22. The Sage put a stop to his present discourse, and addressed Ráma then sitting in the midst of the assembly, in a sweet voice and graceful language. (Mudhura-Vritti is the middle or graceful style between the high and low). 23. Vasishtha said:--O Rághava! I have already spread before you the long net of my verbosity; do you entrap your flying mind in the same way, and bring it to your bosom and under your subjection. 24. Take the purport of my discourse in such manner, as to leave out what is unintelligible, and lay hold on its substance; as the swan separates and sucks the milk which is mixed with water. 25. Ponder upon it repeatedly, and consider it well in thy mind, and go on in this way to conduct yourself in life (_viz_ by suppression of your desires, weakening the mind, restraining the breathing, and acquiring of knowledge). 26. By going on in this manner, you are sure to evade all dangers; or else you must fall ere long like the heavy elephant, in some pitfall of the Vindhya mountain. (Pitfalls are the only means of catching elephants). 27. If you do not receive my words with attention, and act accordingly, you are sure to fall into the pit like a blind man left to go alone in the dark; and to be blown away like a lighted lamp, exposed in the open air. 28. In order to derive the benefit of my lectures, you must continue in the discharge of your usual duties with indifference, and knowing _insouciance_ to be the right dictum of the _sástras_, be you regardless of everything besides. 29. Now I bid you, O mighty monarch, and ye, princes and chiefs, and all ye present in this place, to get up and attend to the evening services of your daily ritual. (Abnika). 30. Let all attend to this much at present, as the day is drawing to its close; and we shall consider the rest, on our meeting in the next morning. 31. Válmíki related:--After the Sage had said so far, the assembly broke, off; and the assembled chiefs and princes rose up, with their faces blooming as the full blown lotuses at the end of the day. 32. The Chiefs having paid their obeisance to the monarch, and made their salutation to Ráma, they did their reverence to the sage, and departed to their respective abodes. 33. Vasishtha rose up from his seat with the royal sage Viswámitra, and they were saluted on their departure by the aerial spirits, who had attended the audience all along. 34. The Sages were followed closely, by the king and chieftains a long way, and they parted after accosting them, according to their rank and dignity on the way; 35. The celestials took their leave of the sage, and betook to their heavenward journey; and the _munis_ repaired to their hermitages in the woods, when some of the saints turned about the palace, like bees flying in about the lotus bush (different directions). 36. The king having offered handfuls of fresh flowers at the feet of Vasishtha, entered the royal seraglio with his royal consorts.