“The king said, ’Why do you not accept payment that is sought to be made of the debt that is owing to thee?  Do not delay, but accept payment of what thou knowest is thy due.’

“Vikrita said, ’This one says that he owes me.  I say unto him that what I gave I gave away.  He doth not, therefore, owe me anything.  Let him go whithersoever he wishes.’

“The king said, ’He is ready to give thee.  Thou., however, art unwilling to take.  This does not seem proper to me.  I think that thou deservest punishment for this.  There is little doubt in this.’

“Vikrita said, ’I made a gift to him, O royal sage!  How can I take it back?  If I am guilty in this, do thou pronounce the punishment, O puissant one.’

“Virupa said, ’If thou refusest to take when I am ready to give, this king will certainly punish thee, for he is an upholder of justice.’

“Vikrita said, ’Solicited by him I gave him what was my own.  How shall I now retake that?  Thou mayst go away.  Thou hast my leave.’

“The Brahmana said, ’Thou hast heard, O king, the words of these two.  Do thou take without scruple that which I have pledged myself to give thee.’

“The king said, ’This matter is, indeed, as deep (in importance) as an unfathomable pit.  How will the pertinacity of this Reciter end?  If I do not accept what has been given by this Brahmana, how shall I avoid being stained with a great sin?’ The royal sage then said unto the two disputants, ’Go ye both, having won your respective objects.  I should see that kingly duties, vested in me, may not become futile.  It is settled that kings should observe the duties laid down for them.  To my misfortune, however, the course of duties prescribed for Brahmanas has possessed my wretched self.’[641]

“The Brahmana said, ’Accept, O king!  I owe thee.  Thou didst solicit it, and I also have become pledged (to give thee).  If, however, thou refuse to take, O monarch, I shall without doubt curse thee.’

“The king said, ’Fie on kingly duties, the settled conclusion about the operation of which is even such.  I should, however, take what thou givest, for only this reason, viz., rendering the two courses of duty exactly equal.[642] This is my hand, that was never before (stretched forth for acceptance of gifts), is now stretched forth (for acceptance as also) for giving away.  Give me what thou owest me.’

“The Brahmana said, ’If I have won any fruits by reciting the Gayatri, accept them all.’

“The king said, ’These drops of water, behold, O foremost of Brahmanas, have fallen upon my hand.  I also desire to give thee.  Accept my gift.  Let there be equality between us (through thy accepting my gift as I have accepted thine).’

“Virupa said, ’Know, O king, that we two are Desire and Wrath.  It hath been by us that thou hast been induced to act in this way.  Thou hast made a gift in return to the Brahmana.  Let there be equality between thee and this regenerate person in respect of regions—­of felicity in the next world.  This Vikrita really does not owe me anything.  We appealed to thee for thy own sake.  Time, Dharma, Mrityu, and we two, have examined everything about thee, here in thy very presence, by producing this friction between thee and that Brahmana.  Go now, as thou choosest, to those regions of felicity which thou hast won by means of thy deeds.’