As I wandered beneath the lordly tree, I observed a gentle scene: deer lay sleeping on every leaf, resting in the dense shade, while birds nestled in every hollow, finding comfort in its embrace. The tree, endowed with such qualities, filled my heart with joy, a happiness so profound it felt like a great festival within me. Moved by this, I shared other stories, radiant with the light of knowledge, guiding his son once more toward supreme awakening. As we exchanged wondrous tales, the night slipped away swiftly, feeling like a fleeting moment shared by lovers. When morning approached, the dew thinned, stars faded, and birds began to stir in the sky. At this time, I left the city of Dashura with my children, following a path through the sky, and journeyed to the river at Mount Hara. There, after performing the desired bath, I entered the sky and joined the assembly of sages, remaining at ease. O delight of the Raghu lineage, I have now recounted to you the tale called 'Dashura.' Though it appears as the reflection of the world, it is unreal despite its seeming reality. This story, narrated to you, Raghava, illustrates the terrifying and illusory form of the world. Therefore, abandon both the unreal and even the attractive aspects of the real; always remain broad-minded and self-possessed, holding the understanding of the Dashura doctrine. Through the chariot of the stories of Kadamba and Dashura, you will soon reach that city by which you will become lord of worlds yet to come. Having determined that "this does not exist," abandon all attachment everywhere, for what does not exist holds no place for those who inquire. If what is seen truly exists, what has departed from you? Let it remain in the self; why bind yourself here, as if this were your own self? But if you are certain that this does not exist, still, how can attachment to contemplation persist in what is stable and unstable? This world neither exists, O Rama, nor does it not exist, O wise one; it is merely an appearance arising from oneself, manifesting in this way. Nothing here is made by a doer, nor does it follow the sequence of actions by a non-doer; it shines forth by itself, having transcended the notions of doer and deed. Let this web of the world be either without a doer or with a doer; do not associate your pure mind with it in any way. The self, devoid of all senses, is like an inert thing in action here; I consider it as a non-doer, and the world as arising by mere coincidence. Whatever arises by the coincidence of circumstances, in any way whatsoever, only a child binds himself to it through contemplation, not the wise. This world is never peaceful, O Rama, nor does it ever perish; it is endlessly perceived and imagined again and again. O Rama, this world never truly exists, nor is it imperishable; since it is always diminishing and subject to destruction, we infer it is not eternal. When the doer here is free from fever and has transcended all the senses and their domains, he never experiences fatigue while acting. Therefore, this established order is mature, governed by the states of being and non-being; such a condition, arising from the mind, is stable and enduring, and does not perish. A century of autumns is but a fragment of endless time; whoever pursues reliance on such a long lifespan, what does he truly gain? If the states of the world are stable, attachment to them is not fitting; how can there truly be union between the inert and the conscious? If the states of the world are unstable, attachment to them is also not fitting; at the end, unstable things like foam bring you sorrow. O mighty-armed one, the bond of attachment between the self and the states of the world does not shine among the stable or unstable, just as it does not between foam and mountain. Though the self is the doer of all, it acts as if it does nothing; it remains perfectly indifferent, like a lamp shining upon its surroundings. Acting, it does nothing, just as the sun carries out the day's work; moving, it does not move, remaining established in its own place, like the sun. This appears to have arisen from somewhere or other, like a whirlwind or a water-eddy, or like the wind in a dust-storm, all spread out. If, O Rama, you have determined this with skill and examined it with a mind purified by right means of knowledge, then, O noble one, mental construction is not appropriate regarding the object; what place is there for imagination in a firebrand circle, in a dream, or in a delusion? A being who has appeared suddenly is not a vessel for friendship; nor is one who has taken refuge in the web of the world, which is of the nature of illusion. Just as you do not place reliance on heat in the moon, coolness in the sun, or water in a mirage, so do not place reliance on worldly existence. As you see the person of thought, the people of dreams, or the confusion of two moons, so see this world, which is born of imagination. Abandoning inner attachment, which is made of the splendor of imagination, be who you are in this world, O sinless one, and play freely. For the self established in non-doership, even when performing actions and abiding within all states and transcending all, there is neither doership nor agency. This order arises merely by proximity, just as illumination appears simply by the presence of a lamp. Just as, by the mere presence of clouds, the white jasmine flowers bloom on their own, so too, by the mere presence of the self, the three worlds exist by themselves. Just as the sun, devoid of all desire, remains in the sky, yet the glory of activity arises when the god exists, so too does action occur. Thus, O Rama, through these teachings and stories, may you see the world as it truly is—an appearance, neither real nor unreal, arising from your own self—and remain ever free, broad-minded and self-possessed, untouched by the illusions of attachment.