“The Brahmana said, ‘Know that my name is Dharmaranya, and that I have come hither for obtaining a sight of the Naga Padmanabha, O foremost of all regenerate persons. With him I have some business. I have heard that he is not at home and that, therefore, I am not now near his present quarters. Like a Chataka waiting in expectation of the clouds, I am waiting for him whom I regard as dear to me. For dispelling all evil from him and bringing about what is beneficial to him, I am engaged in reciting the Vedas till he comes and am in Yoga and passing my time happily.’
“The Naga said, ‘Verily, thy conduct is exceedingly good. Pious thou art and devoted to the good of all righteous persons. O highly blessed Brahmana, every praise is due to thee. Thou beholdest the Naga with eyes of affection. I am that Naga, O learned Rishi, whom thou seekest. Do thou command me, as thou wishest, in respect of what is agreeable to thee and what I should do for thee. Having heard from my spouse that thou art here, I have approached this spot, O regenerate one, for beholding thee. When thou hast come hither, thou art certain to return hence with thy object fulfilled. It behoveth thee, O foremost of regenerate persons, to employ me to any task with all confidence. All of us have certainly been purchased by thee with thy merits,[1939] since thou, disregarding what is for thy own good, hast employed thy time in seeking the good of ourselves.’
“The Brahmana said, ‘O highly blessed Naga, I have come hither, moved by the desire of obtaining a sight of thee. I have come here, ignorant as I am with all things, for asking thee about something, O Naga, relying on the Jiva-soul, I desire to attain to the Supreme Soul which is the end of the Jiva-soul. I am neither attached to, nor dissociated from, the world.[1940] Thou shinest with the effulgence of thy own merits covered by pure fame,–with an effulgence that is as agreeable as that of the moon. O thou that livest on air alone, do thou first answer a question that I wish to put to thee. Afterwards I shall inform thee of the object that has brought me hither!'”
SECTION CCCLXII
“The Brahmana said, ‘Thou goest away for dragging the one-wheeled car of Vivaswat according to thy turn. It behoveth thee to describe to me anything wonderful that thou mayst have noticed in those regions through which thou sojournest!’
“The Naga said, ‘The divine Surya is the refuge or home of innumerable wonders. All the creatures that inhabit the three worlds have flowed from Surya. Innumerable Munis, crowned with ascetic success, together with all the deities, reside in the rays of Surya like birds perching on the branches of trees. What, again, can be more wonderful than this that the mighty Wind, emanating from Surya, takes refuge in his ray and thence yawns over the universe? What can be more wonderful than this, O regenerate Rishi, that Surya, dividing the Wind into many portions from desire of doing good to all creatures, creates rain that falls in the rainy season? What can be more wonderful than this that the Supreme Soul, from within the solar disc, himself bathed in blazing effulgence, looketh upon the universe? What can be more wonderful than this that Surya has a dark ray which transforms itself into clouds charged with rain and pours showers of rain when the season comes? What can be more wonderful than this that drinking up for eight months the rain he pours down, he pours it down once again in the rainy season? In certain rays of Surya, the Soul of the universe is said to reside.
From Him is the seed of all things, and it is He that upholds the Earth with all her mobile and immobile creatures. What can be more wonderful, O Brahmana, than this, that the foremost of Purushas, eternal and mighty-armed, endued with exceeding effulgence, eternal, and without beginning and without end, resides in Surya? Listen however, to one thing I shall tell you now. It is the wonder of wonders. I have seen it in the clear sky, in consequence of my adjacence to Surya. In former times, one day at the hour of noon, while Surya was shining in all his glory and giving heat to everything we beheld a Being coming towards Surya, who seemed to shine with effulgence that was equal to that of Surya himself. Causing all the worlds to blaze up with his glory and filling them with his energy, he came, as I have already told thee, towards Surya, rending the firmament, as it were, for making his path through it.
