Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/233

 The Beginnings of Hindu Theosophy 217

unto the ocean; (the god) Indra is higher than the earth; the measure of the cow is (quite) unknown. "‘

Again the following questions and answers:

“ I ask thee for the highest summit of the earth ; I ask thee for the navel of the universe; I ask thee for the seed of the lusty steed ; I ask thee for the highest heaven of speech.”

“ This altar is the highest summit of the earth: this sacriﬁce is the navel of the universe ; this some (the rim toxioating sacriﬁcial drink) is the seed of the lusty steed (God Indra P) ; this Brahman priest is the highest: heaven (that is to say, the highest exponent) of speech. ” i

It is interesting to note that these riddles show us again the Hindu mind preoccupied with the nature phenomena of the world, at a time when the old nature gods have become completely crystallised. Again, as regards the status of these riddles, the , Kena Upanishad Opens with a very similar pair of riddleestanzas, showing that the state of mind at the bottom of nature-worship, ﬁrekttzodya, and Upani- shad marks advancing mental interests, but yet advance along the same line.

The Rig—Veda (I. 164) contains a hymn which is nothing but a collection of ﬁfty-two verses of poetry, all of them, except one, riddles whose answers are not given. There can be little doubt that the occa-

1 The same text, 23. 47 and 48. 9 Isa, 23. or and 62...