“Perhaps you will tell me what that book is concerned with?”

“The title can be translated as Divine Meditation, or as The Quest of Brahma, or even as God-Knowledge. The entire work contains several thousand pages, but the part I study is only a section. It took me nearly twenty years to collect even that, because it exists only in scattered parts here and there. I have slowly obtained these different parts through agents in the various provinces of India. There are twelve chief divisions among its subjects, and many subdivisions. The chief topics are Philosophy, Astrology, Yoga, Life after Death, and other deep matters.”

“Do you know if there is any English translation of the book?”

He shakes his head.

“I have never heard of one. Few are the Hindus, even, who know of the existence of the book. Hitherto, it has been jealously guarded and kept secret. It came originally from Tibet, where it is looked upon as sacred and only chosen students are allowed to study it.”

“When was it written?”

“It was composed thousands of years ago by the sage Bhrigu, who lived so long ago that I cannot give you the date. It teaches a method of Yoga which is quite different from all others which exist in India. You are interested in Yoga, are you not?”

“How do you know that?”

For answer, Sudhei Babu quietly produced the chart which he had constructed around my birth-date, and moved his pencil among the strange glyphs which represent planetary configurations and zodiacal signs.

“Your horoscope surprises me. It is out of the ordinary for a European, and not even a common one for an Indian. It shows that you will have a great tendency to study Yoga and that you will enjoy the favor of sages who will help you to delve deeply into the subject. Yet you will not limit yourself to Yoga alone, but will become versed in other mystic philosophies.”

He pauses and looks at me straight in the eyes. I receive the subtle impression that he is about to make a statement which will be tantamount to a revelation of his inner life.