342 THE FOREST. Chaupái. ' So be it,' said Lakshmi's lord, as he joyously started on his visit to the Rishi Agastya. "It is a long time since I last saw my guru and since I came to live in this hermitage ; now, my lord, I will go and see him with you ; I am not putting you under any obligation." The Fountain of mercy saw through the saint's craftiness, and both brothers smiled as they took him with them. Discoursing on the way on the excellence of faith in himself, the king of the gods arrived at the saint's hermitage. Sutíkshna at once went to the guru and after prostrating himself thus addressed him : "My lord, the son of the sovereign of Kosala, the refuge of the world, has come to see you, even Ráma, with his brother and Vaidehi, to whom sir, you make your prayer night and day." As soon as he heard this, Agastya started up and ran, and at the sight of Hari, his eyes filled with tears. The two brothers fell at the saint's holy feet, but he took and clasped them to his bnsom with the utmost affection. After courteously enquiring of their welfare, the holy sage conducted them to a seat and then again did all homage to his lord, saying : There is no other man so blessed as I am.' So long as the other hermits stayed, their delight was to gaze upon the root of joy. Dohá 9. As he sat in their midst with their eyes all fastened upon his person, they seemed like a bevy of partridges gazing on the autumnal moon. Chaupái. Then said Raghubír to the saint: "My lord, nothing is hid from you; you know why I have come, and therefore, sire, there is no need to inform you. Give me now some charm by which I may destroy the persecutors of the saints." The sage smiled when he heard the Lord's speech : "You ask me, my devotion to you, O destroyer of sin, I understand a little of your greatness. Your delusive power is a vast fig! tree, its clustering fruit the countless multitude of worlds: while all things animate and inanimate are like the insects that dwell inside, and think their own particular fig the only one in existence. This fruit is devoured by harsh and inexorable fate, but even he trembles in fear of you. You, sire, are the sovereign of all the spheres, and you ask of me, as though you were only a O fountain of mercy, I beg this boon ; dwell in my heart with Lakshmi and your brother, and grant me steadfast faith, piety, fellowship with the saints, sire ; but what do I know ? By virtue man. 1 The word in the text is dúmri, which represents the Sanskrit udumbara, the ficus glomerata. It bears large clusters of fruit, aud every single fig in every cluster is always full of insects.
