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Hrearinc those sorrowful words of the Brahman, Rama was greatly sorry and sent for Vasishtha, Bamadeva, his brothers, citizens and councillors. Thereupon having entered the apartment in the company of Vasishtha, eight Brahmans bléssed the king Rama, resembling a celestial, saying ‘may victory crown thee.” Markandeya, Maudgalya, Bamadeva, Kashyapa, ‘Katyayana, Javali, Gautama, and Narada—these eighit leading Brahmanas having taken their seats, Rama, _

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with folded hands, saluted them. And he showed due civilities towards his minister, citizens, Rishis and all others. Thereupon all the highly effulgent Rishis being accomodated with seats Rama narrated duly before them the account of the Brahmana and said. “This Brahman is waiting at the Palace-gate.” Hearing those words of the poorly king, Narada, in the presence of all other Rishis, replied :—Hear, O king, why this boy hath met with untimely death. And hearing this, O descendant of Raghu, do thou settle what thou thinkest proper. O king, in the golden age, only the Brahmans used to engage in asceticism. At-that age,save the Brahmanas no other caste used to lead the life of an anchoret. And for this, the Brahmans were the highest caste, effulgent in asceticism, shorn of ignorance, above death and conversant with three ages. Thereupon at the end of the golden age, Brahmana’s understanding became loose and the Tretaé Yuga set in. At this age Kshatryas, gifted with the power acquired by pristine asceticism, were born. And those men, intent upon austere penances, that were born in the Treta age, were more powerful and greater devotees than those in the formerage. In the golden age the Brahmanas were more powerful than the Kshatryas. But in the Tret& age the Brahmanas and the Kshatryas were equally powerful. Thus in the Treta age, not beholding prominence of the Brahmanas greater than that of the Kshatryas, Manu and other religious: leaders of the time composed the Sastra describing and setting in the four divisions of castes. In this wise the Tret& age was prolific with virtues of the four Varnas, and many pious sacrifices’ and was shorn of iniquities. But being attacked a little with iniquity, one portion of sin appeared on earth. And growing impious people lost tkeir strength. And for houses and farms that were the property of the former age, people of the Tretaé Yuga were possesséd by envy, the outcome of the quality of darkness. And with the treading of impiety on earth during Treti, the soiled sin of

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untruth appeared. And this iniquity stretching one footstep, the lease of peuple’s lives, for sins, became limited. And the sin of untruth descending on earth, people, to avoid’ the extinction of life in consequence thereof, became truthful and engaged in many pious observances. During the Tret& age the Brahmanas and Kshatryas engaged in austere penances and the Vaisyas and Sudras engaged in serving them. And the greatest piety of the Vaisyas and Sudras at that time consisted of serving the Brahmanas and Kshatryas and specially for the Sudras the highest religion was to serve people ofall Varnas. O foremost of kings, at the end of the Treta age, Vaisyas and Sudras being fully overpowered by the sin of untruth, the Brahmanas and the Kshatryas also grew feeble. And the second foot of impiety being ushered into the world the Dwapara age setin. O foremost of men, during this age two legs of piety being cut off, impiety and untruth multiplied. And in Yuga named Dw&para the Vaisyas engaged in devout penances. In this wise in three ages the three Varnas gradually engaged in ascetic performances. The piety of asceticism by Yugas gradually became established in three Varnas. But, O foremost of men, in these three Yugas the Sudras were not entitled to the virtues of devout penances. O foremost of men, the degraded caste—the Sudras, curing thy regeme, have engaged in austere penances. And in the Kali Yuga asceticism shall be established in the Sudras. O king, even in the Dwapara, devout penances for Sudras- were considered as impiety, what to speak of the Treta age. O. king, one Sudra, under the influence of vicious understanding, has begun devout penances within thy kingdom. And for that reason this bay hath met with death. Calamity sets in that kingdom where a viciqus-minded person commits an iniquity and that vicious wight and the king forsooth speedily. repair ta hell. The king, who piously governeth his subjects, receiveth the sixth portion of theirstudy,asceticismand good

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actions. While the king is entitled to the sixth portion of everything why should he not fully protect his subjects ? Therefore,O chief of men,do thou bring all informations of thy kingdom. And be then studious to repress vices wherever thou shalt find them. And by that, O foremost of men, the piety of the subjects shall be increased, the lease of their life shall be prolonged and this boy shall regain his life.”