a ripe fruit of the glomerous fig-tree,--in whom it abides until the
final destruction,--and in whom it is eventually dissolved,--Ah! how
can there come from my mouth, O teacher, these words "I am He"?

115. Him, the Supreme Lord, by whose compassion even the dumb becomes
eloquent, the lame in a moment obtains strength to leap mountains,
and even the man blind from his birth receives eyes beautiful like
two lotuses,--or what still greater marvel shall I add?--Him I
worship, the moon-faced son of Nanda, the philosopher's stone of the
faithful.

116. Boundless is time, bounteous the earth, and great is the family
of the devout worshippers of Vish.nu; somebody will be found at some
time or other on the earth who will appreciate my merits [Footnote:
Cf. the sloka in the prologue of the Malatimadhava.]

117. Having studied under my preceptor Naraya.na, the best of
teachers, his book, which bears the title of "The Ornament of
Faith,"--having read it with all its supplements and appendices, and
by his kindness to his faithful disciples having mastered all its
mysteries,--and having become a receptacle of faith myself, I have
now composed according to my ability this century of stanzas, a
necklace of pearls of good doctrine, which have for their subject
the distinction of the individual Soul and Brahman.

118. If we have uttered through inadvertence what is wrong, may the
intelligent, observing it, correct all the errors; the feet of the
traveller do sometimes stumble, and sometimes the speaker speaks
through bewilderment what is incompatible.