^90:2 The author here attacks those who believe that Being undergoes change either into non-being or into a different phase of being. His cardinal principle is that Being is one and changeless.

^90:3 I.e., he who knows both ideas to be false.

^90:4 This and the following verses (a death-bed prayer, according to tradition) are a prayer to the Sun-god to reveal the figure of the Purusha in the sun (corresponding to the figure in the human eye, and symbolic of Brahma; see p. 16). The Sun-god is here identified with Yama, the ruler of the dead. On Praja-pati, see p. 14; in the next extract he is mythically represented as a teacher of philosophic lore.

XIV. THE FALSE AND THE TRUE

"The Self, free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, hungerless, thirstless, real of desire, real of purpose, this should men inquire after, yea, should seek to know. All worlds he wins and all desires who traces out and understands the Self," said Praja-pati.

Both the gods and the demons marked this. "Come," said they, "let us seek out this Self by seeking out which one wins all worlds and all desires." So Indra of the gods and Virochana of the demons set out on a travel, and without being in compact they both came with faggots

in their hands to Praja-pati, and stayed as Brahman-students for two-and-thirty years.

Then said Praja-pati to them, "What would ye, that ye have stayed?"

And they said, "The Self, free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, hungerless, thirstless, real of desire, real of purpose, this should men inquire after, yea, should seek to know. All worlds he wins and all desires who traces out and understands this Self. This they report to be thy saying, sir; in desire thereof have we stayed."

Then Praja-pati said to them, "The Being who is seen in the eye is the Self"--thus he spake--"this is the deathless, the fearless; this is Brahma."

"Then who is he, sir, that is discerned in water and in a mirror?"

"It is he that is discerned in all these beings."

"Look upon yourselves in a basin of water," said he, "and tell me what of yourselves you do not perceive."

They looked in a basin of water; and Praja-pati said to them, "What see you?"

"We see in this image the whole of our selves, sir," said they, "even to our hair and nails."

Then Praja-pati said to them, "Put on goodly

ornament and fine clothing, attire yourselves, and look in the basin of water."

They put on goodly ornament and fine clothing, attired themselves, and looked in the basin of water. Praja-pati said to them, "What see you?"