The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Bhashya

Bhashya

समस्ते साम्न्यभिधीयते ।न, 'साधु सामेत्युपास्ते' इत्युपसंहारात् ।साधुशब्द शोभनवाची ।कथमवगम्यत इति, आह—यत्खलु लोके साधु शोभनमनवद्य प्रसिद्धम्, तत्सामेत्याचक्षते कुशला ।यदसाधु विपरीतम्, तदसामेति ॥

In plain words

Is the teaching about the entire Sāman chant? No, because the concluding passage says: 'He meditates upon the Sāman as good.' The word 'good' means auspicious. How is this known? The text replies: whatever people in the world recognize as good, beautiful, and faultless, knowledgeable people call 'Sāman', while whatever is bad and the opposite, they call 'asāman'.

Close to the Sanskrit

Is it spoken of regarding the entire saman? No, because of the concluding statement: 'He meditates on the saman as good.' The word sādhu signifies something beautiful. How is this understood? He says: whatever indeed in the world is known as good, beautiful, and blameless, that experts designate as sāman; whatever is not good and is the opposite, that they call asāman.