SIXTH KHANDA.

1. Next Krishna-Harita confided this Brahmana concerning speech to him (his pupil):

2. Pragapati, the year, after having sent forth all creatures, burst. He put himself together again by means of khandas (Vedas). Because he put himself together again by means of khandas, therefore (the text of the Veda) is called Samhita (put together).

3. Of that Samhita the letter n is the strength, the letter sh the breath and self (Atman).

4. He who knows the Rik verses and the letters n and sh for every Samhita, he knows the Samhita with strength and breath. Let him know that this is the life of the Samhita.

5. If the pupil asks, 'Shall I say it with the letter n or without it? 'let the teacher say, 'With the letter n.' And if he asks, 'Shall I say it with the letter sh or without it?' let the teacher say, 'With the letter sh .'

6. Hrasva Mandukeya said: 'If we here recite the verses according to the Samhita (attending to the necessary changes of n and s into n and sh ), and if we say the adhyaya of Mandukeya (Ait. Ar. III, 1), then the letters n and sh (strength and breath) have by this been obtained for us.'

7. Sthavira Sakalya said: 'If we recite the verses according to the Samhita, and if we say the adhyaya of Mandukeya, then the letters n and sh have by this been obtained for us.'

8. Here the Rishis, the Kavasheyas , knowing

this, said: 'Why should we repeat (the Veda), why should we sacrifice? We offer as a sacrifice breath in speech, or speech in breath. What is the beginning (of one), that is the end (of the other).'

9. Let no one tell these Samhitas (Ait. Ar. III, 1-III, 2) to one who is not a resident pupil, who has not been with his teacher at least one year, and who is not himself to become an instructor . Thus say the teachers, yea, thus say the teachers.

, and then rest in another place finishing it.

11. 'And in the place where he reads this, he should not read anything else, though he may read this (the Mahavrata) where he has read something else.

12. 'No one should bathe and become a snataka [*1c] who does not read this. Even if he has read many other things, he should not become a snataka if he has not read this.

13. 'Nor should he forget it, and even if he should forget anything else, he should not forget this.

14. 'No, he should never forget this.

15. 'If he does not forget this, it will be enough for himself (or for acquiring a knowledge of the Self).

16. 'It is enough, let him know this to be true.

17. 'Let him who knows this not communicate, nor dine, nor amuse himself with any one who does not know it.'

Then follow some more rules as to the reading of the Veda in general: