Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 7.4.1.25

7.4.1.25

atha sarpanāmairupatiṣṭhata | ime vai lokāḥ sarpāste hānena sarveṇa sarpanti yadidaṃ kiṃ ca sarveṣāmu haiṣa devānāmātmā yadagniste devā etamātmānamupadhāyābibhayuryadvai na ime lokā anenātmanā na surpeyuriti

He (the Sacrificer) then stands by (the gold man) worshipping him with the Sarpanâma (serpent-named) formulas. The serpents doubtless are these worlds, for these glide along (sarp) with everything here whatsoever there is; and Agni is no other than the self (body) of all the gods. They, the gods, having laid down (on the altar) that self of theirs, were afraid lest these worlds should glide away with that self of theirs.