Reading section 41

30. It is full of thought, perspicuous, elegant, clear, dignified, sweet and worthy of noble minded men, by its lucid style and wants of faults.

31. Who is there that is not struck with admiration at the speech of Ráma? It is well expressive of his thoughts, correct in its diction plain and sweet and agreeable to all:

32. It is rare to find one man among a hundred who is so eloquent as to combine dignity and force with a clearness and sweetness, that may command the admiration of all.

33. Who has such a clear head as our prince, a head which is as penetrating as the best pointed arrow, and as fruitful and beauteous as the creeping plant.

34. He is truly a man whose intellectual light like that of Ráma’s, burns as the flame of a lamp within himself and enlightens all about him.

35. Man’s blood, flesh, and bones with other (parts of his body) serve as machines to supply him with sensations of external object; but there is no intelligence in them.

36. Life and death, old age and troubles, repeatedly overtake every man; but they are beasts who are so infatuated as never to think of these.

37. There is scarcely any man to be seen, who is of so clear an understanding as Ráma (the destroyer of his enemies), who is able to judge of the future by the past.

38. Ráma is the most excellent, admirable, useful, and well shaped person amongst men, as is the mango tree (in the vegetable world).

39. It is only to-day that we see that a man of Ráma’s age has acquired so much experience of the world, and such extraordinarily mature an understanding.

40. There are many such trees found growing in every place as are beautiful to see, easy of ascent, abundant in flowers and leaves; but there is no tree of paradise growing on earth.

41. There may grow in every forest, trees with goodly flowers and leaves; but the extraordinary and fair clove tree is not always to be met with.

42. Ráma has displayed the wonder of his knowledge, as the moon displays her cooling beams and good trees their clusters of blossoms, and as the flowers diffuse their fragrance all about.

43. It is very difficult to get the essence of true knowledge in this accursed world, which is constructed by the ungovernable and dominant predestination (of our past acts for misleading us to error and misery).

44. Those only are reckoned the best of men, and leaders of the good, who try their best to gain the essence of truth, and whose minds are fixed on glory as their best treasure.

45. We do not see any one in all this world, who is equal to Ráma in discrimination and magnanimity; nor shall there be one like him in future. This is our firm conviction.

46. If this speech of Ráma, which has filled every one here with admiration, fail to get its reply to the satisfaction of Ráma’s mind, it is certain that all of us here, must pass for senseless sages (on earth).

YOGA VÁSISHTHA.

BOOK II.

MUMUKSHU KHANDA

OR

THE MEANS OF FINAL LIBERATION.

CHAPTER I.

_Liberation of Sukadeva._

After Ráma had delivered his speech in an audible voice before the assembly, he was tenderly accosted by the sage Viswámitra who sat before him; saying:—

2. Ráma! that art the best of the most intelligent, and hast nothing more to learn besides all that thou hast come to know by thy nice observation.

3. Thou hast an understanding clear as the mirror by its own nature (reflecting every image within itself); and yet thy queries about the same, serve as the cleansing of the reflector (in order to refract its light to others).

4. Thou hast a mind like that of Suka—the son of the great Vyása, who knowing the knowable by intuition, was yet in need of some precepts for confirmation of his belief.

5. Ráma said: How was it sir, that Suka—the son of the great Vyása—who did not rest assured at first of his knowledge of the knowable, came to be settled in his belief afterwards.

6. Viswámitra answered: “Hear me relate to thee Ráma, the narrative of Sukadeva, whose case was exactly like thine, and the narration of which is a preventive of future births (in this world).”

7. There is the great Vyása sitting on his seat of gold by thy father’s side, swarthy in his complexion like a coal-black hill, but blazing as the burning sun (by his brilliancy).

8. His son was named Suka, a boy of great learning and wisdom, of a moon-like countenance, and a stature sedate as the sacrificial altar.

9. He reflected in his mind the vanity of worldly affairs like thyself, and became equally indifferent to all its concerns.

10. It was then that this great minded youth was led by his own discriminative understanding to a long inquiry after what was true, which he found out at last by his own investigation.

11. Having obtained the highest truth, he was still unsettled in his mind, and could not come to the belief of the certainty of his knowledge.

12. His mind grew indifferent to its perceptions of the transitory enjoyments of the world, and like the _Chátaka_ thirsted only after the dew drops of heavenly bliss.

13. Once upon a time the clear sighted Suka finding his father the sage Krishna-Dwaipáyana—Vyása, sitting quietly alone by himself, he asked him with reverence; saying:—

14. Tell me, O sage! whence this commotion of the world had its rise, and how it may subside. What is its cause, how far is it to extend, and where is it to end?

15. The sage Vyása who knew the nature of the soul, being thus asked by his son, explained to him clearly all that was to be said (on the subject).

16. Suka thought that he already knew all this by his good understanding, and did not therefore think much of his father’s instructions.

17. Vyása understanding the thoughts of his son, replied to him saying that, he knew no better the true nature of these things.

18. But that there was a prince named Janaka in this land, who well knew the knowledge of the knowable, and from whom Suka could learn every thing.

19. Suka being thus directed by his father, repaired to the city of Videha at the foot of mount Sumeru, which was under the rule of Janaka.

20. The club-bearer (door keeper) informed the high minded Janaka of his coming, telling him that Suka the son of Vyása was waiting at the gate.

21. Janaka who understood that Suka had come to learn from him, gave no heed to the informant, but held his silence for seven days afterwards.

22. The prince then ordered him to be brought in the outer compound, where he had to remain in the vexation of his spirit for seven days more as before.

23. Suka was then commanded to enter the inner apartment, where he continued a week more without seeing the prince.

24. Here Janaka entertained the moon-faced Suka with abundance of eatables, perfumeries and lusty damsels.

25. But neither those vexations nor these entertainments could affect the tenor of Suka’s mind, which remained firm as a rock at the blasts of wind.

26. He remained there as the full moon (without any wane or increase), tranquil in his desires, silent and contented in his mind.

27. The prince Janaka having thus known the (unalterable) disposition of Suka’s mind, had him introduced to his presence, where seeing the complacency of his soul, he rose up and bowed down to him.

28. Janaka said: “You have accomplished to the full all your duties in this world, and obtained the object of your heart’s desire to its utmost extent; what is it that you now desire for which you are welcome at mine”.

29. Suka said: “Tell me my guide whence sprang all this bustle (of worldly life); and tell me also how it may soon come to its subsidence.”

30. Viswámitra said: Being thus asked by Suka, Janaka spoke to him the same things which he had learned from his great souled father.

31. Suka then said: “All this I have come to know long before by my own intuition, and then from the speech of my father in answer to my query.

32. “You sir, who are the most eloquent of all, have spoken to the same purport, and the same is found to be the true sense of the Sástras.

33. “That the world is a creation of volition, and loses itself with the absence of our desires; and that it is an accursed and unsubstantial world after all, is the conclusion arrived at by all sages.

34. “Now tell me truly you long armed prince, what you think this world to be (whether a reality or unreality); that my mind may be set at rest by you from its wandering all about the world (in search of truth).”

35. Janaka replied: “There is nothing more certain, O sage! than what you have known by yourself and heard from your father.

36. “There is but one undivided intelligent spirit known as the universal soul and nothing besides; it becomes confined by its desires, and freed by its want of them.