I am Vishnu, I am Brahma and I am Sakra, the chief
of the gods. I am king Vaisravana, and I am Yama,
the lord of the deceased spirits. I am Siva,
I am Soma, and I am Kasyapa the lord of the created
things. And, O best of regenerate ones, I am he
called Dhatri, and he also that is called Vidhatri,
and I am Sacrifice embodied. Fire is my mouth,
the earth my feet, and the Sun and the Moon are my
eyes; the Heaven is the crown of my head, the firmament
and the cardinal points are my ears; the waters are
born of my sweat. Space with the cardinal points
are my body, and the Air is my mind. I have performed
many hundreds of sacrifices with gifts in profusion.
I am always present in the sacrifices of the gods;
and they that are cognisant of the Vedas and officiate
therein, make their offerings to me. On earth
the Kshatriya chiefs that rule over men, in performing
their sacrifices from desire of obtaining heaven,
and the Vaisyas also in performing theirs from desire
of winning those happy regions, all worship me at such
times and by those ceremonials. It is I who,
assuming the form of Sesha support (on my head) this
earth bounded by the four seas and decked by Meru and
Mandara. And O regenerate one, it is I who, assuming
the form of a boar, had raised in days of yore this
earth sunk in water. And, O best of Brahmanas,
it is I who, becoming the fire that issues out of
the Equine mouth, drink up the waters (of the ocean)
and create them again. In consequence of my energy
from my mouth, my arms, my thighs, and my feet gradually
sprang Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas and Sudras.
It is from me that the Rik, the Sama, the Yajus, and
the Atharvan Vedas spring, and it is in me that they
all enter when the time cometh. Brahmanas devoted
to asceticism, they that value Peace as the highest
attribute, they that have their souls under complete
control, they that are desirous of knowledge, they
that are freed from lust and wrath and envy, they
that are unwedded to things of the earth, they that
have their sins completely washed away, they that
are possessed of gentleness and virtue, and are divested
of pride, they that have a full knowledge of the Soul,
all worship me with profound meditation. I am
the flame known as Samvartaka, I am the Wind called
by that name, I am the Sun wearing that appellation,
and I am the fire that hath that designation.
And, O best of Brahmanas, those things that are seen
in the firmament as stars, know them to be the pores
of my skin. The ocean—those mines
of gems and the four cardinal points, know, O Brahmana,
are my robes, my bed, and my home. By me have
they been distributed for serving the purposes of
the gods. And, O best of men, know also that
lust, wrath, joy, fear, and the over-clouding of the
intellect, are all different forms of myself.
And, O Brahmana, whatever is obtained by men by the
practice of truth, charity, ascetic austerities, and
peace and harmlessness towards all creatures, and such
other handsome deeds, is obtained because of my arrangements.