Yoga Vasistha (Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana)

17. The transcendental and comprehensible i.e. the immaterial soul and the material world, are but commutual terms as the tree and arbour, and their difference lies in the intelligibleness of the one and unintelligibility of the other; but true intelligence leads us to the unconceivable One, while our ignorance of the same, deludes us to the knowledge of many, and tends to our distress only. (True happiness in our reliance on the unknown One only). 18. The mundane and supermundane is surely the One and same thing, according to the deduction of spiritual philosophy; and the knowledge of this sublime truth, is sure to lead one to his ultimate liberation. 19. The world is the product of the will of God, and the will is a power or faculty appertaining to the personality of the Deity; and the same being transmuted to the form of the world, it is proved that the world is the formal part of the Supreme soul. (Whose body nature is, and God the soul). 20. He whom no words can define, and yet who defines the senses of words; who is subject to no law or prohibition, or to any state or condition of being, but appoints them for all sorts of beings, is indeed the only Lord of all.

21. He that is ever silent but speaks through all, who is inactive as a rock but acts in all; who is always existent and appears as inexistent, is the Supreme Lord of all. 22. That subtile essence that constitutes the solidity of all gross bodies, and remains undecayed in all frail bodies, is the pure Brahma himself; He has no volition or nolition of creation or destruction, and there is no possession or want of the property of anything. 23. It is the one and invariable soul, that rests always in its state of rest and sleep, and perceives the succession of creation and destruction of the world, in its alternate states of dream and sound sleep, which present themselves as two pictures before its sight. 24. It is also in the substratum of the intellect, that unnumbered worlds seem to rise and set in succession; they appear as passing pictures before the mind, without being rooted or painted therein. 25. As the mixing of one thing with another, produces a different effect in the mixture; so doth the union of the mind with the organs of sense, cause a variety of impressions to be imprinted in the intellect. (So the commixture of curd and sugar creates a different flavour in the condiment, gloss).

26. All things have their existence in the essence of the intellect only, without which nothing is knowable to any body; hence there is nothing anew in nature, except its being but a representation of the original idea in the mind (and this is evident from the identity and similarity of the ectypes with its antitypes, gloss). 27. Hence our consciousness of the identity of things with the essence of our intellect, proves them to be as immaterial and immovable as their fixed ideas in the mind. 28. Thus the world which is so visible and perceptible to us, is nothing but a mere nullity in reality; and whatever appears as existing herein, together with the great gods and angels, are no more than the false visions in our dream and fancy. 29. We see the various fluctuations and phenomena, rising in the waters of the vast ocean of the intellect; and appearing in the forms of our joy and grief, and those of moving and unmoving bodies in creation. 30. O that the nature and course of the world, should so obscure the bright mirror of the intellect; as to hide it under the dirt of our passions, and cover it under the clouds and snows of our ignorance.

31. As spectres and dissolving views appear in the air, before the sight of the dimsighted; so doth this shadow of the world appear as substance, to the view of the unspiritual myopist. 32. Whatever we imagine, the same we find, and seem to enjoy for the time; and as we are delighted with the view of our imaginary city, so do we indulge ourselves in the sight of this air-drawn utopia of the world. 33. As we seem to enjoy our ecstasy, in the fairy land of our fancy; so we are betaken by the delusion of this unreal world, under the belief of its reality. 34. There is one eternal destiny, which ever runs apace in its wonted course; and destines all beings to continue in their allotted careers as ever before. 35. It is destiny that produces the moving bodies from living beings, and the motionless ones from the unmoving; it is that predestination which has destined the downward course of water and fluids, and the upward motion of the flames of fire.

36. It is that blind impulse, that impels the members of the body to their respective actions; and makes the luminous bodies to emit their light; it causes the winds to wind about in their continuous course, and makes the mountains to stand unmoved in their proper places. 37. It makes the luminaries of heaven, to roll on in their regular revolutions, and causes the rains and dews of the sky, to pour down in their stated seasons; and it is this eternal destiny that directs the courses of years, ages and cycles, and the whole curricle of time to run its wonted course. 38. It is the divine ordinance, that has ordained the limits of the earth and the distant ocean and seas, and has fixed the position of the hills and rocks in them; it has allotted the natures and powers of all things, and prescribed the laws of rights and duties for all and every one.

39. Kunda-danta rejoined: - The reminiscence of the scenes of past life, occurs in the present state of existence, in the forms of our imagination and of desire for the same; and these inward thoughts become the gist and marrow to frame our lives in their fashion; but tell me sir, how could the first created beings in the beginning of creation have any reminiscence, whereupon their lives and natures were moulded? 40. The devotee replied: - All these that offer themselves to our view, are quite unprecedented and without their original patterns in the mind, and resemble the sight of our own death that we happen to see in a dream. It is the omniscience of Brahmá, that caused the first creation, and not his memory of the past as it is with us and other created beings. 41. It is the nature of our intellect, to represent the imaginary city of the world in its empty vacuity; it is neither a positive reality, nor a negative unreality either; being now apparent and now lost to sight by itself.

42. It is the clearness of the intellect, which represents the imaginary world in the manner of a dream; but the pure vacuous intellect, neither sees nor bears the remembrance of the world in itself. (It is the sight of a thing, that leaves its traces in the mind afterwards; but when there is no sight of a thing, there can be no remembrance of it). 43. The wise that are devoid of joy and grief, and remain unchanged in prosperity and adversity; are men of right integrity and equanimity in their nature, and move on as equably as the wheel of fortune leads them onward. 44. As the intellect retains in it, the remembrance of what it has seen in its dream; so does it bear in itself the false impression of this triple world to its end. 45. It is only the reflexion of our consciousness, which passes under the name of the world; now knowing the nature of your consciousness as mere vacuousness, you will blot out the impression of the world also. 46. That which is all and everything, and from which all have issued and in which they exist; know that All as all which fills all space, wherein all things are situated.

47. I have thus fully explained to you, how you may come to know this creation as its creator - the Great Brahmá Himself; and have also expounded to you the means, whereby you may get rid of your impression of the phenomenal world. 48. Now rise ye Bráhmans and repair to your abodes, as the bees resort to their cells and calyxes of lotuses at the dusk of the day; go and perform your evening services, while I remain here in my pensive meditation, and absorbed in my spiritual ecstasy forever.

ADMONITION TO AND CLAIRVOYANCE OF KUNDA-DANTA. Argument: - The return of the interlocutors to the abodes; Demise of the brothers and enlightenment of Kunda-danta. Kunda-danta rejoined: - The old sage having said so far, closed his eyes in meditation; and he became as motionless as a statue or picture, without any action of his breath and mind. 2. And we prayed him with great fondness and endearment, yet he uttered not a word unto us; because he seemed to be so rapt in his abstraction, as to have become utterly insensible of the outer world. 3. We then departed, from that place, with our broken hearts and dejected countenances; and were received after a few days journey, by our gladsome friends at home. 4. We live there in joyous festivity, as long as the seven brothers were living; and passed our time in narrations of our past adventures, and relations of the old accounts of by gone times. 5. In course of time the eight brothers disappeared (perished) one by one, like the seven oceans at the end of the world, in the vast ocean of eternity; and were released like many of my friends also, from their worldly cares.

6. After sometime, the only friend that I had, sunk also like the setting sun in darkness; and I was left alone to bewail their loss in sorrow and misery at their separation. 7. I then repaired in the sorrow of my heart, to the devotee under the Kadamba tree; in order to derive the benefit of his advice, to dissipate my dolor. 8. There I waited on him for three months, until he was released from his meditation, when upon my humble request of him, he deigned to answer me as follows. 9. The devotee replied: - I can not pass a moment, without my employment in meditation; and must without any loss of time, resort to my wonted devotion again. 10. As for you, you can not derive the benefit of my transcendent advice to you; unless you engage yourself to practice my precepts with all diligence. 11. Now I tell you to repair to the city of Ayodhyá (Oudh), where the king Dasaratha reigns, and remains with his son Ráma (and other children and members of his royal family). 12. Do you now go to this Ráma, who has been attending on the lectures of the sage Vasishtha, the preceptor and priest of the royal family, and delivered before the princes assembled in the imperial court.

13. You will there hear the holy sermon, on the means of attaining our final emancipation; and will thereby obtain your best bliss in the divine state like that of mine. 14. Saying so, he was absorbed in the cooling ocean of his meditation; <after> which I directed my course to this way, and arrived at last before Ráma and this princely assembly. 15. Here am I, and all these are the incidents of my life, as I have related herein, regarding all what I have heard and seen, as also all that has passed on me. 16. Ráma said: - The eloquent Kunda-danta that made this speech to me, has been ever since sitting by my side in this assembly. 17. This very Brahmin bearing the name of Kunda-danta, that has sat here all along by me; has heard the whole of the sermon, which has been delivered by the sage, on the means of obtaining our liberation. 18. Now ask this Kunda-danta, that is sitting here by me at present, whether he has well understood the context of this lecture, and whether his doubts are wholly dissipated or not. 19. Vasishtha said: - Upon Ráma saying so to me, I looked upon Kunda-danta, and made him the following interrogatory, saying: -

20. Tell me, Oh you goodly Bráhman Kunda-danta, what you have learnt and understood, by your long attendance upon and hearing of my lecture, calculated to confer liberation on men. 21. Kunda-danta replied: - Sir, your lecture has wholly removed the doubts of my mind, and I find myself now as perfect master of myself, by my victory over all selfish passions, and by my knowledge of the knowable One. 22. I have known the immaculate One that is to be known, and seen the undecaying One that is worth our seeing; I have obtained all that is worth our obtaining, and I have found my repose in the state of transcendent felicity. 23. I have known this plenum, to be the condensation of that transcendental essence; and that this world is no other than a manifestation of this sel-fsame soul. 24. The universal soul being also the soul of every individual, is likewise the soul inherent in all forms of things; it is only the self-existent soul, that becomes apparent in all existences and all places. 25. It is possible for the human mind, which is minuter than the molecule of a mustard seed, to contain the whole world in itself; though it is naught but a mere zero, before the clear sight of the intelligent.

26. It is possible also for a little room, to contain the seven continents of the earth (in its map or picture); though the room itself is no more than a mere empty space. 27. Whatever object is perceptible to us at any time or place, is only the concrete form of the divine spirit; which is quite apart from every thing in the discrete.

