There exists a world, exalted and secure, renowned for its virtue and desirability. In that realm, human beings are untouched by greed or delusion; their minds remain calm and untroubled. Death comes to them only at its proper time, and disease finds no place among them. No one is slain by another, and there is no astonishment or distress over possessions. There, the results of one’s actions are seen directly and clearly. Some dwell amid every pleasure, adorned with golden ornaments, while others sustain themselves through great effort and toil. Among them, some are happy and some are not; some live in poverty, others in wealth. Yet it is greed, arising from wealth, that confuses the unwise, just as easily as a blade of grass can be bent. Deceit with hidden motives, theft, slander, and envy—whenever a person engages in these, his austerity and spiritual merit are diminished. In this world, many anxieties arise regarding what is righteous and unrighteous. By good deeds, one attains good results; by bad deeds, one reaps the opposite. Those who purify themselves through sacrifices and austerities ascend to the world of Brahma. Those who perform meritorious deeds here are born into that higher realm. But others, whose allotted lifespan is exhausted, perish here on earth itself. They continue to revolve in this cycle, never ascending to the higher realms. The wise, however, know the paths leading to all the worlds. He who truly understands righteousness and unrighteousness in this life is wise indeed. “O possessor of austerity,” one asks, “tell me what pertains to the self, and its true nature.” The answer comes: “I shall explain to you, dear one, that which brings the highest happiness. By knowing this, a person attains joy and happiness in this very world.” Earth, air, space, water, and fire—these five great elements are the source of all creation. From them arises all that exists, and into them, all dissolves again. Just as a tortoise extends and withdraws its limbs, so too do these five elements give rise to and draw back all beings. The five great elements are indeed the foundation of all existence. From space arise sound, the ear, and the three vital channels. From fire come form, the eye, and the threefold process of digestion. Earth gives rise to smell, the nose, and the body itself. The senses and the mind, O descendant of Bharata, are all attributes of the embodied self. The ear is meant for hearing, the skin for touch, the eye for seeing, and the mind for forming doubts. All that is seen above, below, and in the waters—even beneath the soles of the feet—should be thoroughly understood through the senses. A wise person, having grasped this understanding, perceives the coming and going of all beings. Yet, it is by the qualities of nature that understanding can be destroyed, and by understanding, the senses too are subdued. In truth, all this—both the moving and the unmoving—is pervaded by That Supreme Reality. That by which one sees is called the eye; that by which one hears is the ear. Through the skin, one perceives touch, and the intellect can be transformed in but an instant. Indeed, from the foundation of the intellect, the fivefold distinct objects of the senses arise. Thus, the wise discern the workings of the world, the senses, and the self, and by such knowledge, they attain the highest happiness.