Within the all-pervading Supreme Self, there exists no second—just as a particle of ice cannot remain within fire, so too is there nothing apart from this Self. When the Self is contemplated by the Self, as pure consciousness, it is seen that this entire web of the world is truly none other than the Self, manifesting within itself. In this realization, there is no sorrow, no delusion, no birth, nor anyone who is born; whatever exists here, exists simply as it is. Therefore, O Raghava, be free from the fever of worldly anxieties. Cultivate an equal mind, remain healthy and steadfast in thought, peaceful and tranquil, a sage silent and pure as a precious gem, and be ever free from fever, O Raghava. Stand firm beyond the pairs of opposites, established in eternal truth, unconcerned with gain or loss. Be self-possessed, non-dual, sorrowless, and free from fever, O Raghava. Remain secluded, with peaceful intentions, resolute and courageous, possessing noble aspirations, accepting whatever comes as it arrives, and be free from fever, O Raghava. Let go of passions and effort, keep a mind clear and purified from faults, neither receiving nor renouncing, and remain free from fever, O Raghava. Having attained the state beyond the universe, filled with what is attained and what is yet to be attained, be undisturbed like the full ocean, and free from fever, O Raghava. Free yourself from the net of conceptualization, untouched by the ointment of illusion. Be one whose self is satisfied in the Self, without fever, O Raghava. With a form that is endless, boundless, and limitless, O best among knowers of the Self, be unwavering like a mountain peak, without fever, O Raghava. In the Self itself, embrace magnanimity like the ocean when full; in the Self itself, delight in the Self, like the full orb of the moon. This creation of the world is of an unreal form; the unreal does not pursue the unreal, and the knower of this is named thus. You are that knower, calm in mind, free from disease, ever awakened—be beautiful, peaceful, and free from sorrow. Having been properly instructed by the teacher, protect this kingdom under one umbrella for a long time, with the perspective of the present moment—a kingdom adorned with all virtues and royal people. Here, neither renunciation nor attachment to actions is appropriate. He who acts in the world with the firm conviction, “I perform this movement thus,” is liberated—this is my view. Some, engaged in action and taking up the body of effort, go from heaven to hell and from hell again to heaven. Some, devoted to evil deeds, withdraw due to their own discernment and go from hell to hell, from suffering to suffering, from fear to fear. Others, bound by the threads of their own tendencies and tossed about by the residue of actions, pass from animal existence to the form of immobile beings, and then again to animal bodies. Yet some, blessed and knowing the Self, whose minds have been examined and whose chains of craving are broken, attain the state free from all limitation. After only a few births, O Raghava, one who is liberated in this very life is of a rajasic or sattvic nature. Such a one is born and grows like the waxing moon in its fortnight, and, like the kutaja tree in the rainy season, good fortune follows him. Into him whose birth is subsequent, pure knowledge swiftly enters, like a precious gem into a flawless bamboo. Nobility, charm, friendship, gentleness, freedom, and wisdom always dwell in him, just as women in the inner chambers of a house. He who acts in all matters, whether the result is gained or lost, remains equal at all times, neither rejoicing nor grieving. Just as darkness vanishes in daylight, so opposites are dissolved there; and like clouds in autumn, qualities attain purity in him. All people desire one whose conduct is gentle and sweet, just as herds of deer in the forest are drawn to the flute’s melodious sound. In the same way, virtues and prosperity naturally follow a person born in the West, just as cranes flock to a cloud. Endowed with virtues, such a person follows a teacher, and that teacher, through discernment, directs him alone to what is pure. With a mind endowed with inquiry and detachment, and rich in virtues, one then perceives the divine—one’s own Self—of a single form, free from affliction. Therefore, O Rama, by means of charming inquiry and a peaceful mind, the mind—restless with thoughts—must first be awakened. Indeed, those who are born in the West, being possessed of great virtues, first awaken the sleeping deer of the mind with songs of virtue. By diligently serving renowned and noble teachers, and by thoroughly examining with a pure intellect the jewel of the mind, a person in this world attains a spotless state, having long observed the inner light. Thus has the general sequence been described for all beings; now, lotus-eyed one, listen as I tell you another distinction. In this tumult of worldly existence, for those who have taken on bodies, O Rama, there are two excellent paths toward liberation. One is gradual, attained through the practice taught by the teacher, slowly and steadily, over one or many lifetimes, and is known to grant perfection. The second occurs swiftly, when a person gains some insight by their own mind; the attainment of knowledge happens like the sudden fall of a fruit from the sky. For the understanding of this sudden attainment of knowledge, like the falling of a fruit from the sky, listen to this ancient story I will tell you. Hear how those of great stature, whose past merits and demerits have been washed away, attain supreme discernment—pure and final—like a fruit fallen from the sky. There was a king among the Videhas named Janaka, whose intellect was noble, whose calamities had all vanished, whose prosperity was rising, and who was endowed with great strength. He was like a wish-fulfilling tree for those seeking favors, a sun among lotus-like friends, a springtime for the flowers of kinship, and the banner of love for women. He was like the cool moon to the lilies of the twice-born, the sun dispelling the darkness of enemies, a sea of jewels of nobility, and stood on earth like Vishnu himself.