पुरुषो वा अग्निर्गौतम; तस्य व्यात्तमेव समित्, प्राणो धूमः, वागर्चिः, चक्शुरङ्गाराः, श्रोत्रं विस्फुलिङ्गाः; तस्मिन्नेतस्मिन्नग्नौ देवा अन्नं जुह्वति; तस्या आहुत्यै रेतः संभवति ॥ १२ ॥
puruṣo vā agnirgautama; tasya vyāttameva samit, prāṇo dhūmaḥ, vāgarciḥ, cakśuraṅgārāḥ, śrotraṃ visphuliṅgāḥ; tasminnetasminnagnau devā annaṃ juhvati; tasyā āhutyai retaḥ saṃbhavati || 12 ||
12. Man, O Gautama, is fire, the open mouth is its fuel, the vital force its smoke, speech its flame, the eye its cinder, and the ear its sparks. In this fire the gods offer food. Out of that offering the seed is produced.
Man, O Gautama, is fire. The familiar human being with a head, hands, etc., is the fourth fire. The open mouth is its fuel, for through it a man is kindled (shines) in speech, study of the Vedas, etc., as fire is with fuel. The vital force its smoke, both rising from the same source, for the vital force rises from the mouth. Speech or the word its flame, for both reveal. A flame reveals things, and speech or the word signifies its object. The eye its cinder, because both represent a pacified state, or are the sources of light. The ear its sparks, owing to the similarity of scattering. In this fire (the gods) offer food. One may say, we do not see any gods here offering food. The answer is, that is no objection, for the forms of the vital force can be taken as gods. With reference to the deities, Indra and others are the gods; in the body the same are the forms of the vital force and they put food into a man. Out of that offering the seed is produced, for it is the outcome of food.