ब्रह्मोवाच वाचां वह्नेर्मुखं क्षेत्रं छन्दसां सप्त धातव: । हव्यकव्यामृतान्नानां जिह्वा सर्वरसस्य च ॥ १ ॥
brahmovaca vacam vahner mukham ksetram chandasam sapta dhatavah havya-kavyamrtannanam jihva sarva-rasasya ca
- brahma uvaca
- Lord Brahma said
- vacam
- of the voice
- vahneh
- of fire
- mukham
- the mouth
- ksetram
- the generating center
- chandasam
- of the Vedic hymns, such as Gayatri
- sapta
- seven
- dhatavah
- skin and six other layers
- havya-kavya
- offerings for the demigods and the forefathers
- amrta
- food for human beings
- annanam
- of all sorts of foodstuffs
- jihva
- the tongue
- sarva
- all
- rasasya
- of all delicacies
- ca
- also
Lord Brahma said: The mouth of the virat-purusa (the universal form of the Lord) is the generating center of the voice, and the controlling deity is fire. His skin and six other layers are the generating centers of the Vedic hymns, and His tongue is the productive center of different foodstuffs and delicacies for offering to the demigods, the forefathers and the general mass of people.