26. Lakshmana rejoined:--Sir, you have entirely dissipated all our inner and outer darkness also; and have shewn us the transcendent light, of the bright sun of the Divine soul. 27. Satrughna said:--I am satisfied and tranquilized, and uncomposed in the supreme soul; I am for ever full and perfect in myself, and sit quite content with my solity. 28. Dasaratha repeated:--It is by the merit of our deeds, done and acquired in our repeated lives, that we have been, O thou chief of sages, sanctified this day by thy sacred and sanctifying speech. 29. Válmíki related:--As the king and his courtiers, were speaking in this manner, the sage oped his mouth again, and thus bespoke his words fraught with pure and purifying knowledge. 30. Vasishtha said:--Hear me, O thou moon like king of Raghu’s race, and do as I bid you to do; Rise now and honour the assembled Bráhmans, who deserve their due honour at the close of a discourse. 31. Rise therefore, and satisfy their desires with thy ample gifts; and thou will obtain thereby, the merit that attends on the learning of the vedas, and doing thy duties according to their dictates. 32. It is incumbent on even a mean worm-like man, to honor the Bráhmans to their utmost at the termination of a sermon on salvation; how much more important must it then be on the part of a monarch to acquit himself of this necessary duty. 33. Hearing this behest of the sage, the king held his reverential silence; and beckoned to his heralds to proceed to all the ten sides of his dominions, and invite thousands of Bráhmans, that are acquainted with the vedas forthwith (to the royal court). 34. He bade them to go to Mathura, Suráshtra and Gauda, and to bring with them with due respect all the Bráhmans, that are born of Vedic families, and are abiding in those districts and lands. 35. There then assembled more than ten thousands of Bráhmans to the royal palace, and the king fed them all alike and paying particular regard to the more learned among them. 36. He treated them with the best sorts of food and rice, honoured them with their honorariums, and gave them a good many gifts; and after honouring them in this manner, he offered his oblations to the manes of his ancestors, and gave his offerings to the tutelar gods of his house. (A Bráhman has his precedence in a feast to the gods and _patres_; but the merit of giving a feast is lost unless it is followed by other gifts). 37. The king next treated his friends and relatives with proper repast, and then fed his companions and servants and the citizens all on the same day. His attention was at last directed to the feeding of the poor and needy, and of the lame and blind and lunatics. 38. Having discharged to his utmost the duties of the festival, he commanded a great festivity to be held in his hall, all over decorated with silk and embroidery, and with gold, gems and pearls.