Aitareya Āraṇyaka 1.3.8

1.3.8

tā nadena viharati \
prāṇo vai nadas.
tasmāt prāṇo nadan sarvaḥ saṃnadatīva \
nadaṃ va odatīnām (RV VIII 69,2a) itī3ṁ.
uṣṇig akṣarair bhavaty, anuṣṭup pā/dair.
āyur vā uṣṇig, vāg anuṣṭup \
tad asminn āyuś ca vācaṃ ca dadhāti \
tās triḥ prathamayā pañcviṃśatir bhavanti.
pañcaviṃśa ātmā.
pañcaviṃśaḥ prajāpatir.
daśa hastyā aṅgulayo.
daśa pādyā.
dvā ūrū.
dvau bāhū.
ātmaiva pañcaviṃśas.
tam imam ātmānaṃ pañcaviṃśaṃ saṃskurute \
atho pañcviṃśaṃ vā etad ahaḥ.
pañcaviṃśa etasyāhna stomas.
tat samena samaṃ pratipadyate.
tasmād dve eva pañcaviṃśatir bhavanti \
ity ādhyātmaṃ pañcaviṃśaḥ \
athādhidaivatam \
cakṣuḥ śrotraṃ mano vāk prāṇaḥ, tā etāḥ pañca devatā imaṃ viṣṭāḥ puruṣaṃ.
pañco haivaitā devatā ayaṃ viṣṭaḥ puruṣaḥ \
so 'trā lomabhya ā nakhebhyaḥ sarvaḥ sāṅga āpyate.
tasmāt sarvāṇi bhūtāny ā pipīlikābhya āptāny eva jāyante \
tad u/ktam ṛṣiṇā \
sahasradhā pañcadaśāny ukthā- (RV X 114,8a) -iti.
pañca hi daśato bhavanti.
yāvad dyāvāpṛthivī tāvad it tad (RV X 114,8b) iti.
yāvatī vai dyāvāpṛthivī tā/vān ātmā \
sahasradhā mahimānaḥ sahasram (RV X 114,8c) ity.
ukthāny eva tad anumadati mahayati \
yāvad brahma viṣṭhitaṃ tāvatī vāg (RV X 114,8d) iti.
yatra ha kva ca brahma, tad vāg.
yatra vā vāk, tad vā brahmety.
etat tad uktaṃ bhavati \
eṣāṃ vā eṣāṃ sūktānāṃ navarcaṃ prathamaṃ.
nava vai prāṇāḥ.
prāṇānāṃ kḷptyai \
ṣaḷṛcaṃ bhavati.
ṣaḍ vā ṛtava.
ṛtūnām āptyai \
pañcarcaṃ bhavati.
pañcapadā paṅktiḥ.
paṅktir vā annam.
annādyasyāvaruddhyai \
tṛco bhavati \
trayo vā ime trivṛto lokā.
eṣām eva lokānām abhijityai \
tā abhisaṃpadyante bṛhatīṃ chando 'mṛtaṃ devalokam.
eṣa ātmā \
evam u hai/vaivaṃvid etayaiva saṃpadāmṛtam evātmānam abhisaṃbhavati.
saṃbhavati \\ 8 \\
\\ ity aitareyaprathamāraṇyake tṛtīyo 'dhyāyaḥ \\

He extends (these verses) by (interpolating) the sound. Verily, breath (prâna) is sound. Therefore every breath when it sounds, sounds loud, as it were.

The verse (VIII, 69, 2) nadam va odatînâm, &c., is by its syllables an Ushnih, by its feet an Anushtubh. Ushnih is life, Anushtubh, speech. He thus places life and speech in him (the sacrificer.)

By repeating the first verse three times, they become twenty-five. The trunk is the twenty-fifth, and Pragâpati is the twenty-fifth. There are ten fingers on his hands, ten toes on his feet, two legs, two arms, and the trunk the twenty-fifth. He adorns that trunk as the twenty-fifth. Now this day consists of twenty-five, and the Stoma hymn of that day consists of twenty-five: it becomes the same through the same. Therefore the two, the day and the hymn, are twenty-five. This is the twenty-fifth with regard to the body.

Next, with regard to the deities: The eye, the ear, the mind, speech, and breath, these five deities (powers) have entered into that person (purusha), and that person entered into the five deities. He is wholly pervaded there with his limbs to the very hairs and nails. Therefore all beings to the very insects are born as pervaded (by the deities or senses).

This has been declared by a Rishi (Rv. X, 4, 8):--

'A thousandfold are these fifteen hymns;'--for five arise from ten.

'As large as heaven and earth, so large is it;'--verily, the self (gîvâtman) is as large as heaven and earth.

'A thousandfold are the thousand powers;'-- by saying this the poet pleases the hymns (the senses), and magnifies them.

'As far as Brahman reaches, so far reaches speech;'--wherever there is Brahman, there is a word; and wherever there is a word, there is Brahman, this was intended.

The first of the hymns among all those hymns has nine verses. Verily, there are nine prânas (openings), and it serves for their benefit.

Then follows a hymn of six verses. Verily, the seasons are six, and it serves to obtain them.

Then follows a hymn of five verses. Verily' the Paṅkti consists of five feet. Verily, Paṅkti is food, and it serves for the gaining of proper food.

Then follows a tristich. Three are these threefold worlds, and it serves to conquer them.

These verses become Brihatîs, that metre being immortal, leading to the world of the Devas. That body of verses is the trunk (of the bird represented by the whole sastra), and thus it is. He who knows this comes by this way (by making the verses the trunk of the bird) near to the immortal Self, yea, to the immortal Self.