OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 403 



* I range with the Rudras, with the Vasiis, with 

 the ^ Adit y as, and with the Vis'wadevas. I uphold 

 both the sun and the ocean [Mitra and A^arun'a], 

 the jfirmament [Indra] and fire, and both t]ie 

 As'wiNs. I support the moon [So'ma], destroyer 

 [of foes]; and [the sun entitled] Twashtri, Pu'- 

 SHAN, or Bhaga. I grant wealth to the honest 

 votary who performs sacrifices, offers oblations, 

 and satisfies [the deities]. ]\fe, who am the queen, 

 the conferrer of wealth, the possessor of know- 

 ledge, and first of such as merit worship, the gods 

 render, universally, present every where, and per- 

 vader of all beings. He, who eats food through 

 me, as he, who sees, who breathes, or who hears, 

 through n\e, yet knows me not, is lost; hear then 

 the faith, which I pronounce. Even I declare this 

 self, who is worshipped by gods and men : I make 

 strong, whom I choose ; T make him Brahma, 

 holy, and wise. For Rudra I bend the bow, to 

 slay the demon, foe of Brahma ; for the people I 

 make war [on their foes] ; and I pervade heaven 

 and earth. I bore the father, on the head of this 

 [universal mind]; and my origin is in the midst 

 of the ocean * : and, therefore, do I pervade all 

 beings, and touch this heaven with my form. 

 Originating all beings, I pass like the breeze; I am 

 above this heaven, beyond this earth ; and what 

 is the great one, that am I.' 



* Heaven, or the sky, is the father ; as expressly declared in 

 auotber place: and the sky is produced from mind, according to 

 one more passage of the Vedas. Its birth is therefore placed on 

 tlie bead of the supreme mind. The commentator suggests three 

 interpretations of the sequel of the stanza: • my parent, the holy 

 Amhhrin'a, is in the midst of tlie ocean ;' or, • my origin, the 

 sentient deity, is in waters, which constitute the bodies of the 

 gods ;' or, * the sentient god, who is in the midst of the waters, 

 which pervade intellect, is mv orisjin.* 



