34. Know for certain in thy mind, that the Lord is always present in the full light of thy intellect. He is the root of thy consciousness, and is of the nature of thy inward soul. He is conceivable in the intellect, and is the Brahma—the all and everlasting, and the all pervading, the subjective I, and the objective thou and this world. CHAPTER XVIII. LIVING LIBERATION OR TRUE FELICITY OF MAN IN THIS LIFE. Argument. The True Enfranchisement of the Soul, in the Living state of man in this world. Vasishtha continued:—I will now relate to you, O Ráma! the nature of those great men, who conduct themselves in this world, with their desires under their subjection, and whose minds are not blemished by evil inclinations. 2. The sage whose mind is freed in his life-time, conducts himself unconcerned in this world; he smiles secure at its occurrences, and is regardless of the first, last and middle stages of his life (namely: the pains of his birth and death, and the whole course of his life). 3. He is attentive to his present business, and unmindful of every other object about him; he is devoid of cares and desires, and his thought is of his internal cogitations only. 4. He is free from anxiety in all places, who tolerates whatever he happens to meet with; he sees the light of reason in his soul, and walks in the romantic groves of his musings. 5. He rests in that transcendental bliss, with prospects as bright as the cooling beams of the full-moon, who is neither elated nor depressed in any state of his life, nor droops down under any circumstance. 6. Whose generosity and manliness do not forsake him, even when he is beset by his bitterest enemies; and who is observant of his duties to his superiors, such a man is not crest-fallen in this world. 7. Who neither rejoices nor laments at his lot, nor envies nor hankers after the fortune of another; but pursues his own business in quiet silence, is the man that is never down-cast in this world. 8. Who, when asked, says what he is doing, but unasked remains as a dead block; and is freed from desire and disgust; he is never depressed in his heart and mind. (The Urdu poet expresses this sort of unconcern, more beautifully, when he says:—Should one ask you of aught, look to his face and reply him not. _Koi kuch’h puchhe to munh dekh kar chup rahjana_ &c. And who so understands the hearts of men, is never sick at his heart). 9. He speaks agreeably to every one, and utters gently what he is required to say; he is never put out of countenance, who understands the intentions of others. (Speaking agreeably or his questioners means what pleases every body, be it good or bad for him as it is said in Chánakya’s excerpta: सत्यं ब्रुयात् प्रियम्ब्रुयात्, न ब्रुयात् सत्यमप्रियं. Because says Bháraví: ‘It is rare to have a useful saying, which is delectable also at the same time’. हितं मनोहारिचदुर्लमवचस).