ते ह वाचमूचुस्त्वं न उद्गायेति ।तथेति तेभ्यो वागुदगायत् ।यो वाचि भोगस्तं देवेभ्य आगायत् ।यत्कल्याणं वदति तदात्मने ।तेऽविदुरनेन वै न उद्गात्रात्येष्यन्तीति ।तमभिद्रुत्य पाप्मनाविध्यन् ।स यः स पाप्मा यदेवेदमप्रतिरूपं वदति ।स एव स पाप्मा ॥बृह. १,३.२ ॥
In plain words
They said to speech, "Sing the Udgītha for us." "So be it," said speech, and sang the Udgītha for them. Whatever enjoyment there is in speech, that it sang for the gods; but the fair speaking it kept for itself. The demons knew, "By this singer they will overcome us." They rushed upon it and pierced it with evil. That evil is the unseemly speaking that men do here; that is the evil.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.64· bhāṣya
ते देवाः, ह एवं विनिश्चित्य, वाचं वागभिमानिनीं देवताम्, ऊचुः उक्तवन्तः ; त्वम्, नः अस्मभ्यम्, उद्गाय औद्गात्रं कर्म कुरुष्व ; वाग्देवतानिर्वर्त्यमौद्गात्रं कर्म दृष्टवन्तः, तामेव च देवतां जपमन्त्राभिधेयाम्—'असतो मा सद्गमय' इति । अत्र चोपासनायाः कर्मणश्च कर्तृत्वेन वागादय एव विवक्ष्यन्ते । कस्मात् ? यस्मात्परमार्थतस्तत्कर्तृकस्तद्विषय एव च सर्वो ज्ञानकर्मसंव्यवहारः । वक्ष्यति हि 'ध्यायतीव लेलायतीव' इत्यात्मकर्तृत्वाभावं विस्तरतः षष्ठे । इहापि च अध्यायान्ते उपसंहरिष्यति अव्याकृतादिक्रियाकारकफलजातम्—'त्रयं वा इदं नाम रूपं कर्म' इति—अविद्याविषयम् । अव्याकृतात्तु यत्परं परमात्मारख्यं विद्याविषयम् अनामरूपकर्मात्मकम् ,
In plain words
The text will conclude its teaching by negating all phenomenal attributes through the definitive formula, 'Not this, not this.' But as for the transmigrating self, who is conjured by the limiting adjunct of the collective sense organs, the scripture will show that he remains entirely bound to them: 'Emerging from these physical elements, he perishes along with them.' Therefore, it is entirely consistent that scripture attributes agency in knowledge, action, and the attainment of results directly to these faculties. Agreeing to the request with the words 'So be it,' the deity of speech performed the chanting for the gods who sought her help. What is the specific result accomplished by speech through this chanting? It is the functional refinement produced in the vocal organs through articulation. Since this enjoyment, born of speech and mouth, serves as the common fruit for all the organs, the speech deity performed the first three Pavamāna hymns, and in the remaining nine stotras her vocal priestly duty yielded this result: whatever auspicious words she uttered—namely, the perfect pronunciation of letters—belonged strictly to her own self. Indeed, precise enunciation is the unique and characteristic function of the speech deity, which is why scripture singles it out: 'Whatever auspicious thing she speaks.' However, that general mouth-action which benefits the entire bodily aggregate corresponds to the role of the sacrificer. Detecting a vulnerability there—an opening for attachment between the vocal organ and the ego—the opposing demonic forces realized: 'By means of this chanting faculty, how will these demons surpass us, overpowering our innate knowledge and action and conquering us through the luminous agency of ritual wisdom?'
Close to the Sanskrit
The text will conclude separately by rejecting the other through the phrase 'Not this, not this.' But that transmigrating self imagined through the limiting adjunct of the aggregate of speech and other organs—the text will show him to be partial to that very aggregate of speech and organs: 'Rising up from these elements, he perishes along with them.' Therefore, the intent of scripture to ascribe agency in knowledge, action, and attainment of results exclusively to speech and other organs is entirely logical. Assenting with 'So be it,' the speech deity chanted for the sake of those gods who desired it. What is that special product accomplished by speech through the action of chanting for the gods? It is answered: Whatever benefit of the aggregate of speech and organs is produced through the activity of the mouth, that alone is it. For that enjoyment produced by speech and mouth is the fruit for all. Having accomplished that enjoyment in the first three Pavamāna hymns, her priestly office consisting of speech in the remaining nine stotras yielded the result: whatever auspicious thing she speaks—pronouncing letters correctly—that was for her own self alone. For that correct pronunciation of letters is the extraordinary action proper to the speech deity; therefore that very thing is singled out: 'Whatever auspicious thing she speaks.' But whatever mouth-action benefits the entire aggregate corresponds to the sacrificer's rite. There, having found a vulnerability in the form of an opening for attachment between the auspicious mouth and the self, the demons understood: 'How, by means of this chanter, will they overcome us—overpowering our natural knowledge and action, and surpassing us through the luminous form of scripturally generated action and knowledge?'
