On hearing this Sakka full of faith begged him, saying, "Holy sir, declare to us the blessing to be found in this patience," and the Great Being repeated this stanza:

No royal force, however vast its might,
Can win so great advantage in a fight
[143] As the good man by patience may secure:
Strong patience is of fiercest feuds the cure.

When the Great Being had thus expounded the virtues of patience, the kings thought, "Sakka asks his own question; he will not allow us an opportunity of putting ours." So seeing what their wish was he laid aside the four questions he had himself prepared and propounding their doubts he repeated this stanza:

Thy words are grateful to mine ear,
But one thing more I fain would hear;
Tell us the fate of Dandaki
And of his fellow-sinners three,
Destined to suffer what re-birth
For harassing the saints on earth.

Then the Great Being, answering his question, repeated five stanzas:

Uprooted, realm and all, erewhile
Who Kisavaccha did defile,
O'erwhelmed with fiery embers, see,
In Kukkula lies Dandaki.

Who made him sport of priest and saint
And preacher, free from sinful taint,
This Nalikira trembling fell
Into the jaws of dogs in hell.

So Ajjuna, who slew outright
That holy, chaste, long-suffering wight,
[144] Angirasa, was headlong hurled
To tortures in a suffering world.

Who once a sinless saint did maim
--Preacher of Patience was his name--
Kalabu now doth scorch in hell,
Midst anguish sore and terrible.

The man of wisdom that hears tell
Of tales like these or worse of hell,
Ne'er against priest or brahmin sins
And heaven by his right action wins.

[146] When the Great Being had thus pointed out the places in which the four kings were re-born, the three kings were freed from all doubt. Then Sakka in propounding his remaining four questions recited this stanza:

Thy words are grateful to mine ear,
But one thing more I fain would hear:
Whom does the world as "moral" name,
And whom does it as "wise" proclaim?
Whom does the world for "pious" take,
And whom does Fortune ne'er forsake?

Then in answering him the Great Being repeated four stanzas:

Whoso in act and word shows self-restraint,
And e'en in thought is free from sinful taint,
Nor lies to serve his own base ends--the same
All men as "moral" evermore proclaim.

He who revolves deep questions in his mind
Yet perpetrates nought cruel or unkind,
Prompt with good word in season to advise,
That man by all is rightly counted wise.

Who grateful is for kindness once received,
And sorrow's need has carefully relieved,
Has proved himself a good and steadfast friend--
Him all men as a pious soul commend.