OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 447 



thou, O Ya'jnyawalcya ! more skilled in theo- 

 logy than we are?" He replied, " I bow to the 

 most learned; but I was desirous of possessing the 

 cattle." 



This introduction is followed by a long dialogue, 

 or rather by a succession oF dialogues, in which 

 six other rival priests (besides a learned female, 

 named Ga'rgi', the daughter of Vachacru ;) take 

 part as antagonists of Ya'jnyawalcya ; proposing 

 questions to him, which he answers ; and, by re- 

 futing their objections, silences them successively. 

 Each dialogue fills a single article ( Brahmana) ; 

 but the controversy is maintained by Ga'rgi' in 

 two separate discussions ; and the contest between 

 Ya'jnyawalcya and Vidagd'ha, ^urnamed Sa'- 

 CALYA, in the ninth or last article of the fifth 

 lecture, concludes in a singular manner. 



Ya'jnyawalcya proposes to his adversary an 

 abstruse question, and declares, " if thou dost not 

 explain this unto me, thy head shall drop off." 

 * Sa'calya (proceeds the text) could not explain 

 it; and his head did fall off; and robbers stole 

 his bones, mistaking them for some other thing.* 



Ya'jnyawalcya then asks the rest of his anta- 

 gonists, whether they have any question to pro- 

 pose, or are desirous, that he should propose any. 

 They remain silent, and he addresses them as 

 follows : 



" Man is indeed like to a lofty tree : his hairs 

 are the leaves ; and his skin, the cuticle. From 

 his skin flows blood, like juice from bark ; it 

 issues from his wounded person, as juice from a 

 stricken tree. His flesh is the inner bark ; and 

 the membrane, near the bones, is the wh^te siib- 