DEMONSTRATION OF ALL NATURE (AND THING) AS BRAHMA HIMSELF. Argument: - Elucidation of the sacred text that “all is Brahma”; and the equality of curse. Válmíki said: - After Kunda-danta had finished his saying in the said manner, the venerable Vasishtha delivered his edifying speech on spiritual knowledge and said: 2. Whereas the elevated soul of this person, has found his rest in the paradise of spiritual philosophy; he will see the world like a globe in his hand, and glowing with the glory of the great God. 3. The phenomenal world is a false conception, it is verily the increate Brahma himself shining in this manner; this erroneous conception is the very Brahma, that is one and ever calm and undecaying. 4. Whatever thing appears any where, in any state, form or dimension; it is the very Deity, showing himself in that condition of his being, form and mode of extension. 5. This unborn or self-existent Deity, is ever auspicious, calm and quiet; he is undecaying, unperishing and immutable, and extends through all extent, as the extensive and endless space. 6. Whatever state of things he proposes in his all-knowing intellect, the same is disposed by him in a thousand ways, like the branching out of a plant in the rains.

7. The great mundane egg, is situated as a particle in the bosom of the great intellect of God; and this world of ours is a particle also, being comprised in a grain of our brains. 8. Know therefore, my good friend, thy intellectual sphere to be boundless, and without its beginning or end; and being absorbed in the meditation of thy personal extinction, do thou remain as quiet as thou art sitting, relying in thy unperturbed and imperishable soul. 9. Wherever there is anything in any state or condition in any part of the world, there you will find the presence of the divine spirit in its form of vacuity; and this without changing its nature of calm serenity, assumes to itself whatever form or figure it likes (or rather evolves them from within itself at its free will). 10. The spirit is itself both the view and its viewer; it is equally the mind and the body, and the subjective and objective alike; It is something and yet nothing at all, being the great Brahma or universal soul, that includes and extends throughout the whole.

11. The phenomenal is not to be supposed as a duality of, or any other than the self-same Brahma; but it is to be known as one and the same with the divine self, as the visible sky and its vacuity. 12. The visible is the invisible Brahma, and the transcendent One is manifest in this apparent whole (because the noumenon shows the phenomenon, as this exhibits the other): therefore it is neither quiescent nor in motion, and the formal is altogether formless. 13. Like dreams appearing to the understanding, do these visions present themselves to the view; the forms are all formless conceptions of the mind, and more intangible ideas of the brain. 14. As conscious beings come to be unconscious of themselves, in their dormant state of sleep; so have all these living and intelligent beings, become unconscious and ignorant of themselves and their souls, and turned to torpid trees that are lost to their sensibility. 15. But the intellect is capable to return to its sensibility, from its state of vegetable torpidity in time; as the dormant soul turns to see its dreams in sleep, and then to behold the vivid outer world after its wakening.

16. Until the living soul is liberated from its charm of self delusion, it is subjected to view its guileful reveries of elemental bodies, appearing as a chain of airy dreams, before the mind’s eye in sleep. 17. The mind gathers the dross of dullness about it, as the soul draws the sheath of sleep upon itself; this dullness or dimness of apprehension is not intrinsic in the mind, but an extraneous schesis contracted by it from without. 18. The intellect moulds the form of one, who is conversant with material and insensible things, into a motionless and torpid body; and it is the same intellect, which shapes the forms of others, that are conscious of their intellectual natures, into the bodies of rational and moving being. (The dull soul is degraded to the state of immovable things and rooted trees, but intelligent souls, are elevated to the rank of moving men and other locomotive animals). 19. But all these moving and unmoving beings, are but different modifications and aspects of the same intellect; as the nails and other parts of the human body, are but the multifarious modalities of the same person.

20. The order and nature of things has invariably continued the same, as they have been ordained by the Divine will ever since its first formation of the world; and because the creation is a transcript of its original mould in the Divine mind; it is as ideal as any working of imagination or a vision in dreaming, both in its states of being and not being. 21. But the intangible and quiescent Brahma, is ever calm and quiet in his nature; he is never permeated with the nature of things, nor is he assimilated with the order of nature. 22. He appears as the beginning and end of creation, or as the cause of its production and dissolution; but these are the mere dreams of the Divine intellect, which is always in its state of profound sleep and rest. 23. The world is ever existent in his spiritual nature, and without any beginning or end of himself; the beginning and end of creation, bear no relation with his self-existent and eternal nature. 24. There is no reality in the nature of the visible creation, or in its existence or dissolution; all these are no other than representations shown in the spirit of God, like figures described in a picture.

25. As a legion drawn in painting, does not differ from its model in the mind of the painter; so these tangible objects of creation, with all other endless varieties, are not different from their prototype in the mind of God. 26. Notwithstanding the want of any difference, between the noumenal and phenomenal worlds; yet the mind is prone to view the variance of its subjectivity and objectivity, as it is apt to differentiate its own doings and dreams, in the states of its sleep and ignorance. It is the profound sleep and insouciance of the soul, that cause its liberation from the view, as its sensibility serves to bind it the more to the bondage of the visibles. 27. It is the reflexion of the invisible soul, that exhibits the visible to view, just as the subtile sunbeam, displays a thousand solid bodies glaring in sight; and shows the different phases of creation and dissolution as in its visions in dreaming. 28. The dreaming state of the sleeping intellect is called its ideality, and the waking state of the self-conscious soul is termed its vitality, as in the instances of men and gods and other intellectual beings.

29. After passing from these, and knowing the unreality of both these imaginative and speculative states, the soul falls into its state of profound sleep or trance, which is believed as the state of liberation by those that are desirous of their emancipation. 30. Ráma said: - Tell me, O venerable sir, in what proportion doth the intellect abide in men, gods and demons respectively; how the soul reflects itself during the dormancy of the intellect in sleep, and in what manner does it contain the world within its bosom. 31. Vasishtha replied: - Know the intellect to abide alike in gods and demons, as well as in all men and women; it dwells also in imps and goblins, and in all beasts and birds, reptiles and insects, including the vegetables and all immovable things (within its ample sphere). 32. Its dimension is boundless and also as minute as an atom; and it stretches to the highest heaven, including thousands of worlds within itself. 33. The capacity that we have of knowing the regions beyond the solar sphere, and even of penetrating into the darkness of polar circles; is all the quality of our intellect, which extends all over the boundless space, and is perfectly pellucid in its form and nature.

34. So very great is the extent of the intellect, that it comprehends the whole universe in itself; and it is this act of his comprehension of the whole, that is called the mundane creation, which originates from it. 35. The intellect spreads all around like the current of a river, which glides all along over the ground both high and low, leaving some parts of it quite dry, and filling others with its waters. So doth the intellect supply some bodies with intelligence, while it forsakes others and leaves them in ignorance. 36. It is intelligence which constitutes the living soul of the body, which is otherwise said to be lifeless and insensible; it resides in all bodies like the air in empty pots, and becomes vivid in some and imperceptible in others as it likes. 37. It is its knowledge of the soul (i.e. the intellectual belief in its spiritual), that removes the error of its corporeity; while the ignorance of its spiritual nature, tends the more to foster the sense of its corporeality, like one’s erroneous conception of water in the mirage. 38. The mind is as minute as the minutest ray of sunbeams; and this is verily the living soul, which contains the whole world within it.

39. All this phenomenal world is the phenomenon of the mind, as it is displayed in its visionary dreams; and the same being the display of the living soul, there is no difference at all between the noumenal and the phenomenal. 40. The intellect alone is assimilated into all these substances, which have substantiality of their own; whatever is seen without it, is like its visionary dream, or as the forms of jewelleries made of the substance of gold. (i.e. The intellect is the intrinsic essence of all external substances). 41. As the same water of the one universal ocean, appears different in different places; and in its multifarious forms of waves and billows; so doth the divine intellect exhibit the various forms of visibles in itself. (i.e. Nothing is without or different from the divine essence). 42. As the fluid body of waters, rolls on incessantly in sundry shapes within the basin of the great deep; so do these multitudes of visible things, which are inherent in and identic with the divine intellect, glide on forever in its fathomless bosom. 43. All these worlds are situated as statues, or they are engraved as sculptures in the aerial column of the divine intellect; and are alike immovable and without any motion of theirs through all eternity.

44. We see the situation of the world, in the vacuous space of our consciousness; as we see the appearances of things in our airy dreams. We find moreover everything transfixed in its own sphere and place, and continuing in its own state, without any change of its position or any alteration in its nature. (The invariable course of nature, is not the fortuitous production of blind chance). 45. The exact conformity of everything in this world, with its conception in the mind of man, with respect to their invariable equality in form and property, proves their identity with one another, or the relation of one being the container of the other. (i.e. The mind is either same with or container of the world). 46. There is no difference between the phenomenal and noumenal worlds, as there <is> none between those in our dream and imagination. They are in fact, the one and same thing, as the identity of the waters, contained in tanks, rivers and seas, and between the curse and blessing of gods.

47. Ráma said: - Tell me sir, whether a curse or blessing, is the effect of any prior cause or the causation of subsequent consequences; and whether it <is> possible for any effect to take place without its adequate causality. (Here is a long legend of the transformation of Nundi and Nahusha given in illustration of this passage in the commentary). 48. Vasishtha replied: - It is the manifestation of the clear firmament of the divine intellect in itself, that is styled as the world; just as the appearance and motion of waters in the great deep, is termed the ocean and its current. 49. The revolution of the eternal thoughts of the divine mind, resembles the rolling waves of the deep; and these are termed by sages, as the will or volitions of the ever wilful mind of God. 50. The clear minded soul comes in course of time, to regard this manifestation of the divine will, in its true spiritual light; by means of its habitual meditation and reasoning, as well as by cause of its natural good disposition and evenness of mind.

51. The wise man possest of consummate wisdom and learning, becomes acquainted with the true knowledge of things; his understanding becomes wholly intellectual, and sees all things in their abstract and spiritual light; and is freed from the false view of duality (or materiality). 52. The philosophic intellect, which is unclouded by prejudice, is the true form of the Great Brahma himself; who shines perspicuous in our consciousness, and has no other body besides. 53. The enlightened soul sees this whole plenitude of creation, as the display of the Divine Will alone; and as the exhibition of the tranquil and transparent soul of the Divinity, and naught otherwise. 54. This manifestation of the Divine Will, in the boundless space of the universe; likens to the aerial castle of our imagination, or the city of palaces seen in our dream. 55. This all productive will, is selfsame with the Divine Soul; and produces whatever it likes to do any place or time. (Lit. Whatever it wills, the same takes place even then and there). 56. As a boy thinks of his flinging stones, at the aerial castle of his imagination; so the Divine will is at liberty to scatter, myriads of globular balls, in the open and empty space of boundless vacuity.

