The king said I am a king named Viradyumna. My fame has travelled everywhere. My Bhuridyumna has been lost. To find him out I have come to this forest.

O ye foremost of Brahmanas, that child was my only son and, O ye of sinless ones, he is very young. He cannot, however, be found here. I am travelling everywhere for finding him out. son

Rishabha said After the king had said so, the ascetic Tanu lowered his head. He remained absolutely silent, without giving any response.

Formerly that Brahmana had not been much respected by the king. Out of disappointment, O king, he had practised austere penances for a long time, being determined that he should never accept anything as present from either kings or members of any other caste.

And he said to himself,-Hope moves every foolish man. I shall banish hope from my mind!-Such was his resolution. Viradyumna once more asked that foremnost of ascetics, saying,

What is the extent of the faintness of Hope? What on Earth is highly difficult to acquire? Tell me this, O holy one, for you are master of virtue and profit.

Rishabha said Remembering all the past incidents and calling them back to the recollection of the king also, that holy Brahmana of emaciated body said to the king.

The sage said-There is nothing, o king, which is so slender as Hope, I had requested many kings and found that there is nothing which is so The sage difficult of acquiring as an image presented by Hope before the mind!-

The king said At your words, O Brahmana, I understand what is feeble and what is not so. I understand also now difficult it is to acquire the images placed by hope before the mind. I consider these words of yours as Shruti.

O you of great wisdom, one doubt, however, is in my mind. You should, O sage, explain it fully to me.

What is slenderer than your body? Tell me this, O holy one, if, however, O best of sages, the subject is one, which may fairly be dealt with.

It highly difficult to find a contented applicant. Perhaps, there is none such in the world. Still rare, O sire, is the man who never disregards an applicant.

The hope in persons who do not, after making promises, do good to others, to the best of their abilities and according to the fitness of the applicant, is slenderer than even my body.

The hope in an ungrateful man, or in one who is cruel, or in one who is idle, or in one who injures others, is slenderer than even my body.

The hope entertained by a father who has only one son, of once more seeing him after he has been lost or missed, is slenderer than even my body.

The hope that old women hold of giving birth to sons, O king, and which is cherished by rich men, is slenderer than even my body.

The hope of marriage in grown up maidens when they hear any body only talk of it in their presence, is slenderer than even my body.

Hearing these words, O monarch, king Viradyumna, and the ladies of his household, laid themselves low before that foremost of Brahmanas and touched his feet with their bent heads.

The king said I beg your favour, O holy one. I wish to meet with my child. What you have said, O best of Brahmanas, is very true. There is not doubt of the truth of your words.

Rishabha continued The holy Tanu, that best of virtuous persons, smiling, caused, by virtue of his learning and his penances, the king's son to be brought there.

Having caused the prince to be brought there, the sage remonstrated with the king (his father). That foremost of virtuous persons then showed himself to be the god of righteousness.

Indeed, having shown his own wonderful and celestials form, he entered an adjacent forest, with heart shorn of anger and the desire of revenge.

I saw all this, O king, and heard the words I have said. Dispell your hope that is even slenderer than any of those which the sage pointed out.

Bhishma said Thus addressed, O king, by the great Rishabha, king Sumitra quickly renounced the hope that was in his heart and which was slenderer than any of the various sorts of hope pointed out by the emaciated Rishi.

Do you also, O son of Kunti, hearing these words of mine, be calm and composed like Himavat.

Stricken with distress you have questioned me and heard my answer. Fiaving heard it, O monarch, you should remove these regrets of yours.