"
Then spoke the king: "Hear me! most holy gods!
Unbidden by my master, will I not
To heaven itself ascend." Then Dharma spoke:
"I am thy master. I assumed the form
Of a Cha.n.d??la. All thy pain and woe
Was brought upon thee by my magic power,
And thou wast made a slave! I have beheld
Thy truth, and thy uprightness. Saintly king!
The highest place that heaven accords to men,
Whose virtue has been tried and proved:--to that
Ascend!" But Hari??chandra answering, said:
"Receive, most mighty lord! my words of praise
And thanksgiving. I offer them to thee
Full of affection. Lo! my people stand
With grieving hearts, longing for my return.
Can I ascend to heav'n while they on earth
Lament for me? If they have ever slain,
Br??hmans, or teachers of the holy law,--
If lust or avarice have ruled their hearts,--
Then may my labours and my toils atone,
For these their sins. I may not leave my friends.
For neither here, nor in the world to come,
Can there be peace to one who casts aside
The friend whose love is pure and true--the friend
Who serves him from the heart.
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