The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Verse 347

स होवाच प्रजापतिः स यो ह वै तत्सावित्रस्याष्टाक्षरं पदं श्रियाभिषिक्तं तत्साम्नोऽङ्गं वेद श्रिया हैवाभिषिच्यते सर्वे वेदाः प्रणवादिकास्तं प्रणवं तत्साम्नोऽङ्गं वेद स त्रीँल्लोकाञ्जयति चतुर्विंशत्यक्षरा महालक्ष्मीर्यजुस्तत्साम्नोऽङ्गं वेद स आयुर्यशःकीर्तिज्ञानैश्वर्यवान्भवति तस्मादिदं साङ्गं साम जानीयाद्यो जानीते सोऽमृतत्वं च गच्छति सावित्रीं प्रणवं यजुर्लक्ष्मीं स्त्रीशूद्राय नेच्छन्ति द्वात्रिंशदक्षरं साम जानीयाद्यो जानीते सोऽमृतत्वं च गच्छति सावित्रीं लक्ष्मीं यजुः प्रणवं यदि जानीयात्स्त्रीशूद्रः स मृतोऽधो गच्छति तस्मात्सर्वदा नाचष्टे यद्याचष्टे स आचार्यस्तेनैव मृतोऽधो गच्छति ॥

In plain words

Then Prajāpati spoke. Whoever knows the eight-syllable quarter of the Sāvitrī -- consecrated by Śrī -- as one limb of this chant is consecrated by Śrī in turn. Whoever knows the Praṇava, the syllable from which every Veda flows, as another limb, wins the three worlds. Whoever knows the twenty-four-syllable verse called Mahālakṣmī as a third limb gains long life, fame, glory, knowledge, and mastery. So know this chant whole, with all its limbs -- whoever knows it reaches immortality. But the Sāvitrī, the Praṇava, and the Lakṣmī verse are not to be given to a woman or a Śūdra. Know, too, the thirty-two-syllable chant -- whoever knows it reaches immortality. And if a woman or a Śūdra should come to know the Sāvitrī, the Lakṣmī, and the Praṇava, that one, once dead, falls downward. So a teacher must never, under any circumstance, teach these to such a person. If he does, he earns the name 'teacher' only in the way that damns him -- and by that very act, once dead, he too falls downward.

Close to the Sanskrit

Then Prajāpati said: he who indeed knows that eight-syllabled quarter of the Sāvitrī, consecrated by Śrī, as a limb of that sāman, is indeed consecrated by Śrī. He who knows the Praṇava, from which all the Vedas take their origin, as a limb of that sāman, conquers the three worlds. He who knows the twenty-four syllabled Yajus [verse called] Mahālakṣmī as a limb of that sāman becomes possessed of long life, fame, glory, knowledge, and lordship. Therefore one should know this sāman together with its limb; he who knows it attains immortality. They do not wish [to give] the Sāvitrī, the Praṇava, [and] the Yajus [called] Lakṣmī to a woman or a Śūdra. One should know the thirty-two syllabled sāman; he who knows it attains immortality. If a woman or a Śūdra should come to know the Sāvitrī, the Lakṣmī, [and] the Yajus [that is] the Praṇava, that one, having died, goes downward. Therefore [the teacher] should never declare [these]; if he does declare [them], he [is called] a teacher [only in the blaming sense], [and] by that very act, having died, he goes downward.