Critical Edition
ब्राह्मण उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् चातुर्होत्रविधानस्य विधानमिह यादृशम्
M. N. Dutt: The Brahmana said Regarding it is recited the ancient story of what the institution is of the Chaturhotra (sacrifice).
तस्य सर्वस्य विधिवद्विधानमुपदेक्ष्यते शृणु मे गदतो भद्रे रहस्यमिदमुत्तमम्
M. N. Dutt: The ordinances are now being duly declared in full. Listen to me, O fair lady, as I describe this wonderful mystery.
करणं कर्म कर्ता च मोक्ष इत्येव भामिनि चत्वार एते होतारो यैरिदं जगदावृतम्
M. N. Dutt: The instrument, the action, the agent and liberation. These, O beautiful lady, are the four sacrificing pricsts by whom the universe is covered.
होतॄणां साधनं चैव शृणु सर्वमशेषतः घ्राणं जिह्वा च चक्षुश्च त्वक्च श्रोत्रं च पञ्चमम् मनो बुद्धिश्च सप्तैते विज्ञेया गुणहेतवः
AI Translation: And the means of the Hotr priests, hear all without exception. The nose, the tongue, the eyes, the skin, and the ears as the fifth, The mind and the intellect, these seven should be known as the causes of the qualities.
गन्धो रसश्च रूपं च शब्दः स्पर्शश्च पञ्चमः मन्तव्यमथ बोद्धव्यं सप्तैते कर्महेतवः
AI Translation: Scent, taste, form, sound, and touch as the fifth, and what is to be thought about and understood—these seven are the causes of action.
घ्राता भक्षयिता द्रष्टा स्प्रष्टा श्रोता च पञ्चमः मन्ता बोद्धा च सप्तैते विज्ञेयाः कर्तृहेतवः
AI Translation: The smell-er, the eater, the seer, the toucher, the hearer, and the fifth, The thinker, the knower, these seven should be known as the causes of the agent.
स्वगुणं भक्षयन्त्येते गुणवन्तः शुभाशुभम् अहं च निर्गुणोऽत्रेति सप्तैते मोक्षहेतवः
AI Translation: These seven are the causes of liberation: they consume their own qualities, the good and bad of those who have qualities, and I am without qualities here.
विदुषां बुध्यमानानां स्वं स्वं स्थानं यथाविधि गुणास्ते देवताभूताः सततं भुञ्जते हविः
AI Translation: The wise, who are aware, enjoy their own places according to the prescribed rules. Those qualities, which are like deities, always enjoy the oblations.
अदन्ह्यविद्वानन्नानि ममत्वेनोपपद्यते आत्मार्थं पाचयन्नित्यं ममत्वेनोपहन्यते
AI Translation: For the ignorant person who does not know this, the food is not fit to be eaten. Cooking for oneself, one is always afflicted by the notion of "mine".
अभक्ष्यभक्षणं चैव मद्यपानं च हन्ति तम् स चान्नं हन्ति तच्चान्नं स हत्वा हन्यते बुधः
AI Translation: Eating what is not to be eaten and drinking liquor destroy him. That food destroys him and that food, having destroyed him, destroys the wise one.
अत्ता ह्यन्नमिदं विद्वान्पुनर्जनयतीश्वरः स चान्नाज्जायते तस्मिन्सूक्ष्मो नाम व्यतिक्रमः
AI Translation: The Self, knowing this food, again generates the lord. And from food he is born. In that there is a subtle transgression.
मनसा गम्यते यच्च यच्च वाचा निरुद्यते श्रोत्रेण श्रूयते यच्च चक्षुषा यच्च दृश्यते
AI Translation: Whatever is known by the mind, whatever is expressed by speech, Whatever is heard by the ear, whatever is seen by the eye,
स्पर्शेन स्पृश्यते यच्च घ्राणेन घ्रायते च यत् मनःषष्ठानि संयम्य हवींष्येतानि सर्वशः
AI Translation: What is touched by touch, what is smelled by the nose, Having restrained these six with the mind, all of them,
गुणवत्पावको मह्यं दीप्यते हव्यवाहनः योगयज्ञः प्रवृत्तो मे ज्ञानब्रह्ममनोद्भवः प्राणस्तोत्रोऽपानशस्त्रः सर्वत्यागसुदक्षिणः
M. N. Dutt: The sacrifices formed by Yoga is going on as regards myself. The spring whence that sacrifice proceeds is that which gives the fire of knowledge. The upward vital air Prana is the Stotra of that sacrifice. The downward vital air Apana is its Shastra. The renunciation of everything is the excellent present of that sacrifice.
कर्मानुमन्ता ब्रह्मा मे कर्ताध्वर्युः कृतस्तुतिः कृतप्रशास्ता तच्छास्त्रमपवर्गोऽस्य दक्षिणा
M. N. Dutt: Consciousness, Mind, and Understanding, which are all Brahma, are its Hotri, Adhvaryu, and Udgatri. The Prashastri, his Shastra, is truth. Cessation of separate existence (or Emancipation) is the Honorarium.
ऋचश्चाप्यत्र शंसन्ति नारायणविदो जनाः नारायणाय देवाय यदबध्नन्पशून्पुरा
M. N. Dutt: People conversant with Narayana, recite some Richs on this subject. Formerly animals were offered to the divine Narayana.
तत्र सामानि गायन्ति तानि चाहुर्निदर्शनम् देवं नारायणं भीरु सर्वात्मानं निबोध मे
M. N. Dutt: Then are sung some Samans. There is an authority on this subject. O timid one, know that the divine Narayana is the Soul of all.