One who possesses a noble nature and has crossed the boundless ocean of worldly existence through supreme discipline stands ever content, untouched by sorrow, dejection, or affliction. Such a one remains free, abiding in unshakable happiness. At this point, a disciple earnestly addresses the revered Brahman: “Please, step by step, describe to me the state of one who is liberated while still living, just as it was established in Rama from the very beginning. By understanding this, may I always abide in happiness.” He continues, “O noble one, this world-delusion that has arisen is colorless, formless, like empty space. It is better, I feel, to forget it entirely, rather than allow it to resurface again and again in memory. Unless one realizes the absolute non-existence of the perceived world, one never truly experiences liberation. Therefore, let us seek out this knowledge.” “If such knowledge is indeed attainable here and now, then this scripture exists precisely for that purpose. If you listen with attention, you will surely attain the truth; without it, there is no other way. This world-delusion, though it appears to be real, is not truly there. Through sincere inquiry, O sinless one, it vanishes like a color dissolving in the vastness of space.” “When, through the knowledge that the perceived world does not truly exist, the mind’s attachment to objects is cleansed, then arises the supreme bliss of nirvana. Otherwise, those who endlessly wander in the labyrinth of scriptures, without this direct knowledge, never attain natural wisdom or liberation, not even in countless ages.” “The highest liberation is said to be the abandonment of all latent tendencies. This is the pure path, O Brahman, the revealer of true knowledge. When these latent tendencies are exhausted, the mind quickly dissolves, just as, when the stream of cold ceases, the snowflake melts away.” “This body, a mere cage of elements, is sustained by these latent impressions, just as a bundle of threads is held together by the thread that runs through it. These impressions are of two kinds: pure and impure. The impure is the cause of birth, while the pure brings about the end of birth.” “The impure impression, say the wise, is thick with ignorance and strong with ego; it is the source of rebirth. The pure impression, having abandoned the seed of rebirth, remains like a roasted seed—present but unable to sprout again. It endures until the end of the body and is called ‘pure’ because, in it, the knower and the known are truly realized.” “In embodied beings who are liberated while living, there remains this pure impression, which does not cause rebirth, much like a wheel that continues to turn for a while even after the force is withdrawn. Those whose impressions are pure, who no longer generate further birth or suffering, and who have realized the unity of knower and known, are called ‘liberated while living’—the truly wise.” “I shall now explain to you the state of such liberation while living, as attained by the great-minded Rama, for the cessation of old age and death. O Bharadvaja, great in wisdom, listen as I recount the auspicious path of Rama. By hearing this, you will come to know everything, in every way.” Rama, whose eyes were as radiant as lotuses, having completed his studies, spent his days at home, engaged in playful activities and free from all fear. In those days, as the king ruled the earth, the people lived in happiness, free from sorrow and established in stability. In time, Rama, endowed with all virtues, felt a deep longing arise within his heart—a desire to visit the holy places and the hermitages of the sages. Reflecting on this, Raghava approached his father and, with great reverence, took hold of his father’s feet, just as a swan gently grasps the fresh filaments of a lotus. He said, “Father, my mind is filled with eagerness to see the sacred places, the abodes of the gods, the forests, and the holy shrines. Please grant this wish of mine. There is no one in the world who, having asked you, has been disappointed.” Thus entreated, the king, after consulting with the sage Vasistha, considered Rama’s request and granted him permission, for he was the first to ask. On an auspicious day, under a favorable star, Rama—adorned with auspicious ornaments and having received blessings from the brahmins—set out with his two brothers. He was accompanied by learned brahmins, sent by Vasistha, who were well-versed in the scriptures, and by a few affectionate and distinguished princes. Blessed by his mothers, who adorned him with their embraces and good wishes, Rama departed from his home, intent on undertaking his pilgrimage. As he left the city, the air was filled with the sounds of musical instruments, and the women of the city gazed upon him with eyes as eager as swarms of bees. Along his path, village women, their lotus-like hands outstretched, showered him with rice grains, so that he seemed like a snowy mountain covered with fresh snowflakes. Rama drew near to the groups of brahmins, listened to the blessings of the people, gazed at the horizons, and wandered through the wilderness. Proceeding gradually from his own Kosala region, he performed bathing, made offerings, engaged in austerities, and continued his study. He observed rivers, sacred places, holy forests, shrines, and wild lands at the forest’s edge, as well as the banks of oceans and mountains. He beheld the Mandakini, shining like the moon; the Kalindi, pure as a lotus; the Sarasvati, the Shatadru, the Chandrabhaga, and the Iravati. He visited the Vena, the Krishnavena, the Nirvindhya, the Sarayu, the Carmanvati, the Vitasta, the Vipasha, and also the Bahuda rivers. He journeyed to Prayaga, Naimisha, Dharmaranya, Gaya, Varanasi, Srigiri, Kedara, and Pushkara. He visited Manasa, Kramasaras, Uttaramānasa, Vadava, Madava, and the multitude of sacred places with their hollows. He went to the Agni tirtha, the great tirtha, the Indradyumna lake, and to many other lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. He visited the shrines of Svamin, Karttikeya, Hari at Saligrama, and the sixty-four abodes of Hara, the lord of Girija. Rama saw many wondrous and marvelous places: the banks of the four oceans, the caves and groves of the Vindhya mountains, and the grounds of the ancestral hills. Thus, he journeyed on, his heart ever intent on the sacred, his mind ripening in wisdom.