MERAT. 
229 
Shri Gooroo that the Shastras had ordained that all 
dwellers upon the soil of a Raja should yield of their 
increase a tenth, at least, whether of fruit, or of 
cattle, of genius, or of devotion ; and since the reli- 
gious merit of the ascetic had so wonderfully increased, 
by his long meditation within the Raja’s lands, he 
could not consistently refuse to impart to the Raja a 
measure of his acquired excellence, by condescending 
to accept some small gift from his hands. 
Shri Gooroo, pretending to be satisfied by this 
argument, lifted up one of his fingers, which Gopa 
Sahir explained to the Raja as signifying that the 
sage would do him the honour of receiving one rupee. 
The Raja expressed some mortification that so small 
a gift only would be accepted, but immediately 
offered a rupee in a posture of profound reverence, 
and with his hands joined. Shri Gooroo took the 
coin, and, turning it from side to side, regarded it, 
for some moments, with looks of utter contempt. 
u Call you this a rupee ? ” said he, angrily ; “ then 
it is truly a rupee of the Kali Youg. A rupee in the 
Trita Youg was equal to, at least, ten thousand of 
these. How infallible were the predictions of the 
Shastras ! ” So saying, he dropped the coin, as if it 
were valueless. The Raja felt that he was bound to 
fulfil the expectation which the Brahmin had formed 
on acceding to the receipt of the rupee; and expecting 
that the favour of Heaven would repay him a hun- 
dred-fold, he ordered ten thousand rupees to be 
immediately counted out, as a more worthy offering. 
x 