The rays that emanated from his body seemed to resemble the blazing effulgence of libations of clarified butter poured into the sacrificial fire. In consequence of his energy and splendour he could not be looked at. His form seemed to be indescribable. Indeed, he appeared to us to be like a second Surya. As soon as he came near, Surya extended his two hands (for giving him a respectful reception). For honouring Surya in return, he also extended his right-hand. The latter then, piercing through the firmament, entered into Surya’s disc. Mingling then with Surya’s energy, he seemed to be transformed into Surya’s self. When the two energies thus met together, we were so confounded that we could not any longer distinguish which was which. Indeed, we could not make out who was Surya whom we bore on his car, and who was the Being that we had seen coming through the sky. Filled with confusion, we then addressed Surya, saying,–‘O illustrious one who is this Being that has mixed himself with thee and has been transformed into thy second self?’
SECTION CCCLXIII
“Surya said, ‘This Being is not the god of fire, he is not an Asura. Nor is he a Naga. He is a Brahmana who has attained to heaven in consequence of his having been crowned with success in the observance of the vow called Unccha.[1941] This person had subsisted upon fruits and roots and upon the fallen leaves of trees. He had sometimes subsisted upon water, and sometimes upon air alone, passing his days with concentrated soul. The deity Mahadeva had been gratified by him with constant recitation of the Samhitas. He had endeavoured to accomplish those acts that lead to heaven. Through the merits of those acts he hath now attained to heaven. Without wealth and without desire of any kind, he had observed the vow called Unccha in the matter of his sustenance. This learned Brahmana, ye Nagas, had been devoted to the good of all creatures. Neither deities, nor Gandharvas, nor Asuras, nor Nagas, can be regarded as superior to those creatures that attain to this excellent end of coming into the solar disc?–Even such, O regenerate one, was the wonderful incident that I beheld on that occasion. That Brahmana, who was crowned with success by the observance of the Unccha vow and who thus obtained an end that persons crowned with ascetic success acquire, to this day, O regenerate one, goes round the Earth, staying in the disc of Surya!'”
[NOTE: There was no section CCLXIV in the source edition.–JBH]
SECTION CCCLXV
“The Brahmana said, ‘Without doubt, this is very wonderful, O Naga, I have been highly gratified by listening to thee. By these words of thine that are fraught with subtile meaning, thou hast shown me the way I am to follow. Blessed be thou, I desire to depart hence O best of Nagas, thou shouldst recollect me now and then and enquire after me by sending thy servant.’
“The Naga said, ‘The object that brought thee higher is still in thy breast, for thou hast not as yet disclosed it to me. Where then wilt thou go? Tell me, O regenerate one, what should be done by me, and what that object is which brought thee hither. After the accomplishment of thy business, whatever it is, expressed or unexpressed in speech, thou mayst depart, O foremost of regenerate persons, saluting me and dismissed by me cheerfully, O thou of excellent vows. Thou hast conceived a friendship for me. O regenerate Rishi, it behoveth thee not to depart from this place after having only seen me, thyself sitting under the shade of this tree. Thou hast become dear to me and I have become dear to thee, without doubt. All the persons in this city are thine. What objection then is there, O sinless one, to pass some time in my house?–‘
“The Brahmana said, ‘It is even so, O thou of great wisdom, O Naga that hast acquired a knowledge of the soul. It is very true that the deities are not superior to thee in any respect. He that is thyself, is verily myself, as he that is myself is truly thyself. Myself, thyself, and all other creatures, shall all have to enter into the Supreme Soul. Doubt penetrated my mind, O chief of Nagas, in the matter of the best means for winning righteousness or merit. That doubt has been dispelled by thy discourse, for I have learnt the value of the Unccha vow. I shall hence follow that which is so very efficacious in the matter of beneficial consequences. That, O blessed one, has become my certain conclusion now, based on excellent reasons. I take thy leave. Blessings to thee. My object has been accomplished, O Naga.'”
