Thenceforward the soul becomes worldly and is subject to birth and death; now neither that (good, firm) bond is broken nor is the soul (free and) blissful. The Vedas and Puranas offer many remedies, but there is no loosing the knot; on the contrary, it becomes even more involved.

The heart of the creature being utterly clouded over with the darkness of ignorance; the knot cannot even be perceived; how then can it be untied? If God were to bring about such conditions (as are mentioned below), even then the disentanglement of the knot is problematical.

If by God’s favour a spirit of genuine piety, like a beauteous cows, comes to abide in one’s heart, if countless prayers, austere penances, steadfast vows, self-restraint, internal purification (with contenment, mortification, study and worship of contentment, mortification, study and worship of God) and observances, which the Vedas declare to be proper righteous conduct -

These be the green grass, and if the cow grazes it, she would bear and give milk to the calf of faith. The spirit of resignation (from worldly activity) is the rope with which her hind legs are tied, faith the bowl in which the cow is milked; the spotless mind that is its own slave is the milkman.

Having thus drawn off the milk of perfect righteousness, let a man boil it, brother, on the fire of desirelessness. When boiled, let him cool it with the wind of contentment and forbearance and make it into curd with the rennet of fortitude and self-control.

In the bowl of cheerfulness let him churn it with the churning-stick of reflection, with continence for base and truthful and agreeable words for cord. By this process of churning let him extract the butter of dispassion, pure and excellent and holy.

After kindling the fire of abstract meditation with the fuel of one’s past actions, good and evil, let him place the butter on it. When the scum of worldly attachment is burnt, let him cool the ghee of knowledge with reason.