[507] The Great Being thought, "Haply this man, calling to mind the flavour of dainties he enjoyed long ago, will be eager to come with me," and so he tempted him first with food, next by appealing to his passions, thirdly by the thought of a bed, fourthly by song, dancing and music, fifthly

by remembrance of a park and a city--with all these thoughts he tempted him, saying, "Come, sire, I will go with you to Benares and firmly establish you there and afterwards return to my own kingdom; but if we shall fail in securing the kingdom of Benares, I will grant you the half of my realm. What have you to do with a forest life? Only do what I tell you." The man-eater after hearing his words was eager to go with him and he thought, "Sutasoma is anxious for my well-being and is a merciful man. He first established me in virtue and now says he will restore me to my former glory, and he will be able to do so. I ought to go with him. What have I to do with a forest?" And being glad at heart he was eager by reason of his merit to sing Sutasoma's praises, and he said, "Friend Sutasoma, there is nothing better than consorting with a virtuous friend, nothing worse than consorting with a wicked one," and he repeated these verses:

As in the dark half of the month the moon wanes day by day,
So friendship with the bad, O king, will suffer like decay;

Thus I consorting with that cook, the lowest of the low,
Wrought evil deeds, for which in time to hell I'm doomed to go.

As in the mouth's clear half the moon aye waxes day by day,
So friendship with the good, O king, will suffer no decay:

Thus with thee, Sutasoma, I consorting, thou must know,
Shall after working righteousness to heaven all blissful go.

As copious floods when shed upon dry ground
Are ever fleeting, transitory found,
[508] E'en so is union of bad men, O king,
Like water on dry land, a fleeting thing.

But copious floods when shed upon the sea
Enduring long are ever found to be,
E'en such is union of good men, O king,
Like water in the sea, a lasting thing.

No transient thing is union of the good,
As long as life endures such brotherhood,
But union of the bad soon falls away,
From virtue's course bad men go far astray.