In the beginning, the Purusha, the Cosmic Being, was all-encompassing—he had a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. His presence pervaded the entire earth on every side, yet he extended far beyond it, surpassing the world by ten fingers’ breadth. All that exists, all that has ever been and ever will be, is truly the Purusha. He is the lord of immortality, and by means of food, immortality grows and flourishes. Such is the vastness of his being, yet the Purusha is even greater than what can be conceived. All living beings together make up but a quarter of him; his other three quarters remain immortal, shining beyond, in the realms of heaven. Three quarters of the Purusha ascended upward, while one quarter remained here, spreading out in every direction into all that eats and all that does not eat. From this manifestation, Virāj, the cosmic form, was born. From Virāj, the Primeval Man—the Purusha—arose. Once born, he extended himself beyond the waters, reaching both behind and in front, enveloping all. With this Primeval Man as the sacrificial offering, the gods began the first sacrifice. Spring became the clarified butter, summer was the fuel, and autumn served as the sacred oblation. They anointed the Man, the first-born, upon the sacred grass, and with him as the offering, the gods, the Sādhyas, and the ancient seers performed the primordial sacrifice. From that sacrifice, in which all was offered, the gathered clarified butter was produced. From it, he created animals—those that soar in the air, those that roam the forests, and those that dwell in villages. Also from that sacrifice, the sacred Vedas—the Rig, Sama, and Yajur—were born, as well as the meters by which the hymns are measured. From the same sacrifice, horses came into being, along with all creatures that have two rows of teeth. Cows were created, and from it also goats and sheep were brought forth. When the Purusha was divided, the question arose: into how many parts was he arranged? What became of his mouth, his arms, his thighs, and his feet? His mouth was transformed into the Brahmin, the priestly class; his arms became the Kshatriya, the warriors; his thighs formed the Vaishya, the merchants; and from his feet, the Shudra, the servants, were born. The moon was born from his mind; from his eye, the sun was produced. Indra and Agni emerged from his mouth, and Vāyu, the wind, was born from his breath. From his navel arose the midspace, from his head the heavens unfolded, from his feet the earth was shaped, and from his ears the directions sprang forth—thus the worlds were fashioned. Seven enclosing logs were set for the sacrifice, and three times seven kindling sticks were arranged. The gods, in their sacred rites, bound the Purusha as the sacrificial beast. With sacrifice, the gods offered sacrifice to the sacrifice itself—these were the very first sacred rites. Through this act, those mighty ones attained the celestial heights, the lofty realms where the ancient Sādhyas and gods dwell eternally.