अथातः पवमानानामेवाभ्यारोहः ।स वै खलु प्रस्तोता साम प्रस्तौति ।स यत्र प्रस्तुयात्तदेतानि जपेत् ।असतो मा सद्गमय, तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय, मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयेति ।स यदाहासतो मा सद्गमयेति ।मृत्युर्वा असत्सदमृतं मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयामृतं मा कुर्वित्येवैतदाह ।तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमयेति ।मृत्युर्वै तमो ज्योतिरमृतं मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयामृतं मा कुर्वित्येवैतदाह ।मृत्योर्मामृतं गमयेति ।नात्र तिरोहितमिवास्ति ।अथ यानीतराणि स्तोत्राणि तेष्वात्मनेऽन्नाद्यमागायेत् ।तस्मादु तेषु वरं वृणीत ।यं कामं कामयेत्तम् ।स एष एवंविदुद्गातात्मने वा यजमानाय वा यं कामं कामयते तमागायति ।तद्धैतल्लोकजिदेव ।न हैवालोक्यताया आशास्ति य एवमेतत्साम वेद ॥बृह. १,३.२८ ॥
In plain words
Now the ascending series of the Pavamāna verses. The Prastotṛ begins to sing the Sāman; and while he sings, let the sacrificer mutter these words: "From the unreal lead me to the real; from darkness lead me to light; from death lead me to the immortal." When he says, "From the unreal lead me to the real," the unreal is death and the real is the immortal: he says, "Lead me from death to the immortal; make me immortal." When he says, "From darkness lead me to light," darkness is death and light is the immortal: he says, "Lead me from death to the immortal; make me immortal." When he says, "From death lead me to the immortal," there is nothing hidden in it. Then in the other chants let him sing food to eat for himself. Therefore in them let him choose a boon, whatever desire he desires. That Udgātṛ who knows this sings for himself or for the sacrificer whatever desire he desires. This is the winning of worlds. He who knows the Sāman thus has no fear of being without a world.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.93· bhāṣya
एवं प्राणविज्ञानवतो जपकर्म विधित्स्यते । यद्विज्ञानवतो जपकर्मण्यधिकारस्तद्विज्ञानमुक्तम् । अथानन्तरम्, यस्माच्चैवं विदुषा प्रयुज्यमानं देवभावायाभ्यारोहफलं जपकर्म, अतः तस्मात् तद्विधीयते इह । तस्य चोद्गीथसंबन्धात्सर्वत्र प्राप्तौ पवमानानामिति वचनात्, पवमानेषु त्रिष्वपि कर्तव्यतायां प्राप्तायाम्, पुनः कालसंकोचं करोति— स वै खलु प्रस्तोता साम प्रस्तौति । स प्रस्तोता, यत्र यस्मिन्काले, साम प्रस्तुतयात्प्रारभेत, तस्मिन्काल एतानि जपेत् । अस्य च जपकर्मण आख्या अभ्यारोह इति । आभिमुख्येनारोहत्यनेन जपकर्मणैवंविद्देवभावमात्मानमित्यभ्यारोहः । एतानीति बहुवचनात्त्रीणि यजूंषि । द्वितीयानिर्देशाद्ब्राह्मणोत्पन्नत्वाच्च यथापठित एव स्वरः प्रयोक्तव्यो न मान्त्रः । याजमानं जपकर्म ॥
In plain words
Thus the recitation practice for one who understands the prana is enjoined. The knowledge qualifying one for this practice has already been explained. Because this recitation, when performed by the wise, leads to the attainment of the divine state, it is enjoined here. Since it is connected with the udgitha and applies generally to the pavamanas, the text narrows the time of performance: 'The prastota indeed chants the saman.' At whatever time he begins the saman, at that exact time he should recite these mantras. This recitation is named 'abhyaroha' because through it the knower ascends directly to the divine nature of the self. The plural 'these' indicates three yajus formulas. Because of their grammatical case and their origin in the Brahmana text, they must be chanted with the exact accentuation of their reading, not with the standard mantra accent. This is the sacrificer's recitation.
Close to the Sanskrit
Thus the japa action of one who knows the prana is desired to be enjoined. The knowledge in which one has qualification for the japa action has been stated. Now subsequently, since this japa action employed by the knowing person has the result of ascension to the divine state, therefore it is enjoined here. And because of its connection with the udgitha, upon the attainment everywhere due to the statement 'of the pavamanas', when the performance has been attained in all three pavamanas, he again makes a restriction of time: 'The prastota indeed chants the saman.' The prastota, where, at which time, he might commence the saman from the initiated, at that time he should recite these. And the name of this japa action is abhyaroha. Abhyaroha is so called because by this japa action the knower ascends towards the divine state of the self. From the plural 'these', [there are] three yajus formulas. Due to the designation in the second case and because they originate from the Brahmana, the accent should be employed exactly as read, not as a mantra accent. It is a sacrificer's japa action.
