874.  This verse occurs in Manusmriti, corresponding with 81 of Chapter 1.  The reading, however, in Manusmriti, is slightly different, for the last clause is Manushyanpavartate.  In rendering verse 23, I take this reading and follow Medhatithi’s gloss.  If Nilakantha’s gloss and the reading in both the Bengal and the Bombay texts be followed, the passage would run thus,—­“No instruction or precept of that age ran along unrighteous ways, since that was the foremost of all ages.”  Nilakantha explains parah as sa cha parah.  K.P.  Singha skips over the difficulty and the Burdwan translator, as usual, gives an incorrect version.

875.  The total comes up to 12,000 years.  These constitute a Devayuga.  At thousand Devayugas compose a day of Brahman.  Verse 28 occurs in Manusmriti, Chapter 1.

876.  The reader who has gone through the previous Sections can have no difficulty in understanding:  this.  The external world is nothing but Mind transformed.  Mind, therefore, is spoken of here as Vyaktatmaka or that which is the soul of the vyakta or that is manifest, or that which is the vyakta, or between which and the vyakta there is no difference whatever.  Some of the Bengal texts do not conclude Section 231 with the 32nd verse but go on and include the whole of the 232nd Section in it.  This, however, is not to be seen in the Bombay texts as also in some of the texts of Bengal that I have seen.

877.  Tejomayam is explained by the commentator as Vasanamayam or having the principle of desire or wish within it, otherwise Creation could not take place.  Yasya is used for yatah.

878.  By Mahat is meant Pure or Subtile Intelligence.  The Manifest starts into existence from Mind or has Mind for its soul.  Hence, as explained in previous Sections, Mind is called Vyaktatmakam.

879.  These seven great Beings or entities are Mahat, the same speedily transformed into Mind, and the five elemental entities of Space, etc.

880.  Verses 4, 5, 6 and 7 occur in Manusmriti, corresponding with the latter’s 75, 76, 77 and 78 of Chapter 1.

881.  Chit or Jiva is called Purusha or resider in body, because when overlaid with Avidya by the Supreme Soul, it is not possible for it to exist in any other way than by being invested with a covering or case made of primordial matter determined by the power of acts.  Here, however, it means limbs or avayavam.

882.  What is stated in verse 10, 11 and 12 is this:  the seven great entities, in their gross form, are unable, if separate, to produce anything.  They, therefore, combine with one another.  Thus uniting, they first form the asrayanam of sarira i.e., the constituent parts of the body.  They, at this stage, must be known by the name of Purusha of avayava, i.e., mere limbs.  When these limbs again unite, then murtimat shodasatmakam sartram bhavati, i.e., the full body, possessed of form and having the six and ten attributes, comes into existence.