'Tis done.

[_Replaces the arrow in its quiver_.

HERMIT.

Worthy is this action of a Prince, the light of Puru's race[12].

Well does this act befit a Prince like thee,
Right worthy is it of thine ancestry.
Thy guerdon be a son of peerless worth,
Whose wide dominion shall embrace the earth.

BOTH THE OTHER HERMITS. [_Raising their hands_.

May heaven indeed grant thee a son, a sovereign of the earth from
sea to sea!

KING.

[_Bowing_.

I accept with gratitude a Bráhman's benediction.

HERMIT.

We came hither, mighty Prince, to collect sacrificial wood. Here
on the banks of the Máliní you may perceive the hermitage of the
great sage Kanwa[13]. If other duties require not your presence,
deign to enter and accept our hospitality.