Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 6.5.2

He then takes a lump of clay, as much as he thinks sufficient for the bottom part, with, 'Makha's head thou art!'--Makha, doubtless, is the sacrifice, and this is its head; for the Âhavanîya fire is the head of the sacrifice, and that Âhavanîya (fire-altar) he is now about to build: hence he says, 'Makha's head thou art!'

And, again, as to why he says, 'Makha's head thou art!'--when he (Agni) is built up, then he is born, and it is by the head (issuing first), by the top, that he who is born is born: 'when he is born, may he be born by the head, by the top!' so he thinks.

He spreads it out, with (Vâg. S. XI, 58), 'May the Vasus, Aṅgiras-like, fashion thee by the Gâyatrî metre!'--for the bottom part is this (terrestrial) world, and this the Vasus fashioned by means of the Gâyatrî metre; and in like manner does this one now fashion it by means of the Gâyatrî metre;--'Aṅgiras-like,' he says, for Aṅgiras is the breath. 'Thou art steadfast!'--that is, 'thou art firm,' or, 'thou art fixed;'--'Thou art the earth!'--for this bottom part is indeed the earth;--'Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the Vasus, having fashioned this (terrestrial) world, invoked this blessing thereon; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, having fashioned this world, now invoke this blessing thereon. Having made it of the measure of a span (in each direction), he then turns up its edge on each side.

He then lays thereon the first (lower) side-part, with, 'May the Rudras, Aṅgiras-like, fashion thee by the Trishtubh metre!'--for this side-part is the air, and this the Rudras fashioned by means of the Trishtubh metre; and in like manner does this one now fashion it by means of the Trishtubh metre;--'Aṅgiras-like,' he says, for Aṅgiras is the breath;--'Thou art steadfast!'--that is, 'thou art firm,' or 'thou art fixed;'--'Thou art the air!' for this side-part is indeed the air;--'Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the Rudras, having fashioned the air, invoked this blessing thereon; and in like manner does this Sacrificer, having fashioned the air, now invoke this blessing thereon. Having stroked and smoothed it all over--

He lays on the upper side-part, with, 'May the Âdityas, Aṅgiras-like, fashion thee by the Gagatî metre!' for this side-part is yonder sky, and this the Âdityas fashioned by means of the Gagatî metre; and in like manner does this one now fashion it by means of the Gagatî metre;--'Aṅgiras-like,' he says, for Aṅgiras is the breath;--'Thou art steadfast!'--that is, 'thou art firm,' or 'thou art fixed;'--'Thou art the sky!' for that side-part is indeed the sky;--'Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the Âdityas, having fashioned the sky, invoked this blessing thereon; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having fashioned the sky, now invokes this blessing thereon.

He then makes it (complete), with this fourth prayer, 'May the All-gods, the friends of all men, fashion thee, Aṅgiras-like, by the Anushtubh metre!'--this prayer, doubtless, is the (four) quarters, and the All-gods, the friends of all men, did then, by means of this prayer, put the quarters into these worlds, (that is) into the fire-pan; and in like manner does the Sacrificer, by means of this prayer, now put the quarters into these worlds, into the fire-pan;--'Aṅgiras-like,' he says, because Aṅgiras is the breath;--'Thou art steadfast!'--that is, 'thou art firm,' or 'thou art fixed;'--'Thou art the quarters!' for this prayer indeed is the quarters;--'Establish in me offspring, increase of wealth, lordship of cattle, manhood, clansmen for the Sacrificer!' For the All-gods, the friends of all men, having fashioned the quarters, invoked this blessing on them; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having fashioned the quarters, now invokes this blessing on them.

With that same formula he fashions it both inside and outside, whence the quarters are both inside and outside these worlds. He therewith fashions it without restriction (to any part of the pan), for unrestricted are the quarters.

He makes it just a span high, and a span sideways; for Vishnu, when an embryo, was a span long, and this (fire-pan) is the womb: he thus makes the womb of equal size with the embryo.

Were it larger than a span, he would make it smaller by that prayer; and were it smaller, (he would make it) larger thereby.

If there be one victim, let him make it (the pan) one span wide; and if there be five victims, let him make it five spans wide, or an arrow's width; for the arrow means strength: he thus makes it to be composed of strength. But, indeed, an arrow formerly used to be five spans long.

He then lays round the horizontal belt (or rim);--that is the quarters; for the gods, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, strengthened and encircled them by the quarters; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, thus strengthens and encircles them by the quarters.

He lays this (rim) on the upper third (of the side), for it is there the ends of these worlds meet, and he thus makes them firm thereby.

[He does so, with Vâg. S. XI, 59] 'Thou art Aditi's girdle!'--in the sacrifice the string relates to Varuna: he thus lays this belt round after (expressly) making it one not relating to Varuna.

He then silently makes four upright (bands), for these are the quarters;--for the gods, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, made them firm on all sides by means of the quarters; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, now makes them firm on all sides by means of the quarters.

These (vertical bands) run up to (the rim of) it, for they did then support it, and so do they now support it: thus that upper part of it becomes firm by means of the horizontal belt, and that lower part of it by means of these (vertical bands).

At their tops they form nipples; for the gods, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, drew forth for themselves from these nipples all (objects of) their desires; and in like manner the Sacrificer, having made these worlds, the fire-pan, draws forth from these nipples all his desires.

This (fire-pan) indeed is a cow, for the fire-pan is these worlds, and these worlds are a cow: that horizontal belt is its udder; it is in the (upper) third of it, for the udder is in one-third of the cow.

He forms nipples to it, whereby he forms the nipples of the udder: it has four nipples, for the cow has four nipples.

Some, indeed, make it with two nipples, or also with eight nipples; but let him not do so, for those cattle which have fewer nipples than a cow, and those which have more nipples, are less fit to yield him a livelihood: hence they make this (fire-pan) less fit to yield a livelihood; and, indeed, they do not make it (like) a cow, but (like) a bitch, or a ewe, or a mare; hence let him not do so.

He then takes hold of its bowl, with, 'May Aditi seize thy bowl!' Aditi, doubtless, is Speech; and the gods, having then fashioned it, perfected it by means of Aditi, speech; and in like manner this one, having fashioned it, now perfects it by means of Aditi, speech.

Having grasped it with both hands, he sets it down, with, 'She, having fashioned the great (mahîm) fire-pan,'--that is, 'she, having fashioned the great (mahatîm) fire-pan;'--'the earthen womb for Agni;'--for this is indeed Agni's earthen womb;--'Aditi offered it unto her sons, thinking, They shall bake it!'--for Aditi, indeed, having fashioned it, offered it to the gods, her sons, to bake it; and in like manner does this one now, after fashioning it, offer it to the gods to bake it.

Now some make three (fire-pans), saying, 'Three (in number) are these worlds, and the fire-pans are these worlds;' and also for mutual expiation, thinking, 'If the one will break, we shall carry (Agni) in the other, and if the other (breaks), then in the other (or third).' Let him not do so; for that first bottom part is this world; and that first (lower) side-part is the air; and the upper one is the sky; and that fourth, the prayer, doubtless is the quarters; and just as much as these worlds and the quarters are, so much is this whole (universe). But were he to add anything thereto, he would make it to be redundant, and whatever redundant (act) is done in the sacrifice is left over for the Sacrificer's spiteful rival. And as to the expiation in case of the (fire-pan being) broken, that (will be told) in a subsequent chapter.