Prose-section 24
In plain words
The intellectual sheath comprises intellect and the five faculties of knowledge. Illumined by reflected consciousness, it becomes the individual agent conducting experience. It identifies the body and senses as “I” and their roles, duties, actions and qualities as “mine.” Earlier tendencies lead to meritorious and harmful actions, whose results unfold through varied births, states and experiences of pleasure and pain. The Self shines in the heart, changeless and self-luminous. Because it stands nearest to the Self’s presence, the intellect shines brightly and becomes its closest adjunct. Through superimposed identification, the limitless Self seems confined to it and takes itself as a separate agent and experiencer. This resembles seeing a pot apart from clay, or attributing heated iron’s changing shape to the fire within it. Through this delusion it goes through samsara.
Word for word
Intellect joined with the five organs of knowledge is the intellectual sheath. It causes samsara for the person, is a beginningless modification of prakriti, depends upon reflected consciousness, conducts all transactions, takes the form of the individual whose nature is egoity, and acts as an agent with modifications and functions of knowledge and action. It continually identifies body and senses as “I” and strongly claims their station, duties, actions and qualities as “mine.” According to earlier tendencies it performs meritorious and harmful actions, wanders to and from higher and lower worlds according to them, enters many varied births, undergoes waking, dream and other states, and experiences the fruits as pleasure and pain. Within these sheaths, in the heart, the Self shines changeless and self-luminous. Though by nature the one real, all-encompassing, complete and changeless supreme Self, it assumes apparent limitation through superimposed identification with the intellectual sheath. That intellect shines intensely because of the special nearness of the Self’s presence and serves as its proximate adjunct. Through this false association the Self says “that sheath is I,” considers itself other than itself as one sees a pot as separate from clay, and supposes it has become agent and experiencer and acquired the adjunct’s attributes, like changeless fire appearing to take iron’s modifications. Through this delusion it undergoes samsara.