Sita’s lord has in every way done me great and unbounded favour.” Then bowing low, and with his lotus hands clasped in supplication, Bharat thus spoke:
“All-merciful and omniscient lord, what now can I say myself or have others to say for me? My guru is pleased and my master kind: the imaginary torments of my troubled soul are all over. I feared disgrace, but my fear was unreasonable; it is no fault of the sun’s, sir, if a man mistake the points of the compass. My ill-luck, my mother’s wickedness, God’s adverse action, and the malignity of fate set themselves firm and combined to overthrow me; but the protector of suppliants has maintained his character. This is no strange procedure of his; it is declared both by Scripture and tradition, and is no secret. The world is evil; the Lord only is good; tell me by whose goodness is he good save by his own? Your attributes, sire, are those of the tree of paradise, which is never either for or against any one in particular.
“All-merciful and omniscient lord, what now can I say myself or have others to say for me? My guru is pleased and my master kind: the imaginary torments of my troubled soul are all over. I feared disgrace, but my fear was unreasonable; it is no fault of the sun’s, sir, if a man mistake the points of the compass. My ill-luck, my mother’s wickedness, God’s adverse action, and the malignity of fate set themselves firm and combined to overthrow me; but the protector of suppliants has maintained his character. This is no strange procedure of his; it is declared both by Scripture and tradition, and is no secret. The world is evil; the Lord only is good; tell me by whose goodness is he good save by his own? Your attributes, sire, are those of the tree of paradise, which is never either for or against any one in particular.