If, after restraining the activities of the life-force, one simply abides in stillness, that itself is a state of excellence—what more can be spoken of one who has attained liberation? The highest good, indeed, is found in the unity of self-effort and the inner self, and true liberation lies in utter inactivity; for the great ones, any wavering between effort and inaction brings only suffering. When destiny itself merges into the essence of Brahman, then, in that state of supreme purity, the highest attainment is already realized. Through these grand displays of destiny and similar forces, it is Brahman alone who shines forth as the very self of all, just as water pervades the earth, appearing as grass, creepers, trees, and bushes. Whatever power arises in any way from the all-powerful, that is its own inherent power, naturally manifesting in countless forms. This all-pervading Lord, the supreme Self, the great Lord, is utterly pure, of the nature of one’s own blissful experience, and is beyond beginning and end. From this supreme bliss, which is pure consciousness alone, the individual soul first arises; from that, the mind emerges, and from the mind, the world unfolds. In this Brahman, which is established and expanded by the measure of one’s own experience, how can the individual soul exist, since all duality is absent? Within the Self, which appears as the unreal, there exists the vast Brahman, fully expanded—the great, conscious Bhairava-form, known as the imperishable Bliss. Its essence is equal, full, pure, and unmarked—indescribable even to those who know. That is the tranquil, supreme state. From that alone arises the great peace, whose very essence is awareness; its natural vibration is called the jīva—the living being. In this supreme mirror of the space of consciousness, which is of the nature of pure experience, these unreal series of world-appearances are reflected. Whatever faint radiance arises from Brahman, like a windless ocean or a lamp undisturbed by wind—know, O Raghava, that this is the jīva. When tranquility departs from the clear expanse, the natural radiance, which is the nature of mind and perception—O dear one, that is the jīva of consciousness-space. Just as motion belongs to wind, heat to fire, and coldness to snow, so too is the state of being a jīva to the Self. Of the Self, whose very nature is consciousness, the first self-awareness of mind arises naturally; this is remembered as the jīva. That dense awareness gradually assumes the sense of 'I', just as a spark of fire, when supplied with more fuel, attains its own illuminating nature. Just as, at the creation of stars, a bluish hue appears in the sky, so too does the notion of 'I am' arise in this empty being. The individual soul takes on the form of egoity by the play of imagination, or by its own density, just as the sky appears blue though it is not. The sense of 'I' is marked by distinctions of space and time; abiding in space, it vibrates under the influence of thought, like the movement of wind. Having become inclined toward conceptualization, it is known by various names—ego, mind, individual soul, thought, illusion, or nature. That mind, whose nature is conceptualization, imagines the elements as its own form; by doing so, it takes on that state, and from that very conceptualization, it eventually dissolves. The mind, taking the form of the five subtle elements, becomes like a particle of light, just as a faint star appears in the unborn sky. By imagining the subtle elements, the mind assumes the state of a particle of light; gradually, from its own vibration, it becomes like a seed sprouting forth. That particle of radiance, called the 'cosmic egg', by mere imagination, attains the state of an egg; within it, Brahma appears, just as water takes the form of a bubble. By the force of imagination, some swiftly assume the form of a body and so forth; arising from delusion, these forms are not their true nature, just as the wealth of a celestial being conjured by desire is not real. Some attain the state of the immobile, some the state of the mobile; some, by their own will, take on forms such as sky, air, and water, each according to their own kind. At the beginning of creation, the primordial body, arising from the resolve of the living being, gradually attains the station of Brahma and creates the world. The self-born, whose essence is imagination, instantly perceives as already arisen whatever he imagines, due to the force of his own nature. From the nature of consciousness arises his own Brahmahood, the cause of all; and in the cycle of transmigration, karma is subsequently fashioned and established as the cause. Mind arises from the nature of consciousness, like foam from water; afterwards, it is bound by actions, just as a drum is bound by cords. Imagination is the seed of action, and the living being is of its very nature; action then produces, in due course, the sequence of non-action after rising up. The seed, first enveloped by its own sprout, retains its seed-nature; later, it assumes diversity through the illusion of leaves, shoots, and fruits. Others, who are living beings in the sky, likewise take on such forms; when the world arises earlier, they attain a state based on the elements. Then, through their own actions, which become causes for birth and death, they proceed upward or downward; action is called the vibration of consciousness. The vibration of consciousness becomes action—this itself is destiny, this itself is mind, and this itself is auspicious, inauspicious, and so forth. Therefore, worlds and universes arise, and beings emerge swiftly, like flowers blossoming from a tree. For this reason, the mind first arises in this way; it is of the nature of thinking and enjoyment, and it attains a state corresponding to that. Because of its oscillation between increase and decrease of being and non-being, this creation is observed; it appears as both real and unreal, just as a city is seen according to the wishes of a celestial musician. No true distinction exists; duality and unity are but imagined. The views of Brahman, the individual soul, mind, illusion, agent, action, and the world are all mere appearances. With the playful movement of the boundless waters of consciousness, the Self alone expands as the single, vast ocean of awareness.