questions correctly.[79] But although a certain amount of theologic lore may be gleaned from these questions, yet is it of greater interest to see how the priests discussed when left quietly to their own devices.  And a very natural description of such a scene is extant.  The priests “having some leisure"[80] or vacation from their labors in the king’s house, sit down to argue, and the poet calls their discussion vita[n.][d.][=a], i.e., tricky sophistical argumentation, the description bearing out the justness of the phrase:  “One cried, ’that is so,’ and the other, ‘it is not so’; one cried, ‘and that is so,’ and the other, ‘it must be so’; and some by arguments made weak arguments strong, and strong weak; while some wise ones were always swooping down on their opponent’s arguments, like hawks on meat."[81] In III. 2. 15, the type of clever priest is ’skilled in Yoga and S[=a][.n]khya,’ who inculcates renunciation.  This sage teaches that mental diseases are cured by Yoga; bodily, by medicine; and that desire is the root of ill.

But by far the most interesting theological discussion in the epic, if one except the Divine Song, is the conversation of the hero and heroine in regard to the cause of earthly happiness.  This discussion is an old passage of the epic.  The very fact that a woman is the disputant gives an archaic effect to the narration, and reminds one of the scenes in the Upanishads, where learned women cope successfully with men in displays of theological acumen.  Furthermore, the theological position taken, the absence of Vishnuism, the appeal to the ‘Creator’ as the highest Power, take one back to a former age.  The doctrine of special grace, which crops out in the Upanishads,[82] here receives its exposure by a sudden claim that the converse of the theory must also be true, viz., that to those not saved by grace and election God is as cruel as He is kind to the elect.  The situation is as follows:  The king and queen have been basely robbed of their kingdom, and are in exile.  The queen urges the king to break the vow of exile that has been forced from him, and to take vengeance on their oppressors.  The king, in reply, sings a song of forgiveness:  “Forgiveness is virtue, sacrifice, Veda; forgiveness is holiness and truth; in the world of Brahm[=a] are the mansions of them that forgive.”  This song (III. 29. 36 ff.) only irritates the queen, who at once launches into the following interesting tirade (30. 1 ff.):  “Reverence to the Creator and Disposer[83] who have confused thy mind!  Hast thou not worshipped with salutation and honored the priests, gods, and manes?  Hast thou not made horse-sacrifices, the r[=a]jas[=u]ya-sacrifice, sacrifices of every sort (pu[n.][d.]arika,[84] gosava)?  Yet art thou in this miserable plight!  Verily is it an old story (itih[=a]sa) that ’the worlds stand under the Lord’s will.’  Following the seed God gives good or ill in the case of all beings.  Men are all moved by the divinity.