Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/417

 THE FOREST. 357 lord's feet, my sin has been blotted out." " Hearken, Gandharva ; those whe trouble Bráhmans are displeasing to me. Dohá 28. They who without guile in thought, word and deed do service to the gods of earth, subdue unto themselves Bráhma, Siva, myself and every other divinity. Chaupái. A Bráhman, though he curse, beat and abuse you, is still an object of reverence; so declare the saints. A Bráhman must be honoured, though devoid of every virtue and merit; but a Súdra never, though distinguished for all virtue and learning." So saying, he instructed him in his doctrine and was pleased to see his devotion to his feet. When the beneficent Ráma had given him beatitude, he passed on to the hermitage of Savari. When she saw that Ráma had come to her abode, she remembered the saint's promise and was glad of heart. With lotus eyes, mighty arms, hair fastened up in a knot on their head, and a garland of wild flowers upon their breast, one dark of hue, the other fair, stood the two brothers. Savari fell and embraced their feet. She was so drowned in love that no speech came to her lips, but again and again she bowed her head at their lotus feet, then reverently brought water and laved their feet and finally conducted them to a seat of honour. Dohá 29. Then she brought and presented to Ráma the most delicious fruits and herbs and roots, and the lord graciously ate of them, again and again thanking her. Chaupái. She stood before him with folded hands and as she gazed upon the Lord her love waxed yet more vehement. "How can I hymn thy praises, seeing that I am of meanest descent and of dullest wit; the lowest of the low and a woman to boot; nay among the lowest of women the one who is of all most ignorant, O sinless god." Said Raghupati : "Hearken, lady, to my words: I recognize no kinsmanship save that of faith; neither lineage, family, religion, rank, wealth, power, connections, virtue, nor ability. A man without faith is of no more account than a cloud without water. I will explain to you the 1 Savara, in the feminine savari, is, strictly speaking, not the distinctive name of any one parti- cular person, but of a whole savage tribe. The word is probably connected with suva, 'a corpse. 90