46. These are the means of gaining a knowledge of the highest wisdom, conferring peace in this world, and saving us from the pain of being reborn in the womb. 47. But such as are afraid of this course, and are addicted to the vicious pleasures of the world, are to be reckoned as too base, and no better than faeces and worms of their mother’s bowels. 48. Attend now, Ráma, to what I am going to say with regard to the advancement of knowledge, and improvement of the understanding in another way. 49. Hear now the recent method in which this Sástra is learnt (by people), and its true sense interpreted to them by means of its Exposition. 50. That thing which serves to explain the unapparent meaning (of a passage), by its illustration by some thing that is well known, and which may be useful to help the understanding (of the passage) is called a simile or Example. 51. It is hard to understand the meaning given before without an instance, just as it is useless to have a lampstick at home without setting a lamp on it at night. 52. Whatever similes and examples I have used to make you understand (the precepts), are all derived from some cause or other, but they lead to knowledge of the uncaused Brahma. 53. Wherever the comparisons and compared objects are used as expressive of the cause and effect, they apply to all cases except Brahma (who is without a cause). 54. The examples that are given to explain the nature of Brahma, are to be taken in their partial (and not general) sense. 55. Whatever examples are given here as explanatory of divine nature, they are to be understood as appertaining to a world seen in a dream. 56. In such cases, no corporeal instance can apply to the incorporeal Brahma, nor optional and ambiguous expressions give a definite idea of Him. 57. Those who find fault with instances of an imperfect or contradictory nature, cannot blame our comparison of the appearance of the world to a vision in dream. 58. A prior and posterior non-entity is considered as existent at the present moment (as is the visible world which was not, nor will be afterwards). So the waking and dreaming states are known to be alike from our boyhood. 59. The simile of the existence of the world with the dreaming state is exact in all instances, as our desires, thoughts, our pleasures and displeasures, and all other acts are alike in both states. 60. Both this work and others which have been composed by other authors on the means of salvation, have all pursued the same plan in their explanation of the knowable. 61. The resemblance of the world to a dream is found also in the Srutis or Vedánta. It is not to be explained in a word, but requires a continued course of lectures (on the subject). 62. The comparison of the world to an imagery in the dream or an imaginary Utopia of the mind, is also adduced in examples of this kind in preference to others.