First Adhyaya, Fifth Khanda (5 mantras)

Mantra 1.5.1.

1. “Now indeed” (says a Mantra) “He who is Udgītha is (also) Praṇava, He who is Praṇava is (also) Udgītha.” This Lord residing in the Solar Prāṇa is verily Udgītha and He also is Praṇava. He goes sounding Om (to teach all creatures His Ineffable Name.)—40.

[Note.—Udgīthaḥ—the Udgītha called Viṣṇu, i.e., the Udgītha is called Praṇava and the Praṇava is called Udgītha, there being no distinction between Praṇava and Udgītha. Because the followers of the Ṛk Veda chiefly use Praṇava and the followers of Sāma Veda chiefly use Udgītha. Both words are intended for Viṣṇu.]

[Note.—Iti—thus. It indicates the end of the mantra. The quotation ends here. The Śruti next gives the etymological meaning of these two words, Praṇava and Udgītha.]

[Note.—Āditya, next the Chief Vāyu presiding over the sun; and lastly, the Lord Hari who is inside that Chief Vāyu.]

[Note.—Udgīthaḥ—is Udgītha, i.e., Hari who is inside that Chief Vāyu in the sun is Udgītha, because He is sung as the most High.]

[Note.—Praṇavaḥ is called also Praṇava because He is superior (pra) to all; because He is Leader (ṇa) of all, and Goal (va) of all. therefore though Udgītha was the name given to the Lord in His aspect as dwelling in man. He should be worshiped under that name as dwelling in the Solar Prāṇa also.]

[Note.—Svaran—sounding, reciting. The Lord moves through the universe reciting His own name Om, in order to teach others to do the same.]

Note.—The meditation (worship) on Praṇava and Udgītha has been mentioned already. But lest one should think that these two are different, the Śruti now declares their identity, by quoting a Mantra “Yaḥ Udgītha sa Praṇavaḥ, Yaḥ Praṇavaḥ sa Udgītha.” The repetition in the converse form indicates absolute co-extensiveness of these two propositions. Otherwise their identity would not be established. To prove the identity of A and B we must assert not only “all A is B” but also “all B is A.”

He who meditates on this one syllable Om, gets one son and also gets release. Bui he who meditates on Udgītha as residing in these rays of the Solar Prāṇa, obtains many sons, as well as release. /

It has been mentioned just now that by worshipping the Lord in the Solar Prāṇa, the worshipper gets one son while worshipping Him in the rays of the Solar Prāṇa, he obtains many sons. In order to make this statement credible, the Śruti gives a narrative in the next mantra.

Mantra 1.5.2.

2. “As I sang praises to this (aspect of the Lord) alone, (i.e., that Viṣṇu who is inside the Chief Vāyu, the presiding deity over the orb of the sun and not to that Viṣṇu. who is inside the Chief Vāyu, the presiding deity over the rays of the sun), so I have got thee as the only son,” thus said Kauṣitaki to his son: “Do thou sing praises to (Viṣṇu who is inside the Chief Vāyu, the presiding deity of the rays of the sun), then many sons will be born to thee.” This is the fruit of adhidaivata worship, (or this is the adhidaivata fruit of worship)—41.

Mantra 1.5.3.

3. Let him meditate on Viṣṇu as Udgītha presiding in the Chief Prāṇa, in the mouth, for reciting Om moves Viṣṇu. This is adhyātma (psychological).—42.

Note.—The sentence “Now indeed, He who is Udgītha is Praṇava, He who is Praṇava is Udgītha” is further explained in this mantra. That sentence should be read as a part of this mantra also.

Mantra 1.5.4.

4. “I sang praises to this (Viṣṇu in the Chief Prāṇa) alone; therefore, thou art my only son,” said Kauṣītaki to his son. “But sing thou fully the praises of the Infinite Lord, in all the Prāṇas, for thereby verily many sons will be born to thee.”—43.

Mantra 1.5.5.

5. He who knows that the Praṇava is the Udgītha and the Udgītha is the Praṇava, i.e., there is no distinction between Praṇava and Udgītha, meditating on the Lord wlio presides over the fire, rectifies the mistakes, i.e., rectifi.es the mistakes of wrong singing.—44.

