Once, a son approached his father and said, “Father, you should know as I do; whatever knowledge I possess, I have shared with you fully. Now, let us go together and live as students.” But the father replied, “You should go yourself.” Obeying his father, the son went to where Gautama, the son of Pravāhaṇa Jaivali, was seated. Upon his arrival, Gautama was offered a seat and water for washing, and then an offering was made to him, honoring the guest as tradition prescribes. Gautama then said, “A boon is granted to you, Gautama.” The son responded, “Let this boon be as you have promised; please tell me the words you spoke to the young man at the end.” Gautama replied, “Among the gods, such boons are given; but speak among men.” The son answered, “It is well known that there are gifts of gold, cattle, horses, maidservants, and garments; but you, sir, are the most generous of the infinite, the boundless. Therefore, Gautama, I approach you with the proper offering, as those before have approached with words.” Having mentioned the offering, he spoke. Gautama said, “Do not neglect us, nor your ancestors; as this knowledge was not previously given to any Brāhmaṇa, I will tell it to you. Who, indeed, should refuse one who speaks thus?” He began to reveal profound knowledge: “This world is the fire, O Gautama. Of that, the sun is the fuel, the rays are the smoke, the day is the flame, the moon is the ember, and the stars are the sparks. In this fire, the gods offer faith as an oblation; from that offering, King Soma arises. Rain is the fire. Of that, the year is the fuel, the clouds are the smoke, lightning is the flame, thunderbolts are the embers, and thunderclaps are the sparks. In this fire, the gods offer Soma as an oblation; from that offering, rain is produced. This world is the fire. Of that, the earth is the fuel, air is the smoke, night is the flame, the quarters are the embers, and the intermediate directions are the sparks. In this fire, the gods offer rain as an oblation; from that offering, food is produced. A person is the fire. Of that, the open mouth is the fuel, breath is the smoke, speech is the flame, the eye is the ember, and the ear is the spark. In this fire, the gods offer food as an oblation; from that offering, semen is produced. A woman is the fire. Of her, the sexual organ is the fuel, the hair is the smoke, the vulva is the flame, what is done within is the ember, and the pleasures are the sparks. In this fire, the gods offer semen as an oblation; from that offering, a man is born. He is born, he lives as long as he lives, and when he dies, then they carry him to the fire. For him, fire itself becomes fire, fuel is fuel, smoke is smoke, flame is flame, embers are embers, and sparks are sparks. In this fire, the gods offer the man as an oblation; from that offering, a man of shining form is produced. Those who know this, who in the forest worship faith and truth, they attain the flame; from the flame, the day; from the day, the bright fortnight; from the bright fortnight, the six months when the sun moves north; from the months, the world of the gods; from the world of the gods, the sun; from the sun, the lightning. From the lightning, a person, mind-born, leads them to the world of Brahman. In those worlds of Brahman, they dwell, transcending all; for them, there is no return here. But those who win the world by sacrifice, giving, and austerity, they attain smoke; from smoke, night; from night, the waning fortnight; from the waning fortnight, the six months when the sun moves south; from the months, the world of the ancestors; from the world of the ancestors, the moon. Having reached the moon, they become food there; as the gods, filling up King Soma, say, ‘Increase, diminish,’ so they are consumed there. When their merit is exhausted, they enter this space, from space into air, from air into rain, from rain into earth; having reached the earth, they become food. From there, they are born in the fire of a woman. Thus, they keep revolving. But those who do not know these two paths become insects, moths, and such as these. Whoever knows what is eldest and best becomes the eldest and best among his own. Breath is indeed the eldest and best; whoever knows thus becomes the eldest and best among his own, and also among those whom he wishes to surpass. Whoever knows what is most excellent becomes the most excellent among his own. Speech is indeed the most excellent; whoever knows thus becomes the most excellent among his own. Whoever knows what is the foundation stands firm in the level and in the difficult. The eye is indeed the foundation; by the eye, one stands firm in the level and in the difficult. Whoever knows thus stands firm in the level and in the difficult. Whoever knows what is attainment, to him attainment comes, whatever he desires. The ear is indeed attainment; in the ear, all the Vedas are attained. To him attainment comes, whatever he desires, whoever knows thus. Whoever knows what is the abode becomes the abode of his own people and the abode of men. The mind is indeed the abode; whoever knows thus becomes the abode of his own people and the abode of men. Whoever knows what is procreation is born with offspring and cattle. Semen is indeed procreation; whoever knows thus is born with offspring and cattle. These vital forces, disputing among themselves as to which is the best, went to Brahman. ‘Who is the most excellent?’ they asked. The one whose departure makes this body seem inferior, he is the most excellent. Speech departed. Having stayed away for a year, she returned and asked, ‘How did you manage to live without me?’ They replied, ‘Just as people, though mute, live by breath, by seeing with the eye, by hearing with the ear, by knowing with the mind, and by procreating with semen, so we lived.’ Then speech entered back. The eye departed. Having stayed away for a year, it returned and asked, ‘How did you manage to live without me?’ They replied, ‘Just as blind people live without seeing with the eye, but by breathing with breath, speaking with speech, hearing with the ear, knowing with the mind, and procreating with semen, so we lived.’ Then the eye entered back. The ear sought to depart. After spending a year away, it returned and asked, ‘How were you able to live without me?’ They replied, ‘Just as the deaf, not hearing with the ear, breathe with breath, speak with speech, see with the eye, think with the mind, and procreate with semen—so we lived.’ Then the ear entered again. The mind sought to depart. After spending a year away, it returned and asked, ‘How were you able to live without me?’ They replied, ‘Just as the dull-witted, not thinking with the mind, breathe with breath, speak with speech, see with the eye, hear with the ear, and procreate with semen—so we lived.’ Then the mind entered again. The semen sought to depart. After spending a year away, it returned and asked, ‘How were you able to live without me?’ They replied, ‘Just as the impotent, not procreating with semen, breathe with breath, speak with speech, see with the eye, hear with the ear, and think with the mind—so we lived.’ Then the semen entered again. Then the breath was about to depart. Just as a noble horse of the Sindhu region gathers its limbs, so the breaths gathered together. They said, ‘Do not depart, revered one; we could not live without you.’ He replied, ‘Then offer me your tribute.’ ‘So be it,’ they said. Then speech said, ‘Because I am the best, you are also the best.’ The eye said, ‘Because I am the foundation, you are also the foundation.’ The ear said, ‘Because I am prosperity, you are also prosperity.’ The mind said, ‘Because I am the abode, you are also the abode.’ The semen said, ‘Because I am progeny, you are also progeny.’ He asked, ‘What is my food, what is my clothing?’ ‘Whatever is among horses, among animals, among insects and flying creatures—that is your food; water is your clothing.’ Indeed, nothing eaten is without food, nothing received is without food, for whoever knows this, nothing he eats is without food. Those who know this, the learned, eat and sip water, and after eating they sip water, believing that by doing so they make their food pure. Therefore, one who knows thus should sip water before eating and after eating; by this, he makes his food pure. If someone desires, ‘May I attain greatness,’ then during the bright fortnight of the lunar month, on auspicious days, after observing the twelve-day upasad vow, he should collect fruits from the udumbara tree and all medicinal plants, gather them, anoint them, establish the fire, cover with ghee, prepare, and churn under the constellation of Pūṣā, then offer oblations. He prays, “As many gods as are in you, O Jātavedas, who obstruct the desires of man, to them I offer their share; may they, satisfied, fulfill my desires. Svāhā.” He continues, “When you lie down as a quadruped, I am the supporter; with the stream of ghee I worship you, O provider. Svāhā. May offspring arise, and may these not go elsewhere.” He offers the third oblation. For each aspect of existence, he offers in the fire, pouring the essence from the churn: for the eldest, for the best, for breath, for speech, for the eye, for the ear, for the mind, for semen, for being, for becoming, for the universe, for all, for earth, for the atmosphere, for heaven, for the directions, for Brahman, for Kṣatra, for Bhūḥ, for Bhuvaḥ, for Svaḥ, for Bhūrbhuvaḥ, for Agni, for Soma, for brilliance, for splendor, for prosperity, for Savitṛ, for Sarasvatī, for all the gods, for Prajāpati—each with svāhā, pouring the essence from the churn. Again, he offers for Agni, for Soma, for Bhūḥ, for Bhuvaḥ, for Svaḥ, for Bhūrbhuvaḥ Svaḥ, for Brahman, for Kṣatra, for being, for becoming, for the universe, for all, for Prajāpati—each with svāhā, pouring the essence from the churn. Then he touches the offering, declaring: “You are movement, you are blazing, you are fullness, you are firmness, you are unity, you are affirmation, you are being affirmed, you are the chant, you are being chanted, you are heard, you are being heard, you are moist and kindled, you are abundant, you are mighty, you are light, you are food, you are death, you are absorption.” He lifts it, saying: “You are raw. May you, with me, be a sovereign ruler; may the sovereign ruler make you a sovereign ruler.” Finally, he sips water, reciting: “That Savitṛ, the most excellent, honeyed winds blow for the truth, honeyed rivers flow; may the herbs be honeyed for us.” Bhūḥ, svāhā. Thus, the sacred knowledge is imparted, the rituals honored, and the truth revealed for those who seek wisdom.