13. The body is not the soul nor the living spirit, nor any other thing of which we have any conception; It is the consciousness which is every thing, and the world is as it conceives it to be. (There is nothing beyond our consciousness of it). 14. Whether it is true or not, yet we have the conception of our bodies by means of this; and it gives us conceptions of all things in earth, water and heaven, independent of their material forms, as we see the aerial forms of things in our dreams. (_i.e._ We are conscious only of the abstract notions of things, and of their substantial properties). 15. Whether our consciousness is a real entity or not, yet it is this power which is called the conscious soul; and whatever is the conviction of this power, the same is received as positive truth by all. 16. The authority of all the sástras, rests upon the proof of consciousness; and the truth which is generally arrived at by all, must be acknowledged as quite certain in my opinion also. 17. Therefore the consciousness of atheists, which is vitiated by their misunderstanding, being purified afterwards by right reasoning, becomes productive of good results likewise (_i.e._ of producing the fruit of their liberation also). 18. But a perverted conscience or vitiated understanding, is never reproved by any means; either by performance of pious acts at any time or place, or by study of vedas, or by pursuit of other things. 19. Errors of the understanding (avidyá) recur to the reprobate as often as they corrected from time to time; say therefore what other means can there be, to preserve our consciousness from fallacy. 20. Self-consciousness is the soul of man, and in proportion to its firmness or weakness, the happiness or misery of man, increases or decreases accordingly. (_i.e._ The strong minded are always prosperous). 21. If there is a consciousness in men, and such men also who are conscious of the Divine essence in them, and those who are resorted to by the pious, for their liberation from the bonds of the world; then this world would appear as a dead and dumb block of stone, and a dark and dreary desert. 22. The knowledge of nature or gross materialism, which rises in the mind of man, for want of his knowledge of the consciousness of himself, is like the dark ignorance in which one is involved in his sleep. 23. Ráma rejoined:—Tell me Sir, how is that atheist who denies the end of the ten sides of heaven, and disbelieves the destruction of the world; who believe only in what is existent, and have no thought of inexistence (either prior to the creation or after its dissolution). 24. Who does not perceive the perfect wisdom, which is displayed throughout the universe; but sees only whatever is visible, without knowing their destruction (frailty). (The atheists consider the world as eternal).