वाग्वाव नाम्नो भूयसी वाग्वा ऋग्वेदं विज्ञापयति यजुर्वेदं सामवेदमाथर्वणं चतुर्थमितिहासपुराणं पञ्चमं वेदानां वेदं पित्र्यंराशिं दैवं निधिं वाकोवाक्यमेकायनं देवविद्यां ब्रह्मविद्यां भूतविद्यां क्षत्रविद्यां सर्पदेवजनविद्यां दिवं च पृथिवीं च वायुं चाकाशं चापश्च तेजश्च देवांश्च मनुष्यांश्च पशूंश्च वयांसि च तृणवनस्पतीञ्श्वापदान्याकीटपतङ्गपिपीलकं धर्मं चाधर्मं च सत्यं चानृतं च साधु चासाधु च हृदयज्ञं चाहृदयज्ञं च यद्वै वाङ्नाभविष्यन्न धर्मो नाधर्मो व्यज्ञापयिष्यन्न सत्यं नानृतं न साधु नासाधु न हृदयज्ञो नाहृदयज्ञो वागेवैतत्सर्वं विज्ञापयति वाचमुपास्स्वेति ॥ ७.२.१ ॥
In plain words
"Speech is greater than name. For speech makes known the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, the hymns of the Atharvans as the fourth, story and ancient lore as the fifth, the Veda of the Vedas, the rites for the fathers, the science of numbers, the lore of portents, logic, the rules of conduct, the science of the gods, the science of Brahman, the science of spirits, the science of rule, the science of serpents and celestial beings; and the sky and the earth, the wind and space, the waters and heat, the gods and men, cattle and birds, grasses and trees, wild beasts down to worms and insects and ants; what is right and what is wrong, what is true and what is false, what is good and what is not good, what is pleasing to the heart and what is not. For if there were no speech, neither right nor wrong would be made known, neither true nor false, neither good nor not good, neither pleasing to the heart nor displeasing. Speech makes all this known. Worship speech."
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
वाग्वाव । वागिति इन्द्रियं जिह्वामूलादिष्वष्टसु स्थानेषु स्थितं वर्णानामभिव्यञ्जकम् । वर्णाश्च नामेति नाम्नो वाग्भू- यसीत्युच्यते । कार्याद्धि कारणं भूयो दृष्टं लोके-- यथा पुत्रात्पिता, तद्वत् । कथं च वाङ्नाम्नो भूयसीति, आह-वाग्वा ऋग्वेदं विज्ञापयति- अयम् ऋग्वेद इति । तथा यजुर्वेदमित्यादि समानम् । हृदयज्ञं हृदयप्रियम् ; तद्विपरीतमहृदयज्ञम् । यत् यदि वाङ् नाभविष्यत् धर्मादि न व्यज्ञापयिष्यत् , वागभावे अध्ययनाभावः अध्ययनाभावे तदर्थश्रवणाभावः तच्छ्रवणाभावे धर्मादि न व्यज्ञापयिष्यत् न विज्ञातमभविष्यदित्यर्थः । तस्मात् वागेवैतत् शब्दोच्चारणेन सर्वं विज्ञापयति । अतः भूयसी वाङ्नाम्नः । तस्माद्वाचं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्स्व ॥
In plain words
Speech is indeed greater. By 'speech' we mean the vocal organ located in the eight physical sites of articulation, such as the root of the tongue, which brings phonemes to light. Since names are made of phonemes, speech is declared to be greater than name. In the world, we always see that the cause is greater than its effect—just as a father is prior to and greater than his son. How is speech greater than name? The text explains: speech alone reveals the Rigveda, allowing us to say, 'This is the Rigveda.' The same applies to the Yajurveda and the rest. It reveals what is pleasing to the heart and what is offensive to it. If speech did not exist, righteousness and unrighteousness would not be known. Without speech, there would be no study; without study, no hearing of the teachings; and without hearing, those truths would never be understood. Therefore, it is speech alone that reveals everything through the utterance of sound. Speech is indeed greater than name. Meditate, then, on speech as Brahman.
Close to the Sanskrit
Speech indeed. 'Speech' means the organ situated in the eight locations beginning with the root of the tongue, which manifests letters. And letters are name; therefore, speech is said to be greater than name. For in the world, the cause is seen to be greater than the effect—just as a father is greater than his son; like that. And how is speech greater than name? It says: Speech indeed makes known the Rigveda—as 'This is the Rigveda.' Likewise, the Yajurveda and so on is the same. 'Hṛdayajñam' means dear to the heart; its opposite is 'ahṛdayajñam'. Which, if speech had not existed, would not have made known dharma and so on; in the absence of speech, there is an absence of study; in the absence of study, there is an absence of hearing its meaning; in the absence of hearing that, dharma and so on would not have made known, meaning it would not have been known. Therefore, speech alone makes all this known by the pronunciation of words. Hence, speech is greater than name. Therefore, meditate on speech as Brahman.