In the ashvamedha ritual a goat is led before the sacrificial horse. The goat is for puShan & the horse is for indra. In offering of the goat to puShan in the ashvamedha a similar reference is made to the all-ness of puShan.
yan nirNijA rekNasA prAvR^itasya
rAtiM gR^ibhItAm mukhato nayanti |
suprA~N ajo memyad vishvarUpa
indrApUShNoH priyam apy eti pAthaH ||
facing to the good east, bleating repeatedly, the goat, is “all forms” -> vishvarUpa. Thus, Socrates was channeling an ancient IE memory
The triple-fold yajurvedic incantation to puShan as in the shruti of the kaTha-s as the protector on the road; of the herds of cattle and as the overlord:
pUShA mA prapathe pAtu |
pUShA mA pashupAH pAtu |
pUShA mAdhipatiH pAtu ||
The maitrAyaNIya-s have:
pUShA mA pathipAH pAtu |
pUShA mA pashupAH pAtu |
pUShA mAdhipAH pAtu ||
This is explained by the kaTha-s in their brAhmaNa statement:
iyaM vai pUShA prapathe,
.antarikShaM pashupA,
dyaur adhipatir,
ima evainaM lokAH pAnti ||
In this realm puShan on the roads;
in the atmosphere the herd-protector;
the heavens the lord.
Thus, these verily protect these worlds.
The brAhmaNa on the incantation of the maitrAyaNIya-s has:
pUShA mA pathipAH pAtv iti |
iyam eva |pUShA mA pashupAH pAtv iti |
antarikShameva | pUShA mAdhipAH pAtv iti |
asau eva |
imAn eva lokAn upAsarat |
ebhyo lokebhya AtmAnaM paridhatte |
ahiMsAyai ||
the statement is similar to that of the kaTha, critically adding that he verily covers these (all 3) realms with the incantation. Finally the taittirIya-shruti has the following incantation:
pUShAdhvanaH pAtu ||
It can be mundanely rendered as: “May puShan protect the paths”; but it can also be validly rendered as: “May puShan protect the realms”. +++(5)+++
The taittirIyaka-s specify a brAhmaNa relating to this which is uttered when a cow is exchanged for soma:
pUShAdhvanaH pAtv ity Aha |
iyaM vai pUShA |
imAm evAsyA adhipAm akar |
samaShTyai |
He utters this incantation; puShan is this world; he thus equates the cow with the lady ruling this [world] for its aquisition. Thus, the incantation associates puShan with the covering/ protection through the 3 realms. He is the watcher or protector covering the three realms.
The adhvan could also symbolize the celestial zodiacal path.
See pAn connection