Listen, O twice-born, to the ancient wisdom that shines as the crown of Brahman. The scriptures, a portion of the Veda that concerns action, are the distilled essence and the fruitful culmination of the sages’ deeds. All creatures are naturally driven by desire—this is the universal tendency, and not otherwise. For such beings, the Veda prescribes action, and those who truly understand this remain devoted to their duties. Yet, for those who are capable, the true mark of dharma is said to be renunciation. Still, for all embodied beings, the root of worldly existence is ignorance. When actions deviate from one’s own nature, the subtle power within begins to wither. The embodied soul, composed of threefold elements and complete in itself, becomes bound by ignorance when it lacks true knowledge. Depending on the weight of virtue or sin, the soul is established in four ways: it descends to hell through evil deeds, ascends to heaven through good deeds, experiences a mixed state through both, or remains bound in the cycle. The embodied being is born in many forms—sprout-born, sweat-born, egg-born, or womb-born—each established through actions, yet remaining ignorant and unsatisfied. O noble ones, liberation is not attained by progeny, nor by actions or wealth, nor even by renunciation alone. Lacking these, the soul continues to wander in the world. Because of the fault of ignorance and the force of varied actions, the embodied one takes on sixfold conditions—experiencing suffering in the womb, during birth, upon earth, and throughout childhood, youth, old age, and even at the moment of death. For the wise who reflect, suffering arises from union with women and from many other causes. For those who suffer, one pain is calmed only by another pain. Desire is never quenched by enjoyment of objects; just as clarified butter poured on a fire only makes it blaze more fiercely, so too does desire grow. Upon reflection, there is no real satisfaction in union with objects, nor in their acquisition, preservation, or expenditure. Even in the worlds of demons, rakshasas, yakshas, gandharvas, and the lunar realm, suffering is present. In the realms of Prajapati, Brahma, the natural world, and among humans, suffering arises from decay, excess, and various other causes. All such fortunes and wealth are impure and should be abandoned. Eightfold enjoyments, the sixteenfold state, and all their varieties—twenty-four, thirty-two, forty, and so on—are to be given up. For the discerning, suffering is seen in forty-eight, fifty-six, and sixty-four forms. Consider the types of suffering: earthly, aqueous, fiery, airy, ethereal, and mental, each in their turn; likewise, egoic, intellectual, and natural forms—all are suffering, as even yogis and knowers of Brahman agree without doubt. Even the leaders of the divine hosts experience suffering, though it may be secondary; at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end—in all worlds, suffering is always present. Sufferings that are present and those yet to come arise as they do in places corrupted by faults, and they take on many forms. Those who are ignorant but think themselves wise do not reflect on past sufferings. Food itself is not happiness, but merely removes hunger and disease. Just as medicine for illness is not for pleasure, so too do cold, heat, wind, rain, and the like, affect embodied beings in their proper seasons. There is no doubt that this is suffering, though the unlearned do not recognize it—even in heaven, O best of sages, suffering arises from impurity, decay, and similar causes. Beings are afflicted by various diseases, by passion, hatred, fear, and more, just as a tree whose roots are cut inevitably falls to the ground. In the same way, when the store of merit is exhausted, even those who dwell in heaven fall back to earth—those whose foundation is desire for suffering, whose wealth is the enjoyment of suffering. For those who fall from such heights, suffering is harsh, even for the gods; and in hell, suffering is certain, as they experience the torments of hellish states. O best of sages, for those of the castes, suffering arises from failing to perform their prescribed duties. Just as a deer, terrified by the fear of death and deprived of its home, cannot sleep, so too does a great ascetic devoted to meditation, fearful of worldly existence, find no rest. Suffering is clearly seen among insects, birds, wild animals, cattle, elephants, and horses; therefore, the highest happiness belongs to one who renounces. Even among celestial beings, those presiding over aeons, those attached to their stations, and the Manus and others, suffering persists, O virtuous ones. Among gods and demons, suffering arises from mutual rivalry; so too among kings, among the rākṣasas, and in all three worlds. The four stages of life exist for the sake of effort among the castes, but not by these stages, nor by the gods, nor by sacrifices, nor by Sāṅkhya, nor by vows, nor by severe austerities, nor by various gifts, is the Self attained. Only the wise attain it by themselves. Therefore, with all effort, one should observe the vow of Pāśupata. The wise should always sleep upon ashes, steadfast in the Pāśupata vow. Endowed with knowledge of the five principles, absorbed in the essence of Śiva, the wise one attains liberation, cutting through the bonds of ritual action by the method of yoga. One who is united with the five principles reaches the end of suffering. That which is to be known by supreme knowledge cannot be grasped by lower knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge to be known: the higher and the lower. Among these, O best of twice-born, the lower is the Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda, Atharvaveda, the Veda that accomplishes all purposes, instruction, ritual, grammar, etymology, metre, and astrology—this is the lower knowledge. The higher knowledge is established as imperishable: it is that which cannot be seen or grasped, has no lineage, and is without characteristics. Thus, the wise discern the path to liberation, seeking the imperishable essence beyond all suffering.