Listen, as the sage explains the mysterious nature of reality to Viduratha. He begins: “In dreams, those who dwell in distant cities appear as real as anything, yet in truth, they are only forms—reflections of reality. Hear my words carefully: it is direct perception alone that holds validity; all else is but illusion. At the dawn of creation, the self-born One radiated forth, embodying experience much like the dream state. This entire universe is nothing but the manifestation of that primal resolve, and so, it too is dream-like in its essence. Thus, this universe is itself a dream. Within it, you are real to me—just as you are—so too are the others who inhabit this dream. And, indeed, within dreams, people dream further, their own realities unfolding. If those who dwell in a dream-city are not truly real, then, in this world—which is of the same nature—you are not truly real to me either. Yet, just as I am real to you, so too are you real to me; in dreams and in waking life, this mutual reality is established for us both. In the vast dream of worldly existence, our reality for each other remains, just as it does in all dreams. For the dreamer who is awake, the city seen in the dream persists, owing to its true nature. This, O Lord, is my understanding. Indeed, it is so. The dream city remains due to its own reality, even for the dreamer who is without sleep, clear as the sky in its form. Let that be. But what you consider to be waking life—know that it, too, is but a dream within, adorned with space, time, and all else. In this way, all appears, yet none of it is truly real, though it seems so. Its allure is false, like the delight of a woman seen only in a dream. All things exist everywhere, both within and outside the body; yet, whatever one knows, according to one’s own awareness, that alone one perceives as real. Just as whatever substance is in a container is obtained by looking into it, so too, whatever is apprehended is found within the space of consciousness. Then, the goddess Knowledge spoke to Viduratha, her words sweet with the nectar of awakening and discernment. She said, “O King, all this has been described for the sake of play. May good fortune be yours; we shall now depart, having seen the visions we were meant to see.” Thus addressed by Sarasvati in gentle tones, the wise King Viduratha replied, “O goddess, even seeing you becomes fruitless when I am in need; but how could your presence, which bestows such great rewards, ever be in vain? O goddess, leaving this body behind, I move on to another realm; I return to my own, just as one passes from one dream into another. Mother, grant me refuge here; do not disregard a devoted supplicant. O giver of boons, the great never scorn those who seek shelter. Wherever I go, let this one—my minister—and this princess, though still a child, come with me. Show me compassion. Come, rule the kingdom with discernment and beauty, as is fitting of your previous birth; act without hesitation. Never have we seen anyone turn away those who seek help.” The goddess replied, “O king, in this great battle, you must now die; your former kingdom must be regained, and this is clear to me. The princess, the minister, and you must return to your former city; having become corpses, you must regain your bodies there. Both of us arrived as we did, and you came in the form of wind; that place must be reached by the princess and the minister as well. The horse follows one path, the camel and donkey another; the elephant, with cheeks wet from intoxication, follows yet another path.” As this conversation continued, sweet words flowing between them, a man hurried in and stood above, exclaiming, “O lord, a great hostile force has arrived, raining arrows, wheels, swords, maces, and iron clubs, surging like a single ocean. Like mountain stones swept by the wind at the end of an age, showers of maces, spears, and clubs are being hurled, falling like rain. In the city, which resembles a mountain, fire has spread, filling all directions; with crackling bursts, it is toppling the finest buildings. In the sky, smoke rises like great mountains formed from the collision of cosmic clouds, striving to soar upward like mighty Garudas. People, agitated, speak in the midst of harsh cries; outside, a great tumult has arisen, filling all directions. The bows are drawn forcefully, raining arrows, and the trumpeting of huge, intoxicated elephants resounds. Within the city, amid the crackling bursts of leaping flames, the cries of citizens whose wives have been burned resound in great distress. The fragments of fire, with their harsh, crackling roar, blaze forth, their flames flickering with a sound like ‘dhvaga-dhvaga.’ Through the window, the two queens, the minister, and King Viduratha beheld the city in the deep of night, rising up with a tremendous roar. It was filled with the force of a single, vast ocean, agitated by the winds of dissolution, and surging with waves of dense, ominous clouds, driven by a supreme power. The city was being consumed by great masses of flame, as bright as the bodies of mountains dissolving in the fire at the end of an age, filling the sky. Terrifying, tumultuous cries resounded, mingled with the thunder of massive clouds that seemed close enough to grasp, and the fleshly mutterings of incantations. The sky was veiled by clouds of smoke, swirling like the eddies of a lotus pond, and ceaselessly lit by masses of flames resembling golden clouds. The sky flickered with the glow of meteor fragments and shooting stars, while the multitude of burning bodies illuminated the scene with blazing fire. The city, its armies destroyed, was filled with heaps of embers and clouds of ash, resounding with harsh, dreadful wails and the fierce roar of worlds being burned.