The lustre of the nails of the holy guru’s feet is as the brightness of jewels; when one recalls it, a divine splendour illumines the soul, dispersing the darkness of ignorance with its sun-like glory. How blessed he is in whose soul it dawns!

Then the mental vision brightness and expands; the attendant evils and sufferings of the night of mundane existence disappears; and the acts of Rama, like hidden diamonds and rubies plain to see, are discovered, in whatever mine they may be.

By applying this magic ointment as it were to the eyes, the aspirant becomes adept and wise, and beholds and marvels at many a treasure on hill-tops, in the midst of forests and bowels of the earth.

The dust of the guru’s feet is a soft and agreeable ointment, like ambrosia to the eyes, removing every defect of vision. With that ointment I purify the eyes of my understanding and proceed to relate the acts of Rama, the redeemer of the world.

First, I reverence the feet of Brahmans, who solve all doubts that sprint from ignorance. In fair and loving words, I reverence the whole body of saints, minds of all goodness.

The acts of a saint are noble, like the career of the cotton plant, whose produce is dry, white and thread-like. (The saint is nirasa, i.e. free from emotional attachment; he is vishada, i.e. free from the darkness of ignorance and sin; gunamaya, i.e. full of goodness). Though it is roughly treated (in the process of ginning, spinning and weaving), the cotton plant covers others’ faults and earns in the world a renown which is worthy of reverence.

The assemblage of saints, which is all joy and felicity, is the great tirtha Prayaga endowed with motion. Faith in Rama is as the stream of the Ganga; the habit of contemplation on the Absolute as the Sarastati.