4. He felt the failing of his bodily strength, and the falling of the members of his body, he stared with his glaring eyes, and his clear intellect was shrouded under a cloud. He awoke in a moment from his entranced state, and felt a flood of rapturous joy within himself.
5. He forgot the fashion of putting his questions, and hearing their answers; his mind was full with the ambrosial draught of delight, and the hairs of his body stood up like prickles in his horripilation.
6. An inexpressibly ineffable light overspreads his intellect with its unusual glare; which cast the bright prospects of the eight dignities of yoga into utter shade. (The eight dignities—(ashta-siddhis) are so many perfections arrived at by practice of yoga).
7. In this way did Ráma attain the supereminent state of Siva, in which he sat sedate without uttering a word.
8. Bharadwája said:—Oh! how much I wonder at such a high dignity, which Ráma had attained; and how much I regret at the impossibility of its attainment, by a dull and ignorant sinner as myself.
9. Tell me, O great sage, how it may be possible for me to attain to that stage of perfection, which it is impossible for the gods Brahmá and others to arrive at any time; and tell me likewise, how I may get over the unfordable ocean of earthly troubles.
10. Válmíki replied:—It is by your perusal of the history of Ráma from its first to last, and by your following the dictates of Vasishtha as given in these lectures; as also by your consideration of their true sense and purport in your understanding, that you may be able to attain to the state that you desire. This is all that I can tell you at present.
11. The world is an exhibition of our ignorance, and there is no truth in aught that we see in it; it is a display of our error only, wherefore it is entirely disregarded by the wise, and so much regarded by fools.
12. There is no entity of anything here, beside that of the divine Intellect; why then are you deluded by the visibles, learn their secrets and have a clear understanding. (or have the clearness of your understanding).