26. A long continued waking dream is accounted as the waking state—jágrat, and it becomes diversified according to the diversity of its objects. (i.e. Waking is but a continued dreaming).
27. The waking state contains under it the conditions of the wakeful soul of God; also there are many things under these conditions which mislead men from one error to another; as a storm casts the boats into whirlpools and eddies.
28. Some of the lengthened dreams in sleep, appear as the waking sight of day light; while others though seen in the broad day-light of the waking state, are no better than night-dreams seen in the day time, and are thence called our day dreams.
29. I have thus far related to you the seven grades of the grounds of ignorance, which with all their varieties, are to be carefully avoided by the right use of our reason, and by the sight of the Supreme soul in our-selves.
CHAPTER CXVIII.
Directions to the Stages of Knowledge.
Argument. Definitions of the seven Grounds of Knowledge, together with that of Adepts—árúdhasin in Yoga, and also of Liberation.
Vasishtha continued:—O sinless Ráma, attend now to the sevenfold stages of cognoscence, by the knowledge of which you will no more plunge into the mire of ignorance.
2. Disputants are apt to hold out many more stages of Yoga meditation; but in my opinion these (septuple stages) are sufficient for the attainment of the chief good on ultimate liberation. (The disputants are the Patánjala Yoga philosophers, who maintain various modes of discipline, for attaining to particular perfections of consummation—Siddhi; but the main object of this Sástra is the summum bonum (parama-purushártha) which is obtainable by means of the seven stages—Bhúmikas which are expounded herein below).
3. Knowledge is understanding, which consists in knowing these seven stages only; but liberation—mukti, which is the object of knowledge (jnána), transcends the acquaintance of these septuple stages.
4. Knowledge of truth is liberation (moksha), and all these three are used as synonymous terms; because the living being that has known the truth, is freed from transmigration as by his liberation also. (The three words mukti, moksha and jnána imply the same thing).