With heavenly gifts miraculously blest
And of whate'er thy heart may crave possest,
I ask thee, serpent-king, the truth to tell,
Why dost thou in man's world prefer to dwell?

Nowhere but in the world of men, I ween,
May purity and self-restraint be seen:
If only once midst men I draw my breath,
I'll put an end to further birth and death.

Ever supplied with bountiful good cheer,
With thee, O king, I've sojourned for a year,
Now must I say farewell and flee away,
Absent from home no longer can I stay.

My wife and children and our menial band
Are ever trained to wait at thy command:
[174] No one, I trust, has offered thee a slight
For dear art thou, Alara, to my sight.

Kind parents' presence fills a home with joy,
Yet more than they some fondly cherished boy:
But greatest bliss of all have I found here,
For thou, O king, hast ever held me dear.

I have a jewel rare with blood-red spot,
That brings great wealth to such as have it not.
Take it and go to thine own home, and when
Thou hast grown rich, pray, send it back again.

[175] Alara, having spoken these words proceeded as follows: "Then, O sire, I addressed the serpent-king and said, "I have no need of riches, sir, but I am anxious to take orders," [176] and having begged for everything requisite for the ascetic life, I left the Naga palace together with the king, and after sending him back I entered the Himalaya country and took orders." And after these words he delivered

a religious discourse to the king of Benares and repeated yet another couple of stanzas:

Desires of man are transient, nor can they
The higher law of ripening change obey:
Seeing what woes from sinful passion spring,
Faith led me on to be ordained, O king.

Men fall like fruit, to perish straight away,
All bodies, young and old alike, decay:
In holy orders only find I rest,
The true and universal is the best.

[177] On hearing this the king repeated another stanza:

The wise and learned, such as meditate
On mighty themes, we all should cultivate;
Hearkening, Alara, to the snake and thee,
Lo! I perform all deeds of piety.

Then the ascetic, putting forth his strength, uttered a concluding stanza:

The wise and learned, such as meditate
On mighty themes, we all should cultivate:
Hearkening, O monarch, to the snake and me,
Do thou perform all deeds of piety.