4321 ox THE Ve'dAS, 



SO is a;ir ; so is the moon : such too is that pure 

 Bra H ME, and those waters, and that lord of crea- 

 tures. Moments [and other measures of time] pro- 

 ceeded from the effulgent person, whom none can 

 apprehend [as an ohject of perception], above, 

 around, or in the midst. Of him, whose glory is 

 so great, there is no image : he it is, who is cele- 

 brated in various holy strains*. Even he is. the 

 god, who pervades all regions : he is the first born; 

 it is he, who is in the womb ; he, who is born * 

 and he, who will be produced : he severally, and 

 universally, remains with [all] persons. 



' He, prior to whom, nothing was born ; and 

 who became all beings ; himself the lord of crea- 

 tures, with a [body composed of] sixteen members, 

 being delighted by creation, produced the three 

 luminaries [the sun, the moon, and fire]. 



' To what God should we offer oblations, but t& 

 him, who made the fluid sky and solid earth, who 

 fixed the solar orb (swar), and celestial abode 

 (naca), and who framed drops [of rain] in the at- 

 mosphere ? To what god should we offer obla- 

 tions, but to him, whom heaven and earth men- 

 tally contemplate, while they are strengthened 

 and embellished by offerings, and illuminated by 

 the sun risen above them. 



* The wise man views that mysterious [being] ; 

 in whom the universe perpetually exists, resting 

 on that sole support. In him, this [world] is 

 absorbed; from him, it issues : in creatures, he is 

 twined and wove, with various forms of existence. 

 Let the wise man, who is conversant with the 



The text refers to particular passages. 



