“I have now understood the whole mystery,” said the king with a smile; “You are extremely fond of being angry. You kept the boons in reserve and never asked for them; as for myself, I forgot all about them, being oblivious by nature. Pray do not level a false charge against me; you might as well ask four boons instead of two. It has always been the rule with the race of Raghu that one’s plighted word must be redeemed even at the cost of one’s life. Even a multitude of sins cannot be matched with a lie. Can millions of tiny GuÛjŒ seeds ever stand comparison with a mountain? Veracity is the root of all noble virtues, as is well-known in the Vedas and PurŒ˜as and has been declared by Manu (the first law-giver of the world, the author of Manusm¾ti). Over and above this I have unwittingly sworn by RŒma, the Lord of Raghus, who is the very perfection of virtue and the highest embodiment of affection.” Having thus bound him to his word the evil-minded queen smilingly said, removing as it were the cap from the eyes of her hawk-like plot.