Shloka 22
गौरिव प्रसवत्यर्थान् रसमुत्तमशालिनी । सतत स्यन्दते होषा शाश्रृतं ब्रह्मवादिनी,शुचिस्मिते! घोषयुक्त (वैदिक) वाणी भी उत्तम गुणोंसे सुशोभित होती है। वह दूध देनेवाली गायकी भाँति मनुष्योंके लिये सदा उत्तम रस झरती एवं मनोवांछित पदार्थ उत्पन्न करती है और ब्रह्मका प्रतिपादन करनेवाली उपनिषद्वाणी (शाश्वत ब्रह्म)-का बोध करानेवाली है। इस प्रकार वाणीरूपी गौ दिव्य और अदिव्य प्रभावसे युक्त है। दोनों ही सूक्ष्म हैं और अभीष्ट पदार्थका प्रस्रव करने-वाली हैं। इन दोनोंमें क्या अन्तर है, इसको स्वयं देखो
gaur iva prasavaty arthān rasam uttamaśālinī | satataṁ syandate hoṣā śāśvataṁ brahmavādinī | śucismite! ghoṣayuktā (vaidikā) vāṇī api uttamaguṇaiḥ suśobhitā bhavati | sā dugdhadāyinī gāva iva manuṣyebhyaḥ sadā uttama-rasaṁ jharati manovāñchitān padārthān ca prasūte, brahma pratipādayantī upaniṣad-vāṇī (śāśvata-brahma) bodhaṁ janayati | evaṁ vāṇī-rūpā gau divya-adivya-prabhāva-yuktā | ubhe api sūkṣme, iṣṭa-padārtha-prasravaṇe samarthe | tayor bhedaṁ svayaṁ paśya |
The Brahmin said: “Like a cow, speech brings forth meanings and yields the finest essence. It flows unceasingly, proclaiming the eternal Brahman. O you of pure smile! Even the Vedic voice, resonant with sacred sound, is adorned with excellent qualities. Like a milk-giving cow, it continually pours out a supreme nectar for human beings and produces the objects they desire; and as the Upaniṣadic voice, it awakens understanding of the everlasting Brahman. Thus this cow in the form of speech possesses both divine and non-divine efficacy. Both are subtle, both can pour forth what is sought. See for yourself what the difference between them is.”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Speech is portrayed as a nourishing cow: it can yield worldly benefits (desired objects and outcomes) and also reveal the eternal Brahman. The verse invites discernment between these two functions—instrumental, ritual/worldly efficacy and liberating, Upaniṣadic knowledge.
A Brahmin speaker addresses someone respectfully (“O you of pure smile”) and uses an extended metaphor to praise and analyze ‘vāṇī’ (speech). He contrasts Vedic, sound-based utterance associated with ritual power with Upaniṣadic teaching that communicates Brahman, urging the listener to perceive the distinction.