"Nidagha—‘Have you been greatly delighted with this meal, O twice-born one? Has your mind obtained contentment? Where is your residence, O Brahmin and where are you going? And tell me, whence art thou coming, O twice-born one?'
"Ribhu said:—‘O twice-born one, he, who has got appetite, is pleased with his meals. I have got no appetite and hence have got no satisfaction: why do you question me in vain? Hunger is created, when by fire the earthly element is dried; and thirst is produced when the moisture of the body is absorbed by internal heat. These are the the functions of the body, O twice-born one, not mine—I am satisfied with that by which they are removed. And pleasure and contentment are the faculties of the mind, O twice-born one; ask those men about it whose minds are affected by them. As regards your three other questions—Where I dwell, wither I go and whence I come, hear my reply.
"'Man goes everywhere and penetrates everywhere like the ether. Then is it rational to ask "Where is thy residence? Whence are you coming? And where will you go?" I am not coming from anywhere. I shall not go anywhere and I do not live in one place. Such is the case with you and other men. What people see of you is not real you; what people see of other men are not real they, and what people see of me is not real I. I made distinction between the sweetened and not sweetened food only to hear of your opinion about that: do thou hear my explanation about this, O twice-born one. Is there anything really sweet and not sweet to him who takes meals? That which is considered sweet is no longer so when it causes the sense of repletion, and that which is not sweet, becomes so when a man considers it as such. What food is there which is equally delightful from the first to the middle and last? As a house built of clay is strengthened by fresh plaster so this earthly body is maintained by earthly atoms. And barley, wheat, pulse, butter, oil, milk, curds, treacle, fruits and the like are made of earthly atoms. You have now understood what is sweet and what is not; do you so act that you may be impressed with the notion of identity which leads to final liberation.'
"Having heard those words explaining the true end of life, the illustrious Nidagha humbly bowed to him and said—'Be then propitiated with me, O twice-born one. Thou hast come here for my welfare. Tell me whence thou hast come? Hearing thy words the infatuation of my mind is removed'.
"Ribhu said:—'O twice-born one, I am thy preceptor Ribhu. I have come here to confer upon thee the true knowledge. Now I depart; for you have been acquainted with the true end of life. Consider again this universe to be one undivided nature of the supreme spirit Vāsudeva'.
"Having said 'so be it' Nidagha reverentially bowed to and worshipped him. And Ribhu too repaired to his wished-for quarter".
SECTION XVI.
"After the expiration of another thousand years Ribhu again repaired to that city for conferring knowledge upon him. The ascetic beheld Nidagha at the outside of the city when the king was about to enter it with a huge army and a host of relations. He saw his illustrious pupil standing at a distance avoiding the crowd—his throat was parched with hunger and thirst consequent upon carrying thicket fuel and holy grass. Beholding Nidagha and saluting him Ribhu said—'Why are you standing aloof, O twice-born one?'
"Nidagha said:—'There is a great rush of people for the lord of men is entering this huge and picturesque city; I am staying to avoid the crowd'.
"Ribhu said 'O foremost of twice-born one, who is the king amongst these? And who are his attendents. Methinks you know all these. Tell me'.