The people of the house said, “O Brahman, it is not yet the time for asking; but what do you ask for?”
“I ask for your daughter.”
“On whose behalf?”
“On behalf of the son, Viśākha by name, of Mṛgadhara, the first minister of Śrāvastī.”
They replied, “It is true that we and he are of the same caste, but his country lies too far away.”
The Brahman said, “It is precisely in a far-away country that a man should choose a husband for his daughter.”
“How so?”
“If she is married in the neighbourhood, joy increases when news comes that she is prosperous; but if a misfortune occurs, a man’s property may be brought to nought, he being exhausted by gifts, sacrifices, and tokens of reverence.”
They said, “This being so, we will give our daughter.”
Thereupon the Brahman, having uttered a wish for a happy result, returned to Śrāvastī, and there, after recovering from the fatigue of the journey, went to see the minister, Mṛgadhara, and described to him the maiden’s youth, beauty, and intelligence, as well as her demeanour and manner of eating. Then he said, “With great toil have I wandered through many lands and cities, and with much trouble have I found her. Now go and fetch her.”