6. Vasishtha said:—All form, O Ráma, is formless and accidental quality, and no essential property of things. So if you would ascertain the nature of a nullity, then tell me the shape and qualities of a barren woman’s son (which are null and nothing). 7. Do not fall into the error of taking the circularity of the ring, as an essential property of it; the form of a thing is only apparent and not prominent to the sight. (In European philosophy, form is defined as the essence of a thing, for without it nothing is conceivable. But matter being the recipient of form, it does form any part of its essence. Vasishtha speaking of matter as void of form, means the _materia prima_ of Aristotle, or the elementary sorts of it). 8. The water in the mirage, the two moons in the sky, the egoism of men and the forms of things, though appearing as real ones to sight and thought, cannot be proved as separate existences apart from their subjects. (All these therefore are fallacies vanishing before _vichárana_ or reasoning, the second ground of true knowledge). 9. Again the likeness of silver that appears in pearl-shells, can not be realized in the substance of the pearl-mother, or even a particle of it at any time or any place. (The Sanskrit alliterations of _kanam_, _kshanam_, _kvanu_, cannot be preserved in translation). 10. It is the incircumspect view of a thing that makes a nullity appear as a reality, as the appearance of silver in the shell and the water in the mirage (all which are but deceptions of sight and other senses, and are therefore never trustworthy). 11. The nullity of a _nil_ appears as an _ens_ to sight, as also the fallacy of a thing as something where there is nothing of the kind (as of silver in the pearl-mother and water in the mirage). 12. Sometimes an unreal shadow acts the part of a real substance, as the false apprehension of a ghost kills a lad with the fear of being killed by it. (Fright of goblins and bogies of mormos and ogres, have killed many men in the dark). 13. There remains nothing in the gold-jewel except gold, after its form of jewellery is destroyed; therefore the forms of the ring and bracelet are no more, than drops of oil or water on a heap of sand. The forms are absorbed in the substance, as the fluids in dust or sand. 14. There is nothing real or unreal on earth, except the false creations of our brain (as appearances in our dreams); and these whether known as real or unreal, are equally productive of their consequences, as the sights and fears of spectres in children. (We are equally encouraged by actual rewards and flattering hopes, as we are depressed at real degradation and its threatening fear).