The Gandharva Vishvavasu, a master of the Vedanta Shastra, desirous, O king, of ascertaining what is good for the Brahmanas in this knowledge and what truth is in it, and what is the excellent object of this knowledge, once catechised me. He put to me altogether twentyfour questions, O king, regarding the Vedas. Finally, he put to me a question, numbered twenty-fifth which relates to ratioscination. These questions are as follow:-What is universe and what is non-universe? What is Ashva and what Ashva? What is Mitra? What is Varuna?
किमत्र ब्रह्मण्यमृतं किं च वेद्यमनुत्तमम्। चिन्तयं स्तत्र चागत्य गन्धर्वो मामपृच्छत॥ विश्वावसुस्ततो राजन् वेदान्तज्ञानकोविदः। चतुर्विंशास्ततोऽपृच्छत् प्रश्नान् वेदस्य पार्थिव॥ पञ्चविंशतिमं प्रश्नं पप्रच्छान्वीक्षिकी तदा। विश्वाविश्वं तथाश्वाश्वं मित्रं वरुणमेव च॥