Maitri (Maitrāyaṇīya) Upaniṣad 6.33

6.33

pañceṣṭako vā eṣo'gniḥ saṃvatsaraḥ tasyemā iṣṭakā yo vasanto grīṣmo varṣāḥ śaraddhemantaḥ sa śiraḥpakṣasīpṛcchapṛṣṭavān eṣo'gniḥ puruṣavidaḥ seyaṃ prajāpateḥ prathamā citiḥ karairyajamānamantarikṣamutkṣioptvā vāyave prāyacchat prāṇo vai vāyuḥ prāṇo'gnistasyemā iṣṭakā yaḥ prāṇo vyāno'pānaḥ samāna udānaḥ sa śiraḥpakṣasīpṛṣṭhapucchavāneṣo'gniḥ puruṣavidastadidamantarikṣaṃ prajāpaterdvitīyā citiḥ karairyajamānaṃ divamutkṣiptendrāya prāyacchat asau vā āditya indraḥ saiṣo'gniḥ tasyemā iṣṭakā yadṛgyajuḥ sāmātharvāṅgirasā itihāsaṃ purāṇaṃ sa śiraḥpakṣasīpucchapṛṣṭhavāneṣo'gniḥ puruṣavidaḥ saiṣā dyauḥ prajāpatestṛtīyā citiḥ karairyajamānasyātmavide'vadānaṃ karoti yathātmavidutkṣipya brahmaṇe prāyacchat tatrānandī modī bhavati ||

33. Verily, this [Gārhapatya] sacrificial fire with its five bricks is the year. For that [fire] the bricks are these : spring, summer, the rains, autumn, winter. So it has a head, two wings, a back, and a tail. In the case of one who knows the Person this sacrificial fire is the earth, Prajāpati’s first sacrificial pile. With its hands it raises the sacrificer up to the atmosphere, and offers him to Vāyu (the Wind). Verily, the wind is breath.

Verily, breath (prāṇa) is a sacrificial fire [i. e. the second, the

Dakshiṇa fire]. For that the bricks are these: the Prāṇa breath, the Vyāna breath, the Apāna breath, the Samāna breath, the Udāna breath. So it has a head, two wings, a back, and a tail. In the case of one who knows the Person this sacrificial fire is the atmosphere, Prajāpati's second sacrificial pile. With its hands it raises the sacrificer up to the sky, and offers him to Indra. Verily, Indra is yonder sun.

He [Indra] is this [third, the Āhavanīya] fire. For that the bricks are these: the Ṛig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, the Sāma-Veda, [the Hymns of] the Atharvans and Aṅgirases [i. e. the Atharva-Veda], Legend (itihāsa), and Ancient Lore (purāṇa). So it has a head, two wings, a back, and a tail. In the case of one who knows the Person this sacrificial fire is that sky, Prajāpati's third sacrificial pile. With its hands it makes a present of the sacrificer to the Knower of Ātman (the Soul). Then the Knower of Ātman raises him up and offers him to Brahma. There he becomes blissful, joyful.