अथ खलु य उद्गीथः स प्रणवो यः प्रणवः स उद्गीथ इति होतृषदनाद्धैवापि दुरुद्गीथमनुसमाहरतीत्यनुसमाहरतीति ॥ १.५.५ ॥
In plain words
Now the Udgītha is the Praṇava, and the Praṇava is the Udgītha. Therefore from the Hotṛ's seat a man sets right even a badly sung Udgītha — sets it right.
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam
अथ खलु य उद्गीथ इत्यादि प्रणवोद्गीथैकत्वदर्शनमुक्त- म् , तस्यैतत्फलमुच्यते—
होतृषदनात् होता यत्रस्थ शसति तत्स्थान होतृषदनम् , हौत्रात्कर्मण सम्यक्प्रयुक्तादित्यर्थ । न हि देशमात्रात्फलमाहर्तुं शक्यम् । किं तत् ? ह एवापि दुरुद्गीत दुष्टमुद्गीतम् उद्गातृन् कृतम् उद्गात्रा स्वकर्मणि क्षत कृतमित्यर्थ , तदनुसमाहरति अनुसन्धत्त इत्यर्थ —चिकित्स येव धातुवैषम्यसमीकरणमिति ॥
In plain words
The realization of the oneness of the praṇava and the udgītha, starting with 'Now indeed, what is the udgītha,' has been presented; its result is now being explained.
From the seat of the Hotṛ: the place where the Hotṛ priest sits and recites is called the Hotṛ-seat, referring to the properly executed ritual. For the result cannot be secured by physical location alone. What then? Even a flawed chant—an error made by the chanter in the performance of his duty—he repairs and restores, just as a physician restores balance to the humors of the body.
Close to the Sanskrit
Now, the vision of the identity of praṇava and udgītha, beginning with 'Now indeed, what is the udgītha', has been stated; the fruit of that is now being declared.
From the seat of the Hotṛ: where the Hotṛ sits and recites, that place is the hotṛ-seat—from the well-performed hotṛ ritual, that is the meaning. For it is not possible to attain the fruit merely from the place. What then? Even a badly chanted udgītha—a flawed udgītha, meaning a defect committed by the udgātṛ in his own duty, a blemish made by the chanter—he rectifies that, meaning he connects and heals it, just like the equalization of an elemental imbalance by medical treatment.