Presently they found themselves in front of an edifice, stately as a palace, although built with common materials. Within sat the dreadful magician Shantil.
To the weary wanderers he merely appeared as a holy ascetic; seated on the customary sacred darbha grass, and holding in his hand the usual string of holy beads, which consists of one hundred and eight of the beautifully carved nuts, or seed vessels of the Eleocarpus, here called in Sanskrit Rudrâksha. The travellers approached prostrating themselves, and showing all imaginable reverence.
Shantil returned their salutation, and inquired the object of their journey. Having heard their story he turned to the father and said: ‘Oh, Brahman, be not afraid: I will take care of your sons until the famine is over: but on one condition, that you give me one of your boys, whichever you like.’
The father, feeling he had no alternative, consented to the arrangement, and after feasting on dainties for three days, he embraced his sons with many tears, and departed. Shantil was a magician skilled in all arts and sciences: nothing, indeed, was unknown to him.
He lost no time in setting the boys tasks to exercise their faculties, and prepare them also for the acquisition of magic.
He soon ascertained that the younger boy had the higher capacity, and of him he determined to possess himself: he never, therefore, allowed him to go out of his sight. He taught him grammar, divinity, law, astronomy, philosophy, physiognomy, alchemy, geography, the power of transferring the soul to a dead body; the giving it animation, and several other arts, amongst which was included astrology, or the art of foretelling future events. In short, the law which prescribes that a preceptor shall teach all that he knows to his pupil, if he be wise, and desirous of knowledge, was fully obeyed.
In this case, the diligent and accomplished preceptor, was striving to secure an accomplice in a pupil. But, cunning as he was, he outwitted himself; for wishing that the father should prefer the elder lad, he fed him plentifully, and clothed him handsomely, whilst he kept his younger and more promising pupil half starved, and poorly clad.
As might be expected, the younger pupil became in consequence anxious to escape, and being already master of the science which prognosticates future events, he perceived that the famine had ceased, and that his father was coming to claim one of his sons and carry him home.
He knew also, that his father would be most attracted by his elder brother, who looked fat, and was covered with jewels. Making use, therefore, of his power of transporting himself to distant places, he went to his father, and revealed to him the wicked character and intentions of the Yogin, and obtained a solemn promise that his father would choose him, and not his decorated brother, as the son to be taken home.
The father duly arrived at the hermitage, and though he experienced much difficulty he at length induced the Yogin to part with his gifted pupil, and with him he went away.