entified with Jiva
who is united with her. (As regards, however, the Supreme Soul, which is
ever disunited and dissociated, and which transcends the twenty-fifth
Prakriti can never comprehend it). In consequence of this (viz., his
attachment to or union with Prakriti), Jiva or Purusha, who is not
manifest and which in his real nature is not subject to modifications,
comes to be called as the Unawakened or Ignorant. Indeed because the
twenty-fifth can comprehend the Unmanifest, he is therefore, called
Budhyamana (or Comprehender). He cannot, however, readily comprehend the
twenty-sixth, which is stainless, which is Knowledge without duality,
which is immeasurable, and which is eternal. The twenty-sixth, however,
can know both Jiva and Prakriti, numbering the twenty-fifth and the
twenty-fourth respectively. O thou of great effulgence, only men of
wisdom succeed in knowing that Brahma which is Unmanifest, which inheres
in its real nature to all that is seen and unseen, and which, O son, is
the one independent essence in the universe.[1633] When Jiva considers
himself different from what he truly is (i.e. when he regards himself as
fat or lean, fair or dark, a Brahmana or a Sudra), it is only then that he
fails to know the Supreme Soul and himself and Prakriti with which he is
united. When Jiva succeeds in understanding Prakriti (and knowing that
she is something different from him) then he is said to be restored to
his true nature and then does he attain to that high understanding which
is pure and stainless and which is concerned with Brahma. When Jiva
succeeds, O tiger among kings, in attaining to that excellent
understanding, he then attains to that Pure Knowledge (without duality)
which is called the twenty-sixth or (Brahma). He then casts off the
Unmanifest or Prakriti which is fraught with the attributes of Creation
and Destruction. When Jiva succeeds in knowing Prakriti which is
unintelligent and subject to the action of the three attributes of
Sattwa, and Rajas and Tamas, he then becomes destitute of attributes
himself. In consequence of his thus understanding the Unmanifest (to be
something different from him), he succeeds in acquiring the nature of the
Supreme Soul. The learned say that when he is freed from the attributes
of Sattwa and Rajas and Tamas and united in the nature with the Supreme
Soul then does Jiva become identified with that Soul. The Supreme Soul is
called Tattwa as well as Not-Tattwa, and transcen