With a mind that is pure and vast, serene and luminous in the glow of noble reflection, you, Rama, shine with a heart both virtuous and spotless, much like the clear sky bathed in the gentle radiance of the moon. Your presence is worthy of the highest respect, for your mind is fulfilled, you know how to ask with discernment, and you grasp what is spoken; thus, I am eager to speak further to you. Settle yourself, O Raghava, in a mind free from the disturbances of rajas and tamas, inclined wholly toward pure sattva. Remain steady and attentive, for this knowledge is to be heard with such a mind. In you are found all the virtues of a true questioner, and in me, those of a worthy teacher—just as the ocean holds the splendor of all gems. You have attained a deep dispassion, born of discernment and detachment, O sage, just as the moonstone receives its coolness from the rays of the moon. Since childhood, you have practiced noble qualities—pure, steadfast, and enduring—like the unbroken, immaculate stalks of the lotus. Therefore, listen as I unfold this story; you alone are truly fit to receive it. For, just as the water-lily cannot fully blossom in purity without the moon, so too this tale finds its fullness only in your presence. Know that whatever actions we undertake, and whatever perceptions arise, all of these, upon realization of the supreme state, come completely to rest. If the mind of the seeker does not find repose in true knowledge, then who in this world could possibly bear the endless burden of anxieties? When the supreme is attained, all movements of thought dissolve, just as boulders on the mountain are swept away by the flood of the sun’s rays at the end of an age. O Rama, the unbearable affliction of worldly existence, poisoned by delusion, is pacified by the purifying mantra of yoga, just as the antidote of Garuda subdues poison. In this way, just as Hari, Hara, Brahma, and the other great ones remain free from curiosity and disturbance, so too do those best of men, who have realized their inner light, abide in the world with awakened understanding. When delusion is exhausted, the dense cloud of ignorance disperses, and the truth is recognized—when the self is realized as intended, whether through reasoning with the wise or by seeing the reality of existence and non-existence in those whose forms have faded—then this worldly wandering becomes a delight and a play. When the essence of mind is clear and radiant within the heart, when all perceptions and creations appear as a unified experience, and when the workings of the inner instrument come to rest in tranquility, then, with the truth seen by wisdom, this wandering in the world becomes a delight and a play. The body is the chariot, its firmness; the movement of the senses is like the motion of horses; the subtle vibration is from the wind. Yet I, unmeasured, infinite, and without distinction, am not any of these. Whether as the embodied one I seem to roam the world, or as the supreme, with pure understanding, seeing the truth—this wandering in the world is but a play. Relying on this vision, those whose souls are strong and whose intellects are clear move about untroubled, great ones, as if newly arisen. They do not grieve, they do not beg, nor do they desire good or bad; they do everything, yet do nothing at all. They remain established in their own nature, help others become established in themselves, and move about, free from notions of acceptance or rejection, abiding in the Self. They come and yet do not come; they go to the forest and yet do not go; even when not acting, they act; even when not speaking, they speak. Whatever undertakings there may be, whatever perceptions arise—those seen as to be accepted or rejected—all are dissolved upon attaining the supreme state. When all desires are abandoned, the mind, moving sweetly, attains happiness everywhere, remaining steady like the orb of the moon. Even without creating or beginning anything, even when all curiosity has ceased, one does not become intoxicated within oneself, just as nectar does not intoxicate the moon. Such a one does not perform illusions, nor does he chase after desires; having abandoned childish fickleness, he shines forth in fullness. Where, through constant practice, the unity of one’s own experience, the true scripture, and the teacher’s words is realized—there the self is continually beheld. One who disregards the meaning of scripture, and is scorned by the wise—even if he falls into great misfortune—should not seek equality with the ignorant. There is no disease, no poison, nor any calamity on earth that brings as much suffering to people as the folly that dwells within their own bodies. For those whose minds are somewhat refined, this scripture is to be heard; there is no other scripture that so removes ignorance. This teaching is pleasant to hear, adorned with stories and examples, and in every way harmonious with the meanings of all scriptural statements. Those calamities that are hard to cross, and those trivial wrong actions—all these arise from ignorance, just as thorns grow from the khadira tree. It is better, O Rama, to wander with a begging bowl in the streets of outcastes than to live a life ruined by ignorance. Upon encountering this illumination, which is filled with the means to liberation, a person does not again fall into blindness, nor into the darkness of delusion. The lotus of human life, darkened by craving, remains contracted until the pure radiance of the sun of discernment arises. For the sake of release from the suffering of worldly existence, together with companions like myself, one should know the true nature of the self, based on the authority of the teacher and scripture. The liberated while living move about here just as Hari, Hara, and others do; as do other great sages—so, Raghava, you too should live in this way. Here, sufferings are endless, while happiness is as fleeting as a moment; therefore, one should not fix their gaze on pleasures, which are bound to suffering. That state which is endless and effortless is to be attained for the essence of perfection; it must be pursued with effort by one who understands. Those who are supreme among men are the vessels of human purpose—whose minds, free from affliction, are anchored in the unsurpassed state. Those who are satisfied only with pleasures such as eating, enjoyment, and sovereignty, whose minds are corrupt—know them to be blind and like hollow drums. Those who are devoted to the enjoyment of pleasures, who are cunning, malicious, intent on wicked deeds, and who appear as friends while harboring enmity—these deluded ones, whose minds are sluggish with ignorance, go from one hardship to another, from one sorrow to the next, from one fear to another, and from one hell to another.