66. Ráma, I beheld the flourish of the world, to be as false and fleeting, as the appearance of light in the particles of dust; all these appearing as so many things of themselves, are in fact no other than the appearances of hills and cities, in the vacuity of the mind in our dreams at sleep. CHAPTER LXXXXII. DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT AIR, AS THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT. Argument:—Vasishtha’s assuming the form of Air, and his finding its pervasion all over the world as its vital spirit. Vasishtha continued:—Now in my curiosity to know the world, I thought myself as transformed to the form of the current air; and by degrees extended my essence, all over the infinite extent of the universe. 2. I became a breeze with a desire, to view the beauty of the lovely plants all about me; and to smell the sweetness of the fragrant blossoms of kunda, jessamine as lotuses. 3. I bore about the coolness of the falling rains and snows and dew drops, with a view to restore freshness to the languid limbs of the tired and weary labourer. 4. My spirit in the form of the current winds, bore about the essences of medicinal plants and the fragrance of flowers; and carried away the loads of grass, herbs, creepers and the leaves of plants all around. 5. My spirit travelled as the gentle zephyr, in the auspicious hours of morn and eve; to awaken and lull to sleep the lovely maids; again it takes the tremendous shape of a tornado in tempest, to break down and bear away the rocks. 6. In paradise it is florid, with the reddish dust of _mandára_ flowers; in the mountains it is hoary with hoar frost and snows; and in hell it burns in the infernal fires. 7. In the sea it has a curvilinear motion, with the curling waves and revolving whirlpools; and in heaven it bears aloft and moves the clouds, both to cover and uncover the mirror of moon hid under them. 8. In heaven it has the name of the prabáha air, to hold aloft the starry frame; and guide the course of the starry legions and the cars of their commanding generals—the post of Gods. 9. It is accounted as the younger brother of thought, owing to its great velocity; it is formless but moveth over all forms; and though intangible, yet its touch is as delightsome, as the cooling paste of sandal wood. 10. It is hoary old with the hoar frost, it bears on its head; it is youthful with wafting the fragrance of vernal flowers, and it is young when it is quiet and still. 11. Here it roves at large, loaded with the fragrance of the garden of Eden; and there it moves freely bearing the perfumes of the grove of the Gandharva Chitra-ratha, to tired persons and worn out lovers. 12. Though fatigued with its toil, of raising and moving the incessant waves, of the cooling and purifying stream of Ganges; yet it is ever alert to lull the toil of others, being quite forgetful of its own weariness.