जीवति वागपेतो मूकान्हि पश्यामो जीवति चक्षुरपेतोऽन्धान्हि पश्यामो जीवति श्रोत्रापेतो बधिरान्हि पश्यामो जीवति मनोपेतो बालान्हि पश्यामो जीवति बाहुच्छिन्नो जीवत्यूरुच्छिन्न इति ।एवं हि पश्याम इति ।अथ खलु प्राण एव प्रज्ञात्मेदं शरीरं परिगृह्योतथापयति ।तस्मादेतदेवोऽथमुपासीत ।यो वै प्राणः सा प्रज्ञा या वा प्रज्ञा स प्राणः ।सह ह्येतावस्मिञ्छरीरे वसतः सहोत्क्रामतस्तस्यैषैव दृष्टिः ।एतद्विज्ञानम् ।यत्रैतत्पुरुषः सुप्तः स्वप्नं न कञ्चन पश्यत्यथास्मिन्प्राण एवैकधा भवति ।तदैनं वाक्सर्वैर्नामभिः सहाप्येति चक्षुः सर्वै रूपैः सहाप्येति श्रोत्रं सर्वैः शब्दैः सहाप्येति मनः सर्वैर्ध्यातैः सहाप्येति ।स यदा प्रतिबुध्यते यथाग्नेर्ज्वलतो सर्वा दिशॊ विस्फुलिङ्गा विप्रतिष्ठेरन्नेवमेवैतस्मादात्मनः प्राणा यथायतनं विप्रतिष्ठन्ते प्राणेभ्यो देवा देवेभ्यो लोकाः ।तस्यैषैव सिद्धिरेतद्विज्ञानम् ।यत्रैतत्पुरुष आर्तो मरिष्यन्नाबल्यं न्येत्य मोहं नैति तदाहुः ।उदक्रमीच्चित्तम् ।न शृणोति न पश्यति वाचा वदति न ध्यायत्यथास्मिन्प्राण एवैकधा भवति तदैनं वाक्सर्वैर्नामभिः सहाप्येति चक्षुः सर्वै रूपैः सहाप्येति श्रोत्रं सर्वैः शब्दैः सहाप्येति मनः सर्वैर्ध्यातैः सहाप्येति स यदा प्रतिबुध्यते यथाग्नेर्ज्वलतो विस्फुलिङ्गा विप्रतिष्ठेरन्नेवमेवैतस्मादात्मनः प्राणा यथायतनं विप्रतिष्ठन्ते प्राणेभ्यो देवा देवेभ्यो लोकाः ॥ ३ ॥
In plain words
A man lives without speech, for we see the dumb. A man lives without the eye, for we see the blind. A man lives without the ear, for we see the deaf. A man lives without the mind, for we see children. A man lives with his arms cut off, a man lives with his thighs cut off — for so we see. But it is the breath, the self of wisdom, that takes hold of this body and raises it up. Therefore let a man worship this alone as the Uktha. What the breath is, that is wisdom; and what wisdom is, that is breath. For these two dwell together in this body and go out together. This is the view of it, and this is the understanding of it: when a man is asleep and sees no dream, then he becomes one in this breath. Then speech goes into it together with all names, the eye goes into it together with all forms, the ear goes into it together with all sounds, the mind goes into it together with all thoughts. And when he wakes, then as sparks fly out in every direction from a blazing fire, so from this self the breaths go out to their several stations, and from the breaths the gods, and from the gods the worlds. This is the accomplishment of it, and this is the understanding of it: when a man is stricken and about to die, and falls into weakness and passes into unconsciousness, then they say, "His thought has departed; he does not hear, he does not see, he does not speak with speech, he does not think." Then he becomes one in this breath. Then speech goes into it together with all names, the eye goes into it together with all forms, the ear goes into it together with all sounds, the mind goes into it together with all thoughts. And when he wakes, then as sparks fly out from a blazing fire, so from this self the breaths go out to their several stations, and from the breaths the gods, and from the gods the worlds.