याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, कतिभिरयमद्यर्ग्भिर्होतास्मिन्यज्ञे करिष्यतीति; तिसृभिरिति; कतमास्तास्तिस्र इति; पुरोनुवाक्या च याज्या च शस्यैव तृतीया; किं ताभिर्जयतीति; यत्किंचेदं प्राणभृदिति ॥ ७ ॥
yājñavalkyeti hovāca, katibhirayamadyargbhirhotāsminyajñe kariṣyatīti; tisṛbhiriti; katamāstāstisra iti; puronuvākyā ca yājyā ca śasyaiva tṛtīyā; kiṃ tābhirjayatīti; yatkiṃcedaṃ prāṇabhṛditi || 7 ||
7. ‘Yājñavalkya,’ said he, ‘with how many kinds of Ṛc will the Hotṛ do his part in this sacrifice to-day?’ ‘With three kinds.’ ‘Which are those three?’ ‘The preliminary, the sacrificial, and the eulogistic hymns as the third.’ ‘What does he win through them?’ ‘All this that is living.’
‘Yājñavalkya,’ said he, to draw his attention, ‘with how many kinds of Ṛc will the Hotṛ do his part —recite hymns—in this sacrifice to-day?’ The other said, ‘ With three kinds of Ṛc.’ When he said this, Aśvala asked him again, ‘Which are those three?’ The first question was about the number, the second about the Ṛces themselves. The preliminary, that class of hymns which are used before a sacrifice; the sacrificial, those hymns that are used for the purpose of the sacrifice; and the eulogistic hymns, that class of hymns which are used in praise. Every kind of Ṛc, whether used in praise or otherwise, is included in these three classes. ‘What does he win through them?’ ‘All this that is living.’ On account of this parity of number he wins whatever is living (in the three worlds). On account of the similarity in number etc. he obtains all this result through meditation.