अथ यानि चतुश्चत्वारिंशद्वर्षाणि तन्माध्यंदिनं सवनं चतुश्चत्वारिंशदक्षरा त्रिष्टुप्त्रैष्टुभं माध्यंदिनंसवनं तदस्य रुद्रा अन्वायत्ताः प्राणा वाव रुद्रा एते हीदंसर्वंरोदयन्ति ॥ ३.१६.३ ॥
atha yāni catuścatvāriṃśadvarṣāṇi tanmādhyaṃdinaṃ savanaṃ catuścatvāriṃśadakṣarā triṣṭuptraiṣṭubhaṃ mādhyaṃdinaṃsavanaṃ tadasya rudrā anvāyattāḥ prāṇā vāva rudrā ete hīdaṃsarvaṃrodayanti || 3.16.3 ||
3. Then the next forty-four years are like the midday libation. The triṣṭubh metre has forty-four syllables, and the midday libation is accompanied by a hymn which is in the triṣṭubh metre. The Rudras are connected with this midday libation. The prāṇas are called Rudras because they [are cruel and] make everyone in this world weep.
Word-for-word explanation:
Atha, then; yāni catuścatvāriṃśat varṣāṇi, that which is the next forty-four years; tat, that; mādhyandinam savanam, is the midday libation; triṣṭup catuścatvāriṃśat akṣarā, the triṣṭubh metre is constituted of forty-four syllables; traiṣṭubham mādhyandinam savanam, the midday libation is accompanied by a hymn in the triṣṭubh metre; asya, of this [i.e., this sacrifice of the human body]; tat, it [the midday libation covering the next forty-four years]; rudrāḥ, the deities called Rudras; anvāyattāḥ, are connected; prāṇāḥ vāva rudrāḥ, the prāṇas [together with the sense organs] are the Rudras; hi, for; ete, these [Rudras]; idam sarvam rodayanti, make everyone in this world weep.
Commentary:
The sense organs become very powerful when a person has reached middle age, and they may make him do things he will regret and for which he will have to ‘weep.’ In this sacrifice, these next forty-four years correspond to the midday worship. The libation offered at this worship is accompanied by a hymn in the triṣṭubh metre, which has forty-four syllables. In this way, one can easily meditate on a human being as a ritualistic sacrifice.