57. Thus everything being the manifestation of the Divine will, in all these three worlds; there is nothing as a blessing or curse (i.e. good or evil) herein, which is distinct from the Divine Soul. 58. As we can see in our fancy, the gushing out of oil from a sandy desert; so can we imagine the coming out of the creation, from the simple will of the Divine Soul. 59. The unenlightened understanding, being never freed from its knowledge of particulars and their mutual differences: It is impossible for it to generalize good and evil, under the head of universal good. (“All partial evil is but universal good”. Pope). 60. Whatever is willed in the beginning, by the omniscience of God; the same remains unaltered at all times, unless it is altered by the same omniscient will. 61. The contraries of unity and duality, dwell together in the same manner in the formless person of Brahma; as the different members of an embodied being, remain side by side in the same person. (The knowledge of all contrarieties, blends together in omniscience. Gloss). 62. Ráma said: - Why some ascetics of limited knowledge, are so very apt to confer their blessings, as also to pour their imprecations on others; and whether they are attended with their good or bad results or not.

63. Vasishtha replied: - Whatever is disposed in the beginning, by the Divine will which subsists in Brahma; the very same comes to pass afterwards, and nothing otherwise. (Lit. there is no other principle besides). 64. Brahmá the Lord of creation, knew the Supreme Soul in himself, and thereby he became the agent of the Divine will; therefore there is no difference between them (i.e. betwixt Brahmá and Brahma); as there is none between the water and its fluidity. 65. Whatsoever the Lord of creatures - Brahmá, proposes to do at first as inspired in him by the Divine will; the same takes place immediately, and the very same is styled this world. 66. It has no support nor receptacle for itself, but appears as vacuous bubble in the great vacuity itself; and resembles the chain of pearls, fleeting before the eyes of purblind men in the open sky. 67. He willed the productions of creatures, and institution of the qualities of justice, charity and religious austerities; He stablished the Vedas and sástras, and the five system of philosophical doctrines. (Namely; the four Vedas and the Smritis, forming the five branches of sacred knowledge, and the five branches of profane learning - consisting of the Sánkhya yoga, Pátanjala, Pásupata, and Vaishnava systems. Gloss).

68. It is also ordained by the same Brahmá, that whatever the devotees-learned in the Vedas, pronounce in their calmness or dispute, the same takes place immediately (from their knowledge of the Divine will). 69. It is he that has formed the chasm of vacuum in the inactive intellect of Brahma, and filled it with the fleeting winds and heating fire; together with the liquid water and solid earth. 70. It is the nature of this intellectual principle, to think of everything in itself; and to conceive the presence of the same within it, whether it be a thought of thee or me or of anything beside (either in general or particular). 71. Whatever the vacuous intellect thinks in itself, the same it sees present before it; as our actual selves come to see, the unreal sights of things in our dreams. 72. As we see the unreal flight of stones, as realities in our imagination; so we see the false appearance of the world, as true by the will of God, and the contrivance of Brahma. 73. Whatever is thought of by the pure intellect, must be likewise of a purely intellectual nature also; and there is nothing that can do it otherwise (or convert it to grossness), as they defile the pure metal with some base alloy.

74. We are apt to have the same conceptions of things in our consciousness, as we are accustomed to consider them, and not of what we are little practiced to think upon; hence we conceive all that we see in our dreams to be true, from our like conceptions of them in our waking state. (It is thus that we conceive this purely ideal world as a gross body, from our habit of thinking so at all times). 75. It is by uniting one’s intellectuality, with the universal and divine intellect, and by the union of the subjective and objective and their perceptibility in one’s self, by means of the tripúti yoga, that we can see the world in its true light. 76. One universal and vacuous intellect, being all pervading and omnipresent, is the all seeing subject and all seen objects by itself; hence whatever is seen or known to be anywhere, is the very verity of the intellect and no other. 77. As oscillation is inherent in air, and fluidity is immanent in water; so is amplitude intrinsical in Brahma, and the plentitude is innate in the Divine mind.

78. Even I am Brahma also in his self manifest form of Virát, which embodies the whole world as its body; hence there is no difference of the world from Brahma, as there is none between air and vacuity. 79. As the drops of water as a cataract, assume many forms and run their several ways; so the endless works of nature take their various forms and courses, at different places and times. 80. All beings devoid of their senses and understanding, issue as waters of the waterfall, from the cascade of the divine mind; and remain forever in their uniform courses, with the consciousness of their existence in Brahma. 81. But such as come forth from it, with the possession of their senses and intellects in their bodies, deviate in different ways like the liquid waters, in pursuit of their many worldly enjoyments. 82. They are then insensibly led, by their want of good sense, to regard this world as theirs (i.e. the sphere of their actions, कर्म्मक्षेत्र); being ignorant of its identity with the uncreated spirit of God. 83. As we see the existence and distribution of other bodies in us, and the inertness of stones in our bodies; so the Lord perceives the creation and annihilation of the world, and its inertia in himself.

84. As in our state of sleep we have both our sound sleep and our dreams also; so doth the divine soul perceive the creation as well as its annihilation, in its state of perfect rest and tranquility. 85. The divine soul perceives in its state of tranquility, the two phases of creation and destruction, succeeding one another as its day and night; just as we see our sleep and dreams recurring unto us like darkness and light. 86. As a man sees in his mind, both the dream of moving bodies as well as immovable rocks in his sleep; so does the Lord perceive the ideas, both of the stable and unstable in his intellectual tranquility. (i.e. It is possible for the intellect to conceive the ideas of gross bodies also). 87. As a man of absent mind, has no heed of the dust flying on any part of his body; so the divine spirit is not polluted, by his entertaining the ideas of gross bodies within itself. 88. As the air and water and stones, are possessed of the consciousness of their airy, watery and solid bodies, so are we conscious of our material, intellectual and spiritual bodies likewise.

89. As the mind that is freed from seeing the objects of sight, and liberated from entertaining all their thoughts and desires also, flows along like a stream of limpid waters; so doth the current of the divine spirit glide on eternally, with the waves and eddies of creation and dissolution, perpetually rolling on and whirling therein.

OF THE LIVING CREATION. Argument: - Description of nature and destiny, and of creation and its teeming with vitality. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, how can one paramount destiny, guide the fates of these endless chains and varieties of beings; and how can one uniform nature, be the predominant feature of all these various kinds of beings. 2. Say why is the sun so very shining among the myriads of gods, and cause is it that lengthens and shortens, the durations of days and nights (in summer and winter). 3. Vasishtha replied: - Whatever the Lord has ordained at first of himself (i.e. of his own will and wisdom); the same appearing as the fortuitous formation of chance, is called the very system of the universe. 4. All that is manifested in any manner by omnipotence, is and continues as real in the same manner; because what is made of the pith of divine will and intelligence, can never be unreal; nor is it possible for the manifest and obvious to be evanescent. 5. All that is situated or appears to us in any manner, being composed of the divine intellect, must continue to remain for ever in the same manner; this appearance of creation and its disappearance in its dissolution, are both attributed to the unseen power of its destiny.

6. To say this one is such and that is otherwise, is to attribute them to the manifestation of Brahma as so and so; and these formations of theirs, together with their ultimate dissolution, are called the acts of their destiny. 7. The three states of waking, sleeping and dreaming, appearing to the nature of the soul, are no way separated from it; as the fluidity and motion of water, are not otherwise than properties of the same limpid liquid. 8. As vacuity is the property of air, and warmth of the sunshine, and as odour is the quality of camphor; so the states of waking, sleeping and dreaming, appertain to the very nature of the soul, and are inseparable from it. 9. Creation and dissolution follow one another, in the one and same current of the Divine Intellect; which in its vacuous form, subsists in the vacuous spirit of Brahma. 10. What is believed as creation, is but a momentary flash of the Divine Intellect; and that which is thought to be a kalpa period, is but a transient glare of the same. (A kalpa age is but a fleeting moment in the eternal duration of Brahma).

11. The sky and space and the things and actions, that come to our knowledge at any time; are as mere dreams occurring unto us, by a flash of the glaring nature of the Divine Intellect. 12. The sights of things and the eternal thoughts, and whatever occurs at any time or place; are all presented unto us by our minds, from their formless shapes or ideas in the vacuous intellect of God. (The mind derives the formal images, from their ideals subsisting in the Divine Intellect). 13. Whatever is thus manifested by the mind or designed by it at any time, the same is termed its destiny, which is devoid of any form like the formless air. 14. The uniform state of things for a whole kalpa age, measuring but a moment of Brahma; is what is expressed by the word nature, by natural philosophers that know all nature. 15. The one soul - consciousness or universal intelligence (of God), is diversified into a hundred varieties of living beings; and every portion of this general intelligence, retains the same intellection like its original, without forsaking its nature (Note: As the one element of fire, diversifies itself into many forms of sparks, without losing its properties of heat and burning).

16. The intelligences that appertain to and manifest themselves, in the supreme intelligence of God, do some of them imagine to assume to themselves some embodied forms, in utter ignorance of their intellectual natures. 17. The earth, air, water and fire and vacuum, are severally the receptacles of many properties; but it is the vacuous intellect which is the great repository of these, that appear as dreams hovering all about it. 18. This place contains the vast receptacle, for the reception of all tangible and solid bodies; and this spacious earth with all the population on its surface, is seated in the midst of it. 19. It has a place for the vast body of waters, or the great ocean in it; and affords a seat to the sun - the source of light; it has a space for the course of the winds, and a vacuum containing all the worlds in it. 20. It is the reservoir of the five elements, which are the quintuple principles of our knowledge; and it being thus the container of the quintessence of Brahma, what is seen or anything else before it. 21. The learned call this intelligence as the intellect and omniscience; it is omniform, uniformed and all-pervading, and is perceived by all owing to its greatness and its great magnitude.

22. Brahmá the son or offspring of Brahma; is the selfsame Brahma himself; who by expanding his intelligence, has expanded the vacuum under the name of firmament; and as an awning of silk in cloth. (In fact nothing was made by the father but by the son). 23. When delusion rules over the intellect of Brahmá and over the subtile and gross matters; then how is it possible for other things, that are but parts of them, to stand good in law? 24. It is simply by his will (and without any external appliance), that this god Brahma stretched the network of the universe, as a spider weaves its web out of itself; it revolves like a disc or wheel in the air, and whirls like a whirlpool in the hollow depth of the intellect, appearing as it were a sensible sphere in the heavens. 25. These spheres present some bodies of great brightness, and others of a lesser light; which there are some scarcely visible to us, and all appearing as figures in a painting. 26. All created objects appear in this manner and those that are not created never appear to view; but they all appear as visions in a dream, to the sight of the learned.

27. The intellect is the selfsame soul, and the Lord of All, and the seeming visibles are all really invisible; they are all evanescent for their want of lasting bodies; and neither are they visible by themselves, nor are they ever perceptible to or seen by us. 28. The vacuous intellect, sees these as its dreams in the great vacuity of the intellect, and this world being no other than a phenomenon of the vacuous intellect, can have no other form than that of mere vacuum. 29. Whatever is manifested by the intellect in any manner, the same is called its form and body; and the countenance of that manifested form for a certain period, is termed its nature or destiny. 30. The first manifestation of the divine intellect, in the form of vacuum and as the vehicle of sound; became afterwards the source of the world, which sprouted forth like a seed, in the great granary of vacuity. (The conveying of sound and the containing of worlds are the nature of vacuum).

31. But the account given of the genesis of the world, and of the creation of things one after the other, are mere fabrication of sages for instruction of the ignorant, and has no basis on truth. (Because no reason can be assigned for the Lord’s production of the material world). 32. There is nothing that is ever produced of nothing, nor reduced to nothingness at any time; all this is as quiet and calm as the bosom of a rock, and ever as real as it is unreal. (The world is real in the ideal, but an utter unreality in its materiality). 33. As there existed no separate body before, so there can be no end of it also; all things exist as inseparable infinitesimal with the spirit of God, and can therefore neither rise nor set in it where they are always present. 34. The vacuous world existing in vacuum of the divine spirit, is a pure vacuity or blank only; how is it possible then to rise or set in it, or go beyond it to rise or set elsewhere. 35. What is the world, but a ray of the ever shining gem of divine intellect; before whose omniscience, every thing shines for ever in its own light and nature.

36. The Divine spirit though unknown to all, makes itself some what conceivable to us in our consciousness of it, and in our thinkableness of it, and by means of our reasoning and reflection. 37. We can get some knowledge of it by our reason, as we can draw inferences of future events by means of our reasoning; this knowledge is rarer than that of the subtile element of air, and fainter than our prescience into the future of all things. 38. Then this transcendental essence of the divine spirit, being about to reflect in itself, becomes the thinking principle called the intellect, which is somewhat intelligible to us. 39. Having then the firm conviction of its consciousness in itself, it takes the name of the living soul, which is known by the title of Anima, meaning the supreme spirit or soul. 40. This living soul embodied in itself the nameless avidyá or ignorance, which shrouded the atmosphere of its intellect, and superceded the title of the pure intelligence. (The living soul jívátmá is involved in ignorance máyá, of its original state of Chiddáta or the intelligent soul). 41. It is then employed in the thoughts, of its bodily conduct and worldly carrier only; and being forgetful of its spiritual nature, is engaged in the discharge of his temporal functions.

42. Being thus forgetful of its nature of vacuum, which possesses the property of conveying the sound, it becomes prepossessed with the error of taking the future material bodies for real, in lieu of the reality of the intellect. 43. It gets next the motion of its egoism, with the idea of time, in its spiritual body; and then these two run together, in quest of the material elements, which are the seeds for the growth of the forth coming world. 44. Then the thinking power of the living soul, begets the sense of consciousness within itself; and produces therein the conviction of the unreal world, as a positive reality. 45. After this the thinking principle or the mind, bursts out like a seed into a hundred sprouts of its wishes; and then by reflecting on its egoism, thinks as a living being at the very moment. 46. Thus the pure spirit passing under the name of living soul, is entangled in the maze of its erroneous and unreal reality, has been rolling like a heaving wave in the depth of the universal spirit. (All living souls of animate beings, are as bursting bubbles in the ocean of the eternal spirit).

47. The mind by constantly reflecting at first on the vacuous nature of the living soul; is stultified at last to think it as solidified into the nature of animal life or the vital air or breath of life. 48. This being became the source of articulate sounds or words, which were expressive of certain meanings, and significant of things, that were to be created afterwards; and were to be embodied in the wording of the Vedas. (The Lord spake and all things came out at his bidding, which were afterwards stated in the Book of Genesis). 49. From him was to issue forth the would be world, by virtue of the words which he spake to denote the things he meant; the words that he invented were fraught with their meanings, and productive of the things which they expressed. 50. The intellect being employed in this manner (in the thoughts of creation), takes upon it the title of a living being; which being garbed in significant words, was productive of all existent entities. (The volitive principle of the divine intellect, takes the name of the living soul or Brahmá the creative agent).

51. It was this self-existent entity that produced the fourteen spheres, which fill the whole space of vacuity; and which give rise to so many worlds that subsist therein. 52. But before this being had the power of his speech, and of the use of his limbs and body, it remained to reflect only on the significations of words, having had his mind alone the only active part of himself. (So the mind alone of a living body, is the only active part of it in its embryonic state, before its attainment of the functions of all its other parts and members). 53. As the air devolopes a seed to a plant, by exhaling on its outer coat, so doth the intellect develope the bodily functions of living beings, by working in its internal parts. (i.e. The mind actuates the action of the body). 54. And as the oscillating intellect or mind, happens to come across the idea of light; it beholds the same appearing to view; as it is conveyed before it by its significant sound (i.e. as meant by the word).

55. Light is only our intellection or notion of it, and nothing without it; as feeling is our consciousness of it, and not the perception derived by means of the touch of anything. (This is theory of Berkeley). 56. So is sound but our consciousness of it, and a subjective conception of our mind; as vacuum is a conception of the vacuous mind, and as the receptacle of sound caused by itself. 57. As in this state of sound it is known to be the product of air in its own vacuity, so everything else is the product of our consciousness, and there nothing as a duality beside it. 58. So the properties of odour and flavour, are as well as the substances of sound and air; and these unrealities seem as real ones, like the dreams that are seen and thought of in our minds. 59. Heat which is the seed or seat of the arbor of light, and evolves itself in the radiance and other luminous bodies; are the forms of the same intellect, that shows itself in all things. 60. So is flavour a mere quality of empty air, is thought of as a reality in every article of our food and drink; and is a mere name without its substance.

61. All other things, which were hereafter to be designated by different names as fragrance &c., are but so many forms of the thoughts and desires existing in the mind of this living being or Brahmá. 62. This being had in his mind the seed of all forms and dimensions, from which was to proceed this terrestrial globe, that was to become afterwards the support of all creatures. 63. All things yet unborn, appeared as already born in this divine mind, which was filled with the models of all future existences of every kind; and all these formless beings had their forms afterwards, as it thought and willed them to be (i.e. The ideal became the real at last). 64. These forms appeared to view as by an act of chance, and the organs whereby they came to be seen, were afterwards called by name of eyes, or the visual organs of sight. 65. The organs which gave the perception of sounds, were named the ears; and those which bore the feeling of touch to the mind, were called the organs of feeling or त्वक्. 66. The organ of perceiving the flavours, was styled the tongue or organ of taste; and that which received the perception of smell, were termed the nose or organ of scent.

67. The living soul being subjected to its corporeal body, has no perception of the distinctions of time and place by means of its bodily organs, which are so imperfect and soulless on the whole. (i.e. He is not thoroughly diffused all over the body, but has its seat in the mind also, which perceives the abstract ideas of time and space and all other abstract natures of things). 68. In this manner are all things but imageries of the soul, and ideals of the intellect, and wholly confined in the soul; they neither appear nor set on the out side of it, but are set as silent engravings in the stony and stiff bosom of the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE LIVING SOUL. Argument: - The Living soul is identified with Brahma or the universal soul; its birth is but a fiction of speech; and the erroneous conception of its animal soul and body, is fully exposed herein. Vasishtha continued: - The fiction of the first rise of the living soul; from the calm and quiet spirit of God as said before, is merely fictitious and not a true one; but was meant to elucidate the nature of the animate soul, as the same with and not distinct from the Supreme soul. 2. In this manner the fiction (of the living soul) means that, this being a part of the supreme soul is verily the same with it. (As the air in the pot or cot, is the same as universal air or vacuum). It is when the subjective soul is employed with the thoughts of the objective, that it is termed the living God or spirit. (Hence the quiescent and creative souls, are but the states or hypostases of the same soul). 3. The inclination of the self-intelligent or subjective soul, towards thinkable objects of thought, garbs it under a great many fictitious names or epithets, which you shall now hear me, O Ráma, relate to you in all their varieties.

4. It is called the living soul or jíva, from its power of living and thinking; and from its addictedness towards the thinkables, it is termed the thinking principle and the intellect. 5. It is termed intelligence for its intellection of this thing as that, as well as for its knowledge of what is what; and it is called the mind from its mending, willing and imagining of many things. (The three powers of the mind are here reckoned, as retention, volition and imagination). 6. The reliance in self that, “I am” is what is called egoism; and the principle of percipience called the mind by the vulgar, is when freed from everything, styled the intellect by the wise and those acquainted with the sástras. 7. It is called the aggregate of the octuple principles or totality of existence, when it is combined with all its wishes of creation; and then named as subtile nature, before its production of the substantial world. 8. Being absent from or imperceptible to our perception, it is called the hidden nature; and in this manner many other fictitious names are given to it by way of fiction or fabrication of our imagination. (The word avidyá here meant as absent, is elsewhere explained as unknown and as ignorance and illusion also).

9. All these fictitious appellations that I have told thee here, are mere inventions of our fancy, for the one formless and changeless eternal being. 10. In this manner are all these three worlds, but the fairy lands of our dream and the castles of our imagination; they appear as objects made for our enjoyment and bliss, but are in reality an intactible vacuity. 11. So must you know, O best of embodied beings, that this body of yours is of a spiritual or intangible nature; it is the intellectual body formed of the vacuous intellect, which is rarer than the rarified air. 12. It never rises nor sets (i.e. it is neither born nor dies) in this world, but continue with our consciousness of ourselves, until our final liberation from the sense of our personalities. This mental body or mind of ours, is the recipient of the fourteen worlds and all created objects. 13. It is in the extensive regions of our minds, that millions of worlds continue to be created and dissolved in the course of time; and an unnumbered train of created beings, are growing and falling as fruits in it in the long run of time. (The mind and time, contain all things).

14. This intellectual body beholds the world, both inside and outside of it; as the looking glass reflects and refracts, the outward and its inward images both in as well as out of it; and as the open air reflects and shows us the upper skies. 15. The mind must bear these images in its mirror, until its final dissolution with all things at the end of the world; when all minds and bodies and all the world and their contents, are to be incorporated in the great vacuum of the Divine Mind. 16. The compactness of the Divine Mind, which comprehends all images or ideas in itself, imparts them partly in all individual minds, which are but parts of itself, and which are made to think likewise. (This passage maintains the innate ideas derived immediately from God). 17. This spiritual body that was employed in viewing the inborn world in itself; is turned as the form of the Great Brahmá by some, and as that of the God Virát by others. 18. Some call him the sanátana or sempiternal, and others give him the name of Náráyana or floating on the surface of the waters. Some style him as Ísha and by his name as Prajápati - the Lord of creatures (Patriarch).

