34. When will the elephant of my pride, which is ever giddy with its greatness, become a prey to the lion of right understanding.
35. When will the little birds of the forest, build their nest of grass in the braids of hair upon my head; when I remain fixed in my unalterable meditation, in my state of silence and torpidity.
36. And when will the birds of the air rest fearlessly on my bosom, as they do on the tops of fixed rocks, upon finding me sitting transfixed in my meditation, and as immovable as a rock.
37. Ah! when shall I pass over this lake of the world, wherein my desires and passions, are as the weeds and thorny brambles, and obstructing my passage to its borders of felicity.
38. Immerged in these and the like reflections, the twice-born Uddálaka sat in his meditation amidst the forest.
39. But as his apish ficklemindedness turned towards sensible objects in different ways, he did not obtain the state of habitation which could render him happy.
40. Sometimes his apish mind turned away from leaning to external objects, and pursued with eagerness the realities of the internal world or intellectual verities (known as sátwikas).
41. At others his fickle mind, departed from the intangible things of the inner or intellectual world; and, returned with fondness to outer objects, which are mixed with poison.
42. He often beheld the sunlight of spirituality rising within himself, and as often turned away his mind from that golden prospect, to the sight of gross objects.
43. Leaving the soul in the gloom of internal darkness, the licentious mind flies as fast as a bird, to the objects of sense abroad.