किंदेवतोऽस्यां प्रतीच्यां दिश्यसीति; वरुणदेवत इति; स वरुणः कस्मिन् प्रतिष्ठित इति; अप्स्विति; कस्मिन्न्वापः प्रतिष्ठितेति; रेतसीति; कस्मिन्नु रेतः प्रतिष्ठितेति; हृदय इति, तस्मादपि प्रतिरूपं जातमाहुः, हृदयादिव सृप्तः, हृदयादिव निर्मित इति, हृदये ह्येव रेतः प्रतिष्ठितं भवतीति; एवमेवैतद्याज्ञवल्क्य ॥ २२ ॥
kiṃdevato’syāṃ pratīcyāṃ diśyasīti; varuṇadevata iti; sa varuṇaḥ kasmin pratiṣṭhita iti; apsviti; kasminnvāpaḥ pratiṣṭhiteti; retasīti; kasminnu retaḥ pratiṣṭhiteti; hṛdaya iti, tasmādapi pratirūpaṃ jātamāhuḥ, hṛdayādiva sṛptaḥ, hṛdayādiva nirmita iti, hṛdaye hyeva retaḥ pratiṣṭhitaṃ bhavatīti; evamevaitadyājñavalkya || 22 ||
22. ‘What deity are you identified with in the west?’ ‘With the deity, Varuṇa (the god of rain).’ ‘On what does Varuṇa rest?’ ‘On water.’ ‘On what does water rest?’ ‘On the seed.’ ‘On what does the seed rest?’ ‘On the heart. Therefore do they say of a new-born child who closely resembles (his father), that he has sprung from (his father’s) heart, as it were—that he has been made out of (his father’s) heart, as it were. Therefore it is on the heart that the seed rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’
‘What deity are you identified with in the west?’ ‘With the deity, Varuṇa—Varuṇa is my presiding deity in that direction.’ ‘On what does Varuṇa rest?’ ‘On water,’ for Varuṇa is the effect of water. Witness the Śrutis, ‘Faith is water’ (Tai. S. I. vi. 8. 1), and ‘From faith he created Varuṇa.’ ‘On what does water rest?’ ‘On the seed,’ for the Śruti says, ‘From the seed was water created’ (cf. Ai. I. i. 4). ‘On what does the seed rest?’ ‘On the heart,’ because the seed is the effect of the heart. Lust is a modification of the heart, for the seed issues from the heart of a man under its influence. ‘Therefore do they say of a new-born child, who closely resembles (his father), that he has sprung from his father’s heart, as it were, that he has been made out of (his father’s) heart, as it were, as an earring is made out of gold. Therefore it is on the heart that the seed rests.’ ‘It is just so, Yājñavalkya.’