Maitreya said: The paramāṇu is understood to be the ultimate particle of the material elements. There are innumerable such particles and they are always uncombined. Because of their small size, men are mistaken, identifying them with small particles they can see. In the Eleventh Chapter details of time are given, from which one can understand the length of the month, year and yuga. Finding the nature of subtle time difficult to describe, Maitreya first describes the division of matter. The smallest division (caramaḥ) of parts (viśeṣānām) of material elements (sat) is called the paramāṇu. Why is carama in the singular, indicating only one particle when there are many? Though the particles are many, to understand about the subtle nature of time, it is appropriate isolate one particle and thus the singular is used. But still the one particle should by its nature be either combined or uncombined. The verse therefore says it is not joined. This particle is understood to be the paramāṇu. This means that it cannot be seen. Then what is its size? From these particles which arise, men make a mistake concerning what constitutes a single particle. One perceived the very small particles of light which are seen in the rays of sun shining through a lattice window and thinks “Here is one particle, here is another fine particle.” A sixth part of that light particle is a paramāṇu, but it is invisible. Men are mentioned because some small insects the size of a trasareṇu can see this particle.