Traditionally attributed to Vālmīki; dialogue of Vasiṣṭha and Rāma
śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca .
jīvo'jīvo bhavatyāśu yāti cittamacittatām .
vicārādityavidyānto mokṣa ityabhidhīyate
||1||mṛgatṛṣṇājalamiva mano'haṃtādi dṛśyate .
asadeva manāgeva tadvicārātpralīyate
||2||saṃsṛtisvapnavibhrāntau vetālodāhṛtānimān .
praśnānākarṇaya śubhānprasaṅgātsmṛtimāgatān
||3||asti vindhyamahāṭavyāṃ vetālo vipulākṛtiḥ .
sa kiṃcinmaṇḍalaṃ garvādājagāma jighāṃsayā
||4||sa vetālo'vasatpūrvaṃ kasmiṃścitsajjanāspade .
bahubalyupahāreṇa nityatṛptatayā sukhī
||5||nirnimittaṃ nirāgaskaṃ puro'pyabhyāgataṃ na saḥ .
kṣudhito'pi naraṃ hanti santo hi nyāyadarśakāḥ
||6||sa kālenāṭavīgeho jagāma nagarāntaram .
nyāyayuktyā janaṃ bhoktuṃ kṣudhā samabhicoditaḥ
||7||tatra prāpa sa bhūpālaṃ rātricaryāvinirgatam .
tamāha ghanaghoreṇa śabdenograniśācaraḥ
||8||vetāla uvāca .
rājam̐llabdho'si bhīmena vetālena mayādhunā .
kva gacchasi vinaṣṭo'si bhava bhojanamadya me
||9||rājovāca .
he rātricara nirnyāyyaṃ māṃ cedatsi balādiha .
tatte sahasradhā mūrdhā sphuṭiṣyati na saṃśayaḥ
||10||vetāla uvāca .
na tvāmadmyahamanyāyaṃ nyāyo'yaṃ hi mayocyate .
rājāsi sakalāśāśca pūraṇīyāstvayārthinām
||11||mamaitāmarthitāṃ rājansaṃbhavārthāṃ prapūraya .
praśnānimānmayoktāṃstvaṃ samyagākhyātumarhasi
||12||kasya sūryasya raśmīnāṃ brahmāṇḍānyaṇavaḥ kṛśāḥ .
kasminsphuranti pavane mahāgaganareṇavaḥ
||13||svapnātsvapnāntaraṃ gacchañchataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ .
tyajanna tyajati svacchaṃ kaḥ svarūpaṃ prabhāsvaram
||14||rambhāstambho yathā patramātramevaṃ punaḥpunaḥ .
antarantastathāntaśca tathā ko'ṇuḥ sa eva hi
||15||brahmāṇḍākāśabhūtaughasūryamaṇḍalameravaḥ .
aparityajato'ṇutvaṃ kasyāṇoḥ paramāṇavaḥ
||15||kasyānavayavasyaiva paramāṇumahāgireḥ .
śilāntarniviḍaikāntarūpamajjā jagattrayī
||17||iti kathayasi cenna me durātmaṃ-
stadiha nigīrya bhavantamātmaghātin .
phalamiva tava maṇḍalaṃ graseyaṃ
prasabhamupetya jagadyathā kṛtāntaḥ
||18||ityārṣe śrīvāsiṣṭhamahārāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye de0 mokṣopāyeṣu nirvāṇaprakaraṇe pū0 vetālapraśno nāma saptatitamaḥ sargaḥ .. 70 ..