Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa ("of a hundred paths") 8.1.2.6

8.1.2.6

viśvāmitra ṛṣiriti | śrotraṃ vai viśvāmitra ṛṣiryadenena sarvataḥ śṛṇotyatho yadasmai sarvato mitram bhavati tasmācrotraṃ viśvāmitra ṛṣiḥ prajāpatigṛhītayā tvayeti prajāpatisṛṣṭayā tvayetyetacrotraṃ gṛhṇāmi prajābhya iti śrotramuttarataḥ prāpādayata nānopadadhāti ye nānākāmāḥ śrotre tāṃstaddadhāti sakṛtsādayatyekaṃ tacrotraṃ karotyatha yannānā sādayecrotraṃ ha vicindyātsaiṣā trivṛdiṣṭakā tasyokto bandhuḥ

'The Rishi Visvâmitra,'--the Rishi Visvâmitra ('all-friend'), doubtless, is the ear: because therewith one hears in every direction, and because there is a friend (mitra) to it on every side, therefore the ear is the Rishi Visvâmitra.--'By thee, taken by Pragâpati,'--that is, 'by thee, erected by Pragâpati;'--'I take the ear for my descendants,' --therewith he introduced the ear from the left (or upper) side. Separately he lays down (these bricks): what separate desires there are in the ear, those he thereby lays into it. Only once he settles them: he thereby makes the ear one; but were he to settle them each separately, he assuredly would cut the ear asunder. This is a threefold brick: the meaning of this has been explained.