Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 10.5.3.4

10.5.3.4

tanmano vācamasṛjata seyaṃ vākṣṛṣṭāvirabubhūṣanniruktatarā mūrtatarā sātmānamanvaicatsā tapo'tapyata sā prāmūrcatsā ṣaṭtriṃśataṃ sahasrāṇyapaśyadātmano'gnīnarkānvāṅmayānvākcitaste vācaivādhīyanta vācaiṣu grahā agṛhyanta vācāstuvata vācāśaṃsanyatkiṃ ca yajñe karma kriyate yatkiṃ ca yajñiyaṃ karma vācaiva teṣu tadvāṅmayeṣu vākcitsu vāṅmayamakriyata tadyatkiṃ cemāni bhūtāni vācā vadanti teṣāmeva sā kṛtistānevādadhati tāṃścinvanti teṣu grahāngṛhṇanti teṣu stuvate teṣu śaṃsantyetāvatī vai vāco vibhūtiretāvatī visṛṣṭiretāvatī vākṣaṭtriṃśatsahasrāṇyagnayo'rkāsteṣāmekaika eva tāvānyāvānasau pūrvaḥ

That Mind created Speech. This Speech, when created, wished to become manifest,--more defined, more substantial: it sought after a self. It practised austerity: it acquired consistency. It beheld thirty-six thousand Arka-fires of its own self, composed of speech, built up of speech: with speech they were established, and with speech built up; with speech the cups were drawn thereat; with speech they chanted, and with speech they recited on them--whatever rite is performed at the sacrifice, whatever sacrificial rite there is, that was performed by speech alone, as a vocal performance, on those (fires) composed of speech, and built up of speech. And whatever beings here speak by speech that was done regarding those (fires): they establish them and build them up; they draw the cups for them; they chant on them and recite hymns on them,--of that extent was the development of Speech, of that extent its creation,--so great is Speech: thirty-six thousand Arka-fires; and each of these as great as that former (fire-altar) was.