[42 ] And the great Triple power Self-willed who is the third Triple powered, this who becometh in the thirteenth Aeon, this who was disobedient, having not emanated all the purgation of his power which (is) in him, nor did he give the purgation of his light at the time when the Rulers gave their purgations in him: wishing to be lord over all the thirteenth Aeon with those who become below it.
It happened therefore, the Rulers of the twelve Aeons having been angry against the Pistis Sophia, she who is above them, they hated her greatly and the great Triple power Self-willed, this concerning whom I finished saying to you now, he [43 ] himself followed the Rulers of the twelve Aeons, and he was angry himself against the Pistis Sophia, and he hated her greatly, because she thought to go unto the Light, this which is higher than her.
And he emanated out of him a great power of face of lion; and out of his matter which (is) in him, he emanated many other material emanations cruel exceedingly, and he sent them unto the Places below, unto the parts of the Chaos, that they should waylay the Pistis Sophia there, and take away her power from her; because that she thought to go unto the Height, this which (is) over all of them; and (because) that she ceased also doing their mystery.
But she continued making lament, seeking for the light which she saw: and hated her the Rulers [43 ] who are living, or who continue unto the mystery, doing it; and also hated her all the Guards who (are) at the gates of the Aeons.
It happened therefore after these (things) through the precept of the First precept the great Triple power Self-willed, being one of the three Triple powers, he pursued the Sophia in thirteenth Aeon, for her to look at the parts below, that she should see his power of light at that Place, this (power) which is of face of lion, and lusteth for her, and would come unto that Place, and take away her light from her.
It happened therefore after these (things), she looked down, she saw his power of light in the parts below, and she was not knowing that it is that of the Triple power Self-willed: but she was [44 ] thinking of her (self) that it is out of the light, that which she saw from at first in the Height, this which is out (side) of the veil of the Treasury of the Light: and she thought in her (self), 24 I am about to go unto that Place apart from my partner, and take away the light which fashioned for me some Aeons of Light, that I should be able to prevail to go unto the Light of the Lights, this which (is) in the Height of the Heights.
These (things) therefore thinking, she came out of her Place of the thirteenth Aeon, and she came down into the twelve Aeons.
Pursued her the Rulers of the Aeons, and they were angry with her, because she thought of greatness.
But she came also out of the twelve Aeons, she came unto the Place of the Chaos, and she came up [44 ] unto the power of light of face of lion, that she should swallow it (down): but surrounded her all the material emanations of the Self-willed, and the great power of light of face of lion swallowed (down) the powers of light in the Sophia, and it purged her light she having swallowed it, and her matter was cast out unto the Chaos.
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
The text references Aeons flowing from a higher source and the Self-willed pursuing the Sophia downward.
The Gnostic myth of Wisdom's prolapse from the Pleroma — her unilateral desire or error producing the Demiurge and the entrapment of divine sparks in matter.
The passage details Sophia's disobedience, disobedience to purgation, and descent into material realms due to her desire for greatness.
The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.
The narrative centers on Sophia's exile from the Light and her material entrapment in the Chaos.