The seven Books are its beautiful flights of steps, which the soul delights to look upon with the eyes of wisdom, the unqualified and unbounded majesty of Raghupati, which I shall presently describe, represents the unfathomable depth of its clear water.

The glory of Rama and Sita is its ambrosial flood; the similes are the soul-ravishing sport of its ripples. The beautiful chaupais represent the thick growth of lotus leaves; the various poetic devices constitute the lustrous oyster-pearls.

The other metres, viz., Chhandas, Sorathas and Dohas, gleam like a cluster of charming many-coloured lotuses. The incomparable sense, the lofty ideas and the elegance of expression represent their pollen, honey and fragrance.

The virtuous acts are charming swarms of bees; the references to spiritual enlightenment, detachment and reason are swans. The allusions and innuendoes and other poetic devices are the graceful fish of various kinds.

The four ends of life, viz., worldly riches, religious duty, enjoyment, and liberation, the reasoned exposition of mystic intuition and scientific knowledge, the nine sentiments of poetry and the references to japa (the muttering of mystic formulae), austerity, yoga (contemplative union with God) and detachment from the world – all these are the beautiful living creatures of this lake.

The hymns in praise of virtuous men, pious souls and of the Name of Rama – these correspond to the varied waterfowl. The saints assembled are the mango-groves hemming the lake on all sides and their piety is said to be like the vernal season.

The various expositions of devotion and references to forbearance, compassion and sense-control are the canopies of creepers; mind-control, the five yamas or forms of self-restraint (viz., non-violence, truthfulness, non-thieving, continence and non-acquisition of property), the five niyamas or religious vows (viz., those of purity, external as well as internal, contentment, austerity, study of sacred books or repetition of the divine Name and self-surrender) are the flowers of these creepers; wisdom is their fruit and loving devotion to the feet of Hari is the juice of this fruit of spiritual enlightenment, as the Veda declares.