CHAPTER CLXIII. Means and Manner of Governing the senses and Sensible organs.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
40. Then the minds of men are settled in the Divine Mind, when there ensues a mutual communion between themselves, and a communication and participation of their reciprocal joys and felicity with one another.
41. These men being always joined together in their fellowship, and serving one another with the mutual delight and obligingness of their hearts; attain to that state of the enlightenment of their understandings, whereby they are admitted into their communion with the Most High.
42. It is possible for a man to be benefited, even by his careful preservation of a trifle (at some time or other); but it is never possible for any body, to attain the most recondite knowledge of God, without his diligent inquiry into the same.
43. Whatever highest position one may enjoy in this material world, is to be recognised by all as nothing, provided that one does not remain aloof from all kind of vices.
44. What is that happiness which is gained by the possession of a kingdom, which at last is no better than mere botheration of the mind; while the mind that has gained its peace and tranquility in truth and Divine knowledge, spurns at the state of gods and kings as mere straws to him.
45. The sleepy as well as the wakeful, are alike apt to see the visibles, and are rapt with the sight; but the saints that are calm and quiet and at rest with themselves, are averse to sight-seeing, and see the only one in themselves.
46. Without painstaking, and your continued practice of contemplation, you can not succeed to attain this state of infinite felicity; for know this state of transcendent bliss, is the fruit of intense devotion only.
47. Thus have I said at length, to impress in you the necessity of intense devotion; but to what good is all this say the evil-minded to me, and thus slight and take no heed of all that I have been so long delivering unto you.
48. It must be by means of steady attention to these lectures, and by long and repeated practice of devotion; as also by hearing these sermons and discoursing upon them that the ignorant can come to the right light of truth.
49. He who having once read this spiritual work, slights it afterwards as already perused by him; and turns to the study of unspiritual books, is a vile wretch that collects the burnt ashes after the fire is extinguished. (Irreligious works are the ashes of the fiery religious ones).
50. This excellent work is to be read always, like the recital of the vedas, which are embodied herein; and this is calculated to reward the labor of the student, by its being constantly read with reverence, and rightly explained with diligence.
51. The student will learn from this sástra all that he expects to find in the vedas; because it embodies both the practical as well as spiritual doctrines of the sacred scriptures, and a knowledge of both of them, is available by proper perusal of this work.
52. By learning this book, one may have a knowledge of the doctrines of the vedánta, tarka and siddhánta sástras, because this is the only work, that treats of the tenets of all schools. (Here the word drishti is homonymous with darsana, which is rendered as a school of philosophy by Colebrooke).
53. It is from my sympathy for you all, that I propound these doctrines to you; and by way of imposture, that I impose these lessons on your credulity. You are best judges of my discourse and can well detect, whether there is anything as deception in my prolusions.
54. The knowledge that you may derive, by weighing well the instructions given in this great work; will serve you as salt, in order to season and relish the teachings of other sástras, that are at best but sundry dishes before it.
55. The materialist who is conversant with the visibles, disparages this book for its occult teachings of spiritualism; but don’t you be the killer of your souls as to neglect your eternal salvation, in order to revisit this material world, and to be busied with your temporal affairs.
56. Biased minds cling to the dogmas of exploded systems, and ignoble men drink the foul water of tanks, dug by their ancestors; you are reasoning men yourselves, therefore do not remain for ever fast bound to your ignorance.