Ráma said:—Please sir, tell me in brief, what are the grounds of yoga meditation, which produce the seven kinds of consummation, which are aimed at by the yogi adepts. You sir, who are best acquainted with all recondite truths, must know it better than all others. 2. Vasishtha replied:—They consist of the seven states of ignorance (ajnána-bhúmi), and as many of knowledge also; and these again diverge into many others, by their mutual intermixture. (Participating the natures of one another, and forming the mixed modes of states of truth and error). 3. All these states (both of right and wrong cognitions), being deep rooted in the nature of man (mahá-satta), either by his habit or of training, made produce their respective fruits or results (tending to his elevation or degradation in this world and the next). Note. Habit or natural disposition (pravritti) is the cause of leading to ignorance and its resulting error; but good training—_sádhana_ and better endeavours—_prayatna_, are the causes of right knowledge and elevation. 4. Attend now to the nature of the sevenfold states or grounds of ignorance; and you will come to know thereby, the nature of the septuple grounds of knowledge also. 5. Know this as the shortest lesson, that I will give thee of the definitions of true knowledge and ignorance; that, it is the remaining in one’s own true nature (_swarúpa_ or suiform state), that constitutes his highest knowledge and liberation; and his divergence from it to the knowledge of his ego (egoism—ahanta), is the cause of his ignorance, and leads him to the error and bondage of this world. 6. Of these, they that do not deviate from their consciousness—samvitti of themselves—swarúpa, as composed of the pure _ens_ or essence only (suddha-san-mátra), are not liable to ignorance; because of their want of passions and affections, and of the feelings of envy and enmity in them. (The highest intelligence of one’s self, is the consciousness of his self-existence, or that “I am that I am” as a spiritual being; because the spirit or soul is the true self). 7. But falling off from the consciousness of self-entity—swarúpa, and diving into the intellect—Chit, in search of the thoughts of cognizable objects (chetyárthas), is the greatest ignorance and error of mankind. (No error is greater than to fall off from the subjective and run after the objective). 8. The truce that takes place in the mind, in the interim of a past and future thought of one object to another (arthadar thántara); know that respite of the mind in thinking, to be the resting of the soul, in the consciousness of its self-entity swarúpa. 9. That state of the soul which is at calm after the setting of the thoughts and desires of the mind; and which is as cold and quiet as the bosom of a stone, and yet without the torpitude of slumber or dull drowsiness; is called the supineness of the soul in its recognition of itself.