A group of seekers gathered before a wise Brahman, their hearts filled with questions about the mysteries of existence. With reverence, they began: “O Brahman, tell us—in which did the person, the Self, enter? Which things are placed within the person? We ask you sincerely; what will you reveal to us?” The Brahman replied, “The person entered into five; and those five are also placed within the person. I am seeking you here, and know that your wisdom is not a result of mere illusion.” The seekers pressed further, their curiosity undimmed. “What was the original intention? What was the great speed? What is called pilippilā? And what is piśaṅgilā?” The Brahman answered, “Heaven was the original intention. The horse was the great speed. The goat is known as pilippilā, and night is called piśaṅgilā.” Again, the seekers asked, “Who is this Piśaṃgilā? Who is Kurupiśaṃgilā? Who leaps upon the branches? Who glides along the path?” The Brahman explained, “The she-goat is Piśaṃgilā, and the dog is Kurupiśaṃgilā. The hare is the one who leaps upon the branch, and the serpent glides smoothly along the path.” Their questions continued: “How many are its droppings? How many syllables does it have? How many offerings are made? In how many ways is it kindled? And in the assembly of sacrifice, how many priests worship in due season?” The Brahman replied, “There are six droppings, a hundred syllables, eighty offerings, and three kindling-sticks. In the assembly of sacrifice, seven priests worship at the proper time.” Eager to understand the very foundations of the world, the seekers asked, “Who knows the navel of the world? Who knows the sky, the earth, and the atmosphere? Who knows the great origin of the sun? Who knows from where the moon was born?” With calm assurance, the Brahman declared, “I know the navel of the world. I know the sky, the earth, and the atmosphere. I know the great origin of the sun, and I know from where the moon was born.” The seekers pressed on: “Tell us about the farthest end of the earth. Where is the navel of the world? What is the seed of the mighty horse? What is the highest realm of speech?” The Brahman pointed out, “This altar is the farthest end of the earth. This sacrifice is where the navel of the world is. This Soma is the seed of the mighty horse. And this Brahman is the highest realm of speech.” He continued, “The well-born, self-existent one, the first within the great ocean, placed the embryo of the rite, from which Prajāpati, the lord of creatures, was born.” “The priest,” he explained, “invokes Prajāpati through the greatness of Soma. May Prajāpati be pleased; let the priest offer, and let him drink Soma.” Then, turning to Prajāpati, the Brahman prayed, “O Prajāpati, none besides you has encompassed all these forms. May that desire of yours, for which we offer, be fulfilled in us. May we become lords of wealth.” The Brahman then described the sacred animals and their divine associations: “The horse forms the upper part, the cow and deer are yours, O offspring of Prajāpati. The black-necked one belongs to Agni and is placed in front; the Sarasvatī sheep lies below, under the sand. The lower thighs are of the Aśvins; the Saumya and Pauṣṇa are the arms; the dark one is at the navel, the Sūrya’s are the sides; the white and black are the flanks, belonging to Tvaṣṭṛ; the hairy are Vāyu’s thighs; the white tail is for Indra, the beautiful one for Svapasya; the great Vaiṣṇava is the dwarf.” He continued, “The red, smoky-red, and Karkandhu-red are yours, O gentle one. The brown, ruddy-brown, and white-brown belong to Varuṇa; the white-marked ones to Sāvitrī; the white-armed ones to Bṛhaspati; the spotted ones to Maitrāvaruṇa.” “The pure-maned, all-pure-maned, and jewel-maned are the Aśvins’. The white, white-eyed, and red are Rudra’s, lord of cattle; the ears are Yama’s; the smeared are Raudra’s; those with the form of the sky are Parjanya’s.” “The speckled, crosswise-speckled, and upward-speckled are the Maruts’. The reddish, red-tailed, and spotted are Sarasvatī’s. The spleen-eared, trunk-eared, and upward-iron-eared are Tvaṣṭṛ’s. The black-necked, white-eyed, and marked-thighed are Indra-Agni’s. The black-fingered, small-fingered, and great-fingered are Uṣas’s.” He