Bhashya
यश्छन्दसामिति मेधाकामस्य श्रीकामस्य च तत्प्राप्तिसाधन जपहोमावुच्येते, 'स मेन्द्रो मेधया स्ृणोतु' 'ततोमे श्रियमावह' इति च लिङ्गदर्शनात् ।य छन्दसा वेदानाम् ऋषभ इव ऋषभ , प्राधान्यात् ।विश्वरूप सर्वरूप ,सर्ववाग्व्याप्ते 'तद्यथा शङ्कुना सर्वाणि पर्णानि संतृण्णान्येवमोंकारेण सर्वा वाक्संतृण्णोंकार एवेद सर्वम्' इत्यादिश्रुत्यन्तरात् ।अत एव ऋषभत्वमोंकारस्य ।ओकारो ह्यत्रोपास्यइति ऋषभादिशब्दै स्तुतिर्निर्णय्यैव ओकारस्य ।छन्दोभ्यप्रदभ्य यत ह्यमृतम् , तस्मात् अमृतात् अधि सब-भूत् लोकत्रयव्याहृतिभ्य सारिष्ठ जिघृक्षा प्रजापतस्तपस्यत आकार सारिष्ठत्वेन प्रत्यभादित्यर्थ ।न हिनित्यस्य आकारस्य अञ्जसैवात्पत्तिरुत्कल्पते ।स एवंभूतओङ्कार इन्द्र मनकामश परमेश्वर मा मा मयया प्रज्ञयास्पृणोतु प्रीणयतु, बल्यतु वा, प्रज्ञाबल हि याच्यत ।अमृ-तस्य अमृतत्वहेतुभूतस्य ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य, तदधिकारात्, ह देवधारण धारयिता भूयास भवेयम् ।कि च, शरीर म ममविचर्षण विचक्षण योग्यमित्यतत, भूयादिति प्रथमपुरुष-विपरिणाम ।जिह्वा म मम मधुमत्तमा मधुमती, अति-शयेन मधुरभाषिणीत्यथ ।कर्णाभ्या श्रोत्राभ्या भूरि बहुविश्रुव व्यश्रवम्, श्रोता भूयासमित्यथ ।आत्मज्ञानया यकायकरणसङ्घातोऽस्त्विति वाक्यार्थ ।मेधा च तदर्थमेव हिप्रार्थ्यते-ब्रह्मण परमात्मन कोश असि असीरिव, उपलब्ध्यधिष्ठानत्वात्, त्व हि ब्रह्मण प्रतीकम्, त्वयि ब्रह्मापलभ्यत ।मेधया लौकिकप्रज्ञया पिहित आच्छादित सत्व सामान्यप्रज्ञैरविदिततत्त्व इत्यथ ।श्रुत श्रवणपूर्वकमा-त्मज्ञानादिक विज्ञान मे गोपाय रक्ष, तत्प्राप्त्यविस्मरणा-दिक कुर्वित्यथ ।जपाथा एते मन्त्रा मेधाकामस्य ।श्रीका-मस्य होमार्थास्त्वधुनोच्यन्ते मन्त्रा — आवहन्ती आनयन्ती, वितन्वाना विस्तारयन्ती, तनोतेस्तत्कर्मकत्वात्, कुर्वाणा निर्वर्तयन्ती अचीरम् अचिर क्षिप्रमेव, छान्दसो दीर्घ , चिर वा, कुर्वाणा, आत्मन मम, किमित्याह — वासांसि वस्त्राणि, मम, गावश्च गाश्चेति यावत्, अन्नपाने च सर्वदा, एवमादीनि कुर्वाणा श्रीर्या, ता तत मेधानिर्वर्तनात्परम् आवह आनय, अमेधसो हि श्रीरनर्थायैवेति ।किंविशिष्टाम् ? लोमशाम् अजाव्यादियुक्ताम् अन्यैश्च पशुभि सह युक्ताम् आवहेति ।अधिकारादोकार एवाभिसंबध्यते ।स्वाहा, स्वाहाकारो होमार्थमन्त्रान्तज्ञापनार्थ ।आमायन्त्विति ।आयन्तु, मामिति व्यवहितेन सबन्ध , ब्रह्मचारिण ।विमायन्तु प्रमायन्तु दमायन्तु शमायन्तु इत्यादि ।यशो जन यशस्विजनेषु असानि भवानि ।श्रेयान प्रशस्यतर , वस्यस वसीयस वसुतराद्वसु मत्तराद्वा धनवज्जातीयपुरुषाद्विशेषवानहमसानीत्यर्थ ।किं च, त ब्रह्मण कोशभूतत्वा त्वा ह भग भगवन् पूजार्ह, प्रविशानि ।प्रविश्य चानन्यस्त्वदात्मैव भवानीत्यर्थ ।स त्वमपि मा मा भग भगवन्, प्रविश, आवयोरेकात्मत्वमेवास्तु ।तस्मिन् त्वयि सहस्रशाखे बहुशाखाभेदे हे भगवन्, निमृजे शोधयामि
In plain words
The sacred syllable Om is praised as the supreme bull among Vedic meters, pervading all speech just as a central stem traverses every leaf of a tree. As the ultimate treasury of the Supreme Brahman, it is the focus of meditation for those who seek both intellectual illumination and worldly prosperity. Through sacred repetition and sacrificial offerings, the seeker invokes the Supreme Lord—the inner ruler—praying for the sharpness of intellect, the preservation of sacred knowledge, and the abundance of righteous sustenance. Recognizing that unguided wealth leads only to ruin for the undisciplined mind, the aspirant first prays for the awakening of higher intelligence. Ultimately, melting away all sense of separation, the seeker enters into the thousand-branched absolute, resting in the luminous recognition of absolute oneness: 'You enter me, and I enter you; let there be only the single, undivided Self.'
