Areca nuts for such as live as hermits here abound,
No harmful sickness that I know has ever here been found.

Welcome , O king, a happy chance directed thee this way,
Mighty thou art and glorious: what errand brings thee, pray?

[324] The tindook and the piyal leaves, and kasumari sweet,
And fruits like honey, take the best we have, O king, and eat.

And this cool water from a cave high hidden on a hill,
O mighty monarch, take of it, drink if it be thy will.

Accepted is thy offering by me and all, but pray
Give ear to what wise Nanda here, our friend, has got to say.

For all of us in Nanda's train as suppliants come to thee,
To beg a gracious hearing for poor Nanda's humble plea.

The sage Nanda, thus addressed, rose from his seat and saluted his father and mother and brother, and, conversing with his followers, said:

Let country folk, a hundred odd, and brahmins of great fame,
And all these noble warrior chiefs, illustrious in name,
With king Manoja, our great lord, all sanction this my claim.

Ye Yakkhas in this hermitage that are assembled here,
And woodland spirits, old and young , to what I say give ear.

My homage paid to these, I next this holy sage address,
In me a brother thou didst erst as thy right hand possess.

To serve my aged parents is the boon from thee I ask:
Cease, mighty saint, to hinder me in this my holy task.

[325] Kind service to our parents has long time been paid by thee;
The good approve such deeds--why not yield it in turn to me?
And to the merit I thus win the way to heaven is free.

Others there are that know in this the path of duty lies,
It is the way to heaven, as thou, O sage, dost recognise.

And yet a holy man bars me from merit such as this,
When I by service fain would bring my parents perfect bliss.

[326] Thus addressed by Nanda, the Great Being said, "You have heard what he had to say: now hear me," and he spoke these stanzas:

All ye that swell my brother's train, my words now hear in turn;
Whoso shall ancient precedent of his forefathers spurn,
Sinning against his elders, he, reborn in hell, shall burn.

But they who skilled in holy lore the Way of Truth may know,
Keeping the moral law, shall ne'er to World of Suffering go.

Brother and sister, parents, all by kindred tie allied,
A charge upon the eldest son will evermore abide.

As eldest son this heavy charge I gladly undertake,
And as a pilot guards his ship, the Right I'll ne'er forsake.

On hearing this all the kings were highly delighted and said, "To-day we learn that all the rest of a family are a charge laid upon the eldest," and they forsook the sage Nanda and became devoted to the Great Being and, singing his praises, recited two stanzas: