He whose understanding is firmly rooted in the vision that “I and the world are one, all this is indeed one,” casts aside both attachment and aversion, and such a person does not sink into suffering or confusion. Relying on the pure, balanced ground between existence and non-existence, let your intellect neither grasp nor reject the universe, whether it appears external or internal to you. Remain, O Rama, utterly expansive and pure—possessing all, yet clinging to nothing. Like the sky itself, abide without attachment, even as you engage in action. For the wise one who neither desires nor rejects the fruits of action, understanding remains untainted, just as the lotus leaf is untouched by water. Let your senses perceive—seeing, touching, and so forth—or let them rest; they are only secondary. Be established in your own Self, without desire. Do not allow your mind to sink into the unreal objects of the senses by thinking, “this is mine.” Instead, let your mind remain unsunken, whether it acts or does not act. O Raghava, if the splendor of sense objects no longer delights your heart, then, endowed with knowledge and discernment, you have truly crossed the ocean of worldly existence. Whether your body has or has not experienced sense objects, if you are without desire, liberation will arise for you according to the force of circumstances. With supreme wisdom, separate your mind, O Rama, from the multitude of ingrained tendencies, just as one would distinctly separate fragrance from a flower. In this vast ocean of worldly existence, filled with the waters of countless tendencies, those who have boarded the boat of wisdom are said to have crossed to the other shore. With a mind as sharp as the edge of a razor and with supreme steadiness, discern the truth of your own self, and then abide in your true state. Just as the wise who know reality and whose minds are expanded by knowledge live, so too, O Rama, should you live—not like those who are deluded. The great souls who are liberated while living, ever content and noble-hearted, are the ones whose conduct should be followed—not those who are petty, deceitful, and attached to enjoyment. Those who know both the highest and the lowest do not abandon nor desire worldly activity; they move in harmony with everything in the world. Nowhere in the world are the great ones—the seers of truth—ever petty about power, pride, virtues, fame, or wealth. Even in utter desolation they are not distressed, nor are they attached in the gardens of the gods. The great ones do not abandon their nature, just as the sun never ceases to shine. Free from desire, following the course of action as it comes, they move about unperturbed, self-abiding, established in the chariot of the body. You too, O Rama, have attained this discernment; by this strength of wisdom, I know you are at peace, O beautiful one. Relying on clear vision, free from pride and devoid of envy, dwell here on this very earth, and you will attain the highest accomplishment. Be established in your own nature, having abandoned all selfish pursuits and keeping desires at a distance. Possessing supreme inner coolness, remain here, O sinless one. Thus, as the sage with pure intent spoke these words of wisdom, Rama appeared as if cleansed. Filled within by the sweet nectar of knowledge, he attained a coolness and serenity like the full moon. Then Rama spoke: “O Lord, knower of all dharmas, master of the Vedas and Vedanta, your pure words have reassured me. Your words are noble, detached, gracious, and fitting; I never grow satiated by hearing you speak. “O Lord, in the course of your discourse, you have spoken of the origin of the lotus-born one as being of rajasic-sattvic nature by birth. Yet, O great soul, a doubt still remains in my heart. You, who cut off all doubts, please speak of it quickly. “In some places it is said that he was born from a lotus, in others from the sky, from an egg, or from water. How is the wondrous origin of the lotus-born one described in the scriptures?” The sage replied: “O Raghava, countless ages of Brahma, hundreds of supreme Shankaras, and thousands of Narayanas have already passed away. Even today, in many other wondrous and numerous universes, thousands engage in diverse customs and enjoyments. At the same time, in endless cycles of time and in future worlds, many other universes will arise in great abundance. “O mighty-armed one, the origins of the celestial beings—such as those born from the lotus and others—in those cosmic eggs have been described as manifold in the heavens. Sometimes the creations arise from Shiva, sometimes from the lotus-born, sometimes from Vishnu, and sometimes they are fashioned by sages. At times, Brahma is born from the lotus, at times from the waters, sometimes from the cosmic egg, and sometimes he arises from the sky. “In some universes, the three-eyed one is the sun; in others, it is Indra; in some, it is the lotus-eyed one; and in some, again, it is the three-eyed one. In some creations, the earth was filled with dense, impenetrable forests; in others, it was crowded with people; in others still, it was covered with mountains. The earth became of clay in some worlds, in others it was of stone; in some it was of smoke, and in others, likewise, of flesh. “Here itself, some of these worlds were of one kind, others of another; some worlds interpenetrated each other, and some were entirely distinct. Countless worlds, in this vast expanse of the reality of Brahman, arise and dissolve like groups of waves in the ocean. Just as waves in the sea, mirages in the desert, or blossoms on a mango tree, so too are the glories of the universe in the Supreme. “The motes of dust in sunbeams can be counted, but not the hosts of worlds in the ever-moving reality of Brahman. Just as swarms of gnats in sugarcane fields arise and perish again and again during the rains, so too do these creations of worlds.