The excruciating gout of egoism, the sciatica of hypocrisy, deceit, arrogance and pride, the dreadful dropsy of greed, the violent tertain ague of the three cravings,

The two fevers of covetousness and indiscrimination – but why make a catalogue of all the many diseases?

Men die even of one disease, but I have spoken of many, malignant and incurable, that constantly afflict the soul. How then can it find peace?

There are myriads of different remedies, Garuda, - sacred vows, religious observances, right conducts, austere penances, spiritual wisdom, sacrifices, prayers and charity – but the maladies just enumerated do not yield to these.

Thus every creature in the world is sick of these diseases, prey alternately to agony and ecstasy, fear and love and bereavement. I have mentioned only some of the diseases of the mind; although everyone is suffering from them, only a few are able to detect them.

These wretched afflictions, the plague of mankind, diminish to a certain extent on being detected, but are not wholly cured. Fed by the unwholesome food of sensuality, they sprout up even in the hearts of sages, how much more in those of poor ordinary mortals?

All these diseases can no doubt be cured if by Rama’s grace the following factors combine. There must be a holy guru for physician and faith in his prescription; the regimen is indifference to the pleasures of sense.