In the ancient vision of the Atharvaveda, all that upholds and animates the universe—order and truth, austerity and sovereignty, the power of effort, righteousness, and action itself—along with all that has been and all that will be, the remnants of creation, vigor, fortune, and strength building upon strength, are gathered together and contained within a mysterious remnant, a cosmic residue from which all things arise. Fullness and radiance, intention and authority, dominion, the turning of the six seasons and the year itself, the ritual remnants, Ida, command, and the sacred vessels of offering—all these, too, are encompassed in this remnant. The four priests, the invoker, the rites that mark the quarters of the year, the ritual proclamations, the sacrifices and priestly functions, the binding of animals, and all the offerings desired by the faithful—these dwell within the remnant. Time itself, divided into half-months and months, the seasons and their periods, the very waters that resound with thunder, the faculty of hearing, and the earth—all are gathered in the remnant. Gravel, sand, stones, medicinal herbs, plants, and grasses, as well as the clouds, lightning, and rain—these, too, are collected and contained within it. Within the remnant are found success, attainment, completion, pervasion, greatness, and increase; even excessive attainment and prosperity, all that is placed or deposited, all that is beneficial. Whatever breathes with breath, whatever sees with the eye—all living beings were born from the remnant, as were the gods in heaven and those who abide there. The sacred verses of the Rig, the chants of the Sama, the meters, the ancient lore with the Yajus—all arose from the remnant, as did the gods in heaven and those who dwell there. Breath and exhalation, sight and hearing, what is imperishable and what is perishable—all these were born from the remnant, along with the gods in heaven and those who abide there. Joys, delights, gladness, supreme delight, happiness—all these, too, were born from the remnant, as were the gods in heaven and those who dwell there. From the remnant came the gods, ancestors, humans, Gandharvas, and Apsarases—indeed, all these beings were born from the remnant, as were the gods in heaven and those who abide there. In the beginning, when wrath gave rise to the wife, emerging from the house of intention, there was wonder about who the offspring would be, who would be the best among them, who would become the eldest and the greatest. Austerity and action were present within the great cosmic ocean; these were the offspring, these were the best, and Brahma became the eldest and the best. Ten gods were born together, arising from the gods of old. Whoever knows them directly may declare the greatness of their birth. Breath and exhalation, sight and hearing, what is imperishable and perishable, the powers of expansion and upward movement, speech and mind—all these brought forth intention. At that time, the seasons were yet unborn. Then, the creator, Brihaspati, Indra, Agni, and the Ashvins came into being. Whom did they worship as the eldest? Austerity and action were present within the great ocean, and from action was austerity born; this they worshipped as the eldest. Of the ancient earth, that which the creators know—whoever knows it by name may consider himself a knower of ancient things. From where did Indra arise? From where Soma, from where was Agni born? From where did Tvaṣṭṛ come forth, and from where was Dhātṛ born? From Indra came Indra, from Soma came Soma, from Agni came Agni; Tvaṣṭṛ was born from Tvaṣṭṛ, Dhātṛ from Dhātṛ. These ten gods, born before all others, having given the world to their sons, now dwell in a world beyond. When the divine being gathered hair, bone, sinew, flesh, and marrow, making a body with feet, into which world did he then enter? From where did he gather hair, sinew, bones? Who brought together the limbs, joints, and marrow, and from where was the flesh brought? The gods known as the Samcicas gathered all these materials together. Having assembled everything, the gods entered the mortal man. Thighs and feet with bones, head, hands, mouth, back, ribs, and sides—who arranged all these together, O seer? The head, hands, mouth, tongue, neck, and jaws, all covered with skin—the earth herself joined them together. That body, lying assembled with joints and great in form—by what means did it come to shine with color? All the gods sought after this mystery; the bride, wise and discerning, knew it. She, the wife of the lord of power, brought color into the body. When Tvaṣṭṛ divided, the father of Tvaṣṭṛ and he who followed made a dwelling, and the gods entered the mortal man. Into this body entered sleep, drowsiness, decay, and evil—these are the names of deities—along with old age, baldness, and greyness. Theft, wrongdoing, sin, truth, sacrifice, great glory, strength, sovereignty, and vigor—all these entered the body. Prosperity and adversity, gifts and refusals, all forms of hunger and thirst took their place within. Blame and blamelessness, all that is ‘strike’ or ‘do not strike,’ faith, generosity, and lack of faith entered as well. Knowledge and ignorance, and whatever else is to be taught—the Veda, Ṛc, Sāman, and Yajus—all entered the body. Joys, delights, pleasures, supreme joys, happiness, laughter, harmlessness, and dances filled the body. Speech, babbling, desires, idle talk—all these, joined or unjoined, entered the body. The in-breath and out-breath, sight and hearing, the two earths, what is firm and what is ground, vital air and upward breath, speech and mind—all these move with the body. Blessings and commands, permissions and distinctions, all intentions and resolves entered as well. The tendencies to steal and to dwell, haste and misery, what is hidden, what is pure, what is gross, what is rejected, and what is repulsive—all these settled within. Having made bone as the fuel-stick and semen as the clarified butter, the eight sacred waters settled down, and thus the gods entered the person, filling the human form with all the powers and mysteries of creation.