O Raghava, listen well to the wisdom of tranquility and inquiry. The mind, by its very nature, is drawn toward serenity wherever it finds it. Among people, even the beauty of the moon does not evoke as much wonder as does the presence of one who is truly peaceful. When a person is firmly established in tranquility and radiates goodwill toward all beings, the highest truth reveals itself to him spontaneously, as if by its own accord. Just as all beings, whether harsh or gentle, instinctively trust a mother, so too they place their trust in one who is tranquil. No elixir, no embrace of fortune, can grant the happiness that arises from inner peace. Therefore, O Raghava, comfort your mind—so often afflicted by countless ailments and bound by the cords of craving—with the nectar-stream of tranquility. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, if your mind is cooled by tranquility, that alone brings you supreme sweetness—not otherwise. When the mind is bathed in this nectar and attains contentment, even limbs once severed seem to be restored by its power. Neither spirits, nor demons, nor daityas, nor enemies, nor tigers, nor serpents—none bear enmity toward one who abides in tranquility. When one is protected by the armor of this nectar of tranquility, sorrows cannot pierce him, just as arrows cannot penetrate a diamond stone. Even a king, surrounded by ministers and the women of his palace, does not shine as much as one adorned by the beauty of tranquility and steady conduct. People do not feel the same joy from seeing something dearer than life itself as they do upon encountering a peaceful and composed person. Truly, the one who lives rightly, with a tranquil and disciplined way of life, is alive in this world and honored by all—none else is so. Whatever good deed is performed by one whose mind is humble and peaceful, all beings in this world rejoice in it. Who is peaceful? He who, upon hearing, touching, seeing, eating, or smelling what is pleasant or unpleasant, neither rejoices nor is dejected. He who is equal in all situations, neither desiring nor rejecting, and who has conquered his senses through effort—he is peaceful. He whose mind is clear and undisturbed as the disk of the autumn moon, even amid death, celebration, or battle—he is peaceful. He who, though remaining in place, seems as if unattached, who neither rejoices nor becomes angry, whose mind is as at ease as in deep sleep—he is tranquil. He whose gaze, delightful like the flow of nectar, extends with affection toward all—he is tranquil. He whose actions, both inner and outer, are seen with a clear and pure mind—he is tranquil. He whose mind remains insignificant and unaffected, even amid dire calamities or at the end of an age, even when all is burning—he is tranquil. He who has attained inner coolness, who does not sink into the states of mind, who acts in the world without confusion—he is tranquil. He whose mind, always engaged in his own actions, remains as spotless as the sky—he is tranquil. Among ascetics, the learned, the sacrificers, kings, the strong, and the virtuous, it is the one endowed with tranquility who truly shines. In the minds of the great, endowed with virtues and absorbed in tranquility, contentment arises from consciousness as moonlight from the cool-rayed moon. Equanimity, the boundary of all virtues, the unique ornament of true manliness, the place of fearlessness in difficulties, shines forth resplendent. Thus, O Rama, just as the great ones attained the highest state by relying on supreme, immortal, unstealable, noble-favored equanimity, so too should you steadily follow that path for success. Now, know this: one who understands causes, whose mind is purified by clear understanding of scripture, and who has self-control, must undertake inquiry. Through inquiry, the intellect becomes sharp and perceives the supreme state; for inquiry is the great medicine for the long-standing disease of worldly existence. The forest of calamity, with forms nourished by endless desires, once cut down by the saw of inquiry, does not grow again. In moments of delusion, loss, hardship, and confusion, inquiry is the true path of the wise. Without inquiry, there is no means at all for supreme peace; through inquiry, the noble mind abandons the unwholesome and attains the wholesome. Strength, intelligence, brilliance, discernment, and the fruit of action—all these arise in the wise solely through inquiry. With the great lamp of discernment, which distinguishes the appropriate from the inappropriate and fulfills all desires, one should cross the ocean of worldly existence, relying on expansive inquiry. The pure mind, like a noble lion of discernment, tears apart the great elephant of delusion whose lotus heart has not yet been wounded. Those who are deluded, yet by the force of time attain the supreme state—this, too, is the unsurpassed manifestation of the lamp of inquiry. Kingdoms, abundant wealth, immense enjoyment, and even eternal liberation—these, O Raghava, are the fruits of the wish-fulfilling tree of discernment. The noble thoughts of the great, which delight in discrimination, do not sink in adversity, just as gourds do not sink in water. Those who act with minds illuminated by the rising of discernment become vessels for exceedingly noble fruits. But the creepers of suffering grow in the hearts of fools, in the forests where hope is obstructed and the trees of discernment do not exist. May the sleep composed of non-inquiry, dark as lamp-black and intoxicating like wine, come to an end for you, O Raghava.