11. The same elements being afterwards stretched out into matter or máyá and nature or prakriti, exhibit the whole universe as its ensemble, and the organs and their objects as its parts. (This passage rests on the authority of the sruti which says—[Sanskrit: máyántu prakritim vidyánamáyinantu maheshvaram | ashábayavabhutestu váptamsarvva midamjagat]).
12. The mind which takes the elemental form of its own nature, reflects itself in all the parts of nature in the forms of pots and all the rest of things. (It is repeatedly said that the mind is the maker of all things by reminiscence of the past).
13. Ráma rejoined—Tell me sir, what is the form of that elementary body, which reflects itself in a thousand shapes on the face of the puryastaka or elemental world, as it were on the surface of a mirror.
14. Vasishtha replied—This elementary body which is the seed of the world, is the undecaying Brahma, who is without beginning and end, and of the form of pure light and intellect, and devoid of parts and attributes.
15. The same being disposed to its desires, becomes the living soul; and this being desirous of collecting all its desires and the parts of the body together, becomes the palpitating heart in the midst of it. (The word heart hrid is derived from its harana or receiving the blood and all bodily sensations into it; it, is called the chitta also, from its chinoti or collecting and distributing these in itself and to all parts of the body).
16. It becomes the ego from its thought of its egoism, and is called the mind from its minding—manana of many things in itself; it takes the name of buddhi or understanding from its bodha or understanding and ascertainment of things, and that of sense also from its sensation of external objects.
17. It thinks of taking a body and becomes the very body, as a potter having the idea of a pot forms it in the same manner. Such being the nature of the soul of being and doing all what it likes, it is thence styled the puryashtaka or manifest in its said eight different forms.
18. The Intellect is also called the puryashtaka or octuple soul, from its presiding over the eight fold functions of a person; as those of perception, action and passion and inspection or witnessing of all things and the like; as also from its inward consciousness and the power of vitality. (The gloss gives the following explanations of these words, viz.—Perception of what is derived by the organs of sense. Action of what is done by the organs of action [Sanskrit: karmendriya]. Passion or the feelings of pleasure or pain that is so derived. Inspection or the silent witnessing of all things by the isolated soul. And so on).
19. The living soul takes upon it different forms at different times, according as it is employed in any one of these octuple functions; and also as it is actuated by the various desires, that rise in it by turns.