Argument:--The Knowledge of the objective continuing with our ignorance of the subjective and the story of the wise prince Vipaschit, attacked by his rude enemies. Ráma rejoined:--He whose mind is bound by his ignorance, to the bright vividness of visible phenomenal; views the palpable scenes of the noumenal, as mere his idle dreams, and as visionary as empty air. 2. Now, O sage, please to tell me again, the nature and manner of this ignorance of the noumenal; and to what extent and how long, does this ignorance of the spiritual bind fast a man. 3. Vasishtha replied:--Know Ráma, those that are besotted by their ignorance, think this earth and the elementary bodies, to be as everlasting as they believe Brahma to be. Now O Ráma! hear a tale on this subject. 4. There is in some corner of the infinite space, another world with its three _lokas_ of the upper and lower regions, in the manner of this terrestrial world. 5. There is a piece of land therein, as beautiful as this land of ours; and is called the _sama bhúmi_ or level land, where all beings had their free range. 6. In a city of that place, there reigned a prince well known for his learning, and who passed his time in the company of the learned men of his court. 7. He shone as handsome as a swan in a lake of lotuses, and as bright as the moon among the stars; he was as dignified as the Mount Meru or polar pinnacle among mountains, and he presided over his council as its president. 8. The strain of bards, fell short in the recital of his praises, and he was a firm patron of poets and bards, as a mountain is the support of its refugees. 9. The prosperity of his valour flourished day by day, and stretched its lustre to all sides of the earth; as the blooming beauty of lotus blossoms, under the early beams of the rising sun, fills the landscape with delight every morning. 10. That respectable prince of Bráhmanic faith, adored fire as the lord of gods, with his full faith; and did not recognize any other god as equal to him (Because _agni_ is said to be the Brahma or father of the gods). 11. He was beset by conquering forces, consisting of horse, elephants and foot soldiers; and was surrounded by his councillors, as the sea is girt by his whirlpools and rolling waters. 12. His vast and unflinching forces, were employed in the protection of the four boundaries of his realm; as the four seas serve to gird the earth on all its four sides. 13. His capital was as the nave of a wheel, the central point of the whole circle of his kingdom; and he was as invincible a victor of his foes, as the irresistible discus of Vishnu. 14. There appeared to him once a shrewd herald, from the eastern borders of his state; who approached to him in haste, and delivered a secret message that was not pleasing unto him.