opposed to this, they say, is false.  Ignorance and passion, causing constant transmigration, abiding in the midst of these (they say) is the lot of all that lives.  Doubting the truth of soul is called excessive doubt, and without distinguishing aright, there can be no method of escape.  Deep speculation as to the limits of perception is but to involve the soul; thus unbelief leads to confusion, and ends in differences of thought and conduct.  Again, the various speculations on soul, such as ‘I say,’ ‘I know and perceive,’ ‘I come’ and ‘I go,’ or ‘I remain fixed,’ these are called the intricacies of soul.  And then the fancies raised in different natures, some saying ‘this is so,’ others denying it, and this condition of uncertainty is called the state of darkness.  Then there are those who say that outward things are one with soul, who say that the objective is the same as mind, who confuse intelligence with instruments, who say that number is the soul.  Thus not distinguishing aright, these are called excessive quibbles, marks of folly, nature changes, and so on.  To worship and recite religious books, to slaughter living things in sacrifice, to render pure by fire and water, and thus awake the thought of final rescue, all these ways of thinking are called without right expedient, the result of ignorance and doubt, by means of word or thought or deed; involving outward relationships, this is called depending on means; making the material world the ground of soul, this is called depending on the senses.  By these eight sorts of speculation are we involved in birth and death.  The foolish masters of the world make their classifications in these five ways:  Darkness, folly, and great folly, angry passion, with timid fear.  Indolent coldness is called darkness; birth and death are called folly; lustful desire is great folly; because of great men subjected to error, cherishing angry feelings, passion results; trepidation of the heart is called fear.  Thus these foolish men dilate upon the five desires; but the root of the great sorrow of birth and death, the life destined to be spent in the five ways, the cause of the whirl of life, I clearly perceive, is to be placed in the existence of ‘I’; because of the influence of this cause, result the consequences of repeated birth and death; this cause is without any nature of its own, and its fruits have no nature; rightly considering what has been said, there are four matters which have to do with escape, kindling wisdom—­opposed to dark ignorance—­making manifest—­opposed to concealment and obscurity—­if these four matters be understood, then we may escape birth, old age, and death.  Birth, old age, and death being over, then we attain a final place; the Brahmans all depending on this principle, practising themselves in a pure life, have also largely dilated on it, for the good of the world.”

The prince hearing these words again inquired of Arada:  “Tell me what are the expedients you name, and what is the final place to which they lead, and what is the character of that pure Brahman life; and again what are the stated periods during which such life must be practised, and during which such life is lawful; all these are principles to be inquired into; and on them I pray you discourse for my sake.”