OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 421 



following is literally translated from this portion 

 of the second A'ranyaca. 



The Aitare'ya A'ran'ya. B. 2. 



^ ly. * Originally this [universe] was indeed 

 SOUL only ; nothing else whatsoever existed, active 

 [or inactive]. He thought, " I will create worlds :" 

 thus HE created these [various] worlds ; water, 

 light, mortal [beings] and the waters. That "water," 

 is the [region] above the heaven, which heaven 

 upholds; the atmosphere comprises liglit ; the 

 earth is mortal; and the regions below are " the 

 waters 



* » 



' He thought, " these are indeed worlds ; I will 

 create guardians of worlds." Thus he drew from 

 the waters, and framed, an embodied being f. 

 He viewed him ; and of that being, so contem- 

 plated, the mouth opened as an egg: from the 

 mouth, speech issued ; from speech, tire proceeded. 

 The nostrils spread; from the nostrils, breath 

 passed; from breath, air was propagated. The 

 eyes opened: from the eyes, a glance sprung; 

 .from that glance, the sun- was produced. The 

 ears dilated : from the ears came hearkening ; and 

 from that, the regions of space. The skin ex- 

 panded : from the skin, hair rose; from that, grew 



^ Ambhas waler ; and A'pas the waters. The commentators 

 assign reasons for these synonymous terms being employed, se- 

 verally, to denote the regions above the sky, and those below the 

 earth. 



t Purusha ; a human form. 



K e 3 