[Note.—Udgīthaḥ—the Udgītha; called Viṣṇu, i.e., the Udgītha is called Praṇava, and the Praṇava is called Udgītha; there being no distinction between Praṇava and Udgītha, because the followers of the Ṛk-Veda chiefly use Praṇava and the followers of the Sāma-Veda chiefly use Udgītha. Both words are intended for Viṣṇu.]

[Note.—Hotṛṣadanāt—from (meditating on) Hotṛṣadana (Hotṛ-ṣadana); meditating on the Lord Viṣṇu who presides over the fire.]

Note.—The old commentators have explained the word Hotṛ Sadanāt as Writes appertaining to the Hotṛ priest” and they mean that he rectifies the evil effects of wrong singing from the works done by the Hotṛ priest. This is wrong. It means ‘the refuge of the Hotṛ priest, i.e., fire, the Lord dwelling in the fire is said to be ‘Hotṛ Sadana.’ The force of the ablative case indicates that a word like Dhyātvā is understood here. This verse teaches the meditation in order to remove the sin caused by wrong singing through mistake or heedlessness, or dropping proper accent.

Madhva’s commentary called the Bhāṣya:

Having described the worship of the Supreme Lord, called the Udgītha, in the Chief Prāṇa, both psychologically, and cosmologically, this Khaṇḍa relates a story as to the fruit of the worship. Having recited a Text showing the identity of Praṇava and Udgītha, and having answered the doubt as to what is Udgītha and what is Praṇava, this Khaṇḍa mentions the fact that the Lord in the Solar Prāṇa is both Udgītha and Praṇava

The Vāyu resides in the Sun, (in his one aspect); and Hari, the Lord, resides in such Vāyu and is called Praṇava, because He is the highest (pra); because He is the Leader of all (netṛ); because He is the goal (va) of all. The Lord is called Udgītha, because He is praised or sung (gīya) loudly or highly or as the best of all (uccaiḥ). He is the highest of all persons, called the Puruṣottama. He who dwells within the Prāṇa in this body, He is verily (the Lord Hari called Praṇava and the Udgītha.) In this body, constantly reciting Om, He is the Lord that moves in all, therefore, meditating on this One Imperishable Lord, one obtains one son and gets salvation. He who meditates on Him in the rays of the Prāṇa, gets many sons and also salvation; therefore let him meditate thus on the Supreme.

The phrase “praise the great Prāṇa the Bhūmānam” in the Mantra 4, does not mean that Prāṇa is the Bhūmā:—a mistake, which has been made by older commentators; therefore, the Commentator says:—

Let him praise the Lord of all, as Bhūmā, the Infinite, the Full; in the Prāṇa or as dwelling in the Prāṇa.

Though in the Śruti the word Abhigāyatāt is in third person singular, yet it must be explained as in the second person, because the word Tvam or Thou precedes it. Hence the Commentator has explained this word in the second person by using.—

“Abhigāya” “Sing Thou or Ye,” the Infinite as residing in the Prāṇa.

In the Mantra 5, the words Hotṛ-Sadanāt, etc., have been explained by former Commentators as “sitting from the seat of the Hotṛ Priest he rectifies any mistakes committed by the Udgatṛ Priest, if he has sung wrongly.” This explanation is incorrect. The word “Dur Udgītam Anusamāharati” do not mean rectifies the mistake of wrong singing, but it means makes it propitious or favourable, so that this wrong singing may not produce evil effect but may become favourable. This He docs by meditation on the Lord.

The word Hotṛ-Sadana means “the Lord dwelling in Agni, which is the Sadana or Home or refuge of the Hotṛ priest.” By meditating on this Lord dwelling in the lire, and called a dweller-in-the-Home-of-the-Hotṛ-priest, He makes mistakes turn out to be no mistakes. As we find in the Traividyā:—

He removes the evil effects of wrong singing by meditating on the Lord, the Supreme Hari, as residing in fire; therefore, let one meditate always on the Lord, as dwelling in the fire.