THERE was a holy man who used to live in a state of ecstasy and would not speak with anyone. He was regarded as a lunatic. One day having begged some food in the village, he took his seat by the side of a dog and fell to eating. A strange sight now presented itself and attracted a crowd of spectators, for the holy man would put one morsel into his own mouth and the next into that of the dog, so that the man and the beast went on eating together like a pair of friends. Some of the spectators began to laugh at the holy man as being a mad fellow. Thereupon he said,
“Why do you laugh?
Vishnu is seated with Vishnu; Vishnu is feeding Vishnu;
Why do you laugh, O Vishnu? Whatever is, is Vishnu.” (153)