A revered teacher once gathered his students and, seeking to deepen their understanding, addressed them one by one, inquiring, “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” The first was Aupamanyava. He replied, “Heaven itself, revered king.” The teacher said, “Indeed, you meditate upon the radiant Self, the Vaiśvānara. Because of this, a radiant son is born in your family.” He explained that one who meditates thus on the Vaiśvānara Self enjoys food and beholds what is dear, becomes beloved, and his family shines with the radiance of Brahman. “The head is this aspect of the Self,” he added. “Had you not come to me, your head would have fallen.” Next, he turned to Satyayajña, son of Pāuluṣa and Prācīnayogya. “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” he asked. Satyayajña answered, “The sun, revered king.” The teacher replied, “You meditate upon the all-formed Self, the Vaiśvānara. Therefore, in your family, many with various forms are seen.” Such a one, he said, rides in a chariot drawn by mares, wears a golden necklace, enjoys food and the sight of what is dear, and his family shines with Brahman’s radiance. “The eyes are this aspect of the Self,” he explained. “Had you not come, you would have become blind.” Then he addressed Indra-dyumna Bhāllaveya, of the Vaiyāghrapadya lineage. “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” Indra-dyumna replied, “The wind, revered king.” The teacher said, “You meditate upon the Self with separate paths, the Vaiśvānara. Thus, separate strengths and chariots come to you.” Whoever meditates on the Vaiśvānara Self in this way enjoys food and what is dear, becomes beloved, and his family shines with Brahman’s radiance. “The breath is this aspect,” he said. “Had you not come, your breath would have departed.” He then questioned Jana Śārkarākṣya, “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” Jana answered, “Space itself, revered king.” The teacher replied, “You meditate upon the abundant Self, the Vaiśvānara. Therefore, you are abundant in progeny and wealth.” Whoever meditates thus enjoys food, becomes beloved, and his family shines with Brahman’s radiance. “The cavity is this aspect,” he said. “Had you not come, your cavity would have been destroyed.” Next, he turned to Buḍila Aśvatarāśvi, also of the Vaiyāghrapadya. “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” Buḍila answered, “Water itself, revered king.” The teacher said, “You meditate upon the wealthy Self, the Vaiśvānara. Thus, you are wealthy and prosperous.” Again, whoever meditates thus enjoys food, becomes beloved, and his family shines with Brahman’s radiance. “The bladder is this aspect,” he said. “Had you not come, your bladder would have burst.” Then he addressed Uddālaka, son of Aruṇa, of the Gautama lineage. “Whom do you meditate upon as your Self?” Uddālaka replied, “The earth itself, revered king.” The teacher responded, “You meditate upon the foundation Self, the Vaiśvānara. Thus, you are established with progeny and cattle.” Whoever meditates thus enjoys food, becomes beloved, and his family shines with Brahman’s radiance. “These are the feet of the Self,” he said. “Had you not come, your feet would have withered.” After questioning them all, the teacher declared, “You each meditate upon the Vaiśvānara Self as if it were separate, and thus you eat food accordingly. But one who worships the Vaiśvānara Self as measured by a span, as the true Self, eats food in all worlds, among all beings, and in all selves. For this Vaiśvānara Self: the head is blazing fire, the eye is of manifold forms, the breath moves in different paths, the trunk is abundant, the bladder is wealth, the feet are the earth, the sides are the altar, the hairs are the sacred grass, the heart is the household fire, the mind is the offering fire, and the mouth is the fire of oblation.” He then instructed them on the proper offering of food: “When the first portion of food is brought, offer it as the first oblation, saying, ‘To Prāṇa, svāhā.’ Prāṇa is satisfied. When Prāṇa is satisfied, the eye is satisfied; when the eye is satisfied, the sun is satisfied; when the sun is satisfied, the sky is satisfied; and when the sky is satisfied, all that is established in them is satisfied. By this satisfaction, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” He continued, “The second oblation is to Vyāna. When Vyāna is satisfied, the ear is satisfied, then the moon, then the directions, and all established therein. The third is to Apāna: when Apāna is satisfied, speech is satisfied, then fire, then earth, and all established therein. The fourth is to Samāna: when Samāna is satisfied, the mind is satisfied, then the rain god, then lightning, and all established therein. The fifth is to Udāna: when Udāna is satisfied, the skin is satisfied, then air, then space, and all established therein. By these satisfactions, one is fulfilled with offspring, cattle, food, vigor, and the splendor of Brahman.” He cautioned, “If one, not knowing this, performs the Agnihotra, it is as if he were to remove the coals and offer into ashes—such is the result. But if one, knowing this, performs the Agnihotra, his offering is made in all worlds, among all beings, and in all selves. Just as a tuft of cotton cast into the fire is completely burned, so all sins are burned away for one who, knowing this, performs the Agnihotra. Even if such a knower gives leftovers to a Chandāla, it is as if it were offered in his own Vaiśvānara Self. Just as hungry children gather around their mother, so do all beings gather around the Agnihotra. Therefore, one should worship the Agnihotra.” In another time, there was Śvetaketu, son of Aruṇa. His father called him and said, “Śvetaketu, go and live the life of a student; for, dear one, in our family, none who is not learned in the Veda should be called merely a Brahmin by birth.” Śvetaketu, obedient, went to study at the age of twelve and, by twenty-four, had mastered all the Vedas. He returned home, proud and self-assured, thinking himself learned. Noticing this, his father addressed him, “Śvetaketu, dear one, since you are now proud and self-assured, did you ask for that instruction by which what is unheard becomes heard, what is unthought becomes thought, what is unknown becomes known?” Śvetaketu was puzzled and asked, “How, revered sir, is such instruction possible?” His father explained, “Just as by knowing a single lump of clay, all things made of clay become known—modification is only a name, arising from speech, while the clay alone is real. Just as by knowing a single piece of gold, all things made of gold become known—modification is only a name, arising from speech, while the gold alone is real. Just as by knowing a single piece of iron, all things made of iron become known—modification is only a name, arising from speech, while the iron alone is real. Such is that instruction, dear one.” Śvetaketu realized that his teachers had not imparted this knowledge. “Surely, revered sir, my teachers did not know this; for if they had known, how would they not have told me? Revered sir, please teach me this.” His father agreed. He began, “In the beginning, dear one, this world was just Being, one only, without a second. Some say that in the beginning this world was just Non-being, one only, without a second, and from Non-being, Being was born.” But he challenged this, saying, “How could Being arise from Non-being? In truth, dear one, in the beginning this world was just Being, one only, without a second. That Being thought, ‘May I become many, may I be born.’ It created fire. That fire thought, ‘May I become many, may I be born.’ It created water. Therefore, wherever a person feels pain or sweats, water is produced from fire alone. That water thought, ‘May we become many, may we be born.’ It created food. Therefore, wherever it rains, food becomes abundant; for from water alone is food produced.