“And Samika said, ’Dear child, I know that thou art of great prowess, and truthful in speech.  Thou hast never spoken falsehood before, so that thy curse shall never be falsified.  The son, even when he attaineth to age, should yet be always counselled by the father, so that crowned with good qualities he may acquire great renown.  A child as thou art, how much more dost thou stand in need of counsel?  Thou art ever engaged in ascetic penances.  The wrath of even the illustrious ones possessing the six attributes increaseth greatly.  O thou foremost of ordinance-observing persons, seeing that thou art my son and a minor too, and beholding also thy rashness, I see that I must counsel thee.  Live thou, O son, inclined to peace and eating fruits and roots of the forest.  Kill this thy anger and destroy not the fruit of thy ascetic acts in this way.  Wrath surely decreaseth the virtue that ascetics acquire with great pains.  And then for those deprived of virtue, the blessed state existeth not.  Peacefulness ever giveth success to forgiving ascetics.  Therefore, becoming forgiving in thy temper and conquering thy passions, shouldst thou always live.  By forgiveness shalt thou obtain worlds that are beyond the reach of Brahman himself.  Having adopted peacefulness myself, and with a desire also for doing good as much as lies in my power, I must do something; even must I send to that king, telling him, ’O monarch, thou hast been cursed by my son of tender years and undeveloped intellect, in wrath, at seeing thy act of disrespect towards myself.’

“Sauti continued, ’And that great ascetic, observer of vows, moved by kindness, sent with proper instructions a disciple of his to king Parikshit.  And he sent his disciple Gaurmukha of good manners and engaged also in ascetic penances, instructing him to first enquire about the welfare of the king and then to communicate the real message.  And that disciple soon approached that monarch, the head of the Kuru race.  And he entered the king’s palace having first sent notice of his arrival through the servant in attendance at the gate.

“And the twice-born Gaurmukha was duly worshipped by the monarch.  And after resting for a while, he detailed fully to the king, in the presence of his ministers, the words of Samika, of cruel import, exactly as he had been instructed.’

“And Gaurmukha said, ’O king of kings, there is a Rishi, Samika, by name, of virtuous soul, his passions under control, peaceful, and given up to hard ascetic devotions, living in thy dominions!  By thee, O tiger among men, was placed on the shoulders of that Rishi observing at present the vow of silence, a dead snake, with the end of thy bow!  He himself forgave thee that act.  But his son could not.  And by the latter hast thou today been cursed, O king of kings, without the knowledge of his father, to the effect that within seven nights hence, shall (the snake) Takshaka cause thy death.  And Samika repeatedly asked his son to save thee, but there is none to falsify his son’s curse.  And because he hath been unable to pacify his son possessed by anger, therefore have I been sent to thee, O king, for thy good!’