A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

""THE MAHABHARATA. 513enemies,* who took away his kingdom and he wasbliiM. So, the poor blind old king with his queen and hisboy took refuge in the forest. This boy/s name wasSatyavan. It so happened that after having visited allthese different courts they at last came to this hermitageor holy place. Not even the greatest king could pass that.jsyap without going there and paying his homage to thesages. But they were a peculiar people. Just in as, Europethe gfe&test priest, the Pope of Rome, for instance, wouldbe very glad to trace his descent from some robber baron*who was burned on a cliff on the banks of the Rhine thegreatest man would be glad to trace his descent from thoseborons, so the greatest Emperor of India, would only beto* glad-to trace his descent to s.ome sage who lived in aforest, clad in rags, and lived on roots and fruits * Weare all thus children of sages. So, that is the respect thatis paid there to religion.And even kings, when they passby these hermitages had to go in and pay their respects.If they were on horse-back, they had to descend and walk;if in a chariot, their armour and all had to be left outside.No fighting man could enter, unless he came in the dressof a priest, quiet and gentle,jSo, this king and his daughter Savitri came, and therewas Satyavan, the prince, and Savitri s heart was conquered. She had escaped all the princes and the palaces andthe courts, but here in the forest refuge of King Asvapati,his son stole her heart.Well, father and daughter came back. "Savitri," saysthe father, did you see anybody whom you would liketo marry." Yes, father." "What prince?" No prince ;but that son of the king who had lost his kingdom, theprince without a patrimony, who lives the life of theBrahmans, the monastic life, lives in the forest, collecting33