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.65· bhāṣya
‘नेति नेति’ इति इतरप्रत्याख्यानेनोपसंहरिष्यति पृथक् । यस्तु वागादिसमाहारोपाधिपरिकल्पितः संसार्य्यात्मा, तं च वागा- दिसमाहारपक्षपातिनमेव दर्शयिष्यति—‘एतेभ्यो भूतेभ्यः समुत्थाय तान्येवानुविनश्यति’ इति । तस्माद्युक्ता वागा- दीनामेव ज्ञानकर्मकर्तृत्वफलप्राप्तिविवक्षा । तथेति तथास्त्वि- ति, देवैरुक्ता वाक् तेभ्यः अर्थिभ्यः अर्थाय, उद्गायत् उद्गानं कृतवती । कः पुनरसौ देवेभ्योऽर्थायोद्गानकर्मणा वाचा नि- र्वर्तितः कार्यविशेष इति, उच्यते—यो वाचि—निमित्तभू- तायाम्—वागादिसमुदायस्य य उपकारो निष्पद्यते वदनादि- व्यापारेण, स एव । सर्वेषां ह्यसौ वाग्वदनाभिनिर्वृत्तो भो- गः फलम् । तं भोगं सा त्रिषु पवमानेषु कृत्वा अवशिष्टेषु न- वसु स्तोत्रेषु वाचनिकमार्त्विज्यं फलम्—यत्कल्याणं शोभ- नम्, वदति वर्णानभिनिर्वर्तयति, तत्—आत्मने मह्यमेव । तद्धयसाधारणं वाग्देवतायाः कर्म, यत्सम्यग्वर्णानामुच्चार- णम्; अतस्तदेव विशेष्यते—‘यत्कल्याणं वदति’ इति । यत्तु वदनकार्यं सर्वसंघातोपकारात्मकम्, तद्याजमानेव । तत्र कल्याणवदनात्मसंबन्धासङ्गावसरं देवताया रन्ध्रं प्रति- लभ्य ते विदुः असुराः; कथम्? अनेनोद्गात्रा, नः अस्मान्, स्वाभाविकं ज्ञानं कर्म च, अभिभूय अतीत्य, शास्त्रजनित- कर्मज्ञानरूपेण ज्योतिषोद्गात्रात्मना अत्येष्यन्ति अतिगमिष्य-
In plain words
The scripture will later conclude by negating everything else, saying 'not this, not this.' But as for the transmigrating self—which is merely projected by the mind through the limiting conditioning of speech and the other senses—the scripture will show that it is bound up with this sensory aggregate, saying: 'Arising from these elements, it merges back into them when they perish.' Therefore, it is only proper to attribute the agency of knowledge, action, and their fruits to the senses like speech. When the gods requested, 'Let it be so,' the organ of speech chanted the Udgitha for their sake. What was the specific benefit that speech brought to the gods through this chanting? It is this: the common benefit that arises for the entire group of senses through the act of vocal articulation. For the pleasure of speaking is a shared experience for all the senses. Having secured that general enjoyment during the first three Pavamana chants, speech reserved the remaining nine chants for her own priestly reward—which is the beautiful, precise pronunciation of the sacred syllables. This perfect articulation is the unique function of the deity of speech; hence it is specifically described as 'speaking what is beautiful.' However, the general utility of speech, which supports the whole bodily system, belongs to the patron of the sacrifice. It was here, in the pride of beautiful pronunciation, that the demons found a loophole—an opening for selfish attachment. They realized: 'Through this chanter, they will transcend our natural state of ignorance and instinctive action, escaping our grasp through the light of scriptural wisdom and by identifying with the divine chanter.'
Close to the Sanskrit
By 'not this, not this', the scripture will conclude separately through the negation of everything else. But that transmigrating self which is imagined through the limiting adjunct of the aggregate of speech etc., that very self, leaning towards the aggregate of speech etc., it will show: 'Arising from these elements, it perishes after them.' Therefore, the intention to speak of the agency of knowledge and action, and the attainment of fruits, as belonging to speech etc. is proper. Saying 'so be it', the speech, addressed by the gods, performed the chanting for those seekers, for their benefit. What indeed is this specific effect accomplished by the organ of speech for the benefit of the gods through the act of chanting? It is said: that very benefit which is produced in speech—acting as the cause—for the aggregate of speech etc., by the activity of speaking etc. For this enjoyment, accomplished by the speaking of speech, is the fruit for all. Having secured that enjoyment in the three Pavamana hymns, she (speech) secured the scriptural priestly fruit in the remaining nine hymns—namely, that which is beautiful, she speaks, she pronounces the letters, that is for myself alone. For that indeed is the unique function of the deity of speech, namely, the proper pronunciation of letters; therefore, that alone is qualified: 'that which speaks what is beautiful'. But that effect of speaking which is of the nature of helping the entire aggregate, that belongs to the sacrificer. There, the demons, finding a loophole, namely, the opportunity for attachment connected with the self in beautiful speaking, knew: 'How? By this chanter, overcoming us, transcending our natural knowledge and action, they will go beyond us by the light of scriptural action and knowledge, identifying with the chanter.'