O Rama, the dark-eyed beloved is established deep within the treasury of the mind, much like the goddess Bhagavati dwelling in the exalted abodes of the gods. Even in the face of losing one’s beloved, sorrow does not take hold—just as a mountain, embraced by clouds in summer, feels no torment from the heat. Wherever I go, however I remain or move, O King, I find nothing apart from the attachment I desire. This mind, known by names such as Ahalya’s beloved and the Indra of the mind, becomes attached only through association; its nature is not inherently bound. The mind of one who is steadfast and fixed upon a single aim cannot be shaken, not even by the force of the greatest boons or curses, just as Mount Meru stands unmoved. The body may change through boons or curses, but the mind of the resolute, which has arisen with the desire to conquer, remains unaffected. Here, O King, the fragments of the body are not the causes for the mind; rather, the mind is the cause in these bodies, just as water pervades all groves and clusters of reeds. Know, O great-souled one, that the primary body is the mind; through it, the multitude of bodies is imagined in the world. Wherever the mind, the primary body, abides, there alone does it bear fruit abundantly for that person. Understand, O fortunate one, that the mind is the main sprout of a person; from it, bodies arise like shoots from a tree. When the sprout is destroyed, the glory of the shoots does not arise again, but the sprout itself does not perish when the leaves are destroyed. When the body perishes, the mind swiftly creates a multitude of new bodies, just as a new forest appears in a dream. If the mind is destroyed, the body is powerless; thus, preserve the jewel of the mind. O King, in every direction, I see only the doe-eyed one, my beloved; my mind is ever delighted by you, dear woman. I do not perceive, whether for a moment or for a long time, any result of your pleasures that brings sorrow. Then, as Indra spoke thus, the lotus-eyed king addressed the sage named Bharata, who was seated nearby. “Venerable one, knower of all dharma, do you see the audacity openly displayed by this wicked man who has taken my wife? O great sage, give him a curse fitting his sin. For the punishment of the unpunishable, destruction by killing alone is proper.” Thus addressed by the lion among kings, the noble sage Bharata quickly considered the sin of the wicked man as it truly was. He pronounced the curse: “With this evil-doer, overcome by betrayal of her husband, you of corrupt mind, go to destruction together.” Because of the curse, both of them, their minds bound by attachment, fell to the earth like two leaves shaken from a tree. Afterwards, bound to misfortune, they took birth as deer, and still attached, both were born again as birds. Now, O Lord, in this creation, a brahmin couple has been born—deeply devoted to ascetic practice, bound together by mutual intention, and supremely virtuous. Indeed, O Lord, Bharata’s curse affected only their bodies, not the restraint of their minds. Ever since, wherever they are born, those two always become husband and wife, due to bodily tendencies. Observing the pure, natural affection infused with the essence of love between them, even the trees, touched by that nectar of affection, are stirred with gestures of romance. Therefore, O venerable sage, I say this as it arises in my mind: the mind is ungraspable, impenetrable, and not subdued even by powerful curses. The destruction of the lunar race or the order of creation is not appropriate, O Brahman; such a thing does not befit the great-souled one. What in this world or among the various worlds could bring misery to you, O Lord, or to the Lord of lords, who is great-souled? For the mind is the creator of worlds; the mind is said to be the person. What is done by the mind is truly done in the world, not what is done by the body. That which is determined by the mind cannot be destroyed in a being by means of substances, medicines, or punishments, just as the reflection in a jewel cannot be removed. Therefore, let these remain here amidst the brilliant commotion of creation; you, having created beings, remain in the space of intelligence, O endless one. The space of mind, the space of consciousness, and the third, physical space—these three are infinite, all revealed by the light of consciousness. O creator, make one, two, or many creations as you wish; abide in your own will—what is gained for you by the Indras? When the radiant one spoke thus of the net of the world, I reflected for a long time and replied, “What you have said is fitting, O radiant one. The sky is vast, the mind is vast, and the space of consciousness is also expansive. Thus, as desired, I always perform the act of creation; I quickly imagine many hosts of beings, O sun. Therefore, you yourself, O blessed one, become the first Manu here; create the world as you wish, prompted by me.” Then, that radiant one, Prabhākara, accepted my words and, being the foremost among those who burn, made himself twofold. With one form, he became the sun in his previous body, moving along the path of the sky and spreading the succession of days in creation. With the second form, assuming my own nature in an instant, he produced the entire creation, extending it as I desired. Whatever appears in his mind comes forth clearly, and its stability and fruition also manifest. Ordinary Brahmins, by the power of imagination, truly attained the state of Brahman like the lunar Brahmins—such is the potency of the mind. Just as those lunar beings attained Brahmanhood through the mind, so too have we, by the nature of consciousness and mind, attained Brahmanhood.