Śāṅkhāyana (Kauṣītaki) Āraṇyaka 7.19

7.19

ŚĀ 7,19
vāk saṃhiteti pañcālacaṇḍaḥ | vācā vai vedāḥ saṃdhīyante vācā chandāṃsi vācā mitrāṇi saṃdadhati | tad yatraitad adhīte vā bhāṣate vā vāci tadā prāṇo bhavati | vāk tadā prāṇaṃ reḷhi | atha yat svapiti vā tūṣṇīṃ vā bhavati prāṇe tadā vāg bhavati prāṇastadā vācaṃ reḷhi. tāv anyonyaṃ rīḷhaḥ | tad etad ṛcābhyuditam - ekaḥ suparṇaḥ sa samudram āviveśa, sa idaṃ viśvaṃ bhuvanaṃ vicaṣṭe | taṃ pākena manasāpaśyam antitas, taṃ mātā reḷhi sa u reḷhi mātaram || iti | vāg vai mātā prāṇo vatsaḥ | sa ya evam etāṃ saṃhitāṃ veda saṃdhīyate prajayā paśubhir yaśasā brahmavarcasena svargeṇa lokena sarvam āyur eti ||

"Speech is the continuous text (saṃhitā)," says Pañcālacaṇḍa. "By speech the Vedas are joined; by speech the metres; by speech they unite friends. Then, when one studies or speaks, breath is then in speech; speech then licks breath. But when one sleeps or is silent, speech is then in breath; breath then licks speech. They lick each other." This has been declared by the Ṛgvedic verse: / 'One fair-winged bird entered the ocean; / he surveys this whole world. / With an innocent mind I saw him close at hand; / his mother licks him, and he licks his mother.' / Speech indeed is the mother; breath is the calf. He who knows this continuous text (saṃhitā) thus is joined with offspring, cattle, fame, brahminical splendour, and the heavenly world; he attains a full lifespan.