Close to the Sanskrit
That which [is spoken of] as of meters, for the seeker of intellect and the seeker of prosperity, japa and homa as means to its attainment are spoken of, because of the observation of indicative marks: 'May that Indra satisfy me with intellect,' 'Then bring me prosperity,' and so on. 'Who is like the bull of meters, of Vedas'—on account of prominence. Having all forms, of all forms, because of the pervasion of all speech: 'Just as all leaves are pierced by a pin, thus all speech is pierced by the omkara; omkara indeed is all this,' and so on from another scriptural text. Hence indeed is the bullhood of the omkara. For the o is to be meditated upon here, [as established by] the determination of praise through words like 'bull' and others. From the meters, from the primary elements, from which indeed nectar [arose], from that nectar came forth [the sound], to grasp the essence, when Prajapati was performing austerity, the letter 'a' shone forth as possessing the character of the essence, [such is] the meaning. For the origination of the eternal letter 'a' directly does not properly occur. That omkara thus characterized, may the supreme lord, Indra, the seeker of intellect, satisfy me, me, with intellect and wisdom, or strengthen [me], for the strength of intellect is indeed asked for. Of immortality, of that which is the cause of immortality, namely the knowledge of Brahman, due to its context, O god, may I become the supporter and holder. And may my body become perceptive and capable, thus [is] the transformation into the third person. May my tongue be most honeyed, honeyed, exceedingly sweet-speaking, [such is] the meaning. From both ears, may I hear much, may I listen, may I become a hearer, [such is] the meaning. Let the psycho-physical aggregate be for the knowledge of the Self, [such is] the sentence meaning. Intellect too is prayed for precisely for that purpose: 'You are the sheath of Brahman, as it were,' because it is the substratum of realization, you indeed are the symbol of Brahman, Brahman is attained in you. Covered by intellect, by ordinary intelligence, that you [are] unknown in truth by ordinary people, [such is] the meaning. The special knowledge acquired by listening, protect my knowledge, do thus regarding the non-forgetting of its attainment, [such is] the meaning. These mantras are for japa, for the seeker of intellect. Now the mantras meant for homa for the seeker of prosperity are spoken: bringing near, leading, expanding, from the root [tan] having that as its object, accomplishing quickly—the lengthening is Vedic—or long, accomplishing, for myself, what does it say? 'Garments [for] me, and cows as well, and food and drink always,' accomplishing such things, whichever prosperity [there is], bring that near after the accomplishment of intellect, for prosperity for one devoid of intellect is indeed for calamity alone. Having what specific attributes? Accompanied by hairy [animals], endowed with goats, sheep, and other cattle, bring [it] near. Because of the context, the omkara itself is connected. Svahakara is for indicating the ending of the homa mantra. 'Let them come,' let them come towards me, the connection is with a separated word, the students. Let them measure out, measure correctly, subdue, pacify, and so on. May I be fame among the famous. More excellent, superior, than a wealthier person, than one possessing more wealth, may I be distinguished, [such is] the meaning. And because of being a sheath of Brahman, O venerable one, worthy of worship, let me enter you, and having entered, may I be non-different, your very Self, [such is] the meaning. That you too, O venerable one, enter me; let there be oneness of Self between us two. In that thousand-branched, manifoldly divided [you], O venerable one, I cleanse myself, I purify [myself].