26. Thus the Kir woodmen, having obtained their best gains of what forms the pith and gist of every good in the main, remained in quiet and quite content in themselves, and passed their days without any fear or grief, in the enjoyment of their everlasting equanimity and felicity.
27. This world is compared to the wilderness, and all its busy people are as the day-labouring Kiri foresters, daily toiling and moiling in their hard work, for their help of daily bread. Some amongst them are happy to find the precious treasure of true knowledge, which gives them the real bliss of life and lasting peace of mind.
CHAPTER CLXXXXVII.
On the Excellence of Learning.
Argument:—Study of the sástras whether for temporal ends or ultimate bliss tends mainly to the edification of the Mind.
Ráma said:—Do thou, O greatest of sages, deign to give me the best treasures of knowledge, as the wood-cutter obtained their precious treasures of the Philosopher’s stones, and whereby I may attain to the full, perfect and indubitable knowledge of all things.
2. Vasishtha replied:—The woodmen that I have mentioned bear allusion to all mankind in general and their great poverty that I have described, refers to the extreme ignorance of men which is the cause of all their woe (three fold miseries—tritapas of the body, mind and soul, or of this world and the next. Gloss).
3. The great forest which is said to be the place of their residence, is the vast wilderness of knowledge, which the human kind have to traverse under the guidance of their preceptors and the sástras; and their labour in felling and selling the wood for their daily food, is the hard struggle of human kind in their life time for their simple fare and supportance.
4. The unavaricious men that are unemployed in business, and are yet desirous of the enjoyments of life; are the persons that devote themselves to the acquisition of learning. (Such is the literary body of students and scholars).
5. And those people also, who pursue their callings for the provisions of life, and are dependents <on> others for their supportance; become successful in the acquirement of learning in their minds, by their practice of the precepts and studious habits.
6. As the wood-cutters, who sought for the worthless wood at first, get the very valuable gems at last; so men prosecuting their studies for a paltry maintenance and self supportance, succeed to gain divine knowledge at the end. (Secular knowledge often leads to the spiritual).