31. As soon as one of these virtues is strengthened and made fruitful in you, it will serve to weaken the force of the faults of your ungovernable mind.
32. The cultivation of virtues leads to their full growth and suppression of vice; but the fostering of vice will (on the other hand) conduce to the increase of vices and suppression of good qualities.
33. The mind is a wilderness of errors, in which the stream of our desires is running with full force, amidst its two banks of good and evil whereon we hold our stand.
34. It bears away and throws the man on that bank which he strives to reach by his own exertion, therefore O Ráma, do as you like to reach to either shore.
35. Now try by degrees with all the exertion of your manly force, to turn the course of your desires towards the happy shore in the forest of your mind; and know, O high-minded Ráma; that one’s own disposition is as a rapid current to him, which must not be permitted to bear him away (to the perilous coast).
CHAPTER XVII.
On the Contents of the Work.
Thus, O progeny of Raghu! it is the reasoning soul that is worthy of attending to the words of wisdom, as a prince (is inclined to listen) to a discourse on polity.
2. The clear and high-minded man, who has renounced the company of stupid folks, is capable of fair reasoning, as the clear sky has the capacity of receiving the moon-light.
3. You who are replete with the entire grace of this quality, should now attend to the words, that I say, to remove the errors of your mind.
4. He, the arbour of whose merits is bending down with the load of its fruits, feels a desire to hear these words for the sake of his salvation.