Aitareya-Aranyaka: Third Aranyaka, First Adhyâya, Sixth Khanda

1. Tarukshya said: “The Samhita (union) is formed by means of the Brihat and Rathantara Samans.”

2. Verily, the Rathantara Saman is speech, the Brihat Saman is breath. By both, by speech and breath, the Samhita is formed.

3. For this Upanishad (for acquiring from his teacher the knowledge of this Samhita of speech and breath) Tarukshya guards (his teacher's) cows a whole year.

4. For it alone Tarukshya guards the cows a whole year.

5. This has also been declared by a Rishi:—

6. “Vasishtha carried hither the Rathantara;” “Bharadvâga brought hither the Brihat of Agni.” (Rv. X, 181, 1; and Rv. X, 181, 2)

7. He who thus knows this Samhita. (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

8. Kauntharavya said: “Speech is united with breath, breath with the blowing air, the blowing air with the Visvedevas, the Visvedevas with the heavenly world, the heavenly world with Brahman. That Samhiti is called the gradual Samhiti.”

9. He who knows this gradual Samhita (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga, in exactly the same manner as this Samhita, i.e. gradually.

10. If that worshipper, whether for his own sake or for that of another, recites (the Samhita), let him know when he is going to recite, that this Samhita went up to heaven, and that it will be even so with those who by knowing it become Devas. May it always be so!

11. He who thus knows this Samhita (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

12. Pankalakanda said: “The Samhita (union, composition) is speech.”

13. Verily, by speech the Vedas, by speech the metres are composed. Friends unite through speech, all beings unite through speech; therefore speech is everything here.

14. With regard to this (view of speech being more than breath), it should be borne in mind that when we thus repeat (the Veda) or speak, breath is (absorbed) in speech; speech swallows breath. And when we are silent or sleep, speech is (absorbed) in breath; breath swallows speech. The two swallow each other. Verily, speech is the mother, breath the son.

15. This has been declared also by a Rishi (Rv. X, 114, 4):—

16. “There is one bird; (as wind) he has entered the sky; (as breath or living soul) he saw this whole world. With my ripe mind I saw him close to me (in the heart); the mother (licks or) absorbs him (breath), and he absorbs the mother (speech).”

17. He who thus knows this Samhita (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.

18. Next follows the Pragâpati-Samhita.

19. The former half is the wife, the latter half the man; the result of their union the son; the act of their union the begetting; that Samhita is Aditi (indestructible).

20. For Aditi (indestructible) is all this whatever there is, father, mother, son, and begetting.

21. This has also been declared by a Rishi (Rv. I, 189, 10):—

22. “Aditi is mother, is father, is son.”

23. He who thus knows this Samhita (union), becomes united with offspring, cattle, fame, glory of countenance, and the world of Svarga. He lives his full age.