39. Having then bathed himself, he made his offerings with his pure hands for the remission of his sins; and then with the fruits which he was fortunate to pluck from the tree, he broke the fast of his long lent. 40. It was by virtue of his meritorious devotion, that we obtained plenty of the delicious fruits of that holy tree; where upon we refreshed ourselves, and subsisted for three days. 41. Thus this Bráhman being desirous of obtaining the sovereignity of the earth, consisting of the septuple continents girt by the seven oceans all around, made his painful maceration with his uplifted feet and downward head, until he obtained desired boon from the god of day, and refreshed himself for three days at the spot, till at last both of us set out on our journey towards the city of Mathurá. CHAPTER CLXXXI. BRAHMA-GÍTÁ CONTINUED. Argument:--The guest’s description of <the> sanctuary of the goddess Gaurí. The guest Kunda-danta resumed his narration and said:--We then betook ourselves to our homeward journey, and bent our course towards the holy city of Mathurá, which was as fair and splendid as the solar and lunar mansions, and the celestial city of Amaravati of Indra. 2. We reached at the rustic habitation of Raudha, and halted at the mango forest over an adjacent rock. Then we turned towards the city of Salísa, where we remained two days in the cheerfulness of our spirits. 3. We passed our itinerant time, with that hilarity of our hearts, which ever attends on travelling through unknown places and scenes; and the succeeding season of our halting, was passed in our repose under the cooling shade of woodland arbours, and refreshing ourselves in the cooling brooks and breezes. 4. The faded flowers which were thrown down in profusion, from the flowery creepers growing on the banks of rivers; the dashing of the waves, the humming of the bees, and the singing of birds, are delightsome to the souls of passing travellers. 5. The thickening and cooling shades of beachening trees, the droves of deer and the flights of chirping birds; and the frozen ice and dew drops, hanging tremulously as pearls on the leaves of verdant trees, and at the ends of the blades of green grass (are refreshing to the soul of the weary passenger.) 6. We passed many days through woods and forests, and over hills and dales, through caves and defiles, over marshes and dry lands, and in cities and villages; and also crossed over a great many rivers and channels and running waters. 7. We passed our nights under the arbours of thick plantain forests; and being weary with walking over snow and dew, we laid ourselves on beds made of plantain leaves. 8. On the third we came to a jungle full of gigantic woods and trees, which for want of human habitation, seemed to have divided the empire of heaven between themselves (meaning that there was to be seen nothing, except the skies above and woods below).