अयं वै लोकोऽग्निर्गौतम; तस्य पृथिव्येव समित्, अग्निर्धूमः, रात्रिरर्चिः, चन्द्रमा अङ्गाराः, नक्शत्राणि विष्फुलिङ्गाः; तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा वृष्टिं जुह्वति; तस्या आहुत्या अन्नं संभवति ॥ ११ ॥
ayaṃ vai loko’gnirgautama; tasya pṛthivyeva samit, agnirdhūmaḥ, rātrirarciḥ, candramā aṅgārāḥ, nakśatrāṇi viṣphuliṅgāḥ; tasminnetasminnagnau devā vṛṣṭiṃ juhvati; tasyā āhutyā annaṃ saṃbhavati || 11 ||
11. This world, O Gautama, is fire, the earth is its fuel, fire its smoke, the night its flame, the moon its cinder, and the stars its sparks. In this fire the gods offer rain. Out of that offering food is produced.
This world, O Gautama, is fire. ‘This world’ means the abode where all creatures are born and experience the results of their past work, and which consists of action, its factors and its results; it is the third fire. The earth is the fuel of that fire, for this world[9] is kindled by the earth, which is provided with numerous materials for the enjoyment of living beings. Fire its smoke, for both rise from their abode, earth; because fire is produced out of the fuel, which preponderates in earth, and smoke too arises from the same source. The night its flame, because both originate from the contact of fuel. As a flame is produced by the contact of fuel with fire, so is the night by the contact of the fuel of the earth, for the earth’s shadow is called the darkness of night.[10] The moon its cinder, both being produced from flames; for cinder is produced from flames, and so is the moon in the night; or because both represent a pacified state. The stars its sparks, because both scatter. In this, etc.—to be explained as before—(the gods) offer rain. Out of that offering food is produced, for it is well-known fact that food such as rice and bailey is produced from rain.