WHEN THE WORLD CONQUEROR MET HIS MATCH 157

Of the remaining three, one being asked how a man
could become a god, replied, " By doing that which is im-
possible for a man to do,"

The next being asked which of the two was stronger
— life or death, replied, ''Life, because It bears so many
evils."

The last being asked how long it was honourable for
a man to live, answered, "4 As long as he does not think it
better to die than to live."

Upon this Alexander, turning to the judge, requested
him to give his decision. The judge said they had answer-
ed " each one worse than the other."

'• Since such is your judgment/' retorted Alexander,
" you shall be yourself first to be put to death."

" Not so," said he, "0 King, unless you are false to
your word, for you said that he who gave the worst
answer should be the first to die."

On arriving at Taxila, it is recorded, the Macedonian
conceived a great desire that one of the sages should live
with him, because he admired their patience and stoical
fortitude in enduring hardships. Onesikritos, who was a
philosopher of the school of Diogenes, was thereupon sent
with a message from the King to Dandamis, the president
and teacher of the order of sannyasis in that locality, to
fetch him.

There is hardly a more arresting figure in early Indian
history than this Indian sage who seems to combine in
his person the passion of a Savanarola with the directness
of Telemachus and a ripeness of wisdom and spiritual
power which outdistance them both. Through ceaseless
practice he had attained a complete self-mastery and de-
tachment of spirit which made the pomp and panoply of
emperors look pale in his presence and reminded one of
the ancient Upanishadic text. apwf^T&

(The wise one who has realized the joy of Brahma
knows naught of fear). The imperial messenger found the
great sage stretched on a bed of leaves in a forest and
held a discourse with him.