पुरुषो वाव यज्ञस्तस्य यानि चतुर्विंशति वर्षाणि तत्प्रातःसवन चतुर्विंशत्यक्षरा गायत्री गायत्र प्रातःसवन तदस्य वसवोऽन्वायत्ताः प्राणा वाव वसव एते हीदं सर्व वासयन्ति ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
Man is indeed the sacrifice. The twenty-four years of his life are the morning pressing. The Gāyatrī metre has twenty-four syllables, and the morning pressing is related to the Gāyatrī. To this pressing the Vasus are subordinate—and the Vasus are indeed the vital breaths, for they clothe and sustain this entire universe.
Close to the Sanskrit
The person indeed is the sacrifice. Those which are twenty-four years, that is the morning pressing; the Gāyatrī has twenty-four syllables, the morning pressing is Gāyatrī. To this the Vasus are attached; the vital breaths indeed are the Vasus, for these cause all this to dwell.