O Raghava, listen as the sage unfolds the subtle mysteries of the states of consciousness, and the journey of the soul through ignorance and knowledge. First, he describes what is called a dream. A dream is that subtle state which, even when one is in the midst of great wakefulness, lingers quietly in the heart. It does not appear for a long time, nor does it manifest in its full, vast form. Sometimes, a dream rises up and merges into wakefulness, attaining the state of great wakefulness itself. Thus, whatever is perceived or not perceived within the body can be regarded as both dream and waking—so closely are these states intertwined. When all the six familiar states are abandoned, what remains is a condition where the soul, dulled and heavy, is filled with the awareness of future suffering. This is known as the state of deep sleep. In this state, all manner of objects—grass, clods, stones, whether ancient, recent, or just manifest—are present, undistinguished, as if merged into a single mass. Thus, O Raghava, the sage declares, “I have described to you seven states of ignorance. Each of these has hundreds of branches and appears in countless forms.” That which is long established as waking or dream eventually becomes wakefulness itself, and through the diversity of objects, it unfolds and expands. Even within this, there are subtler states—such as deep waking—and within those, yet others, making the cycles of existence dense and complex. Even in deep sleep and dream, and in the intermediate conditions between them, this entire mass of delusion remains, solid and unmoving like a great rock. From one dream, the world slips into another dream; from one delusion, it falls into yet another, just as a whirlpool within a river sinks and merges into another body of water. Some cycles of existence persist as long dreams or waking states, while others repeat again and again as dreams, or as mixtures of waking and dreaming, or in other ways. This ground of ignorance—the sevenfold path—has been described as divided by various inner distinctions and transformations. When you cross beyond this, O Raghava, by the beautiful inquiry into your true nature, and behold the pure awakening, you come to know yourself as the very Self. Now, hear about the sevenfold ground of knowledge, O sinless one. By knowing this, you will never again sink into the mire of delusion. Many disputants speak of the stages of yoga in various ways, but these alone, the sage affirms, are truly auspicious and worthy. Knowledge itself is called “awakening,” and this is the sevenfold ground. Liberation is that which lies beyond the seventh stage. True understanding and liberation are one and the same; through true understanding, the living being does not sprout again into worldly existence. The first stage is known as “pure desire”—the sincere longing for truth. The second is “inquiry,” where one seeks through association with scriptures and the wise, guided by dispassion and practice. The third is “attenuation of mind,” where, through inquiry and pure desire, passion for sense objects falls away, and longing ceases. By practicing these three stages and by the power of detachment from objects, one abides in the pure essence of being—this is called “establishment in purity.” Through the practice of a fourteenfold discipline, non-attachment arises, and with it, the wondrous steadfastness of pure being, known as the state of non-attachment. By practicing these five stages and delighting firmly in one’s own Self, without conceiving of inner or outer objects, the sixth state arises: “absence of conceptualization.” Through long and diligent effort, often prompted by another’s guidance, and by understanding the meaning of things, this state is attained. By long practice of the sixfold stage, and by perceiving no division within, one is established in one’s own true nature—this is known as the state called “the fourth.” This is the fourth state among those liberated while living; beyond this lies “the state beyond the fourth,” pertaining to those liberated after the body has fallen away. Those truly blessed ones who have reached the seventh stage, delighting in the Self and great of soul, have attained the supreme state. The liberated while living do not fall into the taste of pleasure or pain; by their own nature or by noble action, they may act or not act at all. These wise ones, when instructed by those nearby, perform all conduct in due order, remaining unshaken, like one who is awake even in deep sleep. Those who delight in the Self find no pleasure in worldly activities, just as one who is deeply asleep does not enjoy the splendors of forms and sights. This sevenfold stage is accessible only to the wise; it is not for animals, immobile beings, or those whose minds are like barbarians. Yet, even among animals or those with unrefined minds, if such a state of knowledge is attained—whether in the body or beyond it—there is liberation, without any doubt. For knowledge is the severing of bondage. Where knowledge is present, there is liberation, which consists solely in the cessation of illusions, like the mirage of water vanishing. However, those who, though freed from dense delusion, have not reached the pure state, remain established in these stages, intent on realizing their own Self. Some dwell in all the stages; some only in the innermost stage. Some abide in three stages, some in the fifth, some in six, some in one and a half; some in four, some in two. Others partake of portions of stages—three and a half, four and a half, or six and a half. Discerning people in this world move about established in various states—of householder, hermit, or ascetic. Indeed, those wise ones, noble rulers among men, prevail in these states. For them, defeat by armies of war-elephants is as insignificant as a blade of grass. Thus, the sage reveals the journey from ignorance to knowledge, and the many subtle states of the soul on its way to the supreme realization of the Self.