प्राण इति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतानि प्राणमेवाभिसंविशन्ति प्राणमभ्युज्जिहते सैषा देवता प्रस्तावमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रास्तोष्यो मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत्तथोक्तस्य मयेति ॥ १.११.५ ॥
prāṇa iti hovāca sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtāni prāṇamevābhisaṃviśanti prāṇamabhyujjihate saiṣā devatā prastāvamanvāyattā tāṃ cedavidvānprāstoṣyo mūrdhā te vyapatiṣyattathoktasya mayeti || 1.11.5 ||
5. Uṣasti said: ‘It is prāṇa [the vital force]. In prāṇa all things that we see around us [moving or unmoving], disappear [at the time of their destruction. And at the time of their appearance,] they appear from prāṇa. Prāṇa is that deity to whom the prastāva is addressed. If you had sung the hymn not knowing the deity to whom it is addressed, in spite of being warned by me, your head would surely have fallen’.
Word-for-word explanation:
Prāṇa iti ha uvāca, [Uṣasti] said, it is prāṇa [the vital force]; ha vai, for; imāni sarvāṇi bhūtāni, all these beings [moving or unmoving]; prāṇam eva, in prāṇa; abhi, totally; saṃviśanti, disappear [at the time of destruction]; prāṇam abhi ujjihate, [and] out of prāṇa they appear [when they come into existence]; sā eṣā devatā, that [prāṇa] is the deity; prastāvam anvāyattā, the prastāva is addressed to; cet, if; tām, that [deity]; avidvān, from ignorance; prastoṣyaḥ, you had praised; [then] tathā, like that; mayā uktasya, in spite of being warned by me; te mūrdhā vyapatiṣyat iti, your head would surely have fallen.
Commentary:
The prastotā had immediately stopped singing and then had approached Uṣasti in a humble manner. This pleased Uṣasti, and he gladly proceeded to teach the brāhmin.