हिन्दी
In ancient times, these three—Śilaka, the son of Salāvat, Caikitāyana, the son of Cikitāyana of the Dalbha clan, and Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala—were skilled in the art of the udgītha. They said: ‘We have mastered the art of the udgītha. If you so wish, we can discuss the udgītha’.
They said, ‘Let it be so,’ and then sat down. Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala, said: ‘You two may please begin the debate. I would like to listen to the debate between you two brāhmins’.
Śalāvat’s son Śilaka said to the sage Caikitāyana Dālbhya, ‘If you permit, I would like to ask you a question.’ Dālbhya replied, ‘Yes, ask’.
Śilaka asked, ‘What is the support of Sāma?’ ‘It is the voice,’ replied Dālbhya. ‘What is the support of the voice?’ ‘Prana,’ answered Dālbhya. ‘What is the support of the Prana?’ asked Śilaka. Dālbhya replied, ‘Food.’ Then Śilaka asked, ‘What is the support of food?’ Dālbhya said, ‘Water’.
[Śilaka:] ‘What is the support of water?’ [Dālbhya:] ‘That world, Svargloka.’ [Śilaka:] ‘What is the support of that world?’ [Dālbhya:] ‘Don’t go beyond that Svargloka. We know Sāma is in Svargloka, and this is why Sāma is respected as Svargloka’.
Śilaka Śālāvatya said to Caikitāyana Dālbhya: ‘O Dālbhya, your Sāma is then without a base. If someone knowledgeable about Sāma would now say (that your statement is wrong, and if he curses you saying), “Your head will fall (if what you say turns out to be wrong),” your head will really fall’.
Dālbhya said, ‘Sir, if you permit, I would like to ask you about this.’ Śilaka replied, ‘Yes, ask.’ Dālbhya then asked, ‘What is the support of that Swarg-loka?’ Śilaka said, ‘This earth.’ ‘What supports this earth?’ asked Dālbhya. Śilaka replied: ‘Don’t think Sāma’s base is beyond this earth. We think Sāma is based on this earth, and we respect it as so’.
Pravāhaṇa Jaivali said: ‘O Śālāvatya, your Sāma is not endless. If someone should now say that your head will fall off, it will fall off.’ Śilaka Śālāvatya then said, ‘O Lord, I want to learn from you (the truth about the Sāma).’ Jaivali replied, ‘Yes, learn from me’.
