Traditionally attributed to Vālmīki; dialogue of Vasiṣṭha and Rāma
śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca .
jñāninaiva sadā bhāvyaṃ rāma na jñānabandhunā .
ajñātāraṃ varaṃ manye na punarjñānabandhutām
||1||śrīrāma uvāca .
kimucyate jñānabandhurjñānī caiva kimucyate .
kiṃ phalaṃ jñānabandhutve jñānitve'pi ca kiṃ phalam
||2||śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca .
vyācaṣṭe yaḥ paṭhati ca śāstraṃ bhogāya śilpivat .
yatate na tvanuṣṭhāne jñānabandhuḥ sa ucyate
||3||karmaspandeṣu no bodhaḥ phalito yasya dṛśyate .
bodhaśilpopajīvitvājjñānabandhuḥ sa ucyate
||4||vasanāśanamātreṇa tuṣṭāḥ śāstraphalāni ye .
jānanti jñānabandhūṃstānvidyācchāstrārthaśilpinaḥ
||5||pravṛttilakṣaṇe dharme vartate yaḥ śrutocite .
adūravartijñānatvājjñānabandhuḥ sa ucyate
||6||ātmajñānaṃ vidurjñānaṃ jñānānyanyāni yāni tu .
tāni jñānāvabhāsāni sārasyā'navabodhanāt
||7||ātmajñānamanāsādya jñānāntaralavena ye .
saṃtuṣṭāḥ kaṣṭaceṣṭaṃ te te smṛtā jñānabandhavaḥ
||8||jñānāditajjñeyavikāśaśāntyā
vinā na saṃtuṣṭadhiyeha bhāvyam .
tvaṃ jñānabandhutvamupetya rāma
ramasva mā bhogabhavāmayeṣu
||9||atrāhārārthaṃ karma kuryādanindyaṃ
kuryādāhāraṃ prāṇasaṃdhāraṇārtham .
prāṇāḥ saṃdhāryāstattvajijñāsanārthaṃ
tattvaṃ jijñāsyaṃ yena bhūyo na duḥkham
||10||ityārṣe śrīvāsiṣṭhamahārāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye de0 mo0 nirvāṇaprakaraṇe uttarārdhe jñānavicāro nāmaikaviṃśaḥ sargaḥ .. 21 ..