he is without attributes and without form, yet he (in consequence of a union with Prakriti) assumes all forms.  Uniting with Prakriti which has the attributes of birth and death, he also assumes the attributes of birth and death.  And in consequence of such union he becomes an object of perception and though in reality divested of all attributes yet he comes to be invested therewith.  It is in this way that the Mahan-Soul (Hiranyagarbha), becoming united with Prakriti and invested with Ignorance, undergoes modifications and becomes conscious of Self.  Uniting with the attributes of Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas, he becomes identified with diverse creatures belonging to diverse orders of Being, in consequence of his forgetfulness and his waiting upon Ignorance.  In consequence of his birth and destruction arising from the fact of his dwelling in upon with Prakriti, he thinks himself to be no other than what he apparently is.  Regarding himself as this or that, he follows the attributes of Sattwa, Rajas, and Tamas.  Under the influence of Tamas, he attains to diverse kinds of conditions that are affected by Tamas.  Under the influence of Rajas and Sattwa, he attains similarly to conditions that are affected by Rajas and Sattwa.  There are three colours in all, viz., White, Red, and Dark.  All those colours appertain to Prakriti (so that He it is who becomes White or Red or Dark according as the nature of the Prakriti with which is He becomes identified for the time being).  Through Tamas one goes to hell.  Through Rajas one attains to and remains in the status of humanity.  Through Sattwa, people ascend to the regions of the deities and become sharers of great felicity.  By adhering to sin continuously one sinks into the intermediate order of beings.  By acting both righteously and sinfully one attains to the status of the deities.  In this way the twenty-fifth, viz., Akshara (the Indestructible), the wise say, by union with the unmanifest (Prakriti), becomes transformed into Kshara (destructible).  By means of knowledge however, the Indestructible becomes displayed in His true nature—­”

SECTION CCCIV

“’Vasishtha said, ’Thus in consequence of his forgetfulness the Soul follows ignorance and obtains thousands of bodies one after another.  He attains to thousands of births among the intermediate orders and sometimes among the very gods in consequence of his union with (particular) attributes and the puissance of attributes.[1615] From the status of humanity, he goes to heaven and from heaven he comes back to humanity, and from humanity he sinks into hell for many long years.  As the worm that fabricates the cocoon shuts itself, completely on every side by means of the threads it weaves itself, even so the Soul, though in reality transcending all attributes, invests himself on every side with attributes (and deprives himself of liberty).[1616] Though transcending (in his real nature) both happiness and misery, it