Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 10.4.2

Verily, Pragâpati, the year, is Agni, and King Soma, the moon. He himself, indeed, proclaimed (taught) his own self to Yagñavakas Râgastambâyana, saying, 'As many lights as there are of mine, so many are my bricks.'

Now in this Pragâpati, the year, there are seven hundred and twenty days and nights, his lights, (being) those bricks; three hundred and sixty enclosing-stones, and three hundred and sixty bricks with (special) formulas. This Pragâpati, the year, has created all existing things, both what breathes and the breathless, both gods and men. Having created all existing things, he felt like one emptied out, and was afraid of death.

He bethought himself, 'How can I get these beings back into my body? how can I put them back into my body? how can I be again the body of all these beings?'

He divided his body into two; there were three hundred and sixty bricks in the one, and as many in the other: he did trot succeed.

He made himself three bodies,--in each of them there were three eighties of bricks I he did not succeed.

He made himself four bodies of a hundred and eighty bricks each: he did not succeed.

He made himself five bodies,--in each of them there were a hundred and forty-four bricks: he did not succeed.

He made himself six bodies of a hundred and twenty bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop himself sevenfold.

He made himself eight bodies of ninety bricks each: he did not succeed.

He made himself nine bodies of eighty bricks each: he did not succeed.

He made himself ten bodies of seventy-two bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop elevenfold.

He made himself twelve bodies of sixty bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop either thirteenfold or fourteenfold.

He made himself fifteen bodies of forty-eight bricks each: he did not succeed.

He made himself sixteen bodies of forty-five bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop seventeenfold.

He made himself eighteen bodies of forty bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop nineteenfold.

He made himself twenty bodies of thirty-six bricks each: he did not succeed. He did not develop either twenty-one-fold, or twenty-two-fold, or twenty-three-fold.

He made himself twenty-four bodies of thirty bricks each. There he stopped, at the fifteenth; and because he stopped at the fifteenth arrangement there are fifteen forms of the waxing, and fifteen of the waning (moon).

And because he made himself twenty-four bodies, therefore the year consists of twenty-four half-months. With these twenty-four bodies of thirty bricks each he had not developed (sufficiently). He saw the fifteen parts of the day, the muhûrtas, as forms for his body, as space-fillers (Lokamprinâs), as well as fifteen of the night; and inasmuch as they straightway (muhu) save (trai), they are (called) 'muhûrtâh'; and inasmuch as, whilst being small, they fill (pûr) these worlds (or spaces, 'loka') they are (called) 'lokamprinâh.'

That one (the sun) bakes everything here, by means of the days and nights, the half-moons, the months, the seasons, and the year; and this (Agni, the fire) bakes what is baked by that one: 'A baker of the baked (he is),' said Bhâradvâga of Agni; 'for he bakes what has been baked by that (sun).'

In the year these (muhûrtas) amounted to ten thousand and eight hundred: he stopped at the ten thousand and eight hundred.

He then looked round over all existing things, and beheld all existing things in the threefold lore (the Veda), for therein is the body of all metres, of all stomas, of all vital airs, and of all the gods: this, indeed, exists, for it is immortal, and what is immortal exists; and this (contains also) that which is mortal.

Pragâpati bethought himself, 'Truly, all existing things are in the threefold lore: well, then, I will construct for myself a body so as to contain the whole threefold lore.'

He arranged the Rik-verses into twelve thousand of Brihatîs, for of that extent are the verses created by Pragâpati. At-the thirtieth arrangement they came to an end in the Paṅktis; and because it was at the thirtieth arrangement that they came to an end, there are thirty nights in the month; and because it was in the Paṅktis, therefore Pragâpati is 'pâṅkta' (fivefold). There are one hundred-and-eight hundred Paṅktis.

He then arranged the two other Vedas into twelve thousand Brihatîs,--eight (thousand) of the Yagus (formulas), and four of the Sâman (hymns)--for of that extent is what was created by Pragâpati in these two Vedas. At the thirtieth arrangement these two came to an end in the Paṅktis; and because it was at the thirtieth arrangement that they came to an end, there are thirty nights in the month; and because it was in the Paṅktis, therefore Pragâpati is 'pâṅkta.' There were one hundred-and-eight hundred Paṅktis.

All the three Vedas amounted to ten thousand eight hundred eighties (of syllables); muhûrta by muhûrta he gained a fourscore (of syllables), and muhûrta by muhûrta a fourscore was completed.

Into these three worlds, (in the form of) the fire-pan, he (Pragâpati) poured, as seed into the womb, his own self made up of the metres, stomas, vital airs, and deities. In the course of a half-moon the first body was made up, in a further (half-moon) the next (body), in a further one the next,--in a year he is made up whole and complete.

Whenever he laid down an enclosing-stone, he laid down a night, and along with that fifteen muhûrtas, and along with the muhûrtas fifteen eighties (of syllables of the sacred texts). And whenever he laid down a brick with a formula (yagushmatî), he laid down a day, and along with that fifteen muhûrtas, and along with the muhûrtas fifteen eighties (of syllables). In this manner he put this threefold lore into his own self, and made it his own; and in this very (performance) he became the body of all existing things, (a body) composed of the metres, stomas, vital airs, and deities; and having become composed of all that, he ascended upwards; and he who thus ascended is that moon yonder.

He who shines yonder (the sun) is his foundation, (for) over him he was built up, on him he was built up: from out of his own self he thus fashioned him, from out of his own self he generated him.

Now when he (the Sacrificer), being about to build an altar, undergoes the initiation-rite,--even as Pragâpati poured his own self, as seed, into the fire-pan as the womb,--so does he pour into the fire-pan, as seed into the womb, his own self composed of the metres, stomas, vital airs, and deities. In the course of a half-moon, his first body is made up, in a further (half-moon) the next (body), in a further one the next,--in a year he is made up whole and complete.

And whenever he lays down an enclosing-stone, he lays down a night, and along with that fifteen muhûrtas, and along with the muhûrtas fifteen eighties (of syllables). And whenever he lays down a Yagushmatî (brick), he lays down a day, and along with that fifteen muhûrtas, and along with the muhûrtas fifteen eighties (of syllables of the sacred texts). In this manner he puts this threefold lore into his own self, and makes it his own; and in this very (performance) he becomes the body of all existing things, (a body) composed of the metres, stomas, vital airs, and deities; and having become composed of all that, he ascends upwards.

And he who shines yonder is his foundation, for over him he is built up, on him he is built up: from out of his own self he thus fashions him, from out of his own self he generates him. And when he who knows this departs from this world, then he passes into that body composed of the metres, stomas, vital airs, and deities; and verily having become composed of all that, he who, knowing this performs this sacrificial work, or he who even knows it, ascends upwards.