On the mountain that is the human body, the rivers flowing from its nine fresh openings no longer surge with their former force, and the bright-winged flocks of thoughts, once so powerful, do not rise up as before. Within the inner cavity of consciousness, a supreme purity is attained. Here, at the great dawn, the sun of the soul shines with extraordinary clarity. Freed from the dense, heavy mass of delusion, one enters the highest solitude. In this state, the directions of hope and desire, thoroughly washed and tranquil, shine forth with a new radiance. The pure and joyful blossom of the inner sky glows intensely, its cool light spreading across the quarters, reminiscent of moonlight in the clear autumn sky. Now, the ground of discernment stands out, distinguished and radiant with all prosperity. It reaches its fullest fruitfulness, overflowing with supreme bliss. A world arises—adorned with mountains and forests—supremely beautiful, bathed in pure light, clear and gentle with a cooling shade. Within, the lake of the heart expands into deep tranquility. It becomes pure and clear, its lotus cavity shining with flawless brilliance. The bee of self-conceit, restless and tainted, departs from the heart’s lotus and is never seen again. In this state, the individual is free from all expectation, all-pervading, master of all, devoid of impressions, and with a peaceful mind, he becomes the true lord of his own bodily city. The lamp of self, gained through inquiry, shines steadily in the mind. With intellect unwavering and all agitation ceased, he observes the paths that are free from decay and fear, untouched by fever, and shines resplendently in the city of the body. At this point, a question arises: “O Brahman, tell me again, so my understanding may grow—how does this universe, established as it is, abide within the consciousness that transcends all worlds?” The answer unfolds: Just as waves, though destined to rise, remain unmanifest in water and are unseen due to their subtlety, so too do all creations exist in the essence of consciousness, subtle and unmanifest. Like space, all-pervading and subtle, which cannot be perceived, the indivisible portion of consciousness is present everywhere, yet remains unseen. Just as the reflection of a woman appears within a jewel—neither truly existing nor not existing—so too does this creation within the Self appear as neither real nor unreal. The supreme consciousness, like the sky untouched by clouds, birds, or anything that rests within it, remains unaffected by the creations or supports that arise within itself. As fire is reflected only in the ocean and not in me, so consciousness becomes evident only in the subtle body, not in the gross physical form. Free from all intentions and devoid of all designations, consciousness is spoken of only as the ‘indestructible essence.’ Finer than a hundredth part of space, for the wise it appears formless, yet it alone is the witness of the entire pure and impure world, seeing its unity. Just as waves and other forms arise in the vast ocean, so too, apart from pure consciousness, these diverse manifestations do not truly appear. Consciousness is both the knower and the known, and thus this world abides in the Self. Through the notions of knowing and not knowing, the idea of difference arises, and one imagines that something exists. For the ignorant, consciousness appears as the multitude of the world—fierce and unreal; for the wise, she is pure light, truly one with all, and the very essence of everything. Always, according to one’s experience, she illumines the sun and all else; she is the taste in all beings, the imagination in those who imagine existence. She neither sets nor rises, neither stands up nor remains; she neither goes nor comes, nor is she here or not here—such is consciousness. This pure-formed consciousness, established in itself, O Raghava, unfolds in manifold ways under the name ‘world.’ Just as light shines through masses of light, and water through bodies of water, so consciousness vibrates through the manifold commotions of creation. By its own nature, called consciousness, all-pervading and self-arising, it manifests as both light and darkness, as indivisible and as bearing divisions. By the power of self-reflection, abandoning the endless state, it gradually attains the state of ignorance, with the notion “I am this.” As diversity increases, following the course of transmigration, it reaches a state where the grasping and releasing of being and non-being come to rest. The subtle body, with its hundreds of vibrations, both acts and does not act; the mass of sprouts, dwelling in the hollow of the earth, rises up. Space, whose nature is emptiness, accepts all forms without opposition; wind, whose only property is movement, and water, whose nature is taste, are similar. The solid earth, the manifest fire, and the worlds that possess stability—all these persist by the allowance and restraint of time, which abides through calculation. A flower slowly reaches the end of the vine, gathering pollen; the delight of moisture in the hollow of clay becomes grass upon the earth. Subtle traces that remain at the root reach the fruit, though faint and mere drops of sap; these lines take form in the rows of tender leaves. Atoms, supported by the structure of Indra’s bow and arrows, sustain the formation; union (yoga) constantly arises, ever new in its arrangement. Hosts of flowers and buds attend upon the spring; the powers of wildfire approach the order of summer. The blue hosts of clouds strive for the season of rains; all the masses of fruit pursue the time of autumn. In winter, the ten directions are covered with snow; cool winds carry water to the stones during the cold season. Time never abandons its own order, which is woven with the ages; creations proceed with the play of waves upon waves. Destiny attains its own stability, acting with firmness and skill; the steadfast earth, possessing the nature of support, remains until dissolution. Here and in the worlds beyond, the fourteen kinds of beings exist; they engage in various activities and amusements, displaying diverse forms in the grand play of existence.