19. This being chanced to have, his five organs of sense on a sudden, and these were seated in the several parts of his body, where they still retain there seats as before. 20. Then his delusion of the phenomenal, seemed to extend too far and wide, without any appearance of reality therein, all being a vast waste and void. (The noumenal only is the true reality). 21. It was all the appearance of that eternal and transcendental Brahma, and not of the unreal phenomenal which is never real; it is the very Brahma, which is without its beginning and end, and appearing in a light quite unintelligible to us. (Being imperceptible in his person, his reality is hid under the garb of unreality). 22. Our inquiry into the spiritual form of the deity, leads us to take the delusive world as such; just as the longing of the ardent lover after his loved one, leads him to the view of its bloated phantom in his dream (i.e. in our search after the spiritual, we are misled to take the corporeal as such).

23. As we have the blank and formless notion of a pot, presented in the real shape of the pot in our minds; so have we the notions of our bodies and the world also, represented as realities in dreams and imagination. 24. As the dreamed objects of our vacuous minds, seem to be real ones for the time in our sleep; so all these aerial objects in nature, appear as solid substances in the delusion of our dreams by daylight. 25. This spiritual and formless body (of the deity), comes to be gradually perceived in us and by itself also; as we come to see the aerial forms presenting themselves unto us in our dream. 26. It is then embodied in a gross body, composed of flesh and bones, and all its members, and its covering of the skin and hairs; and in this state it thinks (of its carnal appetites and enjoyments). 27. It then reflects on its birth and acts in that body, and upon the duration and end of that body also; and entertains the erroneous ideas of the enjoyments and incidents of its life.

28. It comes to know its subjection to decay, decrepitude and death, and of its wanderings on all sides of the wide sphere of this globe; it gets the knowledge of the knower and known, and also of the beginning, middle and of all acts and things. 29. And thus the primordial spirit, being transformed to the living soul, comes to know the elementary bodies of earth, air, and water &c, and the varieties of created beings and conduct of men and finds itself as contained and confined within the limits of its body and of this earth, after its having been the container of all bodies and space before. (The difference here spoken of, is that of the personal soul of the jíva or living being, and that of the impersonal soul of Brahma - the universal spirit).

ON THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE SPIRIT. Argument: - Unity of the impersonal and personal spirit treated; and the materiality of the living soul refuted. Vasishtha continued: - This spiritual body (or the personal spirit), as that of Brahma - the primeval creator of all; being possessed of its volition, comes as by an act of chance and of its own motion, to think and brood on its thoughts; (which it had derived from the eternal spirit of Brahma). 2. It continues to remain in the same state, as it is ever conscious of in itself; and sees of its own nature, this universe exposed before it as it had in his mind, nor is there and wonder in this. 3. Now this viewer - Brahma, and his viewing and the view of the world, must either all be false (as there is no duality in nature); or they must all be true, having the spirit of Brahma at the bottom. 4. Ráma rejoined: - Now sir, please to tell me, how this spiritual and shadowy sight of the primeval Lord of creation, could be realized in its solidified state, and reality can there be in the vision of a dream. 5. Vasishtha replied: - The spiritual view is ever apparent by itself within ourselves; and our continuous and ceaseless sight of it, gives it the appearance of a solid reality.

6. As the visionary sights of our dreams, come to be realized in times, by our continuous poring upon them; so doth the spiritual appear as real, by our constant habit of thinking them as such. (So it is recorded in the case of King Harischandra of old). 7. The constant thought of the reality of our spiritual body, makes appear as a real object to our sight; as the constant craving of deer after water, makes it appear in the mirage of the parched desert before them. 8. So the vision of this world, has like every other fallacy, misled us like the poor and parching deer, to the misconception of water in the mirage; and does this and all other unrealities appear as real ones in our ignorance. 9. Many spiritual and intellectual objects, like a great many unreal things, are taken for the material and real, by the avidity of their desires and ignorant admirers. 10. The impression that I am this, and that one is another, and that this is mine and that is his; and that these are the hills and skies about us; are all as erroneous as the conception of reality in our dreams and false phantoms of the brain.

11. The spiritual body which was at first conceived, by the prime creator of all - Brahmá, assumed a material form as that of a globe under his sight. (Meaning the Mundane egg). 12. The living soul of Brahma, being born of the mundane egg in a corporeal body; forgot or rather forsook to think of its incorporeal intellectuality, and thought himself as composed of his present material body only. He looked into it and thought, that this was his body and the recipient of his soul: (instead of the souls being the fountain of the body). 13. Then it becomes confined in that body, by its belief of the unreality as a sober reality; and then it thinks of many things within itself, and goes on seeking and running after them all. (But the steady soul is sedate, and has all within itself, without seeking them elsewhere without). 14. This God then makes many symbolical sounds and forms (invents) words for names and actions; and at last upon his utterance of the mystic syllable Om or (on) the Vedas rang out and sang in currents of verbiage.

15. Then through the medium of those sacred words, the god ordained the ordinances for the conduct of all mankind; and everything turned to be, as he wished and thought it to be in his own mind. (Hence Brahmá is said the creative mind of God). 16. Whatever exists in any manner, the same is the self same Brahmá itself; and yet no body perceives it as such, owing to the predominant error of all, of believing the unreal world as a real existence. 17. All the things from the great Brahmá down to all, are but false appearances as those of dreams and magical show; and yet the spiritual reality is utterly lost to sight, under the garb of material unreality (i.e. The unreal matter is taken for real spirit). 18. There is nothing as materiality anywhere and at any time; it is the spiritual only which by our habitual mode of thinking and naming, is said to be substantial, elemental and material. 19. This our fallacy of materiality, has come to us from our very source in Brahmá - the creator; who entertained the false idea of the material world, and transmitted this error even into the minds of the wise and very great souls.

20. How is it possible, O Ráma, for the intelligent soul, to be thus confined in a clod of earth, all this must either be an illusory scene, or a representation of Brahma himself. 21. There can be no other cause of this world, except the eternal causality of Brahma; who is self-existent, only without any action or causation of himself; thus the Supreme soul being wholly devoid of the attributes of cause and effect, what can this world be, but an extension of the Divine essence?

ECSTASIS OR INERTNESS OF RÁMA. Argument: - Description of liberation, as heedlessness of the past and future, ignorance of the knowables, and thoughtlessness about the thinkables. Vasishtha continued: - Gaining the knowledge of knowables, is called our bondage in this world; but it is our release from the bonds of knowable objects, that is termed our liberation from it. 2. Ráma rejoined: - But how can it be possible, sir, to get our escape from the knowledge of the knowables, and how can our rooted knowledge of things, and our habitual sense of bounden to them, be removed from us. 3. Vasishtha replied: - It is the perfection of our knowledge, and feeling of it as such, that removes our misjudgment; and then we get our liberation from error, after disappearance of our inborn bias. 4. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, what is that simply uniform feeling, and what is called that complete and perfect knowledge said to be, which releases the living soul entirely, from its fetters of error. 5. Vasishtha replied: - The soul is full with its subjective knowledge of intuition, and has no need of the objective knowledge of the knowables from without; and perfect knowledge is our inward sense of the same, and not expressible in words.

6. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, whether the knowableness of knowledge, that is whether the internal knowledge of the knowing soul, is the same or separate from itself; and whether the word jnána or knowledge, is taken in its instrumental or abstract sense (i.e. whether it is used to mean the power by means of which we derive our knowledge, or the so derived knowledge itself). 7. Vasishtha replied: - All perception is knowledge, and this term is denotative of its causality also (as we say, my knowledge is my guide, i.e. the instrumentality of my guidance). Hence there is no difference between knowledge and the known or the knowable, as there is none between the air and its ventilation. 8. Ráma rejoined: - If it be so (that there is no difference between them); then tell me, whence arises the error of difference in our conception of them; the conception of the materiality of the perceptible or objective world, must be as erroneous as that of the horns of a hare, which had never been in esse, nor are likely to be at any time in future.

9. Vasishtha replied: - The error of the reality of external objects, gives rise to the error of the reality to our knowledge of them also; but there is no inward object of thought, nor of the outward senses, has ever any reality in it. 10. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me, O sage, how can you deny the existence of those objects, which are evident to the senses of mine, thine and all others alike; and which are ever present in their thoughts in the minds of sensible beings. 11. Vasishtha replied: - It was at the time of the first creation of the world, that the self manifested God Virát, exhibited the outline of the cosmos in a corner of his all-comprehensive mind; but as nothing was produced in reality, there is no possibility of our knowing any as a knowable or real entity. 12. Ráma rejoined: - How can our common sight, of the present, past and future prospects of this world; and our daily perception of things, which are felt by all in general, be regarded as nothing by your teaching. (Common sense can not be controverted by abstruse philosophy).

13. Vasishtha replied: - Just as the dreamer’s vision in sleep, the deer’s mistake of water in the mirage in sand, the illusory sight of a moon in the sky, and the prospects of our delusive fancies, do all disappear on right observation; so the false perceptions of worldly things, and the mistaken conceptions of our own entities, are as erroneous as the sights of the false lights in the empty air. (These dissolve as dreams upon waking, and the testimony of one waking man, is enough to disperse the deceptive sights of all dreamers and sleepers). 14. Ráma rejoined: - If our knowledge of I and thou and of this and that, is as false as that of all other things in the womb of the world; why then were these brought into existence, not left to remain in their ideas in the mind of their creator, as they had existed before his creation of them? 15. Vasishtha replied: - It is certain that everything springs from its cause, and not otherwise; what then could there be the (material) cause, for the creation of the world therefrom, after the dissolution of everything at the universal destruction? 16. Ráma replied: - Why sir, cannot that being be the cause of recreation, which remains undestroyed and indestructible, after destruction of the prior creation?

17. Vasishtha replied: - Whatever substance there abides in the cause, the same is evolved in effect also; hence the essence of Brahma being composed of his intellect only, it could not give rise to the material world from itself; as the substance of a pot, cannot produce that of a picture or cloth. 18. Ráma replied: - Why sir, the world existed in its subtile (or ideal) state, in the person (mind) of Brahma (God); from which it issued forth anew and again, after dissolution of the former creation. 19. Vasishtha said: - Tell me, O intelligence Ráma, how could the Lord God (whose nature is composed of pure intelligence), conceive the entity or quintessence of the world in himself, and which like the productive seed, sprang out in the form of the future creation. Say what sort of entity was it. 20. Ráma replied: - It is an entity of Divine intelligence, and is situated in the subjective soul of God in that form. It is neither a vacuous nullity, nor an unreal entity.

21. Vasishtha said: - If it be so, O mighty armed Ráma, that the three worlds are Divine intelligence only; then tell me why bodies formed of pure intelligence (as those of the gods and angels), and those having the intelligent soul in them (as those of human beings), are subject to their birth and death. 22. Ráma said: - If then there has been no creation at all at any time from the beginning; then tell me sir, whence has this fallacy of the existence of the world come to be in vogue. 23. Vasishtha replied: - The inexistence of cause and effect, proves the nullity of being and not being (i.e. its annihilation also); all this that is thought of to exist, is the thought and thinking of the divine soul, which is the triputi or triple entity of thinker, thinking and the thought together. (i.e. The soul is both the subjective and objective, as also their connecting predicate by itself). 24. Ráma rejoined: - The thinking soul thinks about the implements and the acts, as the looker looks on the objects of his sight; but how can the divine looker be the dull spectacle (and the object the same with the subject); unless you maintain that the objective fuel burns the subjective fire (which is impossible).

