“In the end I deemed it would be the best plan to do as follows: The Cyclops had a great club which was lying near one of the sheep pens; it was of green olive wood, and he had cut it intending to use it for a staff as soon as it should be dry. It was so huge that we could only compare it to the mast of a twenty-oared merchant vessel of large burden, and able to venture out into open sea. I went up to this club and cut off about six feet of it; I then gave this piece to the men and told them to fine it evenly off at one end, which they proceeded to do, and lastly I brought it to a point myself, charring the end in the fire to make it harder. When I had done this I hid it under dung, which was lying about all over the cave, and told the men to cast lots which of them should venture along with myself to lift it and bore it into the monster’s eye while he was asleep. The lot fell upon the very four whom I should have chosen, and I myself made five. In the evening the wretch came back from shepherding, and drove his flocks into the cave—this time driving them all inside, and not leaving any in the yards; I suppose some fancy must have taken him, or a god must have prompted him to do so. As soon as he had put the stone back to its place against the door, he sat down, milked his ewes and his goats all quite rightly, and then let each have her own young one; when he had got through with all this work, he gripped up two more of my men, and made his supper off them. So I went up to him with an ivy-wood bowl of black wine in my hands:Odyssey 9.22 · Odyssey · 9
Odyssey 9.22
Odyssey · translated by Samuel Butler
Themes in this passage
The Divine in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Hinduism and Islam address it.
Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.Deuteronomy 23:5 · Bible · Deuteronomy
a Homage to the golden-armed leader of hosts, and to the lord of the quarters b Homage to the trees with green tresses, to the lord of cattle homage! c Homage to the one who is yellowish-red like young grass, to the radiant, to the lord of paths homage! d Homage to the brown one, to the piercer, to the lord of food homage! e Homage to the green-haired, wearer of the cord, to the lord of prosperity f Homage to the dart of Bhava, to the lord of the moving world homage! g Homage to Rudra, with bent bow, to the lord of fields homage! h Homage to the minstrel, the inviolate, to the lord of the woods homage! i Homage [1] to the ruddy one, the ruler, to the lord of woods homage! k Homage to the minister, the trader, to the lord of thickets homage! l Homage to the extender of the world, the offspring of the maker of room, to the lord of plants homage! m Homage to the loud calling, the screaming, to the lord of footmen homage! n Homage to the wholly covered, to the running, to the lord of warriors homage! a Homage to the strong, the piercing, to the lord of assailers homage! b Homage to the leader, the holder of the quiver, to the lord of thieves homage! c Homage to the holder of the quiver, to the owner of the quiver, to the lord of robbers homage! d Homage to the cheater, the swindler, to the lord of burglars homage! c Homage to the glider, to the wanderer around, to the lord of the forests homage! f Homage to the bolt-armed destructive ones, to the lord of pilferers homage! g Homage to the bearers of the sword, the night wanderers, to the lord of cut- purses homage! h Homage to the turbaned wanderer on the mountains, to the lord of pluckers i Homage [1] to you, bearers of arrows, and to you, bowmen, homage! k Homage to you that string (the bow), and to you that place (on the arrow), l Homage to you that bend (the bow), and to you that let go the arrow) homage! m Homage to you that hurl, and to you that pierce homage!YV 5.4 (2)b · Yajur Veda
Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers?Quran 37:126 · Quran · The Rangers
Having slain thousands of Daityas, with prowess having its origin in thy grace, O slayer of foes, Sakra obtained the lordship of the celestials. Through thy grace, O Hrishikesa, the mobile and immobile universe, without swerving from its (ordained) course, O hero, is engaged in prayers and homa![178] In the beginning, this universe, enveloped in darkness, had been one vast expanse of water. Through thy grace, O mighty-armed one, the universe became manifest, O best of men! Thou art the creator of all the worlds, thou art the Supreme Soul, and thou art immutable! They that behold thee, O Hrishikesa, are never confounded. Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of gods, and thou art Eternal. They that seek refuge with thee, O lord of the gods, are never confounded. Without beginning and without death, thou art Divine, the Creator of all the worlds, and immutable. They that are devoted to thee, O Hrishikesa, always tide over every difficulty. Thou art Supreme, the Ancient one, the Divine-Being, and that which is the Highest of the high. He that attaineth to that viz., thy Supreme Self hath ordained for him the highest prosperity. Thou art sung in the four Vedas. The four Vedas sing of thee. Be seeking thy shelter, O high-souled one, I shall enjoy unrivalled prosperity. Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of the highest gods, thou art the lord of Winged creatures, and the lord of all human beings. Thou art the Supremest Lord of everything. I bow to thee, O best of beings! Thou art the Lord, the Lord of lords O puissant one! Prosperity to thee, O Madhava! O thou of large eyes, O Universal soul, Thou art the origin of all things. He, again, that is a friend of Dhananjaya or is engaged in Dhananjaya’s good, obtaineth thee that art the preceptor of Dhananjaya and attaineth to happiness.” Thus addressed by him those high-souled ones, viz.Mbh 7.148.1b · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA
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