ते ह यथैवेदं बहिष्पवमानेन स्तोष्यमाणाः संरब्धाः सर्पन्तीत्येवमाससृपुस्ते ह समुपविश्य हिं चक्रुः ॥ १.१२.४ ॥
te ha yathaivedaṃ bahiṣpavamānena stoṣyamāṇāḥ saṃrabdhāḥ sarpantītyevamāsasṛpuste ha samupaviśya hiṃ cakruḥ || 1.12.4 ||
4. Just as those who recite the hymn called bahiṣpavamāna move forward while touching each other, so the dogs also did the same. Then, sitting down, they said him.
Word-for-word explanation:
Te ha, they; yathā era, just as; idam, this; bahiṣpavamānena, by the hymn called bahiṣpavamāna; stoṣyamāṇaḥ, while reciting; saṃrabdhāḥ, touching each other; sarpanti, proceed; iti evam āsasṛpuḥ, went about this way; te ha, they; samupaviśya, sitting down; him, the word ‘him’; cakruḥ, uttered.
Commentary:
When sages sing the hymn baḥiṣpavamāna, they join their hands together, or otherwise touch each other, and then they move forward. The dogs did likewise. Each took the tail of the one in front in its mouth and started moving. Finally they sat down and uttered the sound him.