अथ खलूद्गीथाक्षराण्युपासीतोद्गीथ इति प्राण एवोत्प्राणेन ह्युत्तिष्ठति वाग्गीर्वाचो ह गिर इत्याचक्षतेऽन्नं थमन्ने हीदंसर्वंस्थितम् ॥ १.३.६ ॥
atha khalūdgīthākṣarāṇyupāsītodgītha iti prāṇa evotprāṇena hyuttiṣṭhati vāggīrvāco ha gira ityācakṣate’nnaṃ thamanne hīdaṃsarvaṃsthitam || 1.3.6 ||
6. Now, one should worship the syllables ut, gī and tha separately in the word udgītha. Prāṇa is represented by ut, for prāṇa is responsible for the
Word-for-word explanation:
Atha, now; khalu udgīthākṣarāṇi ‘ut-gī-tha’ iti upāsīta, worship the syllables ut, gī, and tha separately in the word udgītha; prāṇaḥ eva ut, prāṇa is this ut; prāṇena hi, because by prāṇa; uttiṣṭhati, arises [everything]; vāk gīḥ, vāk [speech] is gī; vācaḥ ha giraḥ iti ācakṣate, because words are called ‘gira’; annam tham, food is tha; hi idam sarvam, for all this [i.e., this world]; anne sthitam, is supported by food.
Commentary:
The word udgītha is comprised of the syllables ut, gī, and tha. It is worthwhile meditating on these syllables, for each one is significant. For instance, ut, in brief, is uttham, rising. It stands for prāṇa, because out of prāṇa everything comes into being. From prāṇa everything ‘rises’; otherwise it goes down.
The syllable gī stands for speech, because scholars prefer to use the word gira to mean speech. Similarly, the syllable tha stands for food, for tha means ‘that which supports.’ It is well known that food supports everything.
Thus the syllables ut, gī, and tha stand for the whole word udgītha. It is like thinking of the name ‘Ram Misra.’ As you think of the name, you also think of the person who bears that name.
Try to think of each syllable in the word udgītha as above.