d, "Welcome art thou, O thou of mighty arms. By good
luck I see thee after such a long time come to my presence. I hope, O
son, that everything is right with thy penances and thy Vedic studies and
recitations. Thou art always observant of the austerest penances. Hence I
ask thee about the progress and well-being of those penances of thine!"

"'Rudra said, "O illustrious one, through thy grace, all is well with my
penances and Vedic studies. It is all right, again, with the universe. I
saw thy illustrious self a long while ago in thy own home of felicity and
effulgence. I am coming thence to this mountain that is now the abode of
thy feet.[1917] Great is the curiosity excited in my mind by this
withdrawal of thyself into such a lone spot from thy usual region of
felicity and splendour. Great must the reason be, O Grandsire, for such
an act on thy part. Thy own foremost abode is free from the pains of
hunger and thirst, and inhabited by both deities and Asuras, by Rishis of
immeasurable splendour, as also by Gandharvas and Apsaras. Abandoning
such a spot of felicity, thou residest alone in this foremost of
mountains. The cause of this cannot but be grave."

"'Brahma said, "This foremost of mountains, called Vaijayanta, is always
my residence. Here, with concentrated mind, I meditate on the one
universal Purusha of infinite proportions."

"'Rudra said, "Self-born thou art. Many are the Purushas that have been
created by thee. Others again, O Brahma, are being created by thee. The
Infinite Purusha, however, of whom thou speakest, is one and single. Who
is that foremost of Purushas, O Brahma, that is being meditated by thee?
Great is the curiosity I feel on this point. Do thou kindly dispel the
doubt that has taken possession of my mind."

"'Brahma said, "O son, many are those Purushas of whom thou speakest. The
one Purusha, however, of whom I am thinking, transcends all Purushas and
is invisible. The many Purushas that exist in the universe have that one
Purusha as their basis; and since that one Purushas is said to be the
source whence all the innumerable Purushas have sprung, hence all the
latter, if they succeed in divesting themselves of attributes, become
competent to enter into that one Purusha who is identified with the
universe, who is supreme, who is the foremost of the foremost, who is
eternal, and who is himself divested of and is above all attributes."'"

SECTION CCCLII

"'Brahma said,--"Listen, O son,