लोकेषु पञ्चविधं सामोपासीत पृथिवी हिंकारः ।अग्निः प्रस्तावोऽन्तरिक्षमुद्गीथ आदित्यः प्रतिहारो द्यौर्निधनमित्यूर्ध्वेषु ॥ २.२.१ ॥
In plain words
Let a man worship the fivefold Sāman in the worlds. The earth is the hiṃkāra, fire the prastāva, the middle region the udgītha, the sun the pratihāra, the sky the nidhana. So in the ascending order.
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 6.268· bhāṣya
कानि पुनस्तानि साधुदृष्टिविशिष्टानि, समस्तानि सामान्युपास्यानीति, इमानि ता उच्यन्ते — लोकेषु पञ्चविधम् इत्यादीनि । ननु लोकादिदृष्ट्या तान्युपास्यानि साधुदृष्ट्या च इति विरुद्धम्, न, साध्वर्थस्य लोकादिकार्येषु कारणस्यानुगतत्वात् — मृदादिवद्घटादिविकारेषु । साधुशब्दवाच्योऽर्थो धर्मो ब्रह्म वा सर्वथापि लोकादिकार्येष्वनुगतम् । अत यथा यत्र घटादिदृष्टि मृदादिदृष्ट्यनुगतैव सा, तथा साधुदृष्ट्यनुगतैव लोकादिदृष्टि — धर्मादिकार्यत्वाल्लोकादीनाम् । यद्यपि कारणत्वमविशिष्टं ब्रह्मधर्मयो , तथापि धर्म एव साधुशब्दवाच्य इति युक्तम् , साधुकारी साधुर्भवति इति धर्मविषय साधुशब्दप्रयोगात् । ननु लोकादिकार्येषु कारणस्यानुगतत्वादर्थप्राप्तैव तद्दृष्टिरिति ‘साधु सामेत्युपास्ते’ इति न वक्तव्यम्, न, शास्त्रगम्यत्वात्तद्दृष्टे , सर्वत्र हि शास्त्रप्रापिता एव धर्मा उपास्या , न विद्यमाना अन्यशाखीया ॥
In plain words
What are those complete sāmans characterized by the vision of goodness that are to be meditated upon? These are now stated, beginning with 'Meditate on the fivefold sāman in the worlds.' Is there a contradiction in meditating on them through the perspective of the worlds as well as through the perspective of goodness? Not at all. Just as clay pervades its modifications like pots, the fundamental reality denoted by 'sādhu'—whether it be dharma or Brahman—pervades all worldly effects. Since the worlds are products of dharma, the perception of the worlds is inherently pervaded by the perception of goodness, just as the perception of a pot is pervaded by clay. Although both Brahman and dharma share the nature of being the cause, 'sādhu' appropriately refers to dharma, since the word is applied to one who performs righteous deeds. If you object that since the cause is already present in its effects, this meditative vision is naturally understood and need not be specially enjoined by the text 'One meditates on the sāman as good,' we reply: not so, because such meditation must be learned from scripture alone. Scriptural duties alone are to be practiced, not merely whatever happens to exist in other recensions.
Close to the Sanskrit
Which again are those characterized by the vision of goodness, complete sāmans to be meditated upon? These are stated—beginning with 'In the worlds, fivefold...'. Is it not contradictory that they are to be meditated upon through the vision of worlds and also through the vision of goodness? No, because the meaning of goodness is pervaded in the effects such as worlds as a cause—like clay in modifications such as a pot. The meaning denoted by the word 'sādhu', whether dharma or Brahman, is pervaded in every way in worldly effects. Therefore, just as wherever the perception of a pot is pervaded by the perception of clay, so the perception of worlds is pervaded by the perception of goodness, since worlds are effects of dharma and others. Although the causality is undifferentiated between Brahman and dharma, nevertheless it is proper that dharma alone is denoted by the word 'sādhu', because the word 'sādhu' is used regarding dharma in the sense 'one who does good is good'. If it is objected that since the cause is pervaded in worldly effects, that vision is naturally attained, and therefore the statement 'one meditates upon the sāman as good' should not be spoken—no, because that vision is to be gained through scripture; for everywhere only those duties established by scripture are to be meditated upon, not merely existing ones from other branches.
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· Leaf 6.269· bhāṣya
लोकेषु पृथिव्यादिषु पञ्चविधं पञ्चभक्तिभेदेन पञ्चप्र कार साधु समस्त सामोपासीत । कथम् ? पृथिवी हिंकार । लोकेष्विति या सप्तमी, ता प्रथमात्वेन विपरिणमय्य पृथिवी- दृष्ट्या हिंकारे पृथिवी हिंकार इत्युपासीत । व्यत्यस्य वा सप्तमीश्रुतिं लोकविषया हिंकारादिषु पृथिव्यादिदृष्टिं कृत्वो- पासीत । तत्र पृथिवी हिंकार , प्राथम्यसामान्यात् । अग्नि प्रस्ताव । अग्नौ हि कर्माणि प्रस्तूयन्ते । प्रस्तावश्च भक्ति । अन्तरिक्षमुद्गीथ । अन्तरिक्षं हि गगनम् । गकारविशिष्ट- श्चोद्गीथ । आदित्य प्रतिहार , प्रतिप्राण्यभिमुखत्वान्मा प्रति मा प्रतीति । द्यौर्निधनम् । दिवि निधीयन्ते हि इतो गता इत्यूर्ध्वेष्ूर्ध्वगतेषु लोकदृष्ट्या सामोपासनम् ॥
In plain words
One should meditate properly on the complete fivefold Sāman across the worlds—such as earth and others—following its five devotional divisions. How is this done? Earth is the Hiṃkāra prelude. By treating the locative phrase 'in the worlds' as a nominative, one meditates with the vision of earth, viewing earth itself as the Hiṃkāra. Alternatively, one may reverse the syntax, placing the concept of earth upon the Hiṃkāra and other parts of the chant. Thus, earth corresponds to the Hiṃkāra because both come first. Fire is the Prastāva prelude, because sacrificial actions are commenced in fire, just as the chant begins with the Prastāva. The intermediate space is the Udgītha, for that space is the vast sky, and the Udgītha shares the characteristic sound of the letter 'ga'. The sun is the Pratihāra response, because it faces all living creatures equally, echoing the sense of turning towards them. Heaven is the Nidhana conclusion, for all departed beings ultimately ascend to heaven and are deposited there. Thus is the meditation on the Sāman performed by viewing its parts through the imagery of the cosmic worlds.
Close to the Sanskrit
In the worlds, such as earth and others, one should properly meditate upon the fivefold sāman, divided by five devotional parts, in five modes. How? Earth is the hiṃkāra. Transforming the locative case found in 'in the worlds' into a nominative one, with the vision of earth, one should meditate thinking 'earth is the hiṃkāra.' Or, inverting the locative scriptural text concerning the worlds, one should meditate by placing the vision of earth and others upon the hiṃkāra and other parts. There, earth is the hiṃkāra, due to the commonality of primacy. Fire is the prastāva; for in fire, actions are commenced, and the prastāva is a devotional part. The intermediate space is the udgītha; for the intermediate space is the sky, and the udgītha is characterized by the letter ga. The sun is the pratihāra, because it faces every living creature, as in 'mā prati, mā prati' [towards me, towards me]. Heaven is the nidhana; for in heaven things are deposited, as those who have gone from here depart upwards—thus the meditation on the sāman is conducted with the vision of the worlds.