As the king invited the young prince to sit upon his lap, the prince instead chose humility, spreading a cloth upon the ground, where attendants respectfully covered it, and seating himself there. The king, seeing the prince’s wisdom and maturity, spoke warmly: “Son, you have attained discernment and are a vessel of virtues. With a mind matured like that of the wise, you do not let yourself be afflicted by sorrow.” He continued, “By following the teachings spoken by elders, sages, and teachers, one attains a blessed state, not by pursuing delusion. Calamities, though formidable, remain distant, my son, as long as the mind does not yield to the spread of delusion. Prince, mighty-armed one, you are a hero; by you these enemies—sense-objects—difficult to cut off and hard to overcome, have been conquered. Why, as if ignorant, do you sink into the ocean of delusion, full of dense waves and sluggishness, though you are fit for knowledge?” The king gazed at the prince’s eyes, radiant like moving clusters of blue lotuses, and asked, “Tell me, having abandoned the cause created by the mind, by what reason are you bewildered? On what are your sorrows based, how many are they, by whom, and for what reason do they assail your mind like thieves plundering a house? I consider you to be the highest refuge for those troubled by afflictions; for when a steadfast person is attained in adversity, those afflictions are conquered. Speak swiftly whatever you desire, O sinless one, and you shall obtain it; by that, all your afflictions will again be shattered.” Hearing these noble words, full of meaning and intent, the prince—scion of Raghu’s line—cast off his distress, as a peacock rejoices at the arrival of rain, assured that his cherished aim would be fulfilled. Thus questioned and reassured by the chief of sages, Rāghava spoke gentle words, measured and steadfast: “Revered one, since you have now asked, I shall speak as best I can, though ignorant; for who would disregard the words of the virtuous? I was born here in my father’s house, gradually attained growth, and, having acquired knowledge, am now established. Then, devoted to good conduct, O leader of sages, I traveled over the earth girdled by the ocean, undertaking pilgrimages.” He continued, “After this period, my own discernment swept away my attachment to worldly existence, just as a flood erodes the riverbank. My mind, filled with discernment, then reflected on this with an intellect that had lost all taste for enjoyment. What is this so-called happiness, truly, in this cycle of worldly existence? People are born only to die, and die only to be born again. All these moving and unmoving activities remain in their own state; the lords of calamities, sinful thoughts, and the sources of prosperity all abide in their respective domains. Like sticks of dishonor, mutually unconnected, thoughts come together only through the mind’s own imagination.” “This world, dependent on the mind, appears as an object of enjoyment; yet the mind itself here seems unreal—by what are we so thoroughly deluded? Alas, we are truly wretched, sold into unreality with deluded minds, like bewildered deer wandering in a distant forest, chasing the water of a mirage. We have not been sold by anyone, yet we stand as if sold; indeed, we are all deluded, even though we know the truth. Are these so-called enjoyments in the world truly so rare? In vain, out of delusion, we remain bound by our own fixed notions. Unknowing for a long time, we have wasted our lives, fallen into deep delusion, bewildered like innocent animals trapped in a pit.” “What use is kingship to me, what use are pleasures? Who am I, and what is all this that has come to be? Let whatever is false remain false—who indeed has truly gained anything? Thinking in this way, O Brahman, I have lost all interest in every state of being, just as a traveler loses desire for deserts. Therefore, venerable one, tell me: what is it that perishes, what is it that is born again, and what is it that grows and changes? Old age, death, birth, and also prosperity—all these revolve again and again through appearances and disappearances.” “By these fleeting states, we and others are worn down—see how we are brought to decay, like mountain trees battered by the wind. People, as if unconscious, are kept moving by the winds called breath, sounding out in vain like hollow reeds blown by the wind. I am tormented by this thought: how will this suffering cease? Like an old tree scorched by a fierce fire burning within its hollow. Even though my heart is sealed like a stone by the pain of worldly existence, I do not weep, for my tears are held back by fear of my own people. My face is empty, my actions hollow, my tears dry and devoid of feeling; only discernment, dwelling in my heart, observes me in solitude.” “I am greatly bewildered when I recall the state composed of being and non-being, like a fortunate man, though far from poverty, is troubled by thoughts of the world. Wealth, devoted to separation, deludes the mind, destroys virtues, and brings a net of sorrow. Wealth, twisted with heaps of anxieties, brings me no joy; wives and homes, once obtained, are like dreadful traps. My mind finds no satisfaction, O sage, bound as it is by endless reflections on the many faults and the ever-fragile causes of things, just as a wild elephant is chained.” “At every turn, at every hour, in the darkness of night, the clever thieves of the senses, skilled in plundering discernment, roam the world; tell me, O wise ones, who among us today are true warriors in this battle? This fortune, O sage, has been devised in this world for diversion; yet, indeed, it brings only confusion and is surely the source of misfortune.” Thus, with clarity and humility, the prince laid bare his heart before the wise sage, seeking guidance amidst the bewildering tides of worldly existence.