1854.] A Passage in the life of Vdlmiki. 497 



a Brahman ; for I was perpetually devoted to the practices of 

 S'lidras. From S'lidra women many children were born to me of 

 unsubdued passions. And at last, having fallen in with robbers, 

 I myself, of yore, became a brigand, — bearing constantly a bow and 

 arrows, and resembling, to men, the god of death. In a great forest, 

 on a certain occasion, I saw before me the seven Munis,* resplen- 

 dant, and glorious like fire and the sun. Through cupidity I pursued 

 them, longing to seize their possessions ; and I shouted " stop, 

 stop." Seeing me, the Munis asked, " "Wherefore hast thou come, 

 base Brahman ?" "To acquire something, O most excellent of 

 Munis," was my reply to them. " My children, my wife, and others, 

 — many, — are starving. To save them I wander through the moun- 

 tain forests." Upon this, they, undismayed, said to me : " Gro and 

 ask your family, one by one, whether they consent, or not, to parti- 

 cipate in the guilt of the numerous sins that are daily committed by 

 thee. We will certainly remain here until you return." Replying, 

 1 yes,' I went home, and put the question propounded by the Munis, 

 to my children, wife, and others. They replied to me, O noblest 

 of the Eaghavas, " All the sin is, we deem, thy own alone : we are 

 willing to he sharers in the immediate fruit of it only." Contrite at 

 hearing this, I went back, thoughtful, to the place where the Munis, 

 with hearts full of compassion, were waiting. At the very sight of 

 them, my soul was purified. Flinging away my bow and other 

 weapons, I fell prostrate, crying, " Save, O excellent Munis, me who 

 am on the road to the sea of perdition." Beholding me lying before 

 them, the venerable Munis said to me : " Eise, rise : blessings be 

 upon thee. Communion with the pious is effectual. We will instruct 

 thee somewhat; and so thou shalt be saved." Looking at each 

 other, they continued : " This vile Brahman, as being addicted to 

 evil courses, deserves only to be shunned by the virtuous. Since, 

 however, he has come for sanctuary, he must be diligently protected, 

 by being taught the way of salvation." So saying, O Eaina, they 

 enjoined that, with fixed attention, I should unremittingly meditate, in 

 that very place, upon thy name, its syllables being transposed, namely, 



* The name of Muni is applied to any divine sage. . It is here used for Rishi, as 

 appears from the sequel. For the various conflicting accounts of the seven Rishi-, 

 see Wilson's Vishnu Purdna, p. 49, note 2. 



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