possessed of great splendour. The regenerate Rishi also, when the time
came, paid his debt in Nature. In his next life, O chief of Bharata's
race, he took birth in the family of a priest. It was in this way that
those two, viz., that Sudra who had passed a life of penances and that
regenerate Rishi who had in kindness given the former some instructions
in the matter of the rites performed in honour of the Pitris, became
reborn, the one as scion of a royal race and the other as the member of a
priestly family. Both of them began to grow and both acquired great
knowledge in the usual branches of study. The Brahmana became well versed
in the Vedas as also in the Atharvans.[23] In the matter, again of all
sacrifices ordained in the Sutras, of that Vedanga which deals with
religious rites and observances, astrology and astronomy the reborn Rishi
attained great excellence. In the Sankhya philosophy too he began to take
great delight. Meanwhile, the reborn Sudra who had become a prince, when
his father, the king died, performed his last rites; and after he had
purified himself by accomplishing all the obsequial ceremonies, he was
installed by the subjects of his father as their king on his paternal
throne. But soon after his own installation as king, he installed the
reborn Rishi as his priest. Indeed, having made the Brahmana his priest,
the king began to pass his days in great happiness. He ruled his kingdom
righteously and protected and cherished all his subjects. Everyday,
however, the king on the occasion of receiving benedictions from his
priest as also of the performance of religious and other sacred rites,
smiled or laughed at him loudly. In this way, O monarch, the reborn Sudra
who had become a king, laughed at sight of his priest on numberless
occasions.[24] The priest, marking that the king always smiled or laughed
whenever he happened to cast his eyes on him, became angry. On one
occasion he met the king in a place where there was nobody else. He
pleased the king by agreeable discourse. Taking advantage of that moment,
O chief of Bharata's race, the priest addressed the king, saying,--'O