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The Hymn of the Spirit

Translation/ by Charles Johnston, Oriental Department Papers, March, 1895

Thousand-headed is Spirit, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed; he wrapping the world altogether, overpassed it by a space of ten fingers.

Spirit verily is all this, what has been and what shall be; also of immortality he is the lord, when he passes outward through the food of being.

So great is his greatness, yet Spirit is more ancient than this. For all these beings are but one step of him, three steps of him are eternal in the heavens.

As to the three steps, Spirit ascends upwards; one step, again, came into being here; he then extended everywhere, over what consumes and what consumes not.

From him was born Radiance, and, from Radiance, Spirit; he, born, stretched forth, behind the world and before.

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