तस्य ये प्राञ्चो रश्मयस्ता एवास्य प्राच्यो मधुनाड्यः ।ऋच एव मधुकृत ऋग्वेद एव पुष्पं ता अमृता आपस्ता वा एता ऋचः ॥ ३.१.२ ॥
In plain words
Its eastward rays are its eastern honey-cells. The verses of the Ṛc are the bees; the Ṛgveda is the flower; and those waters are the nectar. These very verses of the Ṛc
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
तस्य सवितुः मध्वाश्रयस्य मधुनो ये प्राञ्चः प्राच्यां दिशि गता रश्मयः, ता एव अस्य प्राच्यः प्रागञ्चनात् मधुनो नाड्यः मधुनाड्य इव मध्वाधारच्छिद्राणीत्यर्थः । तत्र ऋच एव मधुकृतः लोहितरूपं सवित्राश्रयं मधु कुर्वन्तीति मधुकृतः भ्रमरा इव, यतो रसानादाय मधु कुर्वन्ति, तत्पुष्पमिव पुष्पम् ऋग्वेद एव । तत्र ऋग्ब्राह्मणसमुदायस्य ऋग्वेदाख्यत्वात् शब्दमात्राच्च भोग्यरूपरसनिस्त्रावासम्भवात् ऋग्वेदशब्देन अत्र ऋग्वेदविहितं कर्म, ततो हि कर्मफलभूतं मधुरसनिस्त्रावासम्भवात् । मधुकर्तेरिव पुष्पस्थानीयादृग्वेदविहितात्कर्मण अप आदाय ऋग्भिर्मधु निर्वर्त्यते । कास्ता आप इति, आह— ता कर्माणि प्रयुक्ता सोमाज्यपयोरूपा अग्नौ प्रक्षिप्ता तत्पाकाभिनिर्वृत्ता अमृता अमृतार्थत्वादत्यन्तरसवत्य आपो भवन्ति । तद्रसानादाय ता वा एता ऋच पुष्पेभ्यो रसमाददाना इव भ्रमरा ऋच ॥
In plain words
Of that sun, which holds the honey, the eastern rays are its eastern honey-channels: the rays that go out toward the east are its eastern channels, like the openings of the vessel that holds the honey. The Rig verses are the bees: they make the red honey that rests on the sun, gathering juices as bees do. The flower is the Rigveda. But the Rig verses and Brāhmaṇas together are what is called the Rigveda, and mere words cannot yield a juice one can enjoy; so 'Rigveda' here means the action the Rigveda enjoins, for the honey-juice, which is the fruit of action, cannot flow from words alone. As bees take from flowers, the Rig verses take the waters from that action, which stands where the flower stands, and make the honey. What are those waters? The text says: soma, clarified butter and milk, used in the rite and poured into the fire, ripened there, become waters that are immortal, because they are for the sake of immortality, and full of juice. Gathering those juices, these Rig verses are like bees drawing juice from flowers.
Close to the Sanskrit
Of that sun which is the support of honey, those rays of the honey which are eastward, gone in the eastern direction, they indeed are its eastern honey-channels: eastern from going eastward, channels of honey, like honey-channels, that is, the openings of the honey's container. There the Rig verses themselves are the honey-makers: they make the red honey resting on the sun, hence 'honey-makers', like bees, since they gather juices and make honey; the flower, like that flower, is the Rigveda itself. There, since the collection of Rig verses and Brāhmaṇas is called the Rigveda, and since from mere words no flow of juice in an enjoyable form is possible, by the word 'Rigveda' is meant here the action enjoined by the Rigveda; for from that the flow of the honey-juice, which is the fruit of action, is impossible. As by honey-makers, the waters are taken from the action enjoined by the Rigveda, which stands in the place of the flower, and by the Rig verses the honey is brought forth. Which are those waters? He says: they, employed in the rite, in the form of soma, clarified butter and milk, cast into the fire, brought about by its cooking, are immortal, being for the sake of immortality, exceedingly juice-laden waters. Taking up those juices, 'these indeed, the Rig verses', like bees taking up juice from flowers, are the Rig verses.