OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 423 



cipant witli them." Therefore is it, that to what- 

 ever deity an oblation is offered, hunger and thirst 

 participate with him. 



' He reflected, " These are worlds, and regents^ 

 of worlds: for them I will frame food." He 

 viewed the waters ; from waters, so contemplated, 

 form issued; and food is formj which was so pro- 

 duced. 



' Being thus framed, it turned away, and sought 

 to flee. The [primeval] man endeavoured to seize 

 it by speech ; but could not attain it by his voice: 

 had he by voice taken it, [hunger] would be satis- 

 fied by naming food. He attempted to catch it 

 by his breath ; but could not inliale it by breath- 

 ing: had he by inlialing taken it, [hunger] would 

 be satisfied by smelling food. He sought to snatch 

 it by a glance ; but could not surprise it by a look: 

 had he seized it by the sight, [hunger] would be 

 satisfied by seeing food. He attempted to catch 

 it by hearing: but could not hold it by listening: 

 had he caught it by hearkening, [hunger] would 

 be satisfied by hearing food. He endeavoured to 

 seize it by his skin; but could not restrain it by 

 his touch : had he seized it by contact, [hunger] 

 would be satisfied by touching food. He wished 

 to reach it by the mind; but could not attain it 

 by thinking : nad he caught it by thought, [hun- 

 ger] would be satisfied by nieditating on food. 

 He wanted to seize it by the generative organ, 

 but could not so hold it: had he thus seized it, 

 [hunger] would be satisfied by emission. Lastly, 

 he endeavoured to catch it by deglutition ; and 

 thus he did swallow it : that air, which is so drawn 

 in, seizes food ; and that very air is the bond of 

 life. 



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