Ashtavakra said: Four are the Ashrams of the Brahmanas; four orders perform sacrifices; four are the cardinal points; four is the number of letters and four also are the legs of a cow.
अष्टावक्र उवाच चतुष्टयं ब्राह्मणानां निकेतं चत्वारो वर्णा यज्ञमिमं वहन्ति। दिशश्चतस्रो वर्णचतुष्टयं च चतुष्पदा गौरपि शश्वदुक्ता॥