Argument:—Refutation of the Theories of Logicians, and Explanation of Brahma as Immanent in all nature.
Ráma said:—Tell me, O sage, whence comes our knowledge of the world (as a distinct entity from God); and then tell me, how this difference is removed and refuted.
2. Vasishtha replied:—The ignorant man takes to his mind all that he sees with his eyes, and not at all what he does not see. Thus he sees a tree in its outward branches and leaves, but knows not the root, which lies hid from his sight.
3. The wise man sees a thing by the light of the sástra, and uses it accordingly; but the ignorant fool, takes and grasps anything as he sees it; without considering its hidden quality.
4. Be attentive to the dictates of the sástras, and intent upon acting according to their purport; and by remaining as a silent sage, attend to my sermon, which will be an ornament to your ears.
5. All this visible phenomenon is erroneous, it hath no real existence, and appears as the flash of light in the water and is known by the name of ignoramus.
6. Attend for a moment and for my sake, to the purport of the instruction which I am now going to give you; and knowing this as certain truth, rely upon it (and you will gain your object hereby).
7. Whence are all these and what are they, is a doubt (inquiry) which naturally rises of itself in the mind; and you will come to know by your own cogitation, that all this is nothing and is not in existence.
8. Whatever appears before you in the form of this world, and all its fixed and moveable objects; as also all things of every shape and kind, is altogether evanescent and vanishes in time into nothing.
9. The continual wasting and partition of the particles of things, bespeak their unavoidable extinction at last, as the water exuding by drops from a pot, make it entirely empty in a short time.