From that time onward, due to the influence of their innate bodily tendencies, wherever those two souls are born, they are drawn together and always become husband and wife. Observing the pure, natural affection that arises between them—an affection infused with the very essence of love—even the trees, when touched by this nectar of devotion, are stirred and respond with gestures of romance. Reflecting on this, the venerable sage spoke: “O great one, I speak as my mind prompts me—truly, the mind is ungraspable, impenetrable, and not subdued even by the force of powerful curses. The destruction of the lunar race or the order of creation is not appropriate, O Brahman; such an act does not befit one who is great-souled. What, indeed, in this world or any other, could bring misery to you, O Lord, or to the Lord of lords, who is possessed of such greatness? “For it is the mind that is the creator of worlds; the mind alone is said to be the person. What is done by the mind is truly done in the world, not what is done by the body. What is fixed in the mind cannot be destroyed in a being by substances, medicines, or punishments, just as a reflection in a jewel cannot be removed by external means. Therefore, let all beings remain here, amidst the brilliant commotion of creation; you, having brought forth these beings, abide in the infinite expanse of intelligence, O endless one. “There are three spaces: the space of the mind, the space of consciousness, and the physical space. All three are infinite, and all are revealed by the light of consciousness. O creator, make one, two, or many creations as you wish; abide in your own will. What is gained for you by the Indras or other powers? “When the radiant one spoke thus about the net of the world, I pondered for a long time and then replied, ‘What you have said is fitting, O radiant one, for indeed the sky is vast, the mind is vast, and the space of consciousness is also expansive. Therefore, as I desire, I perform the act of creation always; I quickly imagine many hosts of beings, O sun. “‘Therefore, you yourself, O blessed one, quickly become the first Manu here; create the world as you wish, prompted by me.’ “Then, that radiant one, Prabhākara, accepted my words. Being the foremost among those who shine, he made himself twofold. With one form, he became the sun in his previous body, moving along the path of the sky and spreading forth the succession of days in creation. With his second form, assuming my own nature in an instant, he produced the entire creation, extending it as I desired. Whatever arises in his mind comes forth clearly, and its stability and fruition also manifest. “Ordinary Brahmins, by the power of imagination, truly attained the state of Brahman, just as the lunar Brahmins did—see here the potency of the mind. Just as those lunar beings attained Brahmanhood through the mind, so too have we, by the nature of consciousness and mind, attained Brahmanhood. “The mind is of the nature of imagination, and whatever it imagines appears as the form of body and so on; there is no perceiver of the body apart from this. The mind is a wonder of the Self, marveling at itself; whatever arises, arises within its own Self, just as a mirage appears in the desert. “That which appears as the mind is called the ‘vehicle of the elements’; it is also referred to as the dense mass known as the body, moving about. This is spoken of as the mind, bearing the name ‘jīva’, residing in each subtle form. Know that the wondrous body is pacified, and the jīva, step by step, is supreme. “Here, neither I nor anything else truly exists; only this mind remains. The consciousness of Vasiṣṭha and Indra has come forth as existence from nonexistence. Just as Indra’s mind is Brahmā, so too am I established here; all this is made by me, and I alone appear as the essence of resolve. “This is a certain play of the mind, established as ‘I am Brahmā’; know that body and the rest are merely the nature of emptiness. By contemplating that pure consciousness is of the nature of the supreme Self alone, the mind becomes a jīva and, taking on the form of the body, perceives it vainly. “All this appears like the world of Indra, as the form of consciousness; accomplished through lack of awakening, it is a long dream arising from one’s own power. Like the illusion of seeing two moons, and the confusion of forms of the elements, the mind becomes established as consciousness, as in the case of Indra’s lotus-born. “I am neither existence nor non-existence, neither being nor non-being; by perception, a form appears, but it is unreal due to its contradiction. Know the mind as both inert and non-inert, vast in form and made of thought; it is non-inert because of its nature as Brahman, and inert because it arises as the object of perception. “The reality of experience is based on what is perceived; in its absence, it dissolves, just as the quality of a bracelet resides in gold—so too, all rests in Brahman. Because Brahman is all, everything is either inert or consciousness itself; from myself to a stone, there is neither pure inertness nor pure consciousness. “Because wood and the like lack consciousness, perception of them cannot arise; for perception is born only from a relationship with something similar. Understand that all perception is of what is inert or conscious; perception arises from relation, and relation is only between things of the same essence. “The true meaning of words like inert, conscious, or peaceful does not exist in that which cannot be described, just as leaves and vines do not exist in a great desert. Whatever conceptualization arises in consciousness is called ‘mind’; the conscious aspect here is non-inert, while the inert aspect is its objectification. “Here, the portion of consciousness is the element of awareness, while the inert is the object perceived; thus, the individual soul, seeing the illusion of the world, becomes restless. This very nature of consciousness, pure in itself, is made dual; therefore, all this world is nothing but consciousness, appearing as duality by acquiring a portion.” Thus, the sage revealed the infinite play of mind and consciousness, showing that all creation, all experience, and all duality arise within the boundless expanse of awareness itself.