Brahman said That which is unmanifest, which is indistinct, all-pervading, everlasting, immutablc, should be known to become the city of nine portals, possessed of three qualities, and consisting of five ingredients.

Encompassed by cleven including Mind which distinguishes (objects) and having Understanding for the ruler, this is an aggregate of cleven.

The three ducts that are in it, support it always. These are ihe three Nadis. They run continually, and have the three qualities for their essence.

Ignorance, Darkness, and Goodness, these are called the (three) qualities. These are connected with one another. They exist depending on one another.

They take refuge in one another, and follow one another. They are also joined with one another. The five (principal) elements are marked by (these) three qualities.

Goodness is also the match of Ignorance. Of goodness the match of Darkness. Goodness is also the match of Darkness, and of Goodness the match is Ignorance.

There where Ignorance is restrained, Darkness is seen to flow. There where Darkness is restrained, Goodness is scen to flow.

Darkness should be known to have the night for its essence. It has three marks, and is (otherwise) called Delusion. It has sin also for its mark, and it is always present in all sinful deeds. This is the nature of Ignorance and it appears also as confined with others.

Darkness is said to have activity for its essence. It is the cause of successive deeds. When it predominates, its mark, among all beings, is production,

Splendour, lightness, and faith-these are the form, that is light, of Goodness among all creatures, as considered by all good men.

The true nature of their marks will now be declared by me, with reasons. These shall be stated in aggregation and separation. Do you understand them.

Complete delusion, Ignorance, illiberality, indecision about action, sleep, haughtiness, fcar, cupidity, grief, censure of good deeds, loss of meinory, unripeness of judgeinent, absence of faith, violation of all rules of conduct, want of discrimination, blindness, vileness of conduct, boastful assertion of performance when there has been performance, presumption of knowledge in ignorance, unfriendliness (or hostility), evilness of disposition, absence of faith, stupid reasoning, crookedness, incapacity for association, sinfull action, senselessness, stolidity, assitude, absence of self-control, degradation, all these qualities are known as no belonging to Ignorance. Whatever other states of mid, connected with delusion, exist in the world, all belong to Ignorance, Frequent illspeaking of other people, censuring the celestials and the Brahmanas, illiberality, vanity, delusion, anger, unforgiveness, hostility towards all creatures, are considered as the characteristics of Ignorance.

Whatever undertakings exist which are unmeritorious, what gifts there are which are unmeritorious, vain cating, these also belong to Ignorance.

Indulgence in calumny, unforgiveness, animosity, vanity, and absence of faith are also said to be characteristic of Ignorance.

Whatever men there are in this world, who are characterised by these and other faults of a similar kind, and who break through the restraints are all considered as belonging is the quality of Ignorance.

I shall now declare the wombs wherс these men, who are always of sinful deeds, have to take their birth. Ordained to go to hell, they sink in the order of being. Indeed, they sink into the hell of the brute creation.

They become immobile entities, or animals, or beasts of burden; or carnivorous creatures, or snakes, or worms, insects, and birds; or creatures of the oviparous order, or quadrupeds of various species, or lunatics, or deal or bomb human beings, or men who are afflicted by dreadful maladies and considered as unclcan.

These men of evil conduct, always show the marks of their deeds, sink in Ignorance. Their course is always downwards. Belonging to the quality of Ignorance, they sink in Ignorance.

I shall, after this, declare what the means are of their improvement and ascent; indeed, by what means they succeed in acquiring the regions which exist for men of pious deeds.

Those men who take birth in orders other than human beings, by growing up in view of the religions ceremonies of Brahmanas devoted to the duties of their own caste and desirous of doing good to all creatures, succeed through the help of such purificatory rites, in ascending upwards. Indeed, struggling, they at last attain the sam? regions with thcsc pious Brahmanas. Indeed, they go to the celestial region. This is the Vedic Shruti.

Born in orders other then humanity and growing old in their respective deeds, cven thus they become human beings that are, of course, ordained to return.

Coming to sinful births and becoming Chandalas or human beings that are deaf or to who lisp indistinctly, they attain to higher and higher castes, one after another in proper turn, getting above the Shudra order, and other (consequences of) qualities which belong to Ignorance and who abide in it in course of migrations this world.

Attachment to objects of desire is considered as great delusion. Here Rishis and Munis and celestials become deluded, desirous of pleasure.

Ignorance, delusion, the great delusion, the great obscurity called anger, and death, that blinding obscurity. As regards anger, that is the great obscurity.

With respect then to its colour, its characteristics, and its source, I have, you learned Brahmanas, declared to you, accurately and in due order, everything, about Ignorance.

Who is there what truly gets over it? Who is there who truly sees it? That indeed, is the characteristic of Ignorance, viz., the seeing of reality in what is not real.

The qualities of Ignorance have been declared to you in various ways. Duly has Ignorance, in its higher and lower forms, been described to you. That man who always bears in mind the qualities mentioned here will surely succeed in becoming freed from all marks which belong to Ignorance.