Muni's PlayUdgita Vidya
1. The Opening Commandment (1.1.1)
Verse 1.1.1
Sanskrit
ओमित्येतदक्षरमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि ।
Word-by-Word
ओम् (Om) | इति (thus) | एतत् (this) | अक्षरम् (syllable/imperishable) | उद्गीथम् (Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship).
Translation
I worship this syllable ‘Om’ as the Udgitha.
2. The Chain of Essences (1.1.2)
Verse 1.1.2
Sanskrit
पृथिव्या आपो रसः, अपामोषधयो रसः, ओषधीनां पुरुषो रसः, पुरुषस्य वाग्रसः, वाच ऋग्रसः, ऋचः साम रसः, साम्न उद्गीथो रसः ॥
Word-by-Word
पृथिव्याः (of earth) | आपः (water) | रसः (essence) | अपाम् (of water) | ओषधयः (plants) | रसः (essence) | ओषधीनाम् (of plants) | पुरुषः (person) | रसः (essence) | पुरुषस्य (of person) | वाक् (speech) | रसः (essence) | वाचः (of speech) | ऋक् (Rig) | रसः (essence) | ऋचः (of Rig) | साम (Saman) | रसः (essence) | साम्नः (of Saman) | उद्गीथः (Udgitha) | रसः (essence).
Translation
“The essence of earth is water; the essence of water is plants; the essence of plants is person; the essence of person is speech; the essence of speech is Rig; the essence of Rig is Saman; the essence of Saman is Udgitha.”
3. The Ultimate Definition (1.1.3)
Verse 1.1.3
Sanskrit
स एष रसानां रसतमः परमः परार्ध्योऽष्टमो यदुद्गीथः ॥
Word-by-Word
सः एषः (This it is) | रसानाम् (of essences) | रस-तमः (the best essence) | परमः (supreme) | पर-अर्ध्यः (highest/worthy of highest place) | अष्टमः (the eighth) | यत् (which is) | उद्गीथः (Udgitha).
Translation
“This Udgitha is the quintessence of all essences, the supreme, the highest, the eighth.”
4. Prana Udgitha (1.2)
Verses 1.2.2 - 1.2.7 (Summary of Worships)
Sanskrit
नासक्यं प्राणमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि । वाचमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि । चक्षुरुद्गीथमुपास्यामि । श्रोत्रमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि । मनउद्गीथमुपास्यामि । मुख्यप्राणमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि ।
Word-by-Word
नासक्यं प्राणम् (Nose-breath) | वाचम् (Speech) | चक्षुः (Eye) | श्रोत्रम् (Ear) | मनः (Mind) | मुख्य-प्राणम् (Main Life-Force) | उद्गीथम् (as Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship).
Translation
I worship the Nose-breath, Speech, Eye, Ear, Mind, and the Main Life-Force as the Udgitha.
5. Etymological Definitions (1.2.10 - 1.2.11)
Verse 1.2.10: Angiras (अङ्गिरस्)
Sanskrit
अङ्गानां रसः इति अङ्गिरसः ।
Word-by-Word
अङ्गानाम् (of the limbs) | रसः (essence/juice) | इति (thus) | अङ्गिरसः (Angiras).
Translation
He is called Angiras because he is the essential juice or essence (rasa) of the various limbs (anga) of the body.
Verse 1.2.11: Brihaspati (बृहस्पति)
Sanskrit
वाग्घि बृहती तस्या एष पतिः इति बृहस्पतिः ।
Word-by-Word
वाक् (Speech) | हि (indeed) | बृहती (Great/a meter) | तस्याः (of that) | एषः (this) | पतिः (Lord) | इति (thus) | बृहस्पतिः (Brihaspati).
Translation
He is called Brihaspati because Speech is the “Great” (brihati) and he is the Lord (pati) who supports and sustains it.
6. Adhidaivata: The Cosmic Sun (1.3.1 - 1.3.2)
Verse 1.3.1
Sanskrit
अथाधिदैवतं य एवासौ तपति तमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि । उद्यन्वा एष प्रजाभ्य उद्गायति । उद्यंस्तमो भयमपहन्त्यपहन्ता ह वै भयस्य तमसो भवति य एवं वेद ॥
Word-by-Word
अथ (Now) | अधिदैवतम् (concerning the deities/cosmic) | यः एव असौ (that which) | तपति (burns/shines) | तम् (that) | उद्गीथम् (Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship) | उद्यन् (rising) | वै (indeed) | एषः (this) | प्रजाभ्यः (for beings) | उद्गायति (sings/rising up) | तमिः (darkness) | भयम् (fear) | अपहन्ति (destroys) | अपहन्ता (destroyer) | भयस्य तमसः (of fear and darkness) | भवति (becomes) | यः एवं वेद (who knows thus).
Translation
Now the cosmic: I worship the glowing Sun as the Udgītha. As He rises, He indeed sings for the sake of all beings. As He rises, He destroys darkness and fear; he who knows this becomes the destroyer of darkness and fear.
