Traditionally attributed to Vālmīki; dialogue of Vasiṣṭha and Rāma
śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca .
paripūrṇamanā mānyaḥ praṣṭuṃ jānāsi rāghava .
vetsi coktaṃ ca tenāhaṃ pravṛtto vaktumādarāt
||1||rajastamobhyāṃ rahitā śuddhasattvānupātinīm .
matimātmani saṃsthāpya jñānaṃ śrotuṃ sthirau bhava
||2||vidyate tvayi sarvaiva pracchakasya guṇāvalī .
vakturguṇāścaiva mayi ratnaśrīrjaladhau yathā
||3||āptavānasi vairāgyaṃ vivekāsaṅgajaṃ suta .
candrakānta ivārdratvaṃ lagnacandrakarotkaraḥ
||4||ciramāśaiśavādeva tavābhyāso'sti sadguṇaiḥ .
śuddhaiḥ śuddhasya dīrghaiśca padmasyevātisaṃtataiḥ
||5||ataḥ śṛṇu kathāṃ vakṣye tvamevāsyā hi bhājanam .
na hi candraṃ vinā śuddhā savikāsā kumudvatī
||6||ye kecana samārambhā yāśca kāścana dṛṣṭayaḥ .
te ca tāśca pade dṛṣṭe niḥśeṣe yānti vai śamam
||7||yadi vijñānaviśrāntirna bhavedbhavyacetasaḥ .
tadasyāṃ saṃsṛtau sādhuścintāmauḍhyaṃ saheta kaḥ
||8||paraṃ prāpya vilīyante sarvā mananavṛttayaḥ .
kalpāntārkagaṇāsaṅgātkulaśailaśilā iva
||9||duḥsahā rāma saṃsāraviṣāveśaviṣūcikā .
yogagāruḍamantreṇa pāvanena praśāmyati
||10||sa ca yogaḥ sajjanena saha śāstravicāraṇāt .
paramārthajñānamantro nūnaṃ labhyata eva ca
||11||avaśyamiha hi vicāre kṛte sakaladuḥkhaparikṣayo bhavatīti mantavyaṃ nāto vicāradṛṣṭayo'vahelayā draṣṭavyāḥ
||12||vicāravatā puruṣeṇa sakalamidamādhipañjaraṃ sarpeṇa tvacamiva paripakvāṃ saṃtyajya vigatajvareṇa śītalāntaḥkaraṇena vinodādindrajālamiva jagadakhilamālokyate samyagdarśanavatā asamyagdarśanavato hi paraṃ duḥkhamidam
||13||viṣamo hyatitarāṃ saṃsārarāgo bhogīva daśati asiriva cchinatti kunta iva vedhayati rajjurivāveṣṭayati pāvaka iva dahati rātririvāndhayati aśaṅkitaparipatitapuruṣānpāṣāṇa iva vivaśīkaroti harati prajñāṃ nāśayati sthitiṃ pātayati mohāndhakūpe tṛṣṇā jarjarīkaroti na tadasti kiṃcidduḥkhaṃ saṃsārī yanna prāpnoti
||14||duranteyaṃ kila viṣayaviṣūcikā yadi na cikitsyate tannitarāṃ narakanagaranikaraphalānubandhinī tattatkaroti
||15||yatra śilāśitāsiśātaḥ pāta upalatāḍanamagnidāho himāvaseko'ṅgāvakartanaṃ candanacarcātaruvanāni ghuṇavṛttāntaḥpariveṣo'ṅgaparimārjanamanavaratānalavi-
calitasamaranārācanipāto nidāghavinodanaṃ dhārāgṛhasīkaravarṣaṇaṃ śiraśchedaḥ sukhanidrāmūkīkaraṇamānanamudrābāndhurya mahānupacayaḥ
||16||tadevaṃvidhakaṣṭaceṣṭāsahasradāruṇe saṃsāracalayantre'smin rāghava nāvahelanā kartavyā avaśyameva vidhāraṇīyamevaṃ cāvaboddhavyaṃ yathā kila śāstravicārācchreyo bhavatīti
||17||anyasya raghukulendo yadi caite mahāmunayo maharṣayaśca viprāśca rājānaśca jñānakavacenāvaguṇṭhitaśarīrāste kathamaduḥkhakṣamā api duḥkhakarīṃ tāṃ tāṃ vṛttipūrvikāṃ saṃsārakadarthanāmanubhavantaḥ satatameva muditamanasastiṣṭhanti
||18||iha hi .
vikautukā vigatavikalpaviplavā yathā sthitā hariharapadmajādayaḥ .
narottamāḥ samadhigatātmadīpakāstathā sthitā jagati viśuddhabuddhayaḥ
||19||parikṣīṇe mohe vigalati ghane jñānajalade parijñāte tattve samadhigata ātmanyatitate .
vicāryāryaiḥ sārdhaṃ calitavapuṣo vai sadṛśato dhiyā dṛṣṭe tattve ramaṇamaṭanaṃ jāgatamidam
||20||anyacca rāghava .
prasanne cittattve hṛdi śamabhave valgati pare
śamābhogībhūtāsvakhilakalanādṛṣṭiṣu puraḥ .
samaṃ yāti svāntaḥkaraṇaghaṭanāsvāditarasaṃ
dhiyā dṛṣṭe tattve ramaṇamaṭanaṃ jāgatamidam
||21||anyacca .
rathaḥ sthāṇurdehasturagaracanā cendriyagatiḥ
parispando vāto vahanakalitānandaviṣayaḥ .
paro'ṇurvā dehī jagati viharāmītyanaghayā
dhiyā dṛṣṭe tattveramaṇamaṭanaṃ jāgatamidam
||22||