Hearing the words of the highly effulgent Rāma, Lakshmana, conversant
with discriminative knowledge, replied with folded hands, saying "O
Kākutstha, it is for a very simple folly that the two Brāhmanas
imprecated that Curse upon the king Nriga, dreadful as the rod of Yama.
May I ask thee, O foremost of men, what did that King say unto the
Brahmans when he was thus imprecated?" Whereto Rāma replied saying:—"O
gentle one, hear, what the king Nriga said when imprecated. Hearing of
the departure of the Brāhmanas he sent for his priest, minister, the
citizens and subjects and filled with sorrow said:—’Do ye all hear
attentively my words. Having imprecated a dreadful curse upon me the
jolly saint Nārada and the ascetic Parvata have speedily, like the wind,
repaired to the region of Brahmā. Do ye therefore, even today, place the
prince Vasu on the throne, and let the architects prepare a pleasant den
for me. Living therein I shall waste the curse of the Brahmans. Let the
architects dig one den to protect me against the rains, one against the
affliction of the winter and one against the distresses of summer. Let
them enhance the picturesqueness of those dens by planting many trees
having profuse branches and fruits and flowers. As long as time shall
not change so long I shall spend my days happily in the den. For half a
league on all sides around me let flower trees be planted.’ Having made
those arrangements and placed Vasu on the throne the king Nriga
said:—’Do not swerve from the path of morality, O my son, and do thou
duly govern the subjects according to the custom of the Kshatryas. Thou
hast seen, with thine own eyes, the curse that the Brāhmanas have given
me being enraged for a very trifling folly of mine. Do thou not repent
for me. My son, time is the lord of happiness and sorrow; it is by the
influence of time that I have fallen into such a disaster. Creatures
must meet with what is kept in store by destiny; they must go where they
are bound for and they must acquire what is set apart for them. Pristine
actions are the root of all these; so, be not sorry, O my son.’ O
foremost of men, having given this advice unto his son, the highly
illustrious king Nriga proceeded to live in the sweet fragrant den.
Having entered the den filled with many jewels the high-souled king
began to spend his days in the satisfaction of the curse imprecated by
the two Brāhmanas."