generous calves, I suppose, out of compassion for thee, throw out large quantities of froth.  Wouldst thou stand in the way of their full meals by acting as thou hast done?  Know that it is unlawful for thee to drink the froth.’  And Upamanyu, having signified his assent to this, went as before to tend the cows.  And restrained by his preceptor, he feedeth not on alms, nor hath he anything else to eat; he drinketh not of the milk, nor tasteth he of the froth!

“And Upamanyu, one day, oppressed by hunger, when in a forest, ate of the leaves of the Arka (Asclepias gigantea).  And his eyes being affected by the pungent, acrimonious, crude, and saline properties of the leaves which he had eaten, he became blind.  And as he was crawling about, he fell into a pit.  And upon his not returning that day when the sun was sinking down behind the summit of the western mountains, the preceptor observed to his disciples that Upamanyu was not yet come.  And they told him that he had gone out with the cattle.

“The preceptor then said, ’Upamanyu being restrained by me from the use of everything, is, of course, and therefore, doth not come home until it be late.  Let us then go in search of him.’  And having said this, he went with his disciples into the forest and began to shout, saying, ’Ho Upamanyu, where art thou?’ And Upamanyu hearing his preceptor’s voice answered in a loud tone, ‘Here I am at the bottom of a well.’  And his preceptor asked him how he happened to be there.  And Upamanyu replied, ’Having eaten of the leaves of the Arka plant I became blind, and so have I fallen into this well.’  And his preceptor thereupon told him, ’Glorify the twin Aswins, the joint physicians of the gods, and they will restore thee thy sight.’  And Upamanyu thus directed by his preceptor began to glorify the twin Aswins, in the following words of the Rig Veda: 

’Ye have existed before the creation!  Ye first-born beings, ye are displayed in this wondrous universe of five elements!  I desire to obtain you by the help of the knowledge derived from hearing, and of meditation, for ye are Infinite!  Ye are the course itself of Nature and intelligent Soul that pervades that course!  Ye are birds of beauteous feathers perched on the body that is like to a tree!  Ye are without the three common attributes of every soul!  Ye are incomparable!  Ye, through your spirit in every created thing, pervade the Universe!

“Ye are golden Eagles!  Ye are the essence into which all things disappear!  Ye are free from error and know no deterioration!  Ye are of beauteous beaks that would not unjustly strike and are victorious in every encounter!  Ye certainly prevail over time!  Having created the sun, ye weave the wondrous cloth of the year by means of the white thread of the day and the black thread of the night!  And with the cloth so woven, ye have established two courses of action appertaining respectively to the Devas and the Pitris.  The bird of Life seized