Section 1.2

1.2.1 In the beginning there was nothing here at all. All this was enveloped by Death, by hunger, for hunger is death. He made a mind, thinking, "Let me have a self." He moved about in worship. As he worshiped, waters came into being. "As I worshiped, water came to me," he thought. This is why the worship-fire is called Arka. Joy comes to anyone who knows why the worship-fire is called Arka.

1.2.2 The waters are Arka. What lay like cream upon the waters became solid: it became the earth. Upon it he labored. From him, weary and heated, the essence of his radiance came forth: fire.

1.2.3 He divided himself threefold, with the sun as one third and the wind as one third. This breath, then, is divided threefold. The east is his head, and this direction and that his arms. The west is his tail, and this direction and that his thighs. South and north are his flanks; heaven his back, the midspace his belly, this earth his breast. He rests upon the waters. Wherever one who knows this goes, there one finds a firm resting place.

1.2.4 He desired, "Let a second self be born to me." Through mind, Death—hunger—joined in union with speech. What was the seed became the year. Before that, there was no year. He carried it for as long as a year lasts. At the end of that time he brought it forth. When it was born, he opened his mouth to swallow it. It cried, "Bhan!" That became speech.

1.2.5 He considered, "If I consume this, I will make my food too little." With that speech, with that self, he created all this, whatever exists: the Rig verses, the Yajus formulas, the Saman chants, the meters, sacrifices, people, and animals. Whatever he created, he resolved to eat. Because he eats everything, he is called Aditi. Whoever knows why Aditi is called Aditi becomes the eater of everything; everything becomes that person's food.

1.2.6 He desired, "Let me sacrifice again with a greater sacrifice." He labored; he kindled the heat of austerity. From him, weary and heated, glory and vigor went forth. The vital breaths are glory and vigor. When the vital breaths had gone forth, his body began to swell, but his mind remained within the body.

1.2.7 He desired, "Let this be fit for sacrifice; through it, let me have a self." Then a horse came into being. Because what had swollen became fit for sacrifice, the rite is called Ashvamedha, the horse sacrifice. Whoever knows the horse in this way truly knows the horse sacrifice. He thought of it without restraining it. At the end of a year he offered it to himself; he assigned the other animals to the deities. Therefore they sacrifice the consecrated animal of Prajapati, dedicated to all the deities. The horse sacrifice is this sun that gives heat; the year is its body. This fire is Arka; these worlds are its bodies. These two are Arka and the horse sacrifice. Yet they become a single deity: Death alone. One who knows this conquers repeated death; death does not overtake that person. Death becomes that person's own self. That person attains a full life and becomes one of these deities.

1.2.1 At first there was nothing here.All this was covered by death, by hunger.Hunger is death.It formed a mind, thinking, "Let me have a self."It went about worshiping.As it worshiped, water came into being."As I worshiped, water came to me," it said.This is why arka has its name: arch, worship, and ka, water.Anyone who knows why arka has this name gains happiness.

1.2.2 Water is arka.The thick layer on the water came together.It became the earth.Death exhausted itself on that earth.As it grew tired and hot, the essence of its heat came out as fire.

1.2.3 It divided itself into three parts, with the sun as one third and the wind as another third.This is the vital breath divided into three.The east is its head, and the two directions beside it are its forelegs.The west is its tail, and the two directions beside it are its thighs.The south and north are its sides.Heaven is its back, the space between heaven and earth its belly, and this earth its chest.It rests on water.Anyone who knows this finds a place to stand wherever they go.

1.2.4 It wanted a second self to be born to it.Death, which is hunger, joined with speech through its mind.The seed of that union became the year.Before that, there was no year.It carried the year for as long as a year lasts.After that time, it brought the year forth.When the year was born, it opened its mouth to swallow it.The newborn cried, "Bhan!"That became speech.

1.2.5 It thought, "If I consume this, I will make my food supply smaller."With that speech and that self, it created everything here: the Rig verses, the Yajus formulas, the Saman chants, the meters, sacrifices, people, and animals.Whatever it created, it decided to eat.It eats everything. This is why Aditi, the eater of all, has that name.Anyone who knows why Aditi has this name becomes the eater of everything. Everything becomes their food.

1.2.6 It wanted to sacrifice again with a greater sacrifice.It worked hard.It practiced intense austerity.As it grew tired and hot, its glory and strength left it.The vital breaths are glory and strength.When the vital breaths left, the body began to swell.Its mind remained in its body.

1.2.7 It wanted this body to be fit for sacrifice, thinking, "Through it, let me have a self."Then a horse came into being.What had swollen, ashvat, became fit for sacrifice, medhya. This is why the horse sacrifice is called ashvamedha.Anyone who knows the horse in this way knows the horse sacrifice.It thought about the horse without keeping it confined.After a year it sacrificed the horse to itself.It assigned the other animals to the gods.That is why people sacrifice a consecrated animal belonging to Prajapati as an offering to all the gods.The one who shines up there is the horse sacrifice.The year is its body.This fire is arka.These worlds are its bodies.These two are arka and the horse sacrifice.They become one god again: death itself.A person who knows this conquers repeated death.Death does not reach them.Death becomes their self.They live out their full lifespan.They become one of these gods.