of the steeds, and
the pitris presiding over them were made the hooks and pins. Action and
truth and ascetic penances and profit were made the chords of that car.
The Mind became the ground upon which that car stood, and Speech the
tracks upon which it was to proceed. Beautiful banners of various hues
waved in the air. With lightning and Indra's bow attached to it, that
blazing car gave fierce light. That space of time which, on a former
occasion, had, in the Sacrifice of the high-souled Ishana, been fixed as
a Year, became the bow, and the goddess Savitri became the loud-sounding
bow-string. A celestial coat of mail was made, decked with costly gems,
and impenetrable and effulgent, sprung from the wheel of Time. That
golden mountain, viz., the beautiful Meru, became the flagstaff, and the
clouds decked with flashes of lightning became its banners. Thus
equipped, that car shone brilliantly like a blazing fire in the midst of
the priests officiating at a sacrifice. Beholding that car properly
equipped, the gods became filled with wonder. Seeing the energies of the
entire universe united together in one place, O sire, the gods wondered,
and at last represented unto that illustrious Deity that the car was
ready. After, O monarch, that best of cars had thus been constructed by
the gods, O tiger among men, for grinding their foes, Sankara placed upon
it his own celestial weapons. Making the sky its flagstaff, he placed
upon it his bovine bull. The Brahmana's rod, the rod of Death, Rudra's
rod, and Fever became the protectors of the sides of that car and stood
with faces turned towards all sides. Atharvan and Angirasa became the
protectors of the car-wheels of that illustrious warrior. The Rigveda,
the Samaveda, and the Puranas stood in advance of that car. The histories
and the Yajurveda became the protectors of the rear. All sacred Speeches
and all the Sciences stood around it, and all hymns, O monarch, and the
Vedic sound of Vashat also. And the syllable Om, O king, standing in the
van of that car, made it exceedingly beautiful. Having made the Year
adorned with the six seasons his bow, he made his own shadow the
irrefragable string of that bow in that battle. The illustrious Rudra is
Death's self. The Year became his bow; Kala Ratri the Death-night
therefore, which is Rudra's shadow, became the indestructible string of
that bow. Vishnu and Agni and Soma became (as already said) the arrow.
The universe is said to consist of