Satyakama, eager for knowledge of Brahman, continued his journey as instructed. One day, he was told, “Agni will reveal to you a foot of Brahman.” The following morning, Satyakama drove the cows onward, and when they reached their next destination, he reverently set up the sacred fire, restrained the cows, placed firewood on the flames, and sat facing east, quietly behind the fire. As he sat in contemplation, Agni, the fire deity, appeared before him and addressed him, “Satyakama.” Satyakama responded with devotion, “Yes, revered one.” Agni said, “Dear one, I will tell you a foot of Brahman.” Satyakama replied, “Please, revered one, instruct me.” Agni then revealed, “The earth is a quarter, the atmosphere is a quarter, heaven is a quarter, and the ocean is a quarter. These, dear one, are the four quarters—the foot of Brahman—known as ‘boundless.’” Agni further declared, “Whoever, knowing thus, worships this fourfold foot of Brahman as ‘boundless’ becomes boundless in this world and conquers boundless worlds.” The next day, Satyakama was told, “The swan will tell you a foot.” Once again, he drove the cows onward, set up the fire at their destination, restrained the cows, placed the firewood, and sat facing east behind the fire. A radiant swan approached him and called, “Satyakama.” He replied, “Yes, revered one.” The swan said, “Dear one, I will tell you a foot of Brahman.” Satyakama responded, “Let the revered one speak.” The swan revealed, “Fire is a quarter, the sun is a quarter, the moon is a quarter, and lightning is a quarter. These, dear one, are the four quarters—the foot of Brahman—known as ‘luminous.’” The swan added, “Whoever, knowing thus, worships this fourfold foot of Brahman as ‘luminous’ becomes luminous in this world and conquers luminous worlds.” Again, Satyakama was told, “The diver-bird will tell you a foot.” The next day, after driving the cows, setting up the fire, restraining the cows, and placing the firewood, he sat as before. A diver-bird appeared and called, “Satyakama.” He replied, “Yes, revered one.” The bird said, “Dear one, I will tell you a foot of Brahman.” Satyakama replied, “Let the revered one instruct me.” The bird explained, “Breath is a quarter, sight is a quarter, hearing is a quarter, and mind is a quarter. These, dear one, are the four quarters—the foot of Brahman—known as ‘the abode.’” The bird said, “Whoever, knowing thus, worships this fourfold foot of Brahman as ‘the abode’ becomes the abode in this world and conquers worlds that are abodes.” Having received these revelations, Satyakama returned to his teacher’s house. His teacher greeted him, “Satyakama.” Satyakama replied, “Yes, revered one.” The teacher observed, “Dear one, you shine as a knower of Brahman. Who has instructed you among men?” Satyakama humbly replied, “May the revered one himself tell me what I desire to know. I have heard from the great seers that knowledge is truly gained from a teacher, and thus knowledge is well established and attained.” The teacher, pleased, assured him, “Indeed, there is nothing greater than this, nothing greater than this.” In the same ashram, Upakosala, son of Kamalayana, lived as a devoted student of Satyakama Jabala. For twelve years, he tended the sacred fires with great care. When the teacher sent the other students home, he did not send Upakosala. The teacher’s wife, seeing the student’s dedication, said, “The student has practiced austerity and tended the fires well. Do not let the fires instruct him before you do; teach him.” Yet, the teacher departed on a journey. In his teacher’s absence, Upakosala resolved to fast. The teacher’s wife asked, “Student, why do you not eat?” He replied, “Within this person are many desires, each entering by different paths, filled with afflictions. I am full of these and will not eat.” Moved by his austerity and devotion, the sacred fires themselves spoke, “The student has practiced austerity and tended us well. Come, let us teach him.” They said to Upakosala, “Breath is Brahman, space is Brahman, sky is Brahman.” Upakosala replied, “I know that breath is Brahman, but I do not know about space and sky.” The fires explained, “What is space, that is sky; what is sky, that is space.” Thus, they taught him about breath and space. Then, the household fire instructed him, “The earth, fire, food, and the sun—this person who is seen in the sun, I am he, he indeed am I.” The fire declared, “Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.” Next, the fire of offerings instructed him, “The quarters, the stars, and the moon—this person who is seen in the moon, I am he, he indeed am I.” The fire said, “Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.” Then, the fire of breath instructed him, “Breath, space, heaven, lightning—this person who is seen in lightning, I am he, he indeed am I.” The fire said, “Whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this, becomes free from evil deeds, attains the world, reaches the full span of life, lives long; none among his people perish. We enjoy with him, both in this world and in the other, whoever, knowing thus, meditates upon this.” Having received these teachings, the fires said to Upakosala, “Dear one, this is our knowledge, the knowledge of the self. But your teacher will show you the path.” When Satyakama returned, he addressed Upakosala, “Upakosala!” Upakosala replied, “Revered sir.” The teacher observed, “Your face shines as one who knows Brahman. Who has instructed you?” Upakosala humbly replied, “Who could instruct me, sir? Who could teach me?” The fires, meanwhile, whispered among themselves, “These must be of this kind, or of another kind.” Satyakama asked, “What did they say to you, dear one?” Upakosala recounted the teachings. Satyakama then said, “They spoke to you about the worlds, dear one. But I will tell you that. Just as water does not cling to a lotus leaf, so evil deeds do not cling to one who knows thus.” Upakosala requested, “Let the revered one teach me.” The teacher then spoke: “This person who is seen in the eye, this is the self. This is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman. If one pours ghee or water upon it, it goes only along its own path. This is called the gathering place of all that is dear, for indeed, all that is dear gathers to it; all that is dear gathers to him who knows thus. He alone is the gatherer of all that is dear, for he leads all that is dear; he leads all that is dear who knows thus. He indeed is the radiant one; for he shines in all the worlds, he shines in all the worlds who knows thus.” He continued, “Now, whatever is offered as an oblation here, whether with or without flame, they reach only the flame; from the flame to the day, from the day to the waxing fortnight, from the waxing fortnight to the months, from the months to the year, from the year to the sun, from the sun to the moon, from the moon to lightning; there, a person, non-human, leads them. He leads them to Brahman; this is the path of the gods, the path to Brahman. By proceeding along this path, they do not return to this human cycle, they do not return.” Satyakama then spoke of the nature of sacrifice: “This indeed is the sacrifice which is purified; this indeed purifies all this. Because this purifies all this, therefore this alone is the sacrifice. Its two guiding rails are mind and speech. Of these two, one is prepared with mind: the Brahman priest; the other with speech: the Hotṛ, Adhvaryu, and Udgātṛ. When, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest gives the signal—if only one guiding rail is prepared, the other is lacking. Just as a chariot moving with only one wheel wobbles along, so the sacrifice wobbles; and the sacrificer, following a faltering sacrifice, becomes worse off after the offering. But when, at the morning recitation, before the placing of the enclosing sticks, the Brahman priest does not give the signal, both guiding rails are prepared; neither is lacking. Just as a chariot moving with both wheels stands firm, so the sacrifice stands firm; and the sacrificer, following a firm sacrifice, becomes better off after the offering.” Thus, through divine teachers and sacred fires, the knowledge of Brahman was revealed—boundless, luminous, the abode, and the immortal Self—guiding the earnest seeker on the path of truth and liberation.