[5] In his commentary on the Isha Upanishad,[6][page needed] Sri Aurobindo explains that the Atman, the Self manifests through a seven-fold movement of Prakrti.
These seven folds of consciousness, along with their dominant principles are:[7] The first five of these are arranged according to the specification of the panchakosha from the second chapter of the Taittiriya Upanishad.
The essential nature of Brahman as revealed in deep sleep and Yoga is Chaitanya (pure consciousness).
[9] The Vedantists also speak about the Consciousness or Mayaopahita-chaitanya that is associated with the indescribable Maya which is responsible for the functions of creation, preservation and dissolution of entire Existence, and about the Consciousness or Avidyaopahita-chaitanya that is associated with Avidya which causes the wrong identification of the Atman with the body etc.
; after negating both Maya and Avidya, that is, after all distinctions are obliterated, what remains is Pure Consciousness or Chaitanya.