The soul exists beyond twenty-four material elements through analytical self-study recognizing what the self is not.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.7.22–26 — March 10, 1967, San Francisco 670310SB-SAN FRANCISCO [37:01 Minutes] Prabhupāda: aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ proktās traya eva hi tad-guṇāḥ vikārāḥ ṣoḍaśācāryaiḥ pumān ekaḥ samanvayāt [SB 7.6.22] [The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthāvara], such as the plants, to Brahmā, the foremost created living being. He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided. He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ānanda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent.] Now we are presenting self-analysis. What is that self? Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing.
This is self-realization, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A boy of five years old, because he has received the knowledge from the right source, he is presenting everything very competently and very scientifically. This is the beauty of knowledge received from the authorities. So... [pause] So we have discussed this aṣṭau prakṛtayaḥ..., eight different, differential elements, material elements. What is that?
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. And these eight elements are described in the Bhagavad-gītā as separated energy. Separated energy you'll understand: just like I am speaking, and my speech is being recorded in the tape recorder. So even I am not here, if you apply the machine, it will exactly speak like me.
That is my energy, but now it is separated. It cannot be changed. Suppose I am personally sitting here. If I want to speak something and I can change into another, but that machine cannot change.
It will simply produce the sound, what is recorded there. Therefore it is separated energy. Similarly, these eight elements, they are called separated energy. God, from God's inconceivable potencies, this energy has come out, this material energy. And it is acting mechanically, just like the same way, tape recorder.
Nobody has got power to change it, but it is working. It is working. And it is working so nicely because it is emanated from the Absolute Truth. It is appearing just like truth. Just like another example: if you find some beautiful doll in the shopkeeper's window, oh, it appears, oh, just like, exactly a beautiful, nice girl.
But it is not. But how it looks so nice? It is the craftsmanship of the person who has manufactured that doll. Similarly, this separated energy, material energy, it is false, just like the doll.