25. Vasishtha replied: - The viewer is not transformed to the view, owing to impossibility of the existence of an objective view; it is the all seeing soul, that shows itself as one solid plenum in itself. 26. Ráma rejoined: - The soul is the pure intellect only, and is without its beginning and end; it thinks only on its eternal and formless thoughts; how then can it present the form and appearance of the visible world. 27. Vasishtha replied: - The thinkables being all causeless of themselves, have none of them any cause whatsoever; and it is the privation of the thinkables, that bespeaks the liberation of the intellect. (The production of the thinkables, is as impossible as the birth of the offspring of a Barren woman. Gloss). 28. Ráma rejoined: - If it is so, then say how and whence have we the thought of our conception of ourselves; and our knowledge of the world, and our sense of motion and the like; (as they are suggested to us by our common sense, and the universal testimony of all people). 29. Vasishtha replied - The impossibility of cause, precludes the possibility of any production; how and whence could the thinkables proceed, when all is quite calm and quiet everywhere, and the knowledge of creation is but an error and a delusion.

30. Ráma rejoined: - Here tell us sir, how this error comes to overshadow the unknowable, unthinkable and the immovable being, that is selfmanifest and ever untainted and clear by itself (Swaprakása or Swayamprakása). 31. Vasishtha replied: - there is no error or mistake herein, owing to its want of any causation also; our knowledge of egoism and tuism, is drowned altogether in that of one unevanescent Unity. 32. Ráma replied: - O venerable sir, I am so bewildered in the error of my consciousness, that I know not what other question I am here to make; I am not so enlightened as the learned, to argue any more on this point. 33. Vasishtha replied: - Do not desist, O Ráma, from making your inquiries concerning the causality of Brahma; until you are satisfied with the proof of his causelessness, as they test the purity of gold on the stone; and then by knowing this, you will be able to repose yourself, in the blissful state of the supremely Blest. 34. Ráma rejoined: - I grant sir, as you say, that there is no creation for want of its cause, but tell me now whence is this my error of the thinkable and its thought (so rooted in me that I can not get rid of it).

35. Vasishtha replied: - There is no error in the belief of the uncaused creation, and in its perfect calmness; but it is for want of your habit of thinking it so (and your bias of the reality of the world), that really makes you so restless. 36. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, whence rise this habit as well as the desuetude of this mode of our thinking; and how does our rest proceed from the one, and our disquiet from the other mode of thought. 37. Vasishtha replied: - Belief in the eternal God, breed no error in that of the eternity of the world; it is the habit of thinking it otherwise, that creates the error of creation. Be you therefore as sound in your mind, as the solid minded sages have been. 38. Ráma rejoined: - Please to tell me sir, in your preaching of these lectures to your audience, what other mode of practice there may be, in our attainment of a quietude like that of the living liberated sages. 39. Vasishtha replied: - The lesson that we preach, is to know one’s self as Brahma and resting in the spirit of Brahma; and this knowledge is sure to release the soul, both from its longing for liberation, as also from its dread of bondage in this world.

40. Ráma rejoined: - This doctrine of yours, by its all negative distinctions of our knowledge of time and space, and of our actions and thing, serves to drive away our consciousness of all existence whatsoever from the mind. 41. Vasishtha replied: - Yes, because all our objective knowledge, of the distinctions of time and place and of actions and things in our minds; is the effect of our ignorance of the subjectivity of the soul, beside which there is no other substance - before the liberated spirit. 42. Ráma rejoined: - The absence of our knowledge of an intelligent agent, and also of an intelligible object; deprives us altogether of any intelligence at all; the impossibility of the union of the unity and duality together, must preserve our distinct knowledge of the knowing principle and the known or knowable object. (The transitive verb to know must have an object, and cannot like a neuter or intransitive verb, be confined to or reflect upon its agent. Gloss).

43. Vasishtha replied: - It is by your act of knowing of God, that you have or get your knowledge of Him; therefore the word is taken in its active sense by you and others (Who have to know a thing before it is known to them). But with us (or sages like ourselves), who are possest of our intuitive knowledge of ourselves as the deity, it is but a self-reflexive verb. (Gloss. Buddhi with the ignorant, means knowing; but with the sapient, it means feeling). 44. Ráma rejoined: - But how do you feel your finite selves or egoism, and your limited knowledge, as same with the infinite soul and omniscience of the deity; unless it were to ascribe your imperfections to the transcendental divinity, who is purer than the purest water, and rarer than the rarefied ether. 45. Vasishtha replied: - It is the feeling of the perfections of the divine soul in ourselves, that we call our egoism; and not the ascription of our imperfect personalities unto him. And here the duality of the living and divine souls, bears resemblance to the unity of the ventilating breeze with the universal and unfluctuating air. जीबब्रक्षनोरैक्यं ।

46. As the waves of the ocean, have been continually rising and subsiding in it; so the objective thoughts of one’s egoism and the world besides, must be always rising and falling in the subjective soul of the supreme being, as well as self-liberated persons (Hence the subjective and objective cannot be the one and same thing). 47. Vasishtha replied: - If so it be, then say what is the fault, that is so much reprehended in the popular belief of a duality; and in disregarding the creed of the Unity, which is eternal and infinite, full and perfect in itself, quite calm and quiet in its nature, and is termed the transcendent One. 48. Ráma rejoined: - If it be so (that the living soul, is as the breeze or breath of the calm air of Brahma and same with it), then tell me sir, who and what power is it, which conceives the ego, tu and others, which feels and enjoys all as their agent, if the fundamental fallacy of the world be the root of all. (The whole being false, there is nothing as one or an another or as bondage or liberation).

49. Vasishtha replied: - The knowledge of the reality of the objective or knowable things, is the cause of our bondage (in this world); true knowledge does not recognise their reality, and full intelligence which assumes the forms of (and shows) all things in itself, sees no difference of bondage or liberation before it. (All things are alike in the full light of intelligence). 50. Ráma rejoined: - Intelligence like light, does not show us all things in the same light; it shows us the difference between a pot and a picture, as light shows the white and black to view. Again as the light of our eye sight shows us the different forms of outward objects, so does our intelligence confirm and attest the reality of our visual perceptions. 51. Vasishtha replied: - All outward objects having no cause of their creation, nor any source of their production, are as incredible as the offspring of a barren woman; and the appearance of their reality which is presented to our sight, is as false as that of silver in a conchshell or in the glittering sands, and not otherwise. (The phenomenal is a mirage, and deception of sight).

52. Ráma rejoined: - The sight of the miserable world, whether it be true or false, is like the startling apparition in a dream, and attended with pain only for the time; tell me therefore the best means, how to avoid and get rid of this error. 53. Vasishtha replied: - The world being never the better than a dream, it is the reflection of the idea of its reality, that is the best method of getting rid of the snare of its tempting joys and sorrows. 54. Ráma rejoined: - But how to effect this object, which may redound to our bliss and rest; say how to put an end to the sight of the world, which shows the sights of falsities as realities, in the continuous train of its deluding dreams. 55. Vasishtha replied: - It is the due consideration of the antecedent and subsequent states of things, which must remove the erroneous impression of their reality; just as the conception of the substantiality of sights seen in our dreams, is eliminated upon reflection of their subsequent disappearance (and bearing no trace of former forms behind).

56. Ráma rejoined: - But how do the rising apparitions of the world, disappear in the depth of our minds, and what do we then come to perceive, after the vestiges of our gross remembrances have faded away? (The mind is never vacant of its thoughts of visible objects). 57. Vasishtha responded: - After the false appearance of the world, has vanished like the faded sight of a city from view; the unconcerned mind of the unconcerned soul, looks upon it as a painting, wholly washed out by the rain (i.e. as a clear blank or vacuity). 58. Ráma asked: - What then becomes of the man, after subsidence of the worldly sights and desires from his mind; like the gross looking objects of a dream; and after the mind rests in its state of listless indifference. 59. Vasishtha replied: - Then the world recedes from his sight, and then this predilection of it, and his desire for its enjoyment depart and die away along with it. 60. Ráma rejoined: - How can this blind and deep rooted predilection, which has accompanied the soul from many previous births, and branched out into multifarious desires, resign its hold of the human heart all at once?

61. Vasishtha replied: - As the knowledge of truth, serves to disperse the rooted error of the material world from the mind, so the sense of the vanity of human desires, and of the bitterness of their enjoyment, dissipate their seeds at once from the heart (where they can take root no more). 62. Ráma rejoined: - After dissipation of the error of materiality, of the visible spheres of worlds; say, O sage, what is that state of the mind which follows it, and how its peace and tranquility at last? 63. Vasishtha replied: - After dissipation of the error of the material world, the mind reverts to its seat in the immaterial soul; where it is released from all its earthly bonds, and finds its rests in the state of an indifferent insouciance - vairágya. 64. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, if the error of the world is as little, as that of a child’s idea of sorrow, then what trouble there is for a man to remedy it? 65. Vasishtha replied: - All our desires, like the fond wishes of boys, being wholly extinct in the mind, there remains no more any cause of any sorrow in it; and this you may well know from the association of desires in all minds.

66. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, what is the mind, and how are we to know its nature and workings; and what good do we derive, by our best investigation of the mental powers and properties. 67. Vasishtha replied: - The inclination of the intellect towards the intelligibles, is called the mind, for its mending the thinkables only; and the right knowledge of its workings, leads to the extinction of all our worldly desires. (i.e. The thoughts of things, are productive of our desires for them; banish your thoughts, and you get rid of your desires at once). 68. Ráma rejoined: - Tell me sir, how long continues this tendency of the intellect towards the thinkables, and when does the mind come to have its unmindfulness, which causes our coma or anæsthesis of Nirvána. 69. Vasishtha replied: - There being a total absence of thinkable things, what is then left for the intellect to be intent upon; the mind dwells upon its thoughts only, but the want of thinkable objects, leaves nothing for it to think upon. 70. Ráma rejoined: - How can there be the absence of thinkables, when we have the ideas in store to think and reflect upon; nor is there any one who can deny the existence of ideas, which are ever imprinted in the mind (i.e. the eternal ideas).

