PART II

SOME TEXTS OF THE VEDANTA

I. CREATION

1. IN the beginning this universe was Self alone; there was naught else open-eyed. He bethought Himself: "Now I will create worlds!"

He created these worlds--the Ocean, the Light, the Dead, the Waters. That is the Ocean which is beyond the heaven; the heaven is its foundation. The Light is the sky. The Dead is the Earth; the Waters are those beneath.

He bethought Himself: "There are the worlds; now I will create world-wardens!" He drew from the waters Man, and made him solid. He brooded over him. When he had been brooded over, his mouth burst asunder like an egg; from his mouth arose Speech, from speech Fire. His nostrils burst asunder; from his nostrils arose the incoming Breath, from the

[paragraph continues] Breath Wind. His eyes burst asunder; from his eyes arose Sight, from Sight the Sun. His ears burst asunder; from his ears arose Hearing, from Hearing Space. His skin burst asunder; from his skin arose hair, from the hair plants and trees. His heart burst asunder; from his heart arose Mind, from Mind the Moon. His navel burst asunder: from his navel arose the outgoing Breath, from the Breath Death. His secret parts burst asunder; from his secret parts arose seed, from seed the Waters.

2. These gods, having been created, fell into this great ocean; this He gave over to Hunger and Thirst. They said to Him: "Find out for us a dwelling-place in which we may rest and eat food." He brought them a cow. They said: "This is not enough for us." He brought them a horse. They said: "This is not enough for us." He brought them a man. They said: "Well done, forsooth!" For man is in sooth well done. He said to them: "Enter, each according to your dwelling-places." So Fire, becoming Speech, entered his mouth; Wind, becoming the incoming Breath, entered his

nostrils; the Sun, becoming Sight, entered his eyes; Space, becoming Hearing, entered his ears; the Plants and Trees, becoming hair, entered his skin; the Moon, becoming Mind, entered his heart; Death, becoming the outgoing Breath, entered his navel; the Waters, becoming seed, entered his secret parts.

Hunger and Thirst said to Him: "Find out for us a dwelling-place." He said to them: "I give you a share with these gods, I make you partners with them." Therefore it is that whosoever be the godhead for whom an offering is taken, Hunger and Thirst are partners therein.

3. He bethought Himself: "There are the worlds and the world-wardens; now I will create for them Food."

He brooded over the waters; when they had been brooded over, there arose from the waters a shape. The shape that arose was Food.