But they had already _separated_, before the ray of divine reason had enlightened the dark region of their hitherto slumbering minds, and had _sinned_. That is to say, they had committed evil unconsciously, by producing an effect which was unnatural. Yet, like the other six primitive brother or fellow races, even so this seventh, henceforth degenerated race, which will have to bide its time for its final development on account of the _sin_ committed—even this race will find itself _on the last day_ on one of the Seven Paths. For: The Wise(439) guard the home of nature’s order, they assume excellent forms in secret.(440) But we must see whether the “animals” tampered with, were of the same kind as those known to Zoölogy. The “Fall” occurred, according to the testimony of ancient Wisdom and the old records, as soon as Daksha—the reïncarnated Creator of men and things in the early Third Race—disappeared to make room for that portion of mankind which had “separated.” This is how one Commentary explains the details that preceded the “Fall”: _In the initial period of man’s Fourth Evolution, the human kingdom branched off in several and various directions. The outward shape of its first specimens was not uniform, for the vehicles [the egg‐like, external shells, in which the future fully physical man gestated] were often tampered with, before they hardened, by huge animals, of species now unknown, and belonging to the tentative efforts of Nature. The result was that intermediate races of monsters, half animals, half men, were produced. But as they were failures, they were not allowed to breathe long and live, although, the intrinsically paramount power of psychic over physical nature being yet very weak, and hardly established, the __“__Egg‐ born__”__ Sons had taken several of their females unto themselves as mates, and bred other human monsters. Later, animal species and human races becoming gradually equilibrized, they separated, and mated no longer. Man created no more—he begot. But he also begot animals as well as men, in days of old. Therefore the Sages [or wise men], who speak of males who had no more will‐begotten offspring, but begat various animals along with Dânavas [Giants] on females of other species—animals being as [or in the manner of] sons putative to them; and they [the human males] refusing in time to be regarded as [putative] fathers of dumb creatures—spoke truthfully and wisely. Upon seeing this [state of things], the Kings and Lords of the last Races [of the Third and the Fourth] placed the seal of prohibition upon the sinful intercourse. It interfered with Karma, it developed new [Karma]_(_441_)_. They [the Divine Kings] struck the culprits with sterility. They destroyed the Red and Blue Races._(442) In another we find: _There were blue and red‐faced animal‐men even in later times; not from actual intercourse [between the human and animal species], but by descent._ And still another passage mentions: