Sri Vasista

1. -3. O, Rama, a strong, courageous and wise person should deliberate upon the scriptures with a dedicated mind with good and learned persons.  With such an intense inquiry with a person who is free from desire is like a great yoga.  With that it is possible to achieve the perfect state.  Practice of vairagya, dispassion and understanding scriptures in the company of wise people will make a person fit for the knowledge of Truth, like you are (now).

4. -5. You are a man of generous behavior, of courage and a fountain of noble qualities.  You are without sorrow and free of any impurity.  You are pure and clear like autumn sky.  Liberated from the worldly feelings, you have acquired an intelligent understanding of the truth.

6. -10. You are free from thinking and thought.  You are liberated from fanciful imaginations.  Your mind is now integrated and liberated.  There is no doubt in this.  Others can follow your conduct which is without any attachment or jealousy.  People who develop proper thoughts and inquiry can hope to cross the ocean of ‘samsāra’.  Noble people like you, who are with an equal perception, are worthy of wise appreciations and perceptions.  As long as you are with this body, perform your duties and your works following accepted norms of behavior, discarding all desires and with detachment.

11. -15. Achieve perfect peace like others of noble qualities.  Do not worry about deceitful foxes and childish fools.  Man acquires a body appropriate for achieving knowledge by following people of ‘sātturic’ nature.  In the succeeding birth, one gets a body similar to the present one in the same caste and qualities.  One can beat the consequences of destiny by appropriate self-effort.  With courage one can rise beyond the tamasic and rajasic qualities and lift himself to a state of sattwa by human effort.  It is like pulling a cow out of mire.

12. -19. People of saintly character become ‘satturic’ by discrimination O Raghava, a pure diamond reflects only what it is associated with.  Similar is the case with kind.  It identifies itself and gets engrossed with whatever it is associated.  From that arises human effort.  Seekers of liberation acquire invaluable assets of qualities through human effort only.  After that they get auspicious births.  There is nothing that cannot be achieved in all the worlds for a man of high and noble qualities.  We cannot achieve what we desire without abstinence, detachment and courage.

20. The teaching about nature of self given to you is mot wholesome and beneficial.  Follow that and become free from sorrow.  Others also can become like you by following the teaching.

21. O Rama, you are now a man of great discrimination and intelligence.  With this you are charming with great qualities.  Perform all works staying in this state of ‘sattwa’.  Become free from all delusory thoughts.