ocean of asceticism, called Galava, is my friend.  He had been, O monarch, a disciple of Viswamitra for many thousand years.  This holy Brahmana, when commanded by Viswamitra to go away whithersoever he chose, addressed his preceptor at that time, saying,—­I desire to give something as preceptor’s fee.  Knowing this one’s resources to be poor, Viswamitra did not ask for anything.  But when he was repeatedly addressed by this Brahmana on the subject of the tutorial fee, the preceptor, under a slight accession of wrath, said, ’Give me eight hundred white steeds of good pedigree and of lunar radiance, and each having one ear black in hue.  If, O Galava, thou desirest to give anything to thy preceptor, let this then be given!’ It was thus that Viswamitra endued with wealth of asceticism said unto him in anger.  And this bull among Brahmanas is on that account smarting with great grief.  Unable to fulfil that command (of his preceptor), he hath now come to take thy shelter.  O tiger among men, accepting this as alms from thee, and filled once more with cheerfulness, he will, after paying his preceptor’s debt, devote himself again to serve ascetic penances.  A royal Rishi as thou art, and, therefore, endued with wealth of asceticism of thy own, this Brahmana, by giving thee a portion of his wealth of asceticism, will make thee richer in wealth of that kind.  As many hairs, O lord of men, as there are on a horse’s body, so many regions of bliss, O ruler of Earth, are attained by him that giveth away a horse in gift.  This one is as fit to accept a gift as thou art to make a gift.  Let therefore, thy gift in this instance be like milk deposited in a conch-shell.’”

SECTION CXV

“Narada said, ’Thus addressed by Suparna in excellent words fraught with truth, that performer of thousand sacrifices, that foremost of givers, that liberal ruler of all the Kasis, the lord Yayati, revolving those words in his mind and reflecting on them coolly, and seeing before him his dear friend, Tarkshya, and that bull among Brahmanas, Galava, and regarding the alms sought as an indication, highly praiseworthy, of (Galava’s) ascetic merit, and in view particularly of the fact that those two came to him having passed over all the kings of the Solar race, said, ’Blessed is my life today, and the race also in which I am born, hath, indeed, been blessed today.  This very province also of mine hath equally been blessed by thee, O sinless Tarkshya.  There is one thing, however, O friend, that I desire to say unto thee, and that is, I am not so rich now as thou thinkest, for my wealth hath suffered a great diminution.  I cannot, however, O ranger of the skies, make thy advent here a fruitless one.  Nor can I venture to frustrate the hopes entertained by this regenerate Rishi.  I shall, therefore, give him that which will accomplish his purpose.  If one having come for alms, returneth disappointed, he may consume the (host’s) race.