) These same are the three Vedas. The Rig-Veda is Speech. The Yajur-Veda is Mind. The Sama-Veda is Breath.

(2) It is — as, from a fire laid with damp fuel, clouds of smoke separately issue forth, so, lo, verily, from this great Being (bkutd) has been breathed foith that which is Rig- Veda, Yajur- Veda, Sama-Veda, [Hymns] of the Atharvans and Angirascs, Legend (itihasa), Ancient Lore (pitrand)> Sciences (vidya), Mystic Doctrines (^m^rf), Verses (sloka), Aphorisms (sutra), desert '; so also in all the following similar sentences. Cf. Bnh. 4. 5. 7. 2 A designation of the Atharva-Veda. Explanations (amivydkkydua)> and Commentaries (vyakhyana). From it, indeed, are all these breathed foith. ii. It is — as of all waters the uniting-point is the sea, so of all touches the uniting-point is the skin, so of all tastes the uniting-point is the tongue, so of all smells the uniting-point is the nostrils, so of all forms the uniting-point is the eye, so of all sounds the uniting-point is the ear, so of all intentions (samkalpa) the uniting-point is the mind (manas\ so of all knowledges the uniting-point is the heart, so of all acts (karma) the uniting-point is the hands, so of all pleasures (ananda) the uniting-point is the generative organ, so of all evacuations the uniting-point Is the anus, so of all journeys the uniting-point is the feet, so of all the Vedas the uniting-point is speech. 12,. It is — as a lump of salt cast in water would dissolve right- into the water; there would not be [any] 2 of it to seize forth, as it were (iva), but wherever one may take, it is salty indeed — so, lo, verily, this great Being (bhuta\ infinite, limitless, is just a mass of knowledge (vijnana-ghana). Arising out of these elements (bkuta), into them also one vanishes away. After death there is no consciousness (na pretya samjna *sti). Thus, lo, say I.' Thus spake Yajnavalkya.

(1) Om!—This syllable is this whole world. Its further explanation is:— The past, the present, the future—everything is just the word Om. And whatever else that transcends threefold time—that, too, is just the word Om.

(17) Therefore, with the utterance of 'Om,' are the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures, always begun by the students of Brahman.

(17) "OM, TAT, SAT": this has been taught to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were created of old the brâhmanas and the Vedas and the sacrifices.