2. Vasishtha replied:--The woodmen that I have mentioned bear allusion to all mankind in general and their great poverty that I have described, refers to the extreme ignorance of men which is the cause of all their woe (three fold miseries--_tritapas_ of the body, mind and soul, or of this world and the next. Gloss). 3. The great forest which is said to be the place of their residence, is the vast wilderness of knowledge, which the human kind have to traverse under the guidance of their preceptors and the sástras; and their labour in felling and selling the wood for their daily food, is the hard struggle of human kind in their life time for their simple fare and supportance. 4. The unavaricious men that are unemployed in business, and are yet desirous of the enjoyments of life; are the persons that devote themselves to the acquisition of learning. (Such is the literary body of students and scholars). 5. And those people also, who pursue their callings for the provisions of life, and are dependents <on> others for their supportance; become successful in the acquirement of learning in their minds, by their practice of the precepts and studious habits. 6. As the wood-cutters, who sought for the worthless wood at first, get the very valuable gems at last; so men prosecuting their studies for a paltry maintenance and self supportance, succeed to gain divine knowledge at the end. (Secular knowledge often leads to the spiritual). 7. There are some sceptics who say by way of derision, what is the good to be derived from poring upon books? but these have been found to have turned to true believers at last. (Those who came to deride, returned believers at the end and confessed the truth). 8. Worldly men devoted to the objects of their fruition in life, and acquainted with the objects of mental and spiritual truths; coming distrustfully to listen to the doctrines of the sástras, have become fully convinced of their truths at last. 9. Men are led away to many ways by the different tenets of the sástras, and by direction of their various desires and inclinations; but they come to meet at last in the same path of glory, as the gemming forest of the woodmen. 10. He who is not inclined to the injury of others, but goes on in his own beaten course; is called the upright man, and it is his judgement which is sought and followed by every one. 11. But men ignorant of truth, are dubious of the result of righteous conduct, in earning their livelihood; and are doubtful also of the benefit, which is derived from the study of the sástras. (Hence they fall to misconduct and neglect their studies also, in order to earn their bread by foul means). 12. But men persisting in their righteousness, gain both their livelihood and liberation at once; as the honest woodmen obtained their wood as well as the gems together, and in the same place.