Chāndogya Upaniṣad 1.4

1.4.1

om ity etad akṣaram udgītham upāsīta \
om iti hy udgāyati \
tasyopavyākhyānam \\104.1\

1. Om! One should reverence the Udgītha as this syllable, for one sings the loud chant [beginning] with ‘Om.’ The further explanation thereof [is as follows].—

1.4.2

devā vai mṛtyor bibhyatas trayīṃ vidyāṃ prāviśan \
te chandobhir acchādayan \
yad ebhir acchādayaṃs tac chandasāṃ chandastvam \\104.2\

2. Verily, the gods, when they were afraid of death, took

refuge in the threefold knowledge [i.e. the three Vedas]. They covered (acchādayan) themselves with meters. Because they covered themselves with these, therefore the meters are called chandas.

1.4.3

tān u tatra mṛtyur yathā matsyam udake paripaśyed evaṃ paryapaśyad ṛci sāmni yajuṣi \
te nu (S ) ṛcaḥ sāmno yajuṣaḥ svaram eva prāviśan \\104.3\

3. Death saw them there, in the Ṛic, in the Sāman, in the Yajus, just as one might see a fish in water. When they found this out, they arose out of the Ṛic, out of the Sāman, out of the Yajus, and took refuge in sound.

1.4.4

yadā vā ṛcam (S ) om ity evātisvarati evaṃ sāmaivaṃ yajuḥ \
eṣa u svaro yad etad akṣaram etad amṛtam abhayam \
tat praviśya devā amṛtā abhavan \\104.4\

4. Verily, when one finishes an Ṛic, he sounds out ‘Om’; similarly a Sāman; similarly a Yajus. This sound is that syllable. It is immortal, fearless. By taking refuge in it the gods became immortal, fearless.

1.4.5

sa ya etad evaṃ vidvān akṣaraṃ praṇauty etad evākṣaraṃ svaram amṛtam abhayaṃ praviśati \
tat praviśya yad amṛtā devās tad amṛto bhavati \\104.5\

5. He who pronounces the syllable, knowing it thus, takes refuge in that syllable, in the immortal, fearless sound. Since the gods became immortal by taking refuge in it, therefore he becomes immortal.