23. Association with the good, contentment, right reasoning, and good judgment, joined with peace and tranquility, serve as cargo-ships in the ocean of the world. 24. All prosperity attends on him who is possessed of reason, contentment, quietism and the habit of keeping good company, like the fruits of the _kalpa_ tree (satisfying every desire). 25. The man possessed of reasoning, contentment, quietude, and a proclivity to keep good company, is attended by every grace, as all the digits unite in the full moon. 26. The happy mind which is fraught with contentment, quietness, reasoning power, and a tendency to good company, meets with the prosperity and success, as they attend on kings (who are) guided by (the counsels of) good ministers. 27. Therefore, O delight of Raghu’s race! do you bravely govern your mind, and always practise with diligence some one of these virtues (for your conduct in life). 28. Exert your best manliness to subdue your elephantine mind, and know that until you have mastered one of these cardinal virtues, you can make no progress (in holiness). 29. It must be, O Ráma! that you shall have to set your heart to work by the exertion of your manliness and the gnashing of your teeth, for your success in meritorious deeds. 30. For whether you be a god or _yaksha_ or a man or an arbor, you cannot, O long-armed Ráma! have a better course till then (_i.e._ before mastering one of these qualities). 31. As soon as one of these virtues is strengthened and made fruitful in you, it will serve to weaken the force of the faults of your ungovernable mind. 32. The cultivation of virtues leads to their full growth and suppression of vice; but the fostering of vice will (on the other hand) conduce to the increase of vices and suppression of good qualities. 33. The mind is a wilderness of errors, in which the stream of our desires is running with full force, amidst its two banks of good and evil whereon we hold our stand. 34. It bears away and throws the man on that bank which he strives to reach by his own exertion, therefore O Ráma, do as you like to reach to either shore. 35. Now try by degrees with all the exertion of your manly force, to turn the course of your desires towards the happy shore in the forest of your mind; and know, O high-minded Ráma; that one’s own disposition is as a rapid current to him, which must not be permitted to bear him away (to the perilous coast). CHAPTER XVII. ON THE CONTENTS OF THE WORK. Thus, O progeny of Raghu! it is the reasoning soul that is worthy of attending to the words of wisdom, as a prince (is inclined to listen) to a discourse on polity. 2. The clear and high-minded man, who has renounced the company of stupid folks, is capable of fair reasoning, as the clear sky has the capacity of receiving the moon-light.