प्राणोऽपानो व्यान इत्यष्टावक्षराण्युष्टा-क्षरँ ह वा एकं गायत्र्यै पदमेतदु हैवा-स्या एतत्स यावदिदं प्राणि तावद्ध ज-यति योऽस्या एतदेवं पदं वेदाथास्या ए-तदेव तुरीयं दर्शतं पदं परोरजा य एष-तपति यद्वै चतुर्थं तत्तुरीयं दर्शतं पद-मिति ददृश इव ह्येष परोरजा इति स-र्वमु ह्येवैष रज उपर्युपरि तपत्येवँ हैवश्रिया यशसा तपति योऽस्या एतदेवंपदं वेद ॥ ३ ॥
In plain words
Prāṇa, apāna, vyāna — count them and you again have eight syllables, one more whole foot of the Gāyatrī, hers entirely. Whatever breathes in this world, all of it belongs to the one who knows this foot in just this way. And there is a fourth foot, too, one you can actually see: it is the sun, 'the one beyond the dust,' blazing there. That name fits, because this dust is everything below, and the sun burns on, higher and higher above it. Whoever knows this fourth foot in just this way shines himself, with the same splendor and the same renown.
Close to the Sanskrit
Prāṇa, apāna, and vyāna — thus these too are eight syllables. Eight-syllabled indeed is the one foot of the Gāyatrī. This indeed is hers, this. As much as this that breathes is, that much he conquers who thus knows this foot of hers. Now, further, this is indeed her fourth, visible foot: 'beyond the dust, this one that shines.' For, since [there are] four, that is the fourth, visible foot — as if it had indeed been seen, this 'beyond the dust'; for this dust is everything, shining higher and higher; thus indeed with splendor and fame he shines who thus knows this foot of hers.