"O plunged in thought on Ganges' bank, why spoke you not again
In answer to my messages? Will you conceal your pain?"

When this he heard, the Great Being replied, "O great king! the sorrow must be told to him that is able to take it away, and to no other:" and he repeated seven stanzas:

"O fostering lord of Kasi land! if sorrow be your lot,
Tell not that sorrow to a soul if he can help it not.

"But whosoever can relieve one part of it by right,
To him let all his wish declare each sorrow-stricken wight.

"The cry of jackals or of birds is understood with ease;
Yea, but the word of men, O King, is darker far than these.

[226] "A man may think, "This is my friend, my comrade, of my kin":
But friendship goes, and often hate and enmity begin!

"He who not being asked and asked again
Out of due season will declare his pain,
Surely displeases those who are his friends,
And they who wish him well lament amain.

"Knowing fit time for speaking how to find,
Knowing a wise man of a kindred mind,
The wise to such a one his woe declares,
In gentle words with meaning hid behind.

"But should he see that nothing can amend
His hardships, and that telling them will tend
To no good issue, let the wise alone
Endure, reserved and shamefast to the end."

[227] Thus did the Great Being discourse in these seven stanzas to teach the king; and then repeated four others to show his search for money to pay the teacher withal:

"O King! whole kingdoms I have scoured, the cities of each king,
Each town or village, craving alms, my teacher's fee to bring.

"Householder, courtier, man of wealth, brahmin--at every door
Seeking, a little gold I gained, an ounce or two, no more.
Now that is lost, O mighty king! and so I grieve full sore.

"No power had your messengers to free me from my pain:--
I weigh'd them well, O mighty king! so I did not explain.

"But thou hast power, O mighty king! to free me from my pain,
For I have weighed your merit well; to you I do explain."

When the king read his utterance, he replied, "Trouble not, brahmin, for I will give you your teacher's fee;" and he restored him two-fold.

To make this clear the Master repeated the last stanza:

"The fostering lord of Kasi land did to this man restore
(In fullest trust) of gold refined twice what he had before."

When the Great Being had thus delivered himself, he proceeded to pay his teacher's fee; and the king in like manner abode by his advice, giving alms and doing good, and ruled in righteousness. So did they both finally pass away according to their deeds.