In the vast and boundless expanse of existence, when the very first stirring of mind arises from Brahman—the infinite source—it immediately attains the state of Brahman itself. This primordial movement is pure and undivided. But as creation becomes established, a new, subtler movement emerges. This higher impulse, relying upon the elements of space and air, enters into the world, infusing itself into herbs and leaves. From this mysterious process, some beings ascend to the state of gods, while others take birth as humans. Some become animals, and others are born as yakṣas, the nature-spirits. It is through the channel of the moon’s radiant rays that herbs and leaves become imbued with this vital force. Whatever being enters these forms is swiftly born in that very state. Thus, beings are born by the force of association in each particular birth, and whether they are bound or liberated depends entirely on the nature of their own perception. In this way, O Rāmabhadra, all of creation comes to be—bound by both manifest and unmanifest chains of action, weighed down by the countless forms and activities that spring forth from the womb of imagination. When the immaculate state of divine Brahman is attained, O mighty-armed Rama, the Creator, having set creation in motion, abides within it. In this world, worn by age and suffering, creation continues according to its own order, like a pot hanging by a cord—the cord being the ceaseless thirst for life. Among the living beings that arise from Brahman and enter the enclosure of worldly existence, when their tendencies are finally exhausted and worn away, they become like water merging into the ocean—losing all separate identity. As they emerge from the Lord and move through the realms of space and wind, their minds, like tiny particles, are stirred and scattered by the gusts of wind. Continuously, some beings depart and others enter from all directions; O Rama, streams of living beings in Brahman are like the endless waves in the ocean. Born from that which has neither beginning nor end, and having reached the realm where things can be measured and counted, some enter the elemental space, like wisps of smoke merging into a cloud. There, these beings blend with the circles of elemental essences, just as the fragrance of mandara flowers is carried and mingled by sweet breezes. Yet, those who are swept along by the wind of the elements, having acquired the nature of vital force, may be overpowered by fierce hosts of demons—just as immortals are sometimes beset by adversaries. By the wind arising from the elements, which bears all fragrances, scents are deposited in bodies, just as odors settle in the wounds of the nose. Within these elemental bodies, living beings gain vitality; from there, they are born into the world and appear as manifest creatures. Others, following the path of smoke and similar routes, enter the wombs of embodied beings, attaining life or lingering for a long time in a stationary state. Some, traveling the path of wind and lying within grains of rice, attain vitality and are born as various creatures endowed with life. Sometimes, O Rama, a lineage of living beings, newly arisen, remains for a while enveloped only by subtle elements, resting within the hollow of the sky—until the glorious moon, with its radiant orb, rises and bathes the world in its restless beams, like waves of milky water. Then, in those delightful moonbeams, the vital entity takes its place, moving restlessly like a bird flitting from tree to tree. From these moonbeams, it enters the shoots of herbs, just as a bee enters a fresh cluster of lotuses among the lilies. Within these shoots, the fruits of medicinal plants become thoroughly sweet, just as sugarcane stalks swell with their own sap. In those fruits, the stream of life—full and nourishing as the moon’s rays—settles and abides, just as milk fills the mother’s breasts. When those fruits ripen, they are eaten by embodied beings, and within them, the vital essence enters and remains, though it is not perceived. This wealth of life, veiled by the net of dormant tendencies, dwells in the cage of the womb, just as the glory of a seed rests in a pot with folded leaves. As fire abides in wood, as a pot exists within clay, as ghee is present in milk, so too does the soul dwell within the vital essence. Through this intricate, sequential process, one who descends from the Supreme Lord—though unseen and bodiless—is born as a human on earth. Such a person, born of sattvic nature and endowed with noble conduct, may attain liberation in that very birth, truly embodying the quality of sattva. But if, after entering such a womb and passing through successive births, one is born ultimately for the sake of liberation, then he is of rajas-sattva nature. Now, O Rama, let me explain what happens after a person’s death in the west, and how liberation comes to one endowed with rajas and sattva. He who enters the cycle of birth with predominant sattva, sometimes and somewhere, is born as one whose actions are pure, O sinless one. Here, O Rama, people of rajas and sattva are born; these alone are worthy of consideration, and among them, one should proceed accordingly. Those who have come first and reached the supreme Self, O Rama, are rare souls, endowed with great virtues. Others, who are mute, deluded, and of tamasic nature, are like immobile beings—there is little to consider about them. Only a few, after attaining another birth through self-realization, reach the highest state in their natural life; indeed, it is the one endowed with rajas and sattva who is fit for such inquiry here. Those who abide in rajas and sattva, possessing great virtues on earth, are always joyful and radiant, like moons shining in the sky. They do not experience weariness, just as the sky is untouched by impurity, nor do they wither in adversity, like golden lotuses at night. Here, nothing exists apart from the natural order, just as the sun does not bring a different day; these rare souls delight in their own proper conduct, as trees rejoice in their own season. They never abandon the fullness within, remaining serene and beautiful as the moon; even when difficult circumstances arise, they do not forsake their coolness, like the gentle light of the moon itself.