33. “That the world is a creation of volition, and loses itself with the absence of our desires; and that it is an accursed and unsubstantial world after all, is the conclusion arrived at by all sages. 34. “Now tell me truly you long armed prince, what you think this world to be (whether a reality or unreality); that my mind may be set at rest by you from its wandering all about the world (in search of truth).” 35. Janaka replied: “There is nothing more certain, O sage! than what you have known by yourself and heard from your father. 36. “There is but one undivided intelligent spirit known as the universal soul and nothing besides; it becomes confined by its desires, and freed by its want of them. 37. “You have truly come to the knowledge of the knowable, whereby your great soul has desisted from its attachment to objects of enjoyment and vision. 38. “You must be a hero to have overcome your desire in the lengthening chain of attractive enjoyments from your early youth. What more do you want to hear? 39. “Even your father, with all his learning in every science, and devotedness to austerities, has not arrived to the state of perfection like you. 40. “I am a pupil of Vyása, and you are his son; but you are greater than both of us, by your abandonment of the taste for the enjoyments of life. 41. “You have obtained whatever is obtainable by the comprehensiveness of your mind; and as you take no interest in the outer and visible world, you are liberated from it, and have nothing to doubt of.” 42. Being thus advised by the magnanimous Janaka, Suka remained silent with his mind fixed in the purely supreme object. 43. Then being devoid of sorrow and fear, and released from all efforts, exertions and doubts, he repaired to a peaceful summit of the mount Meru to obtain his final absorption. 44. There he passed ten thousands of rains in a state of unalterable meditation, till at last he broke his mortal coil, and was extinguished in the supreme soul like a lamp without oil. 45. Thus purified from the stain of transmigration by abstaining from earthly desires, the great souled Suka sank into the holy state of the Supreme Spirit, as a drop of water mixes with the waters or merges into the depth of the ocean. CHAPTER II. SPEECH OF VISWÁMITRA. Viswámitra said:— Ráma! it now becomes you to have your mind properly purified from its doubts, as it was done in the case of the son of Vyása. 2. You see, O great sages! how perfectly the knowable is known to Ráma, whose good understanding has learnt to feel a distaste for worldly enjoyments, as if they were diseases unto him. 3. You well know that the fixed principle in the mind of one knowing the knowable, is to have an aversion to all the enjoyments of life. 4. It is the desire of fruition that chains down a man fastly to the earth; but the knowledge of the frailties here serves to dispel his darkness.