योषा वा अग्निर्गौतम ।तस्या उपस्थ एव समित् ।लोमानि धूमः ।योनिरर्चिः ।यदन्तः करोति तेऽङ्गाराः ।अभिनन्दा विष्फुलिङ्गाः ।तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा रेतो जुह्वति ।तस्या आहुत्यै पुरुषः संभवति ।स जीवति यावज्जीवति ।अथ यदा म्रियते ॥६,२.१३ ॥
In plain words
A woman is a fire, Gautama. Her lap is its fuel, the hairs its smoke, the womb its flame, what is done within its coals, the delights its sparks. In that fire the gods offer seed; and from that oblation a person arises. He lives as long as he lives; and then, when he dies,
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
योषा वा अग्निर्गौतम । योषेति स्त्री पञ्चमो होमाधिकरणम् अग्निः तस्याः उपस्थ एव समित् ; तेन हि सा समिध्यते । लोमानि धूमः, तदुत्थानसामान्यात् । योनिः अर्चिः, वर्णसामान्यात् । यदन्तः करोति, तेऽङ्गाराः ; अन्तः-
In plain words
Woman herself is fire, Gautama -- 'woman' here means the female body, the fifth site where this offering is made. Her lap alone is its fuel; that is what kindles her. Her hair is the smoke, rising the way smoke rises. Her womb is the flame, sharing its very color. Whatever happens within is the coals -- within-- …
Close to the Sanskrit
Woman, indeed, is fire, O Gautama. 'Woman' -- [meaning] a female, the fifth site of oblation, [is] the fire. Her lap alone is the fuel; for indeed by that she is kindled. The hairs are the smoke, because of the shared feature of arising therefrom. The vulva is the flame, because of the shared hue. What one does within -- those are the coals; within-- …