Shat.Upa 01.09

मासो वै प्रजापतिः। तस्य कृष्णपक्ष एव रयिः। शुक्लः प्राणस्तस्मादेते ऋषयः शुक्ल इष्टिं कुर्वन्तीतर इतरस्मिन्। अहोरात्रे वै प्रजापतिः। तस्याहरेव प्राणो रात्रिरेव रयिः। प्राणं वा एते प्रस्कन्दन्ति ये दिवा रत्या संयुज्यन्ते। ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्यद्रात्रौ रत्या संयुज्यन्ते ॥९॥

māso vai prajāpatiḥ। tasya kṛṣṇapakṣa eva rayiḥ। śuklaḥ prāṇastasmādete ṛṣayaḥ śukla iṣṭiṃ kurvantītara itarasmin। ahorātre vai prajāpatiḥ। tasyāhareva prāṇo rātrireva rayiḥ। prāṇaṃ vā ete praskandanti ye divā ratyā saṃyujyante। brahmacaryameva tadyadrātrau ratyā saṃyujyante ॥9॥

[मासः (māsaḥ) - month; वै (vai) - indeed; प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ) - lord of creatures; तस्य (tasya) - his; कृष्णपक्षः (kṛṣṇapakṣaḥ) - dark fortnight; एव (eva) - only; रयिः (rayiḥ) - wealth; शुक्लः (śuklaḥ) - bright; प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) - life; तस्मात् (tasmāt) - therefore; एते (ete) - these; ऋषयः (ṛṣayaḥ) - sages; शुक्ल (śukla) - bright; इष्टिं (iṣṭiṃ) - sacrifice; कुर्वन्ति (kurvanti) - perform; इतर (itara) - other; इतरस्मिन् (itarasmin) - in the other; अहोरात्रे (ahorātre) - day and night; वै (vai) - indeed; प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ) - lord of creatures; तस्य (tasya) - his; अहः (ahaḥ) - day; एव (eva) - only; प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) - life; रात्रिः (rātriḥ) - night; एव (eva) - only; रयिः (rayiḥ) - wealth; प्राणम् (prāṇam) - life; वा (vā) - or; एते (ete) - these; प्रस्कन्दन्ति (praskandanti) - leap; ये (ye) - who; दिवा (divā) - by day; रत्या (ratyā) - with pleasure; संयुज्यन्ते (saṃyujyante) - are united; ब्रह्मचर्यम् (brahmacaryam) - celibacy; एव (eva) - only; तत् (tat) - that; यत् (yat) - which; रात्रौ (rātrau) - at night; रत्या (ratyā) - with pleasure; संयुज्यन्ते (saṃyujyante) - are united;]

The month is considered to be the lord Prajāpati. Its dark fortnight represents 'rayi', i.e. wealth. The bright fortnight symbolizes 'Prāṇa', i.e. life, and therefore, sages perform bright sacrifices during this time. Day and night are also seen as the lord Prajāpati, with day representing life and night representing wealth. Those who engage in activities during the day are said to leap towards life, while celibacy is associated with those who leap forward at night.

Bhāṣya 01.09

In the couple, divine Vishnu resides in the wife as Saraswati, and in the husband as Vayu. By understanding this, one attains liberation.

"मासस्थितः स भगवान् पक्षयोर्वाक्च मारुतः। अहोरात्रे तु भगवान् प्राणो ह्यहनि वाङ्निशि॥

"māsasthitaḥ sa bhagavān pakṣayorvākca mārutaḥ। ahorātre tu bhagavān prāṇo hyahani vāṅniśi॥

[मासस्थितः (māsasthitaḥ) - situated in the month; स (sa) - he; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; पक्षयोः (pakṣayoḥ) - in the fortnights; वाक् (vāk) - speech; च (ca) - and; मारुतः (mārutaḥ) - wind; अहोरात्रे (ahorātre) - in the day and night; तु (tu) - but; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the Lord; प्राणः (prāṇaḥ) - life air; हि (hi) - indeed; अहनि (ahani) - in the day; वाक् (vāk) - speech; निशि (niśi) - in the night;]

"The Lord is situated in the month, representing speech and wind during the fortnights, respectively. The day and night are that Lord, embodying life air during the day and speech at night.

दम्पत्योर्भगवान् विष्णुः भार्यास्था तु सरस्वती। भर्तृस्थः स स्वयं वायुः एवं जानन् विमुच्यते॥"

dampatyorbhagavān viṣṇuḥ bhāryāsthā tu sarasvatī। bhartṛsthaḥ sa svayaṃ vāyuḥ evaṃ jānan vimucyate॥"

[दम्पत्योः (dampatyoḥ) - of the couple; भगवान् (bhagavān) - the divine; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Vishnu; भार्यास्था (bhāryāsthā) - in the wife; तु (tu) - but; सरस्वती (sarasvatī) - Saraswati; भर्तृस्थः (bhartṛsthaḥ) - in the husband; स (sa) - he; स्वयं (svayaṃ) - himself; वायुः (vāyuḥ) - Vayu; एवं (evaṃ) - thus; जानन् (jānan) - knowing; विमुच्यते (vimucyate) - is liberated;]

In the couple, divine Vishnu resides in the wife as Saraswati, and in the husband as Vayu. Understanding this, one attains liberation."

इति प्रजापतिसंहितायाम्।

iti prajāpati-saṁhitāyām।

[इति (iti) - thus; प्रजापति (prajāpati) - Prajapati; संहितायाम् (saṁhitāyām) - in the collection;]

- stated thus in the collection of Prajapati Vedic hymns.