23. Viswámitra said:—O! it is by our great merit, that we have come this day, to hear this holy lecture from the mouth of the sage; and which has at once expurgated our inner souls, as a thousand lavations in the clear stream of Ganges.
24. Ráma rejoined:—We have seen the highest pitch of all prosperity, and the best of all that is to be seen; we have known the end of all learning, and the last extremity of adversity; we have seen many countries and heard many speeches; but never have we heard, nor seen nor known anything better than the discourse on the beauty of the soul, which the sage has shown to us to-day.
25. Nárada added:—Our ears are purified to-day, by the hearing of what we have never heard heretofore; to be preached by Brahmá or the gods above or men below.
26. Lakshmana rejoined:—Sir, you have entirely dissipated all our inner and outer darkness also; and have shewn us the transcendent light, of the bright sun of the Divine soul.
27. Satrughna said:—I am satisfied and tranquilized, and uncomposed in the supreme soul; I am for ever full and perfect in myself, and sit quite content with my solity.
28. Dasaratha repeated:—It is by the merit of our deeds, done and acquired in our repeated lives, that we have been, O thou chief of sages, sanctified this day by thy sacred and sanctifying speech.
29. Válmíki related:—As the king and his courtiers, were speaking in this manner, the sage oped his mouth again, and thus bespoke his words fraught with pure and purifying knowledge.
30. Vasishtha said:—Hear me, O thou moon like king of Raghu’s race, and do as I bid you to do; Rise now and honour the assembled Bráhmans, who deserve their due honour at the close of a discourse.
31. Rise therefore, and satisfy their desires with thy ample gifts; and thou will obtain thereby, the merit that attends on the learning of the vedas, and doing thy duties according to their dictates.
32. It is incumbent on even a mean worm-like man, to honor the Bráhmans to their utmost at the termination of a sermon on salvation; how much more important must it then be on the part of a monarch to acquit himself of this necessary duty.