SánscritoIASTSignificado
अथathathereupon; then
खलुkhalutruly; indeed
एतयाetayāby this; by means of this
ऋचाṛcāby a ṛc; by a Vedic stanza
पच्छःpacchaḥverse-foot by verse-foot (pacchas — 'by the quarters of the stanza'); by the pādas; quarter by quarter
आचामतिācāmatihe sips (ā + √cam — 'to sip'); he takes a mouthful; he tastes
तत्tatthat; this
सवितुःsavituḥof Savitṛ (savitṛ — 'the Impeller', the quickening sun); of the god Savitṛ; of Savitṛ
वृणीमहेvṛṇīmahewe choose (from √vṛ — 'to elect'); we take for ourselves; we select
इतिitithus; how
आचामतिācāmatihe sips (ā + √cam — 'to sip'); he takes a mouthful; he tastes
वयम्vayamwe; we ourselves
देवस्यdevasyathe god; the divine one
भोजनम्bhojanamthe food (bhojana); the dish; victuals
इतिitithus; how
आचामतिācāmatihe sips (ā + √cam — 'to sip'); he takes a mouthful; he tastes
श्रेष्ठम्śreṣṭhamthe best; the most excellent
सर्वधातमम्sarvadhātamamall-sustaining (sarva-dhā-tama — 'upholding most of all'); all-upholding; all-nourishing
इतिitithus; how
आचामतिācāmatihe sips (ā + √cam — 'to sip'); he takes a mouthful; he tastes
तुरम्turamthe swift; the forceful
भगस्यbhagasyaof Bhaga; of the divine portion
धीमहिdhīmahiwe meditate (from √dhī/dhyai — 'we contemplate'; as in the gāyatrī); we reflect upon; we direct our thought
इतिitithus; how
सर्वम्sarvamall; entirely
पिबतिpibatihe drinks; he drinks up
निर्णिज्यnirṇijyahaving rinsed (nir + √nij — 'to wash clean'); having washed out; having cleansed
कंसम्kaṃsamthe bronze cup (kaṁsa); the metal bowl; a vessel of bronze
चमसम्camasamthe wooden cup (camasa — a sacrificial ladle); the wooden ladle; the camasa-bowl
वाvāverily; surely
पश्चात्paścātwestward; behind
अग्नेःagneḥof fire; Agni
संविशतिsaṃviśatihe lies down; he takes his place
चर्मणिcarmaṇion a hide; upon a skin
वाvāverily; surely
स्थण्डिलेsthaṇḍileon the bare ground; on the sacrificial plot
वाvāverily; surely
वाचंयमःvācaṃyamaḥkeeping silence (vācaṁ-yama — 'having curbed his speech'); under a vow of silence; with speech subdued
अप्रसाहःaprasāhaḥcollected (a-prasāha — 'not dissipating'); unhurried; restrained
सःsaḥhe; that one
यदिyadiif; but if
स्त्रियम्striyama woman; a female form
पश्येत्paśyethe shall see; he will behold
समृद्धम्samṛddhamit has succeeded (samṛddha — 'prospered'); it is successful; it is fulfilled
कर्मkarmawork; the rite
इतिitithus; how
विद्यात्vidyāthe would know; it should be known
The drink is drunk "by feet" (pacchas) of the Sāvitrī hymn of the Ṛg-veda (5.82.1): each quarter of the verse is a sip. Prayer and drinking are literally interwoven: a man drinks the word, tastes the hymn. "That splendour of Savitṛ we choose… the food of the god… the best, all-sustaining" — the drinker calls into himself not the juice of herbs but the chosen radiance of Savitṛ the Impeller; this is the Vedic form of the truth that the food eaten hallows the eater, by which every prasāda lives.
Then a night by the fire, in silence and self-possession (vācaṁyama, aprasāha): the seed of the rite must sprout in stillness. And the sign of success is given in a dream — the image of a woman. A dream of a woman here is an omen of fruitfulness: one who asked for "something great" sees the image of the begetting principle, a promise that what was asked has been conceived and will be born. The Upaniṣad calmly admits dreaming among spiritual testimonies — the inner world answers a rite in its own language, and one who can read these signs hears the answer.