The king then, with great assiduity and singleness of purpose,
began to court this pair of excellent Brahmanas. Ascertaining the superior
accomplishments of the younger of the two the king courted in private
Upayaja of rigid vows, by the offer of every desirable acquisition.
Employed in paying homage to the feet of Upayaja, always addressing in
sweet words and offering him every object of human desire, Drupada, after
worshipping that Brahmana, addressed him (one day), saying, 'O Upayaja, O
Brahmana, if thou, performest those sacrificial rites by (virtue of) which
I may obtain a son who may slay Drona, I promise thee ten thousand kine,
or whatever else may be agreeable to thee, O first of Brahmanas, truly am
I ready to make gifts to thee.' Thus addressed by the king, the Rishi
replied, saying, 'I cannot (perform such rites).' But Drupada without
accepting this reply as final, once more began to serve and pay homage
unto that Brahmana. Then, after the expiration of a year, Upayaja, that
first of Brahmanas, O monarch, addressing Drupada in sweet tone, said, 'My
elder brother (Yaja), one day, while wandering through the deep woods,
took up a fruit that had fallen upon a spot the purity of which he cared
not to enquire about. I was following him (at the time) and observed this
unworthy act of his. Indeed, he entertains no scruples in accepting things
impure. In accepting that (particular) fruit he saw not any impropriety of
sinful nature: Indeed, he who observeth not purity (in one instance) is
not very likely to observe it in the other instances.
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