26. Whatever is seen here from the great Brahmá down to the meanest object, is all doomed to perish beyond a doubt.
27. Do not therefore wail at the demise of thy father, but know like the rising and falling sun, every thing is destined to its rise and fall. (Here sun—the lord of the day—ahah-pati, is spelt aharpati by a várttika of Kátyáyna).
28. Hearing this oracular voice, the youth wiped his eyes red hot with weeping; and held his silence like the screaming peacock at the loud sound of the clouds. (The pea-cock is said to cry at the sight, but to be hushed at the sound of a rainy cloud).
29. He rose up and performed the funeral ceremonies of his sire, with devoutness of his heart; and then set his mind to the success of his steady devotion.
30. He was employed in the performance of his austerities according to the Bráhmanic law, and engaged himself in discharging his ceremonial rites by the Srauta ritual, for the accomplishment of his sundry vows.
31. But not knowing the knowable (Brahma), his mind could not find its rest in his ceremonial acts, nor found its purity on the surface of the stainless earth. (The earth appears sullied to the tainted soul, but it is all unstained to the taintless soul, which views it full with the holy spirit of God).
32. Not knowing the fulness of the world with divine spirit, and the holiness of the earth in every place, he thought the ground polluted (by the original sin), and did not find his repose any where.
33. Therefore he made a vow of his own accord, to take his seat on the branch of a tree, which was untainted with the pollution of the earth. (Because the Lord said, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake”; but not so the trees growing upon it).
34. Henceforth said he, “I will perform my austerities on these branching arbours, and repose myself like birds and sylvan spirits, on the branches and leaves of trees.”
35. Thus sitting on high, he kindled a flaming fire beneath him, and was going to offer oblations of living flesh on it, by paring bits of his shoulder blade (mixed with blood).