In the ancient days, when the sacred fire was honored and the rites of hospitality were regarded as the highest duty, it was taught that when a guest arrives, especially one learned in the Vedas, one must not eat before him. The guest is to be honored above all, and only after he has eaten may the householder partake of food. This observance preserves the integrity and continuity of the sacrifice; it is a vow to be upheld. Moreover, whatever is most delicious—be it curds, milk, or meat—should not be consumed by the householder before the guest. Such restraint is a mark of true hospitality and reverence for the sacred order. Those who know the deeper significance of these offerings and act accordingly are greatly blessed. If one knowingly offers milk, pouring it out with understanding, he gains prosperity equal to that obtained by performing the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice in abundance. Likewise, one who offers clarified butter with knowledge receives the prosperity of the Atirātra sacrifice. Offering honey with this awareness brings the rewards of the Sattrasatya sacrifice, and offering meat yields the fruits of the Dvādaśāha sacrifice. Even the simple act of offering water, when performed with understanding, leads to the generation of offspring, a firm foundation in life, and the love of people. The gods themselves participate in this sacred order. At dawn, Uṣas utters the hiṅ sound, Savitṛ offers praise, Bṛhaspati sings forth for strength, Tvaṣṭṛ brings forth nourishment, and all the gods together establish the resting place. For one who knows this, the resting place becomes a source of prosperity, children, and cattle. The sun, too, follows this divine pattern: at sunrise, he utters the hiṅ sound; in the mid-morning, he praises; at midday, he sings forth; in the afternoon, he brings forth; at sunset, he enters the resting place. For the knower of this, the resting place yields prosperity, offspring, and cattle. The clouds mirror this cosmic song: they utter the hiṅ sound, thunder in praise, flash as they bring forth, rain as they sing, and when they pour out, they enter the resting place. For one who knows, the resting place is filled with abundance. So, too, does the householder honor guests: he looks towards them, utters the hiṅ sound, greets them, offers praise, asks for water, sings forth, makes offerings, and brings forth gifts. The leavings become the resting place, and for the one who knows, this resting place is rich with prosperity, offspring, and cattle. The cosmos is woven together in the form of the cow, the universal form. Prajāpati and Parameṣṭhin are her horns; Indra is her head; Agni her forehead; Yama her occiput. Soma the king is her brain; heaven is her upper jaw, earth her lower. Lightning forms her tongue, the Maruts her teeth, the Revatī stars her necks, the Kṛttikās her shoulders, and heat her back. The all-pervading wind is her body, and the heavenly world, the black spot, is her support and foundation. The falcon is her hump, the intermediate space her marrow, Bṛhaspati her withers, and the Bṛhatī and Kīkasā meters her dewlap. The wives of the gods are her backs, the Upasads her sides and ribs. Mitra and Varuṇa are her shoulders, as are Tvaṣṭṛ and Aryaman; the Doṣaṇī and Mahādeva are her arms. Indrani is the ash, Vayu the tail, Pavamana the calves. Brahman and Kshatra are her hips, and strength her thighs. Dhata and Savita are her shanks, while Gandharvas, Apsaras, Kushthikas, and Aditi are her hooves. Consciousness is her heart, intellect the liver, and vow her chest. Hunger is her belly, Irā her intestines, and mountains her ribs. Anger is her kidneys, wrath the testicles, and offspring the penis. Rivers flow as her veins, the lords of rain are her breasts, and thunder is her udder. The all-pervading is her skin, plants are her hairs, and the stars her form. Divine beings are her rectum, humans her intestines, and the stomach is here. Rakshasas are her blood, other beings her fat. The cloud is her marrow, and drink is her end. Agni is seated within her, the Ashvins have arisen. Indra stands in the east, Dakshina in the south with Yama; Pratyanga stands in the west, Dhata in the north with Savita. Soma the king has attained the grasses, Mitra observes and turns with delight. Vaishvadeva is yoked, Prajapati is released, and all are gathered. This is the universal form, the form of all, the form of the cow. All-formed, of every form, the cattle approach and stand by him who knows thus. Finally, as a blessing for all who hold this knowledge, let every affliction of the head—headache, disease, ear-pain, or bloodiness—be driven out, leaving the knower whole and healthy, upheld by the sacred order of the universe.