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!’”