Verse 1.3.2
Sanskrit
समानोऽयम् असौ च । उष्णोऽयम् उष्णोऽसौ । इमं स्वरं विद्धि अमुं प्रत्यास्वरम् । तस्माद् इमम् अमुं च उद्गीथमुपास्यामि ॥
Word-by-Word
समानः (Same) | अयम् (this - breath) | असौ (that - sun) | च (and) | उष्णः (warm) | स्वरम् (sound) | प्रत्यास्वरम् (reflected sound) | तस्मात् (therefore) | उद्गीथम् (Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship).
Translation
This (Breath) and that (Sun) are the same. This is warm; that is warm. Know this as ‘Sound’ and that as ‘Reflected Sound.’ Therefore, I worship both this and that as the Udgītha.
7. The Vyāna (1.3.3)
Verse 1.3.3
Sanskrit
अथ खलु व्यानमेवोद्गीथमुपास्यामि । यद्वै प्राणिति स प्राणो यदपानिति सोऽपानः । अथ यः प्राणापानयोः संधिः स व्यानो यो व्यानः सा वाक् । तस्मादप्राणन्ननपानन्वाचमभिव्याहरति ॥
Word-by-Word
अथ (Now) | खलु (indeed) | व्यानम् (Vyana) | एव (certainly) | उद्गीथम् (Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship) | यत् वै (what indeed) | प्राणिति (breathes out) | सः प्राणः (that is Prana) | यत् अपानिति (what breathes in) | सः अपानः (that is Apana) | प्राण-अपानयोः संधिः (junction of Prana and Apana) | सः व्यानः (that is Vyana) | सा वाक् (that is Speech) | तस्मात् (therefore) | अ-प्राणन् (without breathing out) | अ-न-अपानन् (without breathing in) | वाचम् (speech) | अभिव्याहरति (utters).
Translation
Now, indeed, I worship the Vyāna as the Udgītha. That which one breathes out is Prāṇa; that which one breathes in is Apāna. Now, the junction (union) of Prāṇa and Apāna is Vyāna. That which is Vyāna is Speech; therefore, one utters speech without breathing out and without breathing in.
8. Syllabic Etymology (1.3.6 – 1.3.7)
| Syllable | The Etymological Sentence (1.3.6) | The Logic (Nirukta) | Adhyātma (Body) | Adhidaivata (Cosmos) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ut (उत्) | प्राणेन ह्युत्तिष्ठति | By breath, one rises. | Prāṇa (Life) | Āditya (Sun) |
| Gī (गी) | वाचो ह गिर इत्याचक्षते | Speech is called “voices”. | Vāc (Speech) | Vāyu (Air) |
| Tha (थ) | अन्ने हीदं सर्वं स्थितम् | In food, all this is established. | Anna (Food) | Agni (Fire) |
9. Meditational Reflection (1.3.8-11)
Verse 1.3.8-11
Sanskrit
सामर्ग्ऋषिदेवताच्छन्दोदिगात्मकामान् उपधावामि ॥
Word-by-Word
साम-ऋग्-ऋषि-देवता-छन्दः-दिक्-आत्म-कामान् (Saman, Rig, Seer, Deity, Meter, Directions, Self, and Desire) | उपधावामि (I reflect upon/approach).
Translation
“I reflect upon the Saman, the Rig, the Seer, the Deity, the Meter, the Directions, the Self, and the Desire.”
10. The Resolve and Fulfillment (1.3.12)
Verse 1.3.12
Sanskrit
आत्मानमन्तत उपसृत्य स्तुवे, कामं ध्यायन्नप्रमत्तः । अभ्याशो ह यन्मे स कामः समृध्येत यत्कामः स्तुवे, यत्कामः स्तुवे ॥
Word-by-Word
आत्मानम् (Self) | अन्ततः (finally) | उपसृत्य (approaching) | स्तुवे (I sing/praise) | कामम् (desire) | ध्यायन् (meditating) | अ-प्रमत्तः (vigilant/without neglect) | अभ्याशः (certainty) | ह (indeed) | यत् मे (that for me) | सः कामः (that desire) | समृध्येत (is fulfilled).
Translation
“Finally, having approached the Self, I sing the praise, meditating on my desire, remaining vigilant (Apramatta). There is the certainty (Abhyāśa) that the desire is fulfilled for me—the very desire for which I sing, the very desire for which I sing.”
11. Praṇava and Udgītha (1.5.1)
Verse 1.5.1
Sanskrit
य उद्गीथः स प्रणवो यः प्रणवः स उद्गीथ । य एवायं मुख्यः प्राणस्तमुद्गीथमुपास्यामि, ओमिति ह्येष स्वरन्नेति ॥
Word-by-Word
यः उद्गीथः (What is Udgitha) | सः प्रणवः (that is Pranava) | यः प्रणवः (what is Pranava) | सः उद्गीथः (that is Udgitha) | यः एव अयम् (this which is) | मुख्यः प्राणः (chief breath) | तम् (that) | उद्गीथम् (Udgitha) | उपास्यामि (I worship) | ओम् इति (sounding Om) | हि एषः (for this) | स्वरन् (resounding) | एति (moves).
Translation
“What is Udgītha is Praṇava (Om), and what is Praṇava is Udgītha. I worship this chief Breath as the Udgītha, for it moves sounding ‘Om’.”
Reference: Chandogya Upanishad