2 MYSTIC EXPERIENCES

asked him this repeatedly, but Rama always answered:

"Nothing."

CHAPTER II

The Coming of the Master

Then the king went to the Sage Vasishtha, to him who
was the Teacher of ithe Solar King's, and to whom and to
whose race has been assigned the work of holding- and
expounding on this earth, during this Kalpa-eon, the Science
of the Highest. And the Sage consoled the king, saying that
wrath and sadness and rejoicing came not for small cause

unto the good.

The king- went back unto his halls, taking the Sage with
him to see the prince, and sat thinking upon those words of his,
unsatisfied and doubtful. But even as he sat so lost in care,
the warders of the palace-gates announced the gshi Vishva-
mi^ra standing at those gates, accompanied by other sages
• and disciples. Hastening out to do due honour to the Sage,
the monarch saw that grand and glorious form, casting forth
light on all sides like the sun, and crowned with matted yellow
locks like flames of fire, tinging the palace-guard, with all
its flags and cars and elephants and horses, with a bright
glow of gold, combining in one shining frame the Tejas(1)
of the Brahmana with the Ojas(2) of the Kshaftriya, looking
like some large mountain-peak of snow, with head enveloped
in a sunset-lightened haze of clouds ; tranquil and all-gentle,
yet inspiring awe; calm-fronted, happy, peaceful, yet
disturbing the beholders mind with new and vague emotions
of reverence and humility and wonder; sprinkling the people,
in sweet words and gracious g-lances, with sprays of that
compassion which o^er-filled his mind as limpid waters fill
the mountain-lake.

(1) Splendour, lustre. (3) Energy, vitality.