“Now my worship of the fire has borne some fruit. O powerful Fire, I salute thee. O beautiful Fire, I salute thee. O mighty Fire, take me in a golden chariot to the foundations of the earth. O god of Fire, now I understand that it is your throne that is spread in these mysterious lower regions, and to thee, O glorious one, I bow.”
After this joyful salutation Utonka looked in front of him, his face bright with the rays of the brilliant fire which spread on all sides, quivering and scarlet like the blossoms of a dhah tree. There in front of him he saw Takshat, who, driven mad by the dreadful heat of the flames, was in full retreat, having thrown down in his haste those ear-rings which lay like golden flowers at Utonka’s feet. As soon as he had disappeared, the fire gathered itself together and entered the horse’s body again.
Utonka having picked up the ear-rings was about to say something when he suddenly realised that the whole vision had vanished. He saw on all sides of him the fresh sunshine of dawning day falling through the trees, the dew on the leaves was not yet dry, the birds were singing, while in front of him was flowing the very stream which passed the ashram of his Guru.
