Sage Prabuddha illuminates King Nimi on the qualities of a good devotee by saying that such a person will always participate in listening to, praising and meditating upon the great deeds of Hari.
As the king questions the nine sages about various aspects of God, devotion and the life of a devotee, he asks about the state of being of Narayana – the supreme truth or reality. The word Narayana refers to a deity, but in reality it means Narasya Ayana the abode of all humans.
Yogi Pippalayana says, the supreme being or essence is the cause of the creation of the universe, its sustenance and dissolution. By itself, it is causeless. That truth is present in all three states we experience—waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Narayana is the one who witnesses the world in the waking state, watches the dream and is aware on waking that he was in deep sleep.
O King of men, know that to be the Supreme is the cause of the functioning of the body, the senses and breath and because of it, is life. Into that supreme reality, the mind cannot enter neither in speech nor with sight. The breath or all the senses cannot know this reality. Even the words from the Vedas which are the only means to know this reality, do not definitely describe or define it.
Life force existed before the manifestation of this universe in forms of Satva, Rajas and Tamas—intelligence, dynamism and inertia. The Brahman which transcends both existence and non-existence alone manifests as knowledge, action, the result of the actions and seeking. The self was never born and will never die. It does not degrade into something else as it is the witness of all birth, growth and decay. Just as the life force called prana appears to be different in each individual, being or object, the Brahman appears to be different, too.
Whether it is a creature born out of an egg, sweat, seed or a womb, the same prana alone is responsible for the birth and growth of creatures. In the same way, the self remains as it is when the senses are active, in sleep or when the ego is not functioning. The Atman or our self does not change or experience modification despite its many different names and forms. Just as the sun is easily visible to one whose eyes are very clear, to the heart of an individual which is free of all impurities such as selfish desires, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed and other emotions, the truth is seen very clearly.