बर्हस्पतेbṛhaspate परथमंprathamaṃ वाचोvāco अग्रंaghraṃ यतyat परैरतprairata नामधेयन्दधानाःnāmadheyandadhānāḥ |

यदेषांyadeṣāṃ शरेष्ठंśreṣṭhaṃ यदरिप्रमासीत्प्रेणाyadaripramāsītpreṇā तदेषांtadeṣāṃ निहितंnihitaṃ गुहाविःghuhāviḥ ||
WHEN-men, Bṛhaspati, giving names to objects, sent out Vāk's first and earliest utterances,
All that was excellent and spotless, treasured within them, was disclosed through their affection.
10.71.1
सक्तुमिव-तित-उनाsaktumiva-tita-unā पुनन्तोpunanto यत्रyatra धीराdhīrā मनसाmanasā वाचमक्रतvācamakrata |

अत्राatrā सखायःsakhāyaḥ सख्यानिsakhyāni जानतेjānate भद्रैषांलक्ष्मीर्निहिताधिbhadraiṣāṃlakṣmīrnihitādhi वाचिvāci ||
Where, like men cleansing corn-flour in a cribble, the wise in spirit have created language,
Friends see and recognize the marks of friendship: their speech retains the blessed sign imprinted.
10.71.2
यज्ञेनyajñena वाचःvācaḥ पदवीयमायनpadavīyamāyan तामन्वविन्दन्न्र्षिषुप्रविष्टामtāmanvavindannṛṣiṣupraviṣṭām |

तामाभ्र्त्याtāmābhṛtyā वयदधुःvyadadhuḥ पुरुत्राpurutrā तांtāṃ सप्तरेभाsaptarebhā अभिabhi संsaṃ नवन्तेnavante ||
With sacrifice the trace of Vāk they foIlowed, and found her harbouring within the Ṛṣis.
They brought her, dealt her forth in many places: seven singers make her tones resound in concert.
10.71.3
उतuta तवःtvaḥ पश्यनpaśyan नna ददर्शdadarśa वाचमुतvācamuta तवःtvaḥ शर्ण्वनśṛṇvan नश्र्णोत्येनामnaśṛṇotyenām |

उतोuto तवस्मैtvasmai तन्वंtanvaṃ विvi सस्रेsasre जायेवjāyeva पत्यौशतीpatyauśatī सुवासाःsuvāsāḥ ||
One man hath ne’er seen Vāk, and yet he seeth: one man hath hearing but hath never heard her.
But to another hath she shown her beauty as a fond well-dressed woman to her husband.
10.71.4
उतuta तवंtvaṃ सख्येsakhye सथिरपीतमाहुर्नैनंsthirapītamāhurnainaṃ हिन्वन्त्यपिवाजिनेषुhinvantyapivājineṣu |

अधेन्वाadhenvā चरतिcarati माययैषmāyayaiṣa वाचंvācaṃ शुश्रुवानफलामपुष्पामśuśruvānaphalāmapuṣpām ||
One man they call a laggard, dull in friendship: they never urge him on to deeds of valour.
He wanders on in profitless illusion: the Voice he heard yields neither fruit,nor blossom.
10.71.5
यस्तित्याजyastityāja सचिविदंsacividaṃ सखायंsakhāyaṃ नna तस्यtasya वाच्यपिvācyapi भागोस्तिbhāghoasti |

यदींyadīṃ शर्णोत्यलकंśṛṇotyalakaṃ शर्णोतिśṛṇoti नहिnahi परवेदpraveda सुक्र्तस्यपन्थामsukṛtasyapanthām ||
No part in Vāk hath he who hath abandoned his own dear friend who knows the truth of friendship.
Even if he hears her still in vain he listens: naught knows he of the path of righteous action.
10.71.6
अक्षण्वन्तःakṣaṇvantaḥ कर्णवन्तःkarṇavantaḥ सखायोsakhāyo मनोजवेष्वसमाबभूवुःmanojaveṣvasamābabhūvuḥ |

आदघ्नासādaghnāsa उपकक्षासupakakṣāsa उu तवेtve हरदाhradā इवiva सनात्वाsnātvā उत्वेutve दद्र्श्रेdadṛśre ||
Unequal in the quickness of their spirit are friends endowed alike with eyes and hearing.
Some look like tanks that reach the mouth or shoulder, others like pools of water fit to bathe in.
10.71.7
हर्दाhṛdā तष्टेषुtaṣṭeṣu मनसोmanaso जवेषुjaveṣu यदyad बराह्मणाःbrāhmaṇāḥ संयजन्तेसखायःsaṃyajantesakhāyaḥ |

अत्राहatrāha तवंtvaṃ विvi जहुर्वेद्याभिरोहब्रह्माणोjahurvedyābhirohabrahmāṇo विचरन्त्युvicarantyu तवेtve ||
When friendly Brahmans sacrifice together with mental impulse which the heart hath fashioned,
They leave one far behind through their attainments, and some who count as Brahmans wander elsewhere.
10.71.8
इमेime येye नार्वांnārvāṃ नna परश्चरन्तिparaścaranti नna बराह्मणासोbrāhmaṇāso नसुतेकरासःnasutekarāsaḥ |

तta एतेete वाचमभिपद्यvācamabhipadya पापयाpāpayā सिरीस्तन्त्रंsirīstantraṃ तन्वतेtanvate अप्रजज्ञयःaprajajñayaḥ ||
Those men who step not back and move not forward, nor Brahmans nor preparers of libations,
Having attained to Vāk in sinful fashion spin out their thread in ignorance like spinsters.
10.71.9
सर्वेsarve नन्दन्तिnandanti यशसागतेनyaśasāghatena सभासाहेनsabhāsāhena सख्याsakhyā सखायःsakhāyaḥ |

किल्बिषस्प्र्तkilbiṣaspṛt पितुषणिर्ह्येषामरंpituṣaṇirhyeṣāmaraṃ हितोhito भवतिवाजिनायbhavativājināya ||
All friends are joyful in the friend who cometh in triumph, having conquered in assembly.
He is their blame-averter, food-provider prepared is he and fit for deed of vigour.
10.71.10
रचांṛcāṃ तवःtvaḥ पोषमास्तेpoṣamāste पुपुष्वानpupuṣvān गायत्रंghāyatraṃ तवोtvo गायतिशक्वरीषुghāyatiśakvarīṣu |

बरह्माbrahmā तवोtvo वदतिvadati जातविद्यांjātavidyāṃ यज्ञस्यमात्रांyajñasyamātrāṃ विvi मिमीतmimīta उu तवःtvaḥ ||
One plies his constant task reciting verses. one sings the holy psalm in Sakvari measures.
One more, the Brahman, tells the lore of being, and one lays down the rules of sacrificing.
10.71.11