Tell me truly who ye are.  Truth decks even kings.  Breaking down the peak of the Chaityaka hill, why have ye, in disguise, entered (the city) by an improper gate without fear of the royal wrath?  The energy of a Brahmana dwelleth in his speech, (not in act).  This your feat is not suited to the order to which ye profess to belong.  Tell us therefore, the end ye have in view.  Arrived here by such an improper way, why accept ye not the worship I offer?  What is your motive for coming to me?  Thus addressed by the king, the high-souled Krishna, well-skilled in speech, thus replied unto the monarch in a calm and grave voice.

“Krishna said,—­’O king, know us for Snataka Brahmanas.  Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas are all, O monarch, competent to observe the vow of Snataka.  This vow, besides, hath (many) especial and general rules.  A Kshatriya observing this vow with especial rules always achieve prosperity.  Therefore, have we decked ourselves with flowers.  Kshatriyas again, O king, exhibit their energy by their arms and not in speech.  It is, therefore, O son of Vrihadratha, that the speeches uttered by a Kshatriya are never audacious.  O monarch, the creator hath planted his own energy in the aim of the Kshatriya.  If thou wishest to behold it, thou shalt certainly behold it today.  These are the rules of the ordinance, viz., that an enemy’s abode should be entered through a wrong gate and a friend’s abode through the right one.  And know, O monarch, that this also is our eternal vow that having entered the foe’s abode for the accomplishment of our purpose, we accept not the worship offered to us!”

SECTION XXII

“Jarasandha said,—­’I do not recollect if I ever acted injuriously towards ye!  Even upon a careful mental scrutiny I fail to see the injury I did unto ye.  When I have never done ye an injury, why, ye Brahmanas do ye regard me, who am innocent, as your foe?  O, answer me truly, for this, indeed, is the rule followed by the honest.  The mind is pained at the injury to one’s pleasure and morality.  That Kshatriya who injures an innocent man’s (sources of) pleasure and morality even if he be otherwise a great warrior and well-versed in all rules of morality, obtains, without any doubt the fate of sinners (hereafter) and falls off from prosperity.  The practices of the Kshatriyas are the best of those that are honest in the three worlds Indeed, those that are acquainted with morality applaud the Kshatriya practices.  Adhering to those practices of my order with steady soul, I never injure those that are under me.  In bringing this charge, therefore, against me, it appears that ye speak erroneously!’