Three among them were weeping, and one cried out openly, his sorrow unrestrained. As the fire wailed, Brahmā, filled with compassion, intervened once more. At that moment, the fire’s longing, its purpose, and its function were established for it. The fire, blazing forth in the shout, demanded, “What is this?” It questioned whether this was among the gods, outside in the world, or within the hermitages of sages. Again and again, the fire declared, “I myself will provide thus.” Wherever pride or insult was spoken, there the shout of fire would be uttered. Brahmā, summoning the fire associated with the letter ‘i’, spoke his words. Then, summoning the fire of the letter ‘u’, he spoke again and promised, “I will arrange for you a place and food as well.” Thus, Fire said to Vyāsa, “On the mountain, in the fortress, O great sage.” Divided, the fire too was summoned by Brahmā, who desired to grant it a place. Therefore, Vyāsa was urged to reveal the refined speech of the twice-born, the brāhmaṇas. Their speech, it was declared, is pure and revealed. But when false syllables are arranged, they become inauspicious and unpurified. Then, Brahmā summoned again the fire of the letter ‘a’, making it without sight. The fire spoke to Brahmā, saying, “I am the mouth of speech.” Brahmā replied, “Because you desire the place of brilliance—” and explained that, seeing the fire’s radiance, the eye becomes weakened. Separating the letter ‘i’, Brahmā addressed the fire: “Because you, of great strength and gentle gaze, have arrived swiftly— With a cool nature and cool rays, you shall become the moon. Standing upon the tree, you will surpass all radiances with your own brilliance.” Inviting it, Brahmā placed the fire upon his head, saying, “Come here, come here.” Thus, the fire with form—the fire of the letter ‘u’—was established. Taking this form, the fire spoke the supreme word to Brahmā. Brahmā asked, “Which place do you desire, O Fire?” Yet, finding no suitable place, he decreed, “Therefore, it shall be thus. In the world, you shall always act as the cause of the world’s order.” Brahmā declared that if fire, adorned with blazing flames, is not this original dharma, it is due to the delusion of desire caused by illusion. Thus addressed, the fire blazed forth in thousands of forms. Brahmā then saw the letters ‘a’, ‘i’, and ‘u’, and the fire of existence pervaded all things—above, below, and across. Brahmā, especially fearful, pondered deeply. Desiring to know the Lord of all, the treasury of radiance, Prajāpati approached. He offered homage to the repository of brilliance, who hears wondrous things; to the seed of all beings, the enchanter and dispeller of delusion; salutations to the one whose face is upward, who is the essence of being and of the earth; to the lotus-eyed, cloud-god, and fire-god, whose eyes are like blossoming lotus petals. Again and again, he offered homage to the one whose form is sacrifice, who is both the performer and the offering itself.