An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s1.144.3

c5.s1.144.3

the child, Skanda and Guha, and, because it was nursed by the Kṛttikās, Kārttikeya; gold, Jātarūpa. It was in this way that gold came into existence as the offspring of Agni; gold is truly the illustrious Agni, the lord of all things, and the foremost of all Prajāpatis; the most sacred of all sacred things is gold; it has for its essence Agni and Soma. In days of yore (*lokādau*, v. 4163) Rudra (who is Brahmán, Çiva, Rudra, Varuṇa, Agni, Prajāpati, etc.), having assumed the form of Varuṇa (cf. v. 4133, *Varuṇaḥ, Pavanātmakah*), performed a sacrifice to which the munis and all the deities with Agni, etc.; the Lord of all himself poured libations into his own self. Seeing "*devapatnyaç ca kanyāç ca devānāṃ ca mātaraḥ*," the seed (endowed with Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) of Brahmán fell upon the Earth; Pūshan took it up, and it was taken with the sacrificial ladle and poured as an oblation into the fire; thence Brahmán caused the different beings to spring into existence. From the flames (bhrg) arose Bhrgu, etc. . . . from the ashes, the Vaikhānasas, honoured by the gaṇas of brahmarṣis; from his (Agni's, PCR.) tears, the Aevins; from his organs of sense (srotobhyas B., i.e. ears, etc.), the rest of the Prajāpatis (prajānām patayaḥ), the Ṛṣis from his pores, etc. - For this reason Agni is said to be all the deities; the pieces of wood are the months, etc.; his bile (pittam) is day and night (B. somewhat differently); "Raudram lohityam ity āhur, lohitāt kanakam smṛtam |