Text 27
aho bata śva-paco ’to garīyān
yaj-jihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te
aho bata — how wonderful it is; śva-pacaḥ — a dog-eater; ataḥ — than the initiated brāhmaṇa; garīyān — more glorious; yat — of whom; jihvā-agre — on the tip of the tongue; vartate — remains; nāma — the holy name; tubhyam — of You, my Lord; tepuḥ — have performed; tapaḥ — austerity; te — they; juhuvuḥ — have performed sacrifices; sasnuḥ — have bathed in all holy places; āryāḥ — actually belonging to the Āryan race; brahma — all the Vedas; anūcuḥ — have studied; nāma — the holy name; gṛṇanti — chant; ye — who; te — they.
“ ‘My dear Lord, anyone who always keeps Your holy name on his tongue is greater than an initiated brāhmaṇa. Although he may be born in a family of dog-eaters and therefore, by material calculations, be the lowest of men, he is glorious nevertheless. That is the wonderful power of chanting the holy name of the Lord. One who chants the holy name is understood to have performed all kinds of austerities. He has studied all the Vedas, he has performed all the great sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas, and he has already taken his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. It is he who is factually the Āryan.’ ”