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hands, all hail ! Such is the disposition of the hands. Now as to the disposition of the heart and the other organs. “ weapons cleave him not, nor fire burneth him ;" thus : <To the heart, all hail !” “ Nor waters wet him, nor wind drieth him away ;" thus : " To the head, svaha !” Uncleavable he, incombustible he, neither to be wetted nor dried away;" thus: " To the shikha, vashat ! ” " Perpetual, all-pervasive, stable, immovable ;" thus: "To the encasement, hun! ” “ Behold, O Partha, my Forms, a hundred-fold, a thousand-fold;" thus : " To the fire. weapon, phat!" For the propitiation of Shri Krishna the reading is enjoined.
Note . A mantra, in the Hindu religion, has a Rishi, who gave it ; A metre which governs the inflection of the voice. A Devata-a super. natural being, higher or lower--as its informing power. The Bija, seed, is a significant word, or series of words, which gives it a special power; sometimes this word is a sound which harmonises with the key-note of the individual using it, and varies with the individual; sometimes this word expresses the essence of the mantra, and the result of the mantra is the flower springing from this seed; this essence of the Gita is in the words quoted. The Shakti is the energy of the form of the mantra, i. e. the vibration-forms set up by its sounds; these in the Gita carry the man to the Lord. The Kilakam the pillar is that which supports and makes strong the mantra; this is the ceasing of sorrow, by the freeing from imperfections.
Then follow certain special directions, intended to set up relations between the centres in the man's body and the corresponding centres in the body of the Lord-the universe. The thumbs the earth symbol, are connected with the physical plane and are utilised in con trol of its subtle forces. The index fingers, the water-symbol, are con-
