18. In this manner must the yogi remain for a moment in his spiritual form only, by contraction of his corporeal body (composed of the elemental particles, his desires and prior acts and his primeval ignorance—avidyá), under the same (because the material part is contained under the spiritual, and not the latter under the former as it is erroneously supposed by materialist).
19. The spiritual body is represented by the wise, to be composed of the ten senses of perception and conception, the mind or memory and the understanding faculties; which is above and outside the corporeal half of the mundane egg. The yogi must think himself to be this supermundane spiritual being. (This form is styled Hiranyagarbha).
20. The former or intramundane half, which is composed of the quadruple subtile elements, is represented by the figure of the four faced Brahmá; and differs from the former by its being an evolution of unevolved spirit.
21. That nameless and formless being in which the world subsists, is called Prakriti or matter by some, and Máyá or delusion by others, and also as atoms by atomic philosophers.
22. The same is said to be ignorance—avidyá, by agnostics, whose minds are confused by false reasoning; and it is after all that hidden and unknowable something, in which all things are dissolved at the ultimate dissolution of the world.
23. Again everything which is quite unrelated with the divine spirit and intellect (i.e. material substance); comes to existence at the recreation of the world; and retains and remains in its primary form to the end of the world.
24. Think of creation in the direct method, and of its destruction in the reversed order; and then betake yourself to the fourth stage of turíya, after you have passed over the three preceding steps. (The direct method of creation is the procedure from vacuity to air, and thence to heat, water and earth; or the meditation of the creative power under the three hypostasis or substantiality of Hiranyagarbha, Brahmá and Prakriti; and the reversed order is the annihilation of these in the quiet state of the unpredicable Deity).
25. And in order to that state of blissfulness, you must enter into the supreme spirit by removing from your mind all its impressions (lingas), of matter and sense, mind and understanding and all desires and acts; that lie unexpanded and hidden in it.
26. Bharadwája responded:—I am now quite released from the fetters of my impressions, as my intellectual part has found its entrance into the sea of turíya or transcendent blissfulness.