With a mind sharpened to a razor’s edge and unwavering in its steadiness, one must discern the truth of the Self and then enter into one’s own true state. Just as the wise—those who perceive reality and whose minds are expanded by knowledge—live in this world, so too, O Rama, should you live, not as the deluded do. The conduct of great souls, liberated while still living, ever content and noble-hearted, is to be followed—not that of the petty, deceitful, or those attached to fleeting pleasures. Those who know both the highest and the lowest realities neither shun nor crave worldly activity; instead, they move harmoniously with the world, conforming to its ways. Nowhere will you find the great ones—the seers of truth—caught up in pettiness about power, pride, virtues, fame, or wealth. Even when faced with utter desolation, they are undisturbed; nor are they attached to the pleasures of the celestial gardens. Like the sun, they never abandon their nature. Free from all desire, these great souls simply follow the course of action as it arises, moving about unperturbed, abiding in themselves, and established firmly in the chariot of the body. You too, O Rama, have attained this discernment. By the strength of this wisdom, I know you are at peace, O beautiful one. Relying on clear vision, free from pride and envy, sit firmly upon this very earth, and you will attain the highest accomplishment. Be established in your own nature, having set aside all selfish pursuits and keeping desires at a distance. Possessing supreme inner coolness, dwell here, O sinless one. Thus, as the sage spoke with pure intent and pure words, Rama appeared as if cleansed; filled within by the sweet nectar of knowledge, he attained a coolness like the full moon. Rama then addressed the sage: “O Lord, knower of all dharmas, master of the Vedas and Vedanta, your pure words have reassured me. Your teachings are noble, detached, gracious, and fitting; I never grow weary of hearing your words. O Lord, you have spoken about the origin of the lotus-born one, describing his birth as of a rajasic-sattvic nature. Yet, O great soul, a doubt remains in my heart. You who dispel all doubts, please speak to me quickly. “In some places, it is said 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? 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. Likewise, in endless cycles of time and in future worlds, many more 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 are 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 a 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, it is indeed the three-eyed one again. 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. “Nor is it known from what time or for what reason these series of creations, ever coming and going, have arisen. Without beginning, they ceaselessly arise and vanish like waves; what was before is succeeded by what came before that, and so on. The hosts of gods, demons, humans, and others continually arise and dissolve, just like the patterns of waves on a river—such are all the classes of beings. “Just as this cosmic egg of Brahma, so too countless series of universes are exhausted by the thousands, like reeds in a stream over the years. Others now exist, possessing bodies in the present, on the far side of this city of Brahma, in the expanse of the realm of the Absolute. In the Absolute, many other glories of the city of Brahma will arise in the future, and in the past, they have perished, appearing and disappearing like spoken words. In the Absolute, other lines of creation will arise and remain, just as pots emerge from a mass of clay, or shoots and leaves from a sprout. “As long as there is water in the ocean, so are the waves made of water; likewise, as long as there is Brahman in the space of consciousness, so are the glories of the three worlds. Though appearing vast, transformed, and splendid, when observed, they are nothing at all—emerging and submerging, they are neither truly real nor entirely unreal. They are inert, endowed with qualities, slender like the stalks of the śevala plant, wave-like in their nature, and their bodies are seen and then lost.