When the knot of delusion is cut by truly listening to my words, you will come to know for yourself the reality behind knowledge, words, and their meanings. The mind is the source of both misfortune and its opposite—peace can be attained simply by hearing and absorbing what I say. Everything arises from Brahman and, indeed, everything is Brahman alone; awakened by these teachings, you will realize this fully, O blameless one. Yet, you may wonder: if the phrase “this is” points to distinction, why is it said, O Lord of gods, that all is undivided? For the sake of instruction in the scriptures, words arise either from their sounds or their meanings, marked by the exclusion of opposites and by the process of enumeration. But this difference is only seen in practical dealings, not in the ultimate reality—much like a goblin imagined for the amusement of a child. In the state where things abide as they truly are, even duality and unity do not exist. In such a state, how could there be any disturbance of thought? The relationship of cause and effect is defined by its own characteristics, just as the cause and the one possessing the cause, and likewise the sequence of parts. Confusion arises through transformation, distinction and non-distinction, as well as through the modifications of states, knowledge and ignorance, pleasure and pain—all these spring forth in this way. Thus, beginning with these, false imagination arises, produced by the activity of fanciful thought. This is only for the sake of understanding by the ignorant, for in reality, there is no division in the substance itself. This division exists solely due to lack of understanding; when knowledge arises, duality dissolves. As true knowledge dawns, all mental constructions subside and only silence remains. At the culmination of inquiry, when you have attained understanding, you will know the Supreme—one, without beginning or end, indivisible and unbroken. Those who are unawakened engage in mental distinctions, expanding their own imaginations; but this teaching is given for instruction—when knowledge arises, duality does not exist. Without the connection between word and meaning, duality cannot be established; and duality itself is not possible—whether in silence or in speech, that is sufficient. O descendant of Raghu, establish your intellect in the meaning of the great sayings, disregarding differences in words; listen now to what I say. The mind, arising from somewhere, is like a city of the Gandharvas—producing only delusion. This manifestation called the world is merely its own projection. Just as the mind projects this illusion of the world, O sinless one, listen as I now explain this with an example regarding the perception of creation. Hearing this, O Rama, you will become convinced that all this is merely delusion, and you will cast away attachment from afar. The three worlds are nothing but a creation of thought and imagination; abandoning everything, with a peaceful mind, you will abide in your own Self alone. Attentive to the meaning of my words, you will strive to treat the disease of the mind, applying the ointment of discernment with effort. Thus, it is only the mind that appears as the form of the world here; the body and such do not truly exist, just as there is no oil within sand. Indeed, it is only the mind that is called saṃsāra, tainted by the afflictions of passion and suffering; when freed from these, that itself is said to be liberation. The mind is to be mastered, protected, examined, and treated nobly; it is to be nourished, engaged in activity, guided, and upheld with care. Thus, the mind holds within itself the varied forms of the three worlds; like a peacock’s egg, it unfolds in due time. That portion of the mind which is consciousness is the seed of all things; and its inert portion is itself the world, a limb of illusion. In the primal creation, this earth and so forth are truly nonexistent; formless and unborn, it seems as if seeing a dream, yet does not see. By extended awareness, creation and the like are known; by inert awareness, mountains and such are perceived; the subtle is known by subtle awareness; the body is void, not real. The mind, as the self pervading all, is filled with its own cognitions; serene, pure, and gentle, like water illuminated by sunlight. The immature mind, ignorant, sees the Lord of the world as false; but with understanding, it perceives its own true, flawless form. How the self comes to be seen as the source of duality and unity’s confusion—listen, I will explain this to you in the sequence of stories to be told. Whatever is spoken with apt similes that touch the heart, and with sweet, charming words, O listener, that spreads throughout the heart, pervading it like oil in water, without doubt. But what is spoken without simile, with unpleasant words, obscure, agitated, hurried, and poorly expressed, does not enter the listener’s heart, but perishes, like clarified butter poured into ashes. Whatever stories and tales exist in the world, whatever knowledge is declared or explained, O noble one, through the telling of examples and analogies, all this quickly illuminates the world, just as the moon’s white rays do. Long ago, Brahma spoke to me about the creation, O sinless one; as you ask, O Raghava, I will now tell you what I learned. I once questioned the blessed lotus-born Brahma, “O Brahman, how do these groups of creations arise?” Thus, the mind alone manifests in this way, appearing as if it were real, like the restless and expansive patterns of water in a lake, with its varied whirling forms. At the dawn of day, when one awakens and desires to create the world, listen, my dear, to what once happened in a previous cycle. Once, at the end of the day, having withdrawn all creation, I remained alone, focused and tranquil, and led the night by myself. At the end of the night, awakening and performing the prescribed twilight rites, I directed my vision toward the vast sky to observe the beings. As I gazed, I saw the sky neither filled with darkness nor with light, but utterly expansive, empty, and without any limit.