there shone a golden string from under his cloth, just
like this waist-string of mine. And there was
something on his feet of a wonderful shape which give
forth a jingling sound. Upon his wrists likewise
was tied a pair of ornaments that made a similar sound
and looked just like this rosary here. And when
he walked, his ornaments uttered a jingling sound
like those uttered by delighted ganders upon a sheet
of water. And he had on his person garments of
a wonderful make; these clothes of mine are by no
means beautiful like those. And his face was
wonderful to behold; and his voice was calculated to
gladden the heart; and his speech was pleasant like
the song of the male blackbird. And while listening
to the same I felt touched to my inmost soul.
And as a forest in the midst of the vernal season,
assumes a grace only when it is swept over by the
breeze, so, O father! he of an excellent and pure
smell looks beautiful when fanned by the air.
And his mass of hair is neatly tied up and remains
adhering to the head and forehead evenly sundered
in two. And his two eyes seemed to be covered
with wonderful Chakravaka birds of an exceedingly
beautiful form. And he carried upon his right
palm a wonderful globur fruit, which reaches the ground
and again and again leaps up to the sky in a strange
way. And he beats it and turns himself round
and whirls like a tree moved by the breeze. And
when I looked at him, O father! he seemed to be a
son of the celestials, and my joy was extreme, and
my pleasure unbounded. And he clasped my body,
took hold of my matted hair, and bent down my mouth,
and, mingling his mouth with my own, uttered a sound
that was exceedingly pleasant. And he doth not
care for water for washing his feet, nor for those
fruits offered by me; and he told me that such was
the religious observance practised by him. And
he gave unto me a number of fruits. Those fruits
were tasteful unto me: these here are not equal
to them in taste. They have not got any rind
nor any stone within them, like these. And he
of a noble form gave me to drink water of an exceedingly
fine flavour; and having drunk it, I experienced great
pleasu e; and the ground seemed to be moving under
my feet. And these are the garlands beautiful
and fragrant and twined with silken threads that belong
to him. And he, bright with fervent piety, having
scattered these garlands here, went back to his own
hermitage. His departure hath saddened my heart;
and my frame seems to be in a burning sensation!
And my desire is to go to him as soon as I can, and
to have him every day walk about here. O father,
let me this very moment go to him. Pray, what
is that religious observance which is being practised
by him. As he of a noble piety is practising
penances, so I am desirous to live the same life with
him. My heart is yearning after similar observances
My soul will be in torment if I see him not,’”