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.94
एतानि तानि यजूंषि— 'असतो मा सद्गमय' 'तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय' 'मृत्योर्मामृतं गमय' इति । मन्त्राणामर्थस्तिरोहितो भवतीति स्वयमेव व्याचष्टे ब्राह्मणं मन्त्रार्थम्—
सः मन्त्रः, यदाह यदुक्तवान् ; कोऽसावर्थ इत्युच्यते— 'असतो मा सद्गमय' इति । मृत्युर्वा असत्—स्वाभाविककर्मविज्ञाने मृत्युरित्युच्यते ; असत् अत्यन्ताधोभावहेतुत्वात् ; सन् अमृतम्—सत् शास्त्रीयकर्मविज्ञाने, अमरणहेतुत्वादमृतम् । तस्मादसतः असत्कर्मणोऽज्ञानाच्च, मा माम्, सन् शास्त्रीयकर्मविज्ञाने, गमय, देवभावसाधनात्मभावमापादयेत्यर्थः । तत्र वाक्यार्थमाह—अमृतं मा कुर्वित्येवैतदाहेति । तथा तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमयेति । मृत्युर्वै तमः, सर्वं ह्यज्ञानमावरणात्मकत्वात्-
In plain words
These are those yajus formulas: 'From the unreal, lead me to the real. From darkness, lead me to light. From death, lead me to immortality.' Because the meaning of these mantras is hidden, the Brahmana text itself explains their true import.
That mantra—what is its meaning? The text explains: 'From the unreal lead me to the real.' Death is indeed the unreal, spoken of as death in the context of ordinary secular action and knowledge; it is unreal because it leads to extreme downward states. The real is immortality—real in the context of scriptural action and knowledge, and immortal because it prevents death. Therefore, from unreality, from unrighteous action and ignorance, lead me—who am established in scriptural truth—to that real state. The meaning is: 'Cause me to attain the self, which is the means to the divine state.' The import of the sentence is simply: 'Make me immortal.' Similarly, with 'From darkness lead me to light,' death is indeed darkness, for all ignorance has the nature of veiling reality.
Close to the Sanskrit
These are those yajus formulas: 'From the unreal lead me to the real, from darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to immortality.' Since the meaning of the mantras is concealed, the Brahmana itself thoroughly explains the meaning of the mantra.
That mantra, when he spoke, what is that meaning, is stated: 'From the unreal lead me to the real.' Death indeed is the unreal—it is called death in natural action and knowledge; the unreal because of being the cause of extreme downward existence. The real is immortality—the real in scriptural action and knowledge, immortality because of being the cause of non-death. Therefore from the unreal, from unreal action and ignorance, lead me, me, who am real in scriptural action and knowledge, cause [me] to attain the state of the self which is the means to the divine state, is the meaning. There it states the meaning of the sentence: 'It says this very thing: Make me immortal.' Similarly, 'From darkness lead me to light.' Death indeed is darkness, for all ignorance has the nature of veiling.
