Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 10.6.1

Now at the house of Aruna Aupavesi these came once together,--Satyayagña Paulushi, Mahâsâla Gâbâla, Budila Âsvatarâsvi, Indradyumna Bhâllaveya, and Ganasârkarâkshya. They took counsel together regarding (Agni) Vaisvânara, but did not agree as to Vaisvânara.

They said, 'There is that Asvapati Kaikeya who knows Vaisvânara thoroughly: let us go to him!' They went to Asvapati Kaikeya. He ordered for them separate dwellings, separate honours, separate Soma-sacrifices each with a thousand gifts. In the morning, still at variance with one another, they came again to him, with fuel in their hands, saying, 'We want to become thy pupils.'

He said, 'How is this, venerable sirs, when ye are learned in the scriptures, and sons of men learned in the scriptures?' They replied, 'Venerable sir, thou knowest Vaisvânara thoroughly: teach us him!' He said, 'I do indeed know Vaisvânara thoroughly: put your fuel on (the fire), ye are become my pupils.'

He then said to Aruna Aupavesi, 'O Gautama, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?'--'As Earth only, O king;' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is Vaisvânara, the foundation; and because thou knowest the Vaisvânara Foundation (pratishthâ) therefore thou art firmly established (pratishthita) with offspring and cattle; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara Foundation, repels Death and attains all life. But, in truth, these are only the feet of Vaisvânara, and thy feet would have withered away, hadst thou not come hither; or the feet would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He then said to Satyayagña Paulushi, 'O Prâkînayogya, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?' --'As Water only, O king;' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is the Vaisvânara Wealth; and because thou knowest that Vaisvânara Wealth, therefore thou art wealthy and prosperous; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara Wealth, repels death and attains all life. But, in truth, this is only the bladder of Vaisvânara, and thy bladder would have failed thee, hadst thou not come hither; or the bladder would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He then said to Mahâsâla Gâbâla, 'O Aupamanyava, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?'--'As Ether only, O king,' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that, indeed, is the Vaisvânara Plenteous; and because thou knowest Vaisvânara Plenteous, therefore thou art plentiful in offspring and cattle; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara Plenteous, repels death and attains all life. But, in truth, this is only the trunk of Vaisvânara, and thy trunk would have failed thee, hadst thou not come hither; or the body would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He then said to Budila Âsvatarâsvi, 'O Vaiyâghrapadya, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?'--'As Air (wind) only, O king;' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is the Vaisvânara of divers courses; and because thou knowest that Vaisvânara of divers courses, therefore divers rows of cars follow thee; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara of divers courses, repels death, and attains all life. But, in truth, this is only the breath of Vaisvânara, and thy breath would have failed thee, hadst thou not come hither; or the breath would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He then said to Indradyumna Bhâllaveya, 'O Vaiyâghrapadya, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?'--'As Sun only, O king,' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is the Vaisvânara of Soma's splendour; and because thou knowest the Vaisvânara of Soma's splendour, therefore that Soma-juice never fails to be consumed and cooked in thy house; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara of Soma's splendour, repels death, and attains all life. But, indeed, this is only the eye of Vaisvânara, and thine eye would have failed thee, hadst thou not come hither; or the eye would be unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He then said to Gana Sarkarâkshya, 'O Sâyavasa, as whom knowest thou Vaisvânara?'--'As Heaven only, O king,' he replied.--'Yea,' he said, 'that indeed is Vaisvânara Pre-eminence; and because thou knowest the Vaisvânara Pre-eminence, therefore thou art pre-eminent among thine equals; and, verily, he who knows that Vaisvânara Preeminence repels death, and attains all life. But, indeed, this is only the head of Vaisvânara, and thy head would have failed thee, hadst thou not come hither; or the head would have been unknown to thee, hadst thou not come hither.'

He said to them, 'Ye then, knowing different Vaisvânaras, have been feeding on different kinds of food; but verily, the well-beknown gods have attained, as it were, the measure of a span; but I will so tell them unto you that I shall make them attain no more nor less than the measure of a span.'

Pointing at the head he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara Pre-eminence;'--pointing at the eyes he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara of Soma's splendour;'--pointing at the nostrils he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara of divers courses;'--pointing at the space in the mouth he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara Plenteous;'--pointing at the water in the mouth he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara Wealth;'--pointing at the chin he said, 'This, indeed, is the Vaisvânara Foundation.' This Agni Vaisvânara is no other than the Purusha; and, verily, whosoever thus knows that Agni Vaisvânara as Purusha-like, as established within the Purusha, repels death, and attains all life; and, verily, Vaisvânara does no harm to him that speaks of him.