71. Vasishtha replied: - Whatever is the ideal world of the ignorant, has no truth in it and is denied by the learned; and the conception which the sapient have of it, is that of a nameless and formless unity only. 72. Ráma rejoined: - What is that knowledge of this triple world of the ignorant, which has no truth or reality therein; and what is the true knowledge of the wise about it, which is inexpressible in words? 73. Vasishtha replied: - The knowledge of the ignorant, regarding the duality of the world, is wholly untrue from first to last; but the true knowledge of the wise, neither recognizes a duality herein; nor acknowledges the production hereof; (but views it in the light of a nullity and void). 74. Ráma rejoined: - Whatever is not produced in the beginning, can not of course exist at any time; but how is it, that this unreal and unapparent nothing, could come to produce in us its conception of a something? 75. Vasishtha replied: - This causeless and uncaused unreality of the world, appears unto us as a real entity; like the daydream that presents the false sight of the cosmos as a reality in our waking.

76. Ráma rejoined: - The sights that we see in our dreams, and the images that we conceive in our imagination; are but perceptions derived from our impressions of them in our waking state. 77. Vasishtha replied: - Tell me, O Ráma, whether the things that you see in your dream, or conceive in your imagination, are exactly of the same forms, that you see in your waking state. 78. Ráma replied: - The things that we see in our dream, and conceive of in our fancy or imagination; do all of them appear unto us in the same light, as they show themselves to us in our waking state. 79. Vasishtha questioned: - If the impressions of the waking state, come to represent themselves in our dreaming (and if our dreams are alike our waking sights), then tell me Ráma! why do you find your house standing entire in the morning, which you beheld to have fallen down in your dream. 80. Ráma answered: - I see that the things seen in waking, do not appear the same in dreaming; but tell me sir, why they seem to resemble those that have been seen before.

81. Vasishtha replied: - It is neither the notion nor idea of anything, that appears as a reality in our minds; but the inherent impression of the world in the soul, that exhibits it to us from first to last. 82. Ráma said: - I find it now, that this world is no better than a dream; but tell me sir, how to remedy our fallacy of its reality, which holds us fast as a goblin. 83. Vasishtha replied: - Now consider how this dream of the world has come into vogue, and what may be the cause thereof; and knowing that the cause is not different from its effect, view this visible creation in the light of its invisible origin. 84. Ráma said: - But as the mind is the cause of the sights, seen in our dreams in sleep, it must therefore be the same with its creation of this world, which is equally unsubstantial and undecaying as itself. (The world is the permeation of the Divine mind - its maker or pervader).

85. Vasishtha replied: - So it is, O most intelligent Ráma, the world is verily the manas - mens or the mind of God, which is no other than the consolidation of the Divine Intellect or intelligence. Thus the world being situated in the mind, and this in that, it is this mind only that exhibits these dreamlike shows, which originate from it, and have no other source besides. 86. Ráma rejoined: - But why am I not to think the identity of the world with Brahma himself, as there is the identity of the divine mind with him, and that of the mind with the creation. And likewise as the relation of sameness subsists between a component part and its ensemble or the integral whole, as there is between the branch of a tree and the tree itself? (because these are but parts of one undivided whole). But it would be absurd to identify the undivided and formless Brahma, with the divided and formal world. 87. Vasishtha replied: - It is impossible, O Ráma, to identify this frail world with the eternal Brahma, who is increate to identify this perishable, quite calm and quiescent and intact in his nature.

88. Ráma added: - I come to find at last and by a haphazard, my erroneous conception of the world from first to last; as also the error of my attributing the qualities of activity and passivity, to the nature of the transcendent being. 89. Vasishtha concluded with saying: - Now I have fully exposed the erroneous views of the world (entertained both by the wise and ignorant), both by the elegance of my poetical diction, as also by the enlightening reasonings of the learned; both of which are calculated to remove the mistaken views of the vacuity and delusion of the world, by establishment of the truth of the whole, as being composed of essence of the One sole and Supreme entity.

SOLUTION OF THE GREAT QUESTION OF UNITY AND DUALITY. Argument: - Concerning the identity of the world and God, or the total absence of the universe. Ráma rejoined: - If it is so sir, as you say, the world must be a great riddle; as it can neither be said to be in existence with all its contents, or it is a perfect nullity with every thing quite extinct in it. 2. This existence that shows itself as the world to sight, appears as a delusion or deception of vision in view; though it cannot properly be called an illusion, if it is composed of divine essence as you mean to say. 3. Vasishtha replied: - The fortuitous appearance in which Brahma, manifests himself of his own accord; is known to him as the world and subsisting in himself. 4. Ráma rejoined: - How does Brahma manifest himself as the world, before existence of space and after its extinction (at the ultimate dissolution of creation); and how does the divine spirit shine itself as the world in want of the light of the luminaries? 5. Vasishtha replied: - The world shines in this manner in the light of the Divine Intellect; and know this light to proceed from the Divine spirit, which is thus diffused all over the universe.

6. As the light of the lamp or chandelier, enlightens the house with its lustre; it was thus the holy light of the Divine spirit that shone itself, without presenting its outward appearance, or having any one to look upon it (before creation). 7. Thus it is an immaterial and imperishable entity, without any appearance of or looker on it; it shines with the light of the intellect, upon the basis or stand of the Divine spirit. 8. It shines in its visible appearance, in the sight of the spirit only, that constantly looks upon it, as it sees its dreams in sleep. 9. It shines only in the light of the intellect, and appears as the created world before its creation; all its visible and shining sheen being derived from the Supreme. 10. The One supreme intellect alone, assumes the triple forms of the sight, seer and seeing (i.e. the subjective, objective and the attribute), in the beginning of creation; and shows itself as the created world of its own nature and accord. 11. We have the resemblance of such like appearance, presenting unto us in our dreams and creatures of our fancy; and it is in the same manner, that this creation shines before us with the light of the intellect.

12. This world (shining so bright and fair), is like a vacuous body appearing in the vacuity of the intellect; the creation has neither its beginning nor end, it is a development of the intellect, which is distributed through it. 13. It has become habitual to our nature, to suppose the existence of the world, but the false impression of its visibility, is lost in the consciousness of high-minded men. 14. To them this creation presents no visible forms, nor any sensible appearance at all; it is to them a representation of fallacy only, as the mistake of a man in a statue, or taking a false apparition as real. 15. In this manner the blunder of a duality in the soul, produces a dualism in the mind; but ere the existence of creation, there existed no dualism of the creator and the created, or of the manifester and the manifested. 16. The want of a cause causes the appearance of a duality (i.e. of the causal agency and its effect, in the vacuity of the intellect); but tell me how could there be a cause when there is no creation in existence. (The creation presupposes a cause, but not otherwise nor its absence).

17. It is the Divine intellect alone, that manifests itself in the manner of the world, in the total absence of all visible objects; and though this seems to be the waking state of the Supreme soul, yet it is neither its waking, sleeping nor dreaming state. 18. The visible world is no production of dream, but a manifestation of Brahma himself; and there existed the Divine intellect only, in the manner of the infinite void, before the birth of the atmospheric vacuum of the world. 19. The intellect which beholds this universe as its body, without being distributed or changed in the form of the world; is purely of a spiritual or vacuous form, that manifested itself in this visible form before it came to existence. 20. And this visible world that is so manifest to view, is as void and vacuous as the empty air. 21. Now knowing this in your own understanding, you must remain devoid of all dualism in your mind; be as mute as a block of stone, nor give heed to the words of the universe in your heart, nor care for their sayings of earthly enjoyments, (for fear of losing your spiritual bliss).

ON THE ATTAINMENT OF SPIRITUAL ANAESTHESIA. Argument: - Ráma’s coma and trance, and his revival by the spiritual lecture of his preceptor. Ráma rejoined and said: - Alas! that I have so long strayed about, in the erroneous maze of the world; without the knowledge of its being a mere void and vacuum. 2. I now come to know the fallacy of my conception of the world, which is but a mere nullity; which never is nor was, nor shall ever prove to be a positive reality. 3. It is all still and supportless, and existing in our false knowledge of it; it is an endless formation of the solid intellect, and a mere vacuous conception of ours, without any figure or form or colour or mark of its own. 4. It is the transcendental vacuum and of a wholly inconceivable nature; and yet how wonderous it is, that we call this our world, our earth and the sphere of our action. 5. How it appears as a duality (apart from the unity of God), and how these worlds and mountains seen as separate and solid bodies of themselves; when they are in reality but the pellucid sky appearing as thick and opaque to our misconception of them.

6. This creation and the future world, are as the dreams that we see, but working of our imagination; while it is the intellect only that shows itself as these intelligible objects, which could not otherwise present their visible aspects to our conceptions of them. 7. The thought that I am situated in heaven or hell in this life, makes this world appear as such unto us; because the visibles are all objects or creatures of our consciousness of them. (It is the mind that makes a heaven or hell). 8. There is nothing as visible or its vision, nor this world or its creation, unless it is caused as such, by the intellect within us; it is neither a scene in our waking or sleeping, nor is this anything as real in its nature. 9. If this be but an erroneous sight, how could the negative error produce this positive spectacle, should it <be> but a false conception of the mind, then tell me, O sage, how could this blank fallacy bring forth the thought of this real existence.

10. It is not possible for error, to creep into the infallible mind of omniscience; nor is it probable that error should reign over this perfect creation at large; it is therefore the Lord himself, that exhibits his glory in this manner. 11. What can we think otherwise of the continuity of space, infinity of vacuum and infinity of time, than they are the attributes of omnipotence; and how are we to look on the transparency of the air and crystal, without thinking them as manifestation of his nature? 12. An erroneous notion is as false, as the sight of one’s own death in a dream; but how can this world which is so palpable to sight, be lost to or expunged from our sight, without losing our sight of its great manifester also? (To ignore the world is to ignore its maker also, as the denial of God leads to that of the world). 13. The sights of the mirage, fairy cities and double moons in the sky, are of course deceptions of vision and productions of our error; but the same analogy does not apply to our sight of the world.

14. The boys’ apparitions of ghosts, never lay hold on adults and the waking, nor on any one in the day light and open air; this and similar errors arise in our ignorance only, but they vanish upon our second thought and true knowledge of them. 15. It is improper in this place to raise the question, regarding whence this bug bear of error could rise among mankind; since it is evident from our own reasoning, that there is no such thing as avidyá or ignorance (which is the cause of error) ever in existence, nor an asat or not being even in being. (Because the Veda says सदेवईदमग्र आसीत् the existence existed from before). 16. It is evident by rational reasoning, that whatever is invisible and imperceptible to us, the same is called as asat or not being, and the conception of idea or that is termed an error. 17. That which is not clearly obtained by any proof or reasoning, and is as impossible as the sky-flower or the horn of a hare, how can that be believed to be as anything in existence.

