ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवा भद्रम् पष्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्तुवाँसस्तनूभिर्व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ ॐ सुकेशा च भारद्वाजः शैब्यश्च सत्यकामः सौर्यायणी च गार्ग्यः कौसल्यश्चाश्वलायनो भार्गवो वैदर्भिः कबन्धी कात्यायनस्ते हैते ब्रह्मपरा ब्रह्मनिष्ठाः परं ब्रह्मान्वेषमाणा एष ह वै तत्सर्वं वक्ष्यतीति ते ह समित्पाणयो भगवन्तं पिप्पलादमुपसन्नाः
Om. May we hear what is auspicious with our ears, O gods. May we see what is good with our eyes, O worshipful ones. May we, strong in body and limbs, praise you and live out the life allotted to us by the gods. Om. Peace, peace, peace. Om. Sukeśa, the son of Bharadvāja; Satyakāma, the son of Śibi; Gārgya, the son of Sauryāyaṇī; Kauśalya, the son of Aśvalāyana; Bhārgava, the son of Vaidarbhi; and Kabandhī, the son of Kātyāyana—these, intent on Brahman and steadfast in Brahman, seeking the highest Brahman, approached the revered Pippalāda, thinking, 'He will explain all this to us.' So, with sacrificial fuel in hand, they came near to the venerable Pippalāda.
तन् ह स ऋषिरुवच भूय एव तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया संवत्सरं संवत्स्यथ यथाकामं प्रश्नान् पृच्छत यदि विज्ञास्यामः सर्वं ह वो वक्ष्याम इति
To them the sage said: 'Dwell here for a year with austerity, celibacy, and faith. Then ask your questions as you wish. If we know, we shall tell you everything.'
अथ कबन्धी कत्यायन उपेत्य पप्रच्छ । भगवन् कुते ह वा इमाः प्रजाः प्रजायन्त इति
Then Kabandhī Kātyāyana approached and asked: 'Venerable sir, from where indeed are these beings born?'
तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यत स तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते । रयिं च प्रणं चेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति
To him he replied: 'Desiring offspring, Prajāpati practiced austerity. Having performed austerity, he created a pair: matter and life-breath, thinking, "By these two, in many forms, I will produce beings."'
आदित्यो ह वै प्राणो रयिरेव चन्द्रमा रयिर्वा एतत् सर्वं यन्मूर्तं चामूर्तं च तस्मान्मूर्तिरेव रयिः
The sun is indeed the life-breath; the moon is matter. All this, both with form and without form, is matter; therefore, what has form is called matter.
अथादित्य उदयन्यत्प्राचीं दिशं प्रविशति तेन प्राच्यान् प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते । यद्दक्षिणां यत् प्रतीचीं यदुदीचीं यदधो यदूर्ध्वं यदन्तरा दिशो यत् सर्वं प्रकाशयति तेन सर्वान् प्राणान् रश्मिषु सन्निधत्ते
Now, as the sun rises and enters the eastern direction, by that he gathers the life-breaths of the east into his rays. Whatever is in the south, west, north, below, above, and in between directions—whatever he illumines—by that he gathers all life-breaths into his rays.