Overwhelmed by transcendental joy, the King humbly bowed his head and then proceeded to question the nine sages. These nine great souls glowed with their own effulgence and thus appeared equal to the four Kumāras, the sons of Lord Brahmā.
Srimad Bhagavata Purana
श्रीमद्भागवतमहापुराणम्
मूल श्लोकः
तान् रोचमानान् स्वरुचा ब्रह्मपुत्रोपमान् नव । पप्रच्छ परमप्रीतः प्रश्रयावनतो नृपः
tān rocamānān svarucā brahmaputropamān nava | papraccha paramaprītaḥ praśrayāvanato nṛpaḥ
SB 11.2.27