This World as Seen from There, pp. 330-331

Opening Remarks
Aswapati looks at this imperfect world as seen from the perfect world.

Vainly teeming vast
But now all seemed a vainly teeming vast
Upheld by a deluded Energy
To a spectator self-absorbed and mute,
Careless of the unmeaning show he watched,
Regarding the bizarre procession pass
Like one who waits for an expected end.

When this world of ours is seen from that perfect divine state it appears strange and illusory and vain as if held by some deluded energy that is creating meaningless shapes and forms for some mute Spectator who is watching a show without meaning waiting for it to end. Such is the contrast between the two that from the spiritual standpoint, the material world seems so unreal.

He saw a world from a world to be
He saw a world that is from a world to be.

He sees this manifest world from the worlds of perfect manifestation that are yet to manifest.

Mystic sleep
There he divined rather than saw or felt,
Far off upon the rim of consciousness,
Transient and frail this little whirling globe
And on it left like a lost dream’s vain mould,
A fragile copy of the spirit’s shell,
His body gathered into mystic sleep.

Meanwhile by an inner intuitive sense Aswapati becomes aware of his body lying on some far off rim of consciousness in a mystic trance or sleep. This frail body is a fragile copy of the spirit’s shell built on the image of the Purusha carrying within it forgotten imprints like a lost dream.

Mythic shade
A foreign shape it seemed, a mythic shade.
It seemed like something foreign to him, a doubtful shade.

Alien universe
Alien now seemed that dim far universe,
Self and eternity alone were true.

The link was yet to be established without which the entire material universe seemed like an alien in some far off space, where as here only Self and eternity were true.

Memory climbed
Then memory climbed to him from the striving planes
Bringing a cry from once-loved cherished things,
And to the cry as to its own lost call
A ray replied from the occult Supreme.

Then the link of memory was made and with it the cry of all that we cherish here. Thence to the cry a Ray of the Supreme consciousness replied.

Closing remarks
This is the state wherein the world of ours that we regard as so concrete appears as false and illusory from that higher state. But Aswapati has gone to discover the link.