Though I do not agree with the choice of the word -'Imperfection' here, since it helps to understand the context and the idea in a better way, I stick with it. Otherwise - Creation is just beautiful ! The Sanskrit/Tamil term used to describe this imperfection is called 'Malam'.
From the spiritual inferences, 3 imperfections (mummalaas) are associated with a soul. They are
Anavam - Imperfection that is identified with the 'I-ness' of the soul or 'the spiritual I-ness'. This, in my opinion, is a 'I'-state that gives you a feeling as rooted in your existence itself in any form! This is the "I"-ness that gives you, your name, when you look into the mirror. This is the same "I"-ness that is responsible for the fight/flight responses and generally makes you feel scared of life & death cycle and specifically make it fearful about death itself.
2. Maya- Imperfections associated with the mental models and intelligence. This comes out of our imperfect knowledge, incorrect interpretations out of imperfect intelligence and from the imperfect interactions (imperfect experiences) with Prakruthi itself. Beliefs in false political systems, falsehoods, ideologies, value systems etc., come under this Malam. For a more practical example - A girl is said to be in this Malam if a guy that she loves successfully gas-lights her ! (Web definition: Gas-lighting is a manipulative tactic in which a person, to gain power and control of another individual, plants seeds of uncertainty in another person's mind. The self-doubt and constant questioning slowly cause the individual to question their reality.)
3. Ganmam - Imperfections associated with actions arising out of self-identification with the materialistic world. The existence of greed, avarice, excessive lust etc., and the related actions refer to this Malam called as 'Ganmam'. For a human, all activities - validated by their inner belief systems and acted out using the physical body - contributes to this malam.
Thus, most of the times, the 'Ahankara' or "I"-ness, under the influence of maya (instead of true knowledge) , acts out and carries out gross activities out of ignorance, resulting in a sea of karmas that, perhaps, will take several lifes to exhaust.
Consider the below soul states from left to right with cross reference to the 3 malams mentioned above.
State 1: The soul that has achieved Mukthi
This soul no longer exists as an independent entity. It removed all the 3 malams (I will use this term to denote imperfection) while on its soul-journey (i.e in pursuit of excellence). It might have taken 1000s of gross bodies, life forms while pursuing excellence and finally reached this state where it understood its true nature and merged itself with the infinite and intelligent energy. Thus ended the grand journey of the soul !!
State 2: An advanced soul that removed the 3 malams but it wants to help the universe out of compassion and hence did not merge into the infinite and intelligent energy.
These soul understands the strong influence of the malams and the hurdles that these malams impose on the soul's journey. These souls wait for the right opportunity to emerge to take a right form/stage in the universe to effect a profound change that can set many thousands of souls in the right direction while in-pursuit of their excellence. For example, these souls can decide to be born as a great thinker, spiritual leader or as a warrior (to offset injustice) or as some change agent that can introduce profound changes in a society in a positive way. They keep being born again and again (sometimes called as Avatars) to help the universe to avoid sufferings before they themselves merge with the great divine energy (attaining Mukti).
State 3: This is a soul that has lost both its sthula and sukshma bodies.
This is an imperfect soul that is caught by 'The Storm' of the Law of Karma.
We saw in our earlier post that , when a human dies, his sukshma body (ghost body) leaves the gross body (sthula body). This sukshma body is sometimes (depends on the karmic load and the next immediate destination) peeled away by forces of law of karma (which I would like to refer to as 'The Storm') to reveal only the imperfect soul. This soul according to its karmic load is moved to the next stage and skin by The Storm where it enters a womb and acquires both a new sukshma body and a new sthula body.
State 4: A soul that has lost its gross body.
This is the ghost body of an imperfect life just after its death and before its next skin/stage. Since it is imperfect (it might have committed sins as influenced by 3 malams of his stage/skin, and acquired negative karmic load), it cannot escape The Storm. Sometimes accidents happen in Prakruthi (nature) and these in-between state souls are left in their sukshma body for a little longer time!
Stage 5: A soul that is alive and kicking with both its sthula and sukshma bodies.
This is when the soul is in its journey and has currently taken a skin/stage to exhaust its karma (at least some part of its balance). While doing this it may acquire new karma. These new karma gets added to the store house of karmas and is attached to the soul and will be influenced by the law of karma in its next birth.
Stage 6: An advanced soul with no imperfection that has taken birth to the benefit of the cosmos.
While understanding the souls journey, thus we have to consider the 3-malams seen in them in various stages as different actors.