48. It is no less in fear of its female companions in youth, whose amorous embraces like gusts of wind threaten to hurl it headlong to repeated hell-pits. 49. It seldom happens, O prince! that the deerlike mind finds its rests in the arbour of godliness; as the living beings do, when they come from darkness to day light. (It ought to be, when they come from day light to repose at night). 50. O ye hearers, let your deerlike minds find that delight in the arbour of peace, whose name even is not known to the ignorant, who are deluded by their fickle and smiling fortunes, resembling the oscillating smiles of flowers. CHAPTER XLV. CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF THE DEERLIKE MIND. Argument:—Description of the happiness, attending upon the access of the mind to the arbour of Godliness. Vasishtha continued:—O destroyer of enemies! the deerlike mind having found its rest in that sacred bower, remains quite pleased with the same, and never thinks of going to any other arbour. 2. In course of time, the tree of discriminate knowledge, brings forth its fruits; which ripen gradually with the sweet substance of spiritual knowledge in the inside. 3. The deerlike mind sitting under the goodly tree of its meditation, beholds its outstretching branches hanging downward, with loads of the fruits of merit and virtue (meaning its meritoriousness). 4. It sees people climbing in this tree, with great persistence and pains; in order to taste these sweet fruits in preference to all others (because merit is preferable to reward). 5. Worldly peoples decline to ascend the foot of the tree of knowledge, but those who have mounted high upon it, never think of ever coming down from the high position which they have attained. 6. For he who has ascended on the tree of reason or knowledge, in order to taste its delicious fruits, forgets the relish of his habitual food, and forsakes the bondage of his former deserts, as a snake casts aside his slough or skin. 7. The man who has risen to a high station, looks at himself and smiles to think, how miserly he has passed so long a period of his past life. 8. Having then mounted on the branch of fellow feeling, and putting down the snake of selfishness under his feet, he seems to reign in himself, as if he were the sole monarch over all. 9. As the digits of the moon decrease and disappear in the dark fortnight, so the lotuses of his distress are lost in oblivion; and the iron fetters of his thirst after greed are rubbed out day by day (as he advances in his yoga). 10. He heeds not what is unattainable, nor cares about what is not obtained; his mind is as bright as the clear moon light night, and his heart is quite cold, in all its passions and affections.