18. And a thing however apparent to sight, but having no cause or evidence of its reality, cannot be believed as <a> thing in existence, but it must be a nullity like the issue of a barren woman. 19. Therefore there can no error at any time, nor can an error ever produce anything whatever; it is therefore the manifest omniscience of Providence, that is conspicuous in every part of this wide and grand display. 20. Whatever then is seen now to shine before us, is the manifestation of Supreme being itself; the same Supreme spirit fills this plenitude, and is full with it in itself. (So the Veda पूर्ण मदः पूर्णमिदं &c.). 21. There is nothing that is either shining or unshining here at any time, unless it be the calm and quiet and transparent spirit of God, that inheres in its body of the mundane world. 22. It is the one unborn, undying and unchanging everlasting Being, that is the most adorable and ever adored Lord of all, that fills and pervades the whole with his essence. He only is the word ego, selfmanifest - pure and all pervading, while I and all others are without our egoism, and shine only in that unity (literally, without our duality).

MENTAL TORPOR OR TRANQUILITY. Argument: - Ráma’s ecstatic hybernation and union with the Supreme unity. Ráma rejoined: - There is the only One alone whom neither the gods nor the rishis know or comprehend; He is without beginning, middle and end, and it is that being that thus shines himself, without this world and these phenomena. 2. It is useless to us to mind the difference, between the unity and duality, and to be led to the doubts created by the misleading verboilogy of erroneous doctrines; without relying in the state of one tranquil and unvarying Spirit. 3. The world is as clearly a vacuous body, appearing in the womb of vacuity; as the string of pearls and the aerial castles, that are seen in the open sky. 4. The world is attached in the same manner, to the solidity of the invisible intellect; as vacuity is inherent in vacuum, lapidity in the stone, and fluidity in water. 5. Though the world, appears to be spread on all sides of space; yet it is no more than an empty vacuity, lying calm and quiet, in the hollow womb of the great intellect. 6. This world appearing so fair and perspicuous, to the sight of ignorant people; vanishes as a phantom into nothing, at the sight of the boundless glory of the transcendent God.

7. The impression of difference and duality, existing between the creator and creation, among worldly men; vanishes upon reflection, like waves into the waters of the sea. 8. The existence of the world, together with all our miseries in it, before the light of our liberation; as the darkness of night flies away at sunrise, and the light of the day disappears, before the gloom of night. 9. Whether in plenty or poverty, or in birth, death or disease; or in the troubles and turmoils of the world, the wise man remains unshaken, though he may be overpowered by them. 10. There is no knowing nor error in this world, nor any pain or pleasure, or distress or delight in it; but they are all attributes of the deity, whose pure nature is unsullied by them. 11. I have come to know, that this existence is the immaculate Brahma himself; and is the want of our knowledge, which says anything to be beside the spirit of the Great God. 12. I am awakened to, and enlightened in divine knowledge; and find external existence cease to exist in any presence.

13. Perfect knowledge tells us, all these worlds to be but Brahma himself; but want of this knowledge says, I was no Brahma before, but have now become so by my knowledge. 14. The known and the unknown, the dark and the bright are all but Brahma, as vacuity and unity, and brightness and blueness, do all appertain to the one and same sky. 15. I am extinct in the deity (in my divine knowledge), and sit dauntless of anything; I am devoid of all desire, with my leaning in perfect blessedness; I am as I am, ravished in my infinite bliss, without my sensibility of what or which. 16. I am wholly that one and sole entity, which is naught but perfect tranquility; I see nothing but a calm and quiet, which utterly absorbs and enrapts me quite. 17. Knowing the knowable (the unknown One) is to unknow one’s self and ignore the visible; as this cognition continues to dawn in the soul, the whole cosmos sinks into oblivion and seems a block of stone, without the name and sign of anything being known.

RÁMA’S REST IN NIRVÁNA INSENSIBILITY. Argument: - Ráma’s feeling of his comatosity, and his relation of it to his preceptor Vasishtha. Ráma said: - In whatever manner and form, the living or individual soul conceives the universal soul within itself; it has the same conception or idea presented before it, agreeably to its concept thereof. (i.e. The divine spirit appears in the same form in us, as we think it to be). 2. All these worlds lie in concert in their spiritual state, in the boundless spirit of the great Brahma; but they appear to us in various lights, like the different rays, radiating from the one and same gem. 3. The great and bright quarry of the Divine Mind, contains all these gemming worlds in its unbounded bosom; all of which unite to shed and scatter their conjoined light upon us, like the commingled rays of the gems contained in the womb of a vast mine. 4. All these several worlds, shining together like so many lamps of a lustre; are clearly perceived by some and are imperceptible to others, as the blaze of day light is dazzling to the clear-sighted, but quite dim to the blind.

5. As the rushing of the contrary currents, describe the whirlpools in the waters of the deep; so do the contact and conflict of the elementary atoms, produce the consolidation and dissolution of worlds, which are no acts of creation. 6. The creation is everywhere but a coagulation, of the drizzling drops of the gelid intellect; who can therefore count the countless watery particles, that are incessantly oozing out of it, and are condensed in the forms of worldly spherules. 7. As the part is not different in its substance, from that of the whole; so the creation is not otherwise than its creator, except in the difference of the two terms of devious significations. 8. The causeless and uncausing unity, being the archetype of infinite variety; these numberless multiplicities are only ectypes of that sole moiety, and neither a duality nor pluralities whatever; nor do these copies and counterparts, ever rise or fall apart from their original prototype (but the both are showing the same). 9. It is that intelligence which shows the intelligibles in itself; it produces these unproduced productions to view, as the sun light exposes the visibles to light.

10. It is from my inappetency of all things in existence, that I have accomplished that perfection, and acquired that prosperity for myself, which is termed insouciance or the nirvána extinction. 11. It is not by our understanding this bliss, nor can we have any knowledge of it by our percipience; neither is there any knowledge whereby we may know, the unknown one which is alone to be known. (Here is a pun and play of the word bódha or knowledge, which is explained in the gloss to a great length). 12. It is a knowledge that rises of itself, and a waking of the soul resembling its somnolence; it throws a light as that of the midday sun in the inmost soul, and is neither confined in or absent from any place or time. (i.e. The full blaze of spiritual light, fills the soul at all times and places or as Pope says: It wraps my soul, and absorbs me quite). 13. It is after the subsidence of all desire within, and desistance from all actions without accompanied with one’s desistance from all wishes, that this stillness attends upon the enlightened soul.

14. The saint of awakened understanding, that is confined in himself, and absorbed in his meditation; is neither inclined to the prurience of any thing, nor to the avoidance of aught whatever. (“Have what I have, and dare not leave, enamoured of the present day.” Young). 15. In this state of rapture, the mind of the saint, though in full possession of its mental faculties; remains yet as fixed and inactive, and unmindful of all worldly things and bodily actions; as a burning taper, that consumes itself while illumes others, without any shaking or motion of its own. (i.e. Thoughtful and inactive). 16. The soul becomes as Viswarúpa or incorporated with the world, in its condition of thoughtfulness, when it is called the Viswátma or the mundane soul; or else it is said to be situated in the state of the immense void of Brahma, when it is devoid of and unoccupied with its thoughts. Hence creation and its cessation, both appertain to the Divine Intellect, in its states of activity or thoughtfulness and its wants or stupor.

17. He who is enrapt in divine ecstasy, and settled in his belief of the identity of the Deity with his excogitation of him, remains closely confined in himself with his rapture and secure from distraction of his mind (and perturbation of worldly thoughts). 18. He who relies only in the cogitation of his self, regardless of all other things in the world; comes to find the reality of his self-cognition alone, and else beside, to be as nil as empty air. (Literally: as empty air is not distinct from vacuity). 19. The man of enlarged understanding, has an unbounded store of knowledge in himself; but this ultimately ends in the knowledge of the unspeakable one. (The end of all knowledge is the knowledge of God). 20. It is therefore in our quietism, that we feel the very best entity of our consciousness, to be either dormant or extinct; and this state of tranquility of the mind, is unutterable in words. 21. That which is the acme of all knowledge, is the abstract and abstruse knowledge of all as the true One; hence the world is a real entity, in as much as it abides in the eternal One (in its abstract light).

22. The felicity of Nirvána - ecstasy, with the utter extinction of all desire, and the consciousness of a cool and calm composure of one’s self, is the summum bonum or highest state of bliss and perfection; that is aimed at to be attained even by the gods Brahmá, Vishnu and Siva. 23. All things (desirable to the soul), are always present with it, in all places and at all times; they are ever accompanied with our concepts of them in the intellect, which is the only pure entity that is ever in existence, and is never dissolved. (The thought survives the thing it represents). 24. Too hot is the busy bustle of the world, and very cooling is the bliss of Nirvána insensibility; it is therefore far better to have the cold heartedness of insouciance, than the heart burning heat of worldliness. 25. As an artist conceives in himself, the contrivance of a statue sculptured in relief, in the slab of his mind; so the Great Brahma sees this universe inscribed in him, in rilievo and not carved out of him. 26. Just as the spacious ocean looks upon the waves, heaving upon the surface of its waters; so doth the great Brahma see the myriads of worlds, rolling about in the midst of its intellect.

27. But ignorant people of dull understandings, behold those fixed inseparable spectacles, in the light of separate spectres, appearing in various shapes and forms, in the spheres of their intellect. 28. In whatever manner doth any body conceive anything in his mind, he verily thinks and beholds it in the same light, by his habitual mode of thinking the same as such. 29. As a man waking from his sleep, finds no truth in aught he saw in his dream; whether it be the death or presence or absence of a friend or other; so the enlightened soul sees no reality in the Life or death, of any living being seen in this visible world because none lives by himself, nor dies or departs away of himself, but all are deputed alike in the tablet of the eternal mind. 30. The thought and conviction of this truth in the mind, that whatever appears to pass under and away from our sight, is the fixed inert and quiescent réchauffé of its divine original, is sure and enough to forfend the mind, from its falling into the error of taking the copy for its mould.

31. This lesson will certainly tend to lessen the enjoyments of your body, that none of them will ever serve to prevent its fall to naught; as also to protect you from the error of accounting for the reality of these numberless, that are at best but passing sights in your dream. 32. Inappetency of earthly enjoyments increases our wisdom, as wisdom serves to diminish our worldly desires, thus they mutually serve to augment one another, as the open air and sunshine. 33. The knowledge which tends to create your aversion to riches, and to your family and friends, is of course averse to your ignorance and dullness; and the one being acquired and accomplished by you, serves to put an end to your ignorance at once. 34. That is the true wisdom of wise men, which is unalloyed by avarice, and that is the true learning of the learned, which is not vitiated by any yearning. 35. But neither wisdom and inappetency, singly and simply, nor their combined and augmented states, are of no good unless they have attained their perfection, but prove as vain as the blaze of a sacrificial fire in a picture, which has not the power of consuming the oblation offered upon it.