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 here 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 b