What is the ultimate nature of the Soul, and how does it differ from the manifest world?

The text describes the Soul as being distinct from the body, senses, mind, and life-force. As explained in Chapter 19, the Soul is self-luminous, pure consciousness, changeless, and formless. It is the Great Power. The source further elaborates a hierarchy of subtlety, stating that subtler than the Soul is the Unmanifest (Avyakta), which is also called Maya or Space. And subtler than all of these is the Purusha, the Supreme Being, which is the ultimate goal where the senses and mind find rest. This Supreme Being is identified as the Pure Brahman. The Soul, in its essence, remains untainted by the world, like a pure crystal that appears to take on colors but is itself distinct from them.