6. Ráma said:--O thou seer, that knowest the past and future; thou hast cleansed away all our inward dross, as fire serves to purge gold from its impurity. 7. Venerable sir we have now become cosmognostics or all knowing, by our knowledge of the universal soul, though we are confined in these visible bodies of ours, and seeming to all appearance, as knowing nothing beyond them. 8. I feel myself now as perfect and full in all, and to have become quite undecaying in myself; I am freed from all fear and apprehension, and am quite cognoscent with all things. 9. I am overjoyed to no end, and am happy beyond all measure; I have risen to a height from which there is no fear of falling, and am elevated to the supreme acme of eminence and perfection. (Parama-purushártha). 10. Alack! how am I cleansed by the holy and cooling water of divine knowledge, which you have so kindly poured forth in me, and whereby I am as joyous, as a full blown lotus in the lake of my heart. 11. I am now set, sir, by your favour to a state of happiness, which brightens to me the face of universe with ambrosial delight. 12. I now hail myself, that have become so fair within myself with the clearness of my mind, and by disappearance of all sorrow from it. I have received a grace in my face, from the peace of mind and purity of my wishes. I am joyous in myself with my inward joy, and I <am> wholly pure with the purity of my soul. CHAPTER CCIII. DESCRIPTION OF NIRVÁNA OR SELF EXTINCTION IN DIVINE MEDITATION. Argument:--Sounding of midday trumpet, performance of daily ablution, and description of the setting sun. The meeting of the assembly on the next morning upon the discourse on Nirvána. Válmíki related:--As Ráma and the sage had been remonstrating in this manner, the sun advanced towards the zenith, to listen to their holy conversation in <its> royal dome. 2. The solar beams spread on all sides, with greater force and effulgence; as if to expose to clearer and greater light the sense of Ráma’s speech. 3. Then the lotus beds in the tanks of the pleasure gardens, all about the royal palace, began to expand their embosomed buds to bloom before him, as the princes shone forth in brightness amidst the royal hall. 4. The air was exhilarated with joy at hearing the holy lectures of the sage; and seemed to be dancing with the sunbeams, glistening in the strings of pearls, suspended at the windows of the palace. 5. The premature gleams of the sun, glistened as bright at the glittering glass doors and shining chandeliers of the court hall; as the gladdened hearts of the audience, glowed at enlightening speech of the sage. 6. After Ráma was settled in his sedateness, his face shone as bright as a blooming blue lotus by its reflexion of the rays of the sage’s look upon it. (Here the blue complexion of Ráma, is compared to a blue lotus, blooming under the moon bright look of fair Vasishtha’s countenance).