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 8.96
एवं तावज्ज्ञानकर्मभ्यां प्राणात्मप्राप्तिरित्युक्तम् ; तत्र ना- स्त्याशङ्कासंभवः । अतः कर्मापाये प्राणापत्तिर्भवति वा न वे- त्याशङ्क्यते ; तदाशङ्कानिवृत्त्यर्थमाह — तद्वैतल्लोकजिदे- वेति । तद्वै तदेतत्प्राणदर्शनं कर्मवियुक्तं केवलमपि, लोकजि- देवेति लोकसाधनमेव । न ह एव अलोक्यतायै अलोकार्- त्वाय, आशा आशंसनं प्रार्थनम्, नैवास्ति ह । न हि प्राणा- त्मन्युत्पन्नात्माभिमानस्य तत्प्राप्त्याशंसनं संभवति । न हि ग्रामस्थः कदा ग्रामं प्राप्नुयामित्यरण्यस्थ इवाशास्ते । असं- निकृष्टविषये ह्यनात्मन्याशंसनम्, न तत्स्वात्मनि संभवति । तस्मान्नाशास्ति — कदाचित्प्राणात्मभावं न प्रतिपद्येयेति ॥
कस्यैतत् । य एवमेतत्सां प्राणं यथोक्तं निर्धारितम- हिमानं वेद — ‘अहमस्मि प्राण इन्द्रियविषयासङ्गैरासुरैः पाप्मभिरधर्षणीयो विशुद्धः ; वागादिपञ्चकं च मदाश्रयत्वा- दग्न्याद्यात्मरूपं स्वाभाविकविज्ञानोत्थेन्द्रियविषयासङ्गजनि- तासुरपाप्मदोषवियुक्तम् ; सर्वभूतेषु च मदाश्रयान्नाद्योपयोग- बन्धनम् ; आत्मा चाहं सर्वभूतानाम् , आङ्गिरसत्वान ; ऋग्यजुःसामोद्गीथभूतायाश्च वाच आत्मा, तद्व्याप्तेस्तन्निर्वर्तक- त्वाच्च ; मम साम्नो गीतिभावमापद्यमानस्य बाह्यं धनं भूषणं सौस्वर्यम् ; ततोऽप्यन्तरतरं सौवर्ण्यं लाक्षणिकं सौस्वर्यम् ; गीतिभावमापद्यमानस्य मम कण्ठादिस्थानानि प्रतिष्ठा; एवं- गुणोऽहं पुत्तिकादिशरीरेषु कात्स्न्येन परिसमाप्तः, अमूर्त- त्वात्सर्वगतत्वाच्च'— इति आ एवमभिमानाभिव्यक्तेर्वेद उपास्ते इत्यर्थः ॥
In plain words
Thus it was stated that the attainment of the prana-self is reached through knowledge and action, and there is no room for doubt here. To dispel the question of whether prana is attained when ritual action ceases, the text declares: 'That indeed is truly the conqueror of worlds.' This vision of prana, even when isolated from ritual action, is solely the means of conquering worlds. There is no prayer or expectation for any undesirable state. For one who has realized his identity with the prana-self, longing for its attainment is impossible—just as someone already residing in a village does not yearn, 'When shall I reach the village?' like a traveler lost in the forest. Longing and expectation pertain only to objects outside oneself, never to one's own self. Therefore, the wise person never harbors the doubt, 'Perhaps I shall fail to attain the state of the prana-self.'
Whose is this realization? He who understands this sāman as the breath in all its declared majesty knows: 'I am the breath, untouched by the dark stains of sensory clinging. Because they rest in me, the five senses beginning with speech shine with the light of fire and are cleansed of all ignorance born of desire. The nourishment of all beings depends on me. I am the self of all creatures, the living essence within every limb. I am the soul of the sacred chant—of ṛk, yajus, and sāman—because I pervade and sustain them all. For me, as I flow into song, my outer wealth and ornament is a sweet voice, and subtler still is that inner golden resonance. The throat and other bodily places are the resting-place of my song. Endowed with these qualities, formless and all-pervading, I exist fully in every creature, down to the tiniest ant.' This is how one should know and contemplate this truth.
Close to the Sanskrit
Thus it has been said that the attainment of the prana-self is through knowledge and action; there the possibility of doubt does not exist. Hence, whether upon the cessation of action the attainment of prana occurs or not is doubted; to remove that doubt he states: 'That indeed is truly the conqueror of worlds.' That very vision of prana, even disconnected from action, is indeed the conqueror of worlds, the means to worlds. There is certainly no hope or prayer for the lack of worlds or the acquisition of non-worlds. Indeed, for one in whom identification with the prana-self has arisen, the hope of attaining that is not possible. Just as one in the forest does not hope 'when might I reach the village' like one who is [already] in the village. For expectation regarding a non-self is in an unclose object, that is not possible in one's own self. Therefore one does not hope: 'May I perhaps not attain the state of the prana-self.'
Whose is this? He who thus knows this sāman as the vital breath with its described majesty: 'I am the vital breath, unassailable by demonic sins which are attachments to sense objects, and pure; the group of five starting with speech, because they depend on me, have the nature of fire and others and are free from the demonic sinful flaws generated by sensory attachments arising from natural knowledge; and in all beings the binding of food utilization is based on me; and I am the self of all beings, because of being the essence born from limbs; and I am the self of speech which has become ṛk, yajus, sāman, and udgītha, because of its pervasion and because of being its accomplisher; for me, the sāman attaining the state of song, external wealth and ornament is good voice; subtler than that is the golden metaphorical good voice; the places starting with the throat are the support for me attaining the state of song; endued with such qualities I am completely finished in termite bodies and others, because of being formless and omnipresent'—thus up to the manifestation of such identification one knows and meditates, this is the meaning.