42. Next rose the brother princes, of Dasaratha’s royal race; namely Bharata, Satrughna and Lakshmana, together with their equals in kith and kin; and they all advanced to the sage, and bowed down to him with their respectful reverence. 43. The other chiefs and nobles and regents, that sat in their order at a distance; together with the saints, sages and the clergy at large, rose in groups from their seats, and did their homage to the sage, with flinging handfuls of flowers upon him. 44. At this instant the sage was almost covered with and hid under the heap of flowers, that were poured upon him from all sides; in the same manner as the snowy mountain of Himálaya, is wrapped and concealed under the snows of water. 45. After clangor of the assembly was over, and the peals of their _pranáma-hailings_ had ended; Vasishtha remembered his saying with the assembled sages, of proving to them the truth of his doctrines, and of removing the doubts of his audience regarding the miracles he had wrought. 46. He then shoved off with both his arms, the heaps of flowers from about his sides; and showed out his fair face from amidst them, as when the disc of the moon, shines forth from within the hoary clouds. 47. Then there ensued a hush over the flourish of the trumpets, and a silence upon the fanfare of applauses; the falling of flowers was at a stop, and the murmur of siddhas above, ceased with the clamour of the assemblage below. 48. After the princes and assembled nobles, had made their obeisances and greetings, there occurred a calm stillness in the assembly, as when a lull takes place in the atmosphere after a storm. 49. Then the chief of sages Vasishtha, upon hearing the applauses poured upon him from all sides; spoke softly to the royal sage Viswámitra, from the unblemished purity of his soul. 50. Hear me, O sage, that art the lotus of the princely race of Gádhi, and ye sages that are assembled here, namely Vámadeva, Nimi and Kruta, together with Bharadwája, Pulastya, Atri, Nárada and Ghrishti, and Sándilya. 51. Hear me also, O ye sages Bhása, Bhrigu, Bharanda, Vatsa and Vátsyáyana, with all others that are assembled here at present, and had the patience to listen to this contemptible discourse of mine. 52. Please now with your well known affability to me, point out to me whatever you have found as meaningless or unintelligible and ambiguous in my discourse. 53. The audience responded:--O Venerable sir, we have never heard or marked in <a> single word in this spiritual and divine discourse of thine, that is meaningless or unintelligible to anybody. 54. We confess that whatever foulness was inbred in our natures, by our repeated births in this sinful world; has been all purged out by your holy lecture, as the alloy in gold is burnt away by the purifying fire. 55. O sir, our minds are as expanded by your divine sermon, as the blue lotus buds are opened to bloom, by the cold and ambrosial beams of moon light.