The monarch called a Bráhman near
And said, 'Now speed away
To Kas'yap's son, 2 the mighty seer,
And with all reverence say
The holy child he holds so dear,
The hermit of the noble mind.
Whose equal it were hard to find,
Returned, is dwelling here.
Go, and instead of me do thou
Before that best of hermits bow,
That still he may, for his dear son,
Show me the favour I have won.'
Soon as the king these words had said,
To Kas'yap's son the Bráhman sped.
Before the hermit low he bent
And did obeisance, reverent;
Then with meek words his grace to crave
The message of his lord he gave:
'The high-souled father of his bride
Had called thy son his rites to guide:
Those rites are o'er, the steed is slain;
Thy noble child is come again.'
Soon as the saint that speech had heard
His spirit with desire was stirred
To seek the city of the king
And to his cot his son to bring.
The best of Bráhmans answer made:
'Be not, great lord of kings, afraid.
Thy virtues have not failed to win
My favour, O thou pure of sin.'
Then in the front the saint was placed,
The king came next in joyous haste,
And with him entered his abode,
Mid glad acclaim as on they rode.
To greet the sage the reverent crowd
Raised suppliant hands and humbly bowed.
Then from the palace many a dame
Following well-dressed S'ántá came,
Stood by the mighty saint and cried:
'See, honour's source, thy son's dear bride.'
The saint, who every virtue knew,
His arms around his daughter threw,
And with a father's rapture pressed
The lady to his wondering breast.
Arising from the saint's embrace
She bowed her low before his face,
And then, with palm to palm applied,
Stood by her hermit father's side.
He for his son, as laws ordain,
Performed the rite that frees from stain, 2
And, honoured by the wise and good,
With him departed to the wood.
30:1 The Michelia champaca. It bears a scented yellow blossom:
30:2 Vibhándak, the father of Rishyás'ring.
31:1 A hemis'loka is wanting in Schlegel's text, which he thus fills up in his Latin translation.
31:2 Rishyas'ring, a Bráhman, had married Sántá who was of the Kshatriya or Warrior caste and an expiatory ceremony was necessary on account of this violation of the law.