No angel I, no minstrel-god, nor Sakka dost thou see:
A mortal I with magic powers. The truth I tell to thee.

The king, on hearing this, thought, "He says he is a human being; even so he has been useful to me. I will satisfy him with the great honour I pay him," and he said:

Great service thou hast wrought for us, beyond all words to tell,
Midst floods of rain no single drop upon us ever fell.

Cool shade thou didst create for us, when parching winds arose,
From deadly shaft thou didst us shield, amidst our countless foes.

Next many a happy realm thou mad'st own me as sovereign lord,
Over a hundred kings became obedient to our word.

What from our treasures thou shalt choose, we cheerfully resign,
Cars yoked to steeds or elephants, or nymphs attired so fine,
Or if a lovely palace be thy choice, it shall be thine.

In Anga realms or Magadha if thou art fain to live,
Wouldst rule Avanti, Assaka--this too we gladly give.

Yea e'en the half of all our realm we cheerfully resign,
Say but the word, what thou wouldst have, at once it shall be thine.

[318] Hearing this, sage Nanda, explaining his wishes, said:

No kingdom do I crave, nor any town or land,
Nor do I seek to win great riches at thy hand.

"But if thou hast any affection for me," he said, "do my bidding in this one thing."

Beneath thy sovereign sway my aged parents dwell,
Enjoying holy calm in some lone woodland cell.

With these old sages I'm allowed no merit to acquire,
If thou and thine would plead my cause, Sona would cease his ire.

Then the king said to him:

Gladly in this will I perform, O brahmin, thy behest,
But who are they that I should take to further thy request?

[319] The sage Nanda said:

More than a hundred householders, rich brahmins too I name,
And all these mighty warrior chiefs of noble birth and fame,
With king Manoja, are enough to satisfy my claim.

Then the king said:

Go, harness steeds and elephants and yoke them to the car,
Go, fling my banners to the wind, from carriage-pole and bar,
I go to seek where Kosiya , the hermit, dwells afar.

Equipped then with his fourfold host the king marched out to seek
Where he did dwell in charming cell, a hermit mild and meek.

These verses were inspired by Perfect Wisdom.

Now on the day on which the king reached the hermitage, the sage Sona reflected: " It is now more than seven years, seven months [320]