[61] This fear of the Lord of the Devas rests on the belief in the transcendent power of penance, which enables great ascetics to aspire even to that dignity. _S_akra, afraid of human tapas and trying to prevent its earning by every means, is a well-known figure in Indian mythology. 9, 10. 'Say, on what hast thou set thy hopes, that they could impel thee to leave thy beloved relations, who shed tears at thy departure, thy household and possessions that had been a source of happiness to thee, and to resort to this toilsome life of penance? For it is not for a trifling motive that the wise despise enjoyments easily obtained, and afflict their relations with grief, leaving them to go to the penance-forest destructive of pleasures. 11. 'If thou thinkest it may be told me, please, satisfy my curiosity. What may be the object of thy wishes, the penetration into the excellent qualities of which fascinated to this point a mind like thine?' The Bodhisattva replied: 'Hearken, sir, what I am exerting myself for. 12. 'Repeated births tend to great sorrow; so do calamitous old age and illnesses, those dismal plagues; and the necessity of death is a disturbance to the mind. From those evils I am resolved to save the creatures.' Then _S_akra, the Lord of the Devas, understanding that it was not his own celestial splendour that was claimed by the Bodhisattva, was set at rest, and as he was very pleased with that well-said sentence, he honoured it by exclaiming 'Very well!' and requested him to accept some boon. 13. 'Ascetic, Kâ_s_yapa[62], for this right and well-said sentence I give thee some boon; choose then what thou desirest.' [62] In the metrical part of the Pâli redaction of this story in the _G_âtaka, Akitti (=Agastya) is likewise called Kassapa and addressed by that name. The Bodhisattva, being not at all desirous of pleasures and rejoicings connected with existence, and thinking it painful even to ask for anything, since he had attained the state of contentment, said to _S_akra: 14. 'If thou wishest to give me some boon, that may please me, I ask the foremost of the Devas this boon, 15. 'May that fire of covetousness, which after obtaining a beloved wife, children, power, riches more abundant than had been longed for, still goes on heating the mind of men never to be satisfied--may that fire never enter my heart!' The propensity to contentment declared by this well-turned saying delighted _S_akra in a still higher degree. He praised the Bodhisattva again, saying: 'Excellent, excellent!' and once more he urged him to choose some boon. 16. 'Muni, also for this right and well-said sentence I offer thee gladly as a present in return a second boon.' Then the Bodhisattva, in order to show him the difficulty of getting rid entirely of the innate evil passions[63], preached him the Law once more under the guise of asking a boon.