explained further, “The artisans are Vaiśvadevyas, the red ones are Rohiṇī’s, the three-year-olds are for Speech, the unknown ones are for Aditi, the similar-formed are for Dhātr, and the calves are for the wives of the gods.” “The black-necked are Agni’s, the white-spotted are the Vasus’, the red ones are Rudra’s, the white, seeing ones are the Ādityas’, and those with the form of the sky are Parjanya’s.” Continuing, he said, “The elevated, the bull, and the dwarf are Indra-Viṣṇu’s; the elevated, white-armed, and white-backed are Indra-Bṛhaspati’s; the boar-formed are the swift ones; the dappled are Agni-Marut’s; the dark ones are Pauṣṇa’s.” “There are also the Indra-Agni pair, the two-formed ones; the Agni-Soma pair, the dwarfish ones; the Anaḍvāha, the Agni-Viṣṇu pair, the submissive ones; the Maitrāvaruṇi, and the Maitri.” “The black-necked are of Agni, the tawny of Soma, the white of Vāyu, the unmarked of Aditi, those of similar form are of Dhātri, and the calves are for the wives of the gods.” “The black ones belong to the earth, the smoky to the atmosphere, the large ones to the sky, the mottled to lightning, and the ashy to the stars.” He explained the connection to the seasons: “He obtains the smoky ones for spring, the white for summer, the black for the rains, the red-spotted for autumn, the tawny for winter, and the reddish-brown for the cool season.” The animals are aligned with meters and years: “Three-year-olds are for Gāyatrī, five-year-olds for Triṣṭubh, two-year-old draught animals for Jagatī, three-calved ones for Anuṣṭubh, four-year-old draught animals for Uṣṇih.” “Six-year-old draught animals are for Virāj, oxen for Bṛhatī, bulls for Kakubh, Anaḍvāha for Paṅkti, and cows for Aticchandas.” He elaborated further, “The black-necked are of Agni, the tawny of Soma, the upadhvastā are of Sāvitrī, the calves of Sarasvatī, the dark ones of Pūṣan, the speckled of the Maruts, the many-formed of the Viśvadevas, and the submissive of Heaven and Earth.” “These are declared as the moving ones: the Indra-Agni pair, the black ones, the Varuṇa pair, the speckled ones, the Maruts, and the uppermost of the forms.” “For Agni with many faces, he obtains the firstborn from the Maruts; for the Maruts who bring heat, the Savāti; for the Maruts of the householder, the Baṣkihā; for the Maruts who play, the mingled ones; for the Maruts who possess their own, the following ones.” “These too are the moving ones: the Indra-Agni pair, the horned ones, the Mahendra, and the many-formed of Viśvakarman.” “The smoky, tawny-colored are of the Fathers who have Soma; the tawny, tawny-colored are of the Fathers who sit on the barhis; the black, tawny-colored are of the Fathers consumed by fire; the black, speckled are of the Triambakas.” “There are also the moving ones of Śunāsīra, the white of Vāyu, the white of Sūrya.” He described the birds for the seasons: “For spring, he obtains francolins; for summer, lapwings; for the rains, partridges; for autumn, quails; for winter, crows; for the cool season, jackdaws.” “For the ocean, he obtains porpoises; for Parjanya, frogs; for the waters, fish; for Mitra, kulīpaya birds; for Varuṇa, crocodiles.” “For Soma, he obtains swans; for Vāyu, cranes; for Indra and Agni, curlews; for Mitra, grebes; for Varuṇa, ruddy shelducks.” “For Agni, he obtains woodpeckers; for the forest trees, owls; for Agni and Soma, jays; for the Aśvins, peacocks; for Mitra and Varuṇa, pigeons.” “For Soma, he obtains lapwings; for Tvaṣṭṛ, the kaulīka birds; for the cowsheds, the birds of the wives of the gods; for Agni, the lord of the house, the pāruṣṇa birds.” “For the day, he obtains doves; for the night, the sīcāpū bird; for the junctions of day and night, the jatū bird; for the months, the dātyuha; and for the year, the great eagle.” Thus, in patient and reverent dialogue, the Brahman revealed the intricate tapestry of existence, sacrifice, and the divine order, showing how every being and every act is woven into the cosmic sacrifice, each with its own place, purpose, and presiding deity. Through these sacred correspondences, the seekers glimpsed the unity of all things—earth and sky, animal and season, offering and word—within the boundless embrace of Prajāpati and the eternal Brahman.