35. Deign now sir, to give me a true account of yourself, as the minds of holymen are as deep and clear as limpid lakes.
36. When great men like yourself show their kindness, to one as mean as myself at the first sight of him, his heart is sure to glow with love and gratitude to them, as the lotus buds are blown (by the premature gleams of the rising sun), and are led to be hopeful of their favour towards him.
37. Hence I hope sir, that you will kindly remove the error, which is bred in me by my ignorance of the delusions of this tempting world. (Lit. I believe you are able to do so &c.).
38. Vasishtha replied:—Know me, O wise man, to be Vasishtha—the sage and saint, and an inhabitant of the etherial region; and am bound to this way, on some errand of the sagely king (Aja by name).
39. I tell you sir, not to be disheartened at your ignorance, as you have already come to the path of wisdom, and very nearly got over the ocean of the world, and arrived at the coast of transcendental knowledge.
40. I see you have come to the possession of the invaluable treasure, of your indifference to worldly matters; for this kind of speech and sentiments, and the sedateness of disposition which you have displayed, can never proceed from a worldling, and bespeak your high-mindedness.
41. Know that as a precious stone is polished, by gentle abrasion of its rubbish; so the mind comes to its reasoning, by the rubbing off of the dross of its prejudice.
42. Tell me what you desire to know, and how you want to abandon the world; it is in my opinion done by practice of what one is taught by his preceptor, or by interrogatories of what he does not know or understand.
43. It is said that whoso has a mind, to go across the doom of future birth or transmigration of his soul, should be possessed of good and pure desires in his mind, and an understanding inclined to reasoning under the direction of his spiritual guide. Such a person is verily entitled to attain to the state, which is free from future sorrow and misery.