9. Here that devotee left the right path, and entered into another forest, with uttering these useless words to me (which were discursive and preventive of our returning to our respective habitations). 10. He said:--Let us go to the sanctuary of Gaurí here, which is the resort of many munis and sages from all quarters; and is the asylum to which my seven brothers, have repaired for attainment of their objects. 11. We are eight brothers in all, and all of us have fostered great ambitions in various respects; we are all equally resolved to devote ourselves to rigorous austerities, for the success of our determined purposes. 12. It is for that purpose that <they> have sought their shelter in this holy asylum, and with fixed determination practiced various acts of self mortification, whereby they have been expurgated from their sins. 13. Ere this I accompanied my brothers to this place, and remained here with them for six months together; and now I find this same sanctuary of Gaurí in the same state as I had seen it before. 14. I see the piece of ground, overhung by the shady flower of trees; under the shade of which I see the young fauns to be reposing in this their peaceful retreat; I see also the leafy bowers with the sprays of birds thereon, listening to the recital of the sástras, conducted by the sages underneath. 15. Let us therefore go to the asylum of the sages, which resembles the seat of Brahmá crowded by the Bráhmans on all sides; here shall our bodies be purified of their sins, and our hearts will be sanctified by the holiness of the place. 16. It is by sight of these holy men of superior understanding, that the minds of even the learned and saintlike persons, and even those of the knowers of truth are purified (wherefore it must be sanctifying to us also). 17. Upon his saying so, we both went together to that asylum of the recluses of sages and hermits; but to our great disappointment, we saw nothing but the appearance of a total desolation. 18. There was not a tree nor plant, and neither a shrub nor creeper to be seen on the spot; nor was there any man or _muni_ or a boy or child was met thereabouts; nor any altar or priest was there anywhere. 19. It was only a vast desert, all void and devoid of bounds; an unlimited space of burning heat, and appeared as the blank expanse of the sky, had fallen down on the ground below. 20. Ah wœ to us! what is all this come to be! said we to one another; and saying so, we continued to rove about for a long while, until we chanced to espy an arbour at some distance. 21. It presented a thickly shady and cooling aspect, resembling that of a dark and drizzling cloud in the sky; and there was observed an aged hermit, sitting in his meditation beneath it. 22. We two sat upon the grassy spot, spread out in front of the eremite; and though we kept sitting there for a long time, yet we could find no respite in the abstracted meditation of the _muni_.