Having completed the sacrifice with great care, King Khāṇḍikya approached King Keśidhvaja and spoke with gratitude, acknowledging, “Through your guidance, I have properly completed the sacrifice.” Hearing these words, Keśidhvaja once more consulted with his ministers to determine what should be done next. The ministers advised him, “Ask him for the elephant—request the entire animal, without leaving any part behind.” At this suggestion, the noble Khāṇḍikya laughed gently and addressed his ministers, “O ministers, this course of action is truly for your own benefit in this world.” With these words, he made his way towards King Keśidhvaja. When Keśidhvaja agreed, saying, “So be it,” Khāṇḍikya spoke, “If you are prepared to give me the teacher’s fee, then tell me—why did you not ask for my kingdom, free from obstacles, instead?” Keśidhvaja replied, “Understand, O King, why I did not make such a request. It is the duty of kṣatriyas to protect their subjects. If I am powerless in some matter, and you act wrongly, the fault does not lie with me.” Khāṇḍikya continued, “My desire for sovereignty is born only from the wish to gain my share of birth and fortune. Among the virtuous, it is not considered righteous for a kṣatriya to request from another kṣatriya. The learned, when their minds are swayed by attachment, covet kingship. But I, seeking to cross the ocean of death through knowledge, act accordingly. By good fortune, your mind has attained discernment and a sense of wonder.” He went on, “That understanding which mistakes the non-self for the self, and regards what is not one’s own as one’s own, is the root of delusion. The embodied soul, veiled in ignorance, dwells within a body composed of the five elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—each existing separately. Whatever is enjoyed by the body, such as house, land, and so forth, and even in sons, grandsons, and those born from one’s body, a person acts for the enjoyment of all these bodies. Just as a house made of clay is smeared with clay and cow-dung, so too the body, made for enjoyment, enjoys pleasures of fivefold nature.” He reflected further, “Journeying along the path of transmigration through countless births, when the dust of ignorance is washed away by the warm water of knowledge, and the weariness of delusion subsides, a person attains a mind that is clear and tranquil. This self is made of liberation, composed of knowledge, and is pure. Just as water does not mix with fire, but only touches the vessel, so too the self, by contact with nature, becomes tainted by ego and other impurities. Thus, I have explained to you the very seed of ignorance. Apart from yoga, nothing else brings an end to afflictions.” After this, Khāṇḍikya, his words as sweet and nourishing as nectar, spoke again to inspire Keśidhvaja. “You have grasped the essence of the scriptures in this brief moment. Where the sage, having attained absorption in Brahman, abides without falling away—this is the highest state. Bondage arises from attachment to objects; liberation is freedom from all objects. For liberation, one should contemplate the Supreme Lord, who is Brahman. Just as iron is drawn by the power of a magnet, so too is the self drawn by its own power. The union of that self with Brahman is truly called yoga.