(16) Then Vimalakirti spoke to those great Sravakas led by Sariputra and said: “ Sirs, eat of the food of Tathagata which has the flavour of immortality (amrta); it is born of the great compassion [of Tathagata]. Eat not with a divided mind, or it shall not be digested.” There were some Sravakas who thought to themselves: ‘ The food is but little, and would it be possible for each one in this great assembly to share it?”

(26) And he brought near to him, and he did eat, and he brought him wine and he drank.

(47) And they all drank of it. And he said unto them,

(11) When they had devoured the milk Mâshya said to Mâshyôî thus: 'My delight was owing to it when I had not devoured the milk, and my delight is more delightful now when it is devoured by my vile body.'

(8) And let me feed upon the bread of the white corn and upon the beer of the red barley

(11) Those two exalted ones have found exalted science, And rivaled the very angels in intellect; O humble and simple and despised one, Arise and eat of the banquet of the divine sweets!" They said to him, "Then you have been gluttonous; Well indeed! you have eaten all the sweets!" He answered, "When my sovereign lord commanded me, Who am I that I should abstain from obeying? Would you, O Jew, resist the commands of Moses If he bade you do something, either pleasant or not?

(7) Then said: "More thoughtful Mary was of making The marriage feast complete and honourable, Than of her mouth which now for you responds; And for their drink the ancient Roman women With water were content; and Daniel Disparaged food, and understanding won. The primal age was beautiful as gold; Acorns it made with hunger savorous, And nectar every rivulet with thirst. Honey and locusts were the aliments That fed the Baptist in the wilderness; Whence he is glorious, and so magnified As by the Evangel is revealed to you."

(19) They gave him of a fish, and of a honeycomb; and he did eat before them. Then said he to them again,

(37) And he said unto them " Because I sold my birthright to Jacob for a small mess of lentils ; and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something thathe should eat and bless me, he came with guile and brought my father food and drink, and my father blessed him and put me under his hand.

(6) Fourfold is the wood of the sacred fig-tree [in the cere- mony]: the spoon (sruva) is of the wood of the sacred fig-tree; the cup is of the wood of the sacred fig-tree; the fuel is of the wood of the sacred fig-tree; the two mixing-sticks are of the wood of the sacred fig-tree. There are ten cultivated grains [used]. rice and barley, sesamum and beans, millet and panic, and wheat, and lentils, and pulse, and vetches. These, when they have been ground, one sprinkles with curdled milk, honey, and ghee; and one makes an oblation of melted butter. 2 A similar prohibition, against promulgating esoteric knowledge occurs at £vet. 6. 2 and Maitri 6. 29.

(6) Then he takes a sip, saying: — 'On this desired [glory] of Savitri — 'Tis sweetness, winds for pious man — "Tis sweetness, too, the streams pour forth. Sweet-filled for us let be the herbs' To Earth (b/iur), hail! [On this desired] glory of the god let us meditate. Sweet be the night and morning glows! Sweet be the atmosphere of earth ' And sweet th' Heaven-father (dyaus pita) be to us! To Atmosphere (bhuvas), hail! And may he himself inspire our thoughts' 6 The tree be full of sweet for us! And let the sun be full of sweet! Sweet-filled the cows become for us 1 7 To the Sky (svar\ hail! ' He repeats all the Savitri Hymn and all the « Sweet-verses/ and says: 'May I indeed become this world -all! O Earth (bhnr) and Atmosphere (bhuvas) and Sky (svar) \ Hail!' Finally, having taken a sip, having washed his hands, he lies down behind the fire, head eastward. In the morning he worships the sun, and says: c Of the quarters of heaven thou art the one lotus-flower! s May I of men become the one lotus-flower! ' s bear some lesemblance to the phrase which involves a play on words m the corresponding passage in Chand. 5. 2. 6, amo ndmd 'si ama hi te sarvam zdam, c Thou art He (ama) by name, for this whole world is at home (ama) m thee.' 8 A symbolic expression for ' pre-eminent.' Then he goes back the same way that he came, and, seated behind the fire, mutters the Line of Tradition (vamsa)* 7- This, indeed, did Uddalaka Arurn tell to his pupil Vaja- saneya Yajnavalkya, and say: « Even if one should pour this on a dry stump, branches would be produced and leaves would spring forth.

(6) Now, toward morning, having prepared melted butter in the manner of the SthaHpaka, he takes of the Sthallpaka and makes a libation, saying: ' To Agni, hail! To Anumati, hail! To the god Savitri (' Enlivener/ the Sun), whose is true procreation z (satya-prasava), hail! ' Having made the libation, he takes and eats. Having eaten, he offers to the other [i.e. to her]. Having washed his hands, he fills a vessel with water and therewith spi inkles her thrice, saying: — 'Arise from hence, Visvavasut Some other choicer maiden seek! This wife together with her lord — '

(24) And Jacob sod lentil pottage, and Esau came from the field hungry. And he said to Jacob his brother: "Give me of this red pot- tage." • And Jacob said to him : " Sell to me thy [primogeniture, this] birthright and I will give thee bread, and also some of this lentil pottage."

(1) When the Father produced by intellect And austenty seven kinds of food, One of his [foods] was common to all, Of two he let the gods partake, Three he made for himself, One he bestowed upon the animals On this [food] everything depends, Both what breathes and what does not. How is it that these do not peiish When they are being eaten all the time He who knows this imperishableness— He eats food with his mouth (pratika), He goes to the gods, He lives on strength. Thus the verses.

(13) And He gave (it) unto His priests to eat and to drink with joy before Him.

(1) 'When the Father produced by intellect and austerity seven kinds of food' — truly by intellect and austerity the Father did produce them. ' One of his [foods] was common to all.' That of his which is common to all is the food that is eaten here. He who worships that, is not turned from evil, for it is mixed [i.e. common, not selected]. 'Of two he let the gods partake/ They arc the tmta (fire-sacrifice) and thtfra/mta (offering). For this reason one sacrifices and offers to the gods. People also say that these two are the new-moon and the full-moon sacrifices. Therefore one should not offer sacrifice [merely] to secure a wish first both men and animals live upon milk. Therefore they either make a new-bom babe lick butter or put it to the breast. Likewise they call a new-born calf 'one that does not eat grass ' what does not ' — for upon milk everything depends, both what breathes and what does not. This that people say, cBy offering with milk for a year one escapes the second death ' — one should know that this is not so, since on the very day that he makes the offering he who knows escapes the second death, for he offers all his food to the gods. eaten all the time?' Verily, the Person is imperishableness, for he produces this food again and again. ' He who knows this imperishableness ' — verily, a person is imperishableness, for by continuous meditation he produces this food as his work. Should he not do this, all the food would perish. ( He eats food with his mouth (pratlkd)' The prattka is the mouth. So he eats food with his mouth.

(5) That which I execrate, I eat it not. Let me feed upon the bread of the red corn of the Nile in a pure place, let me sip beer of the red corn of the Nile in a pure place; let me sit under the branches of the palm trees [in Heliopolis] in the train of Hathor, when the solar orb broadeneth, as she proceedeth to Heliopolis with the writings of the divine words of the Book of Thoth