Chapter 3.41, Verses 41–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.41.41–54

(In these verses, Sage Vasishta describes his own physical decline after seventy years, marked by a weakened body, yet he finds fulfillment through Divine Grace)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

वयसः समतीतानि मम वर्षाणि सप्ततिः ।

इदं परबलं प्राप्तं मम दारुणविग्रहः ॥ ४१ ॥

युद्धं कृत्वेदमायातो गृहमस्मिन्यथास्थितम् ।

इमे देव्यौ गृहे प्राप्ते ममैते पूजयाम्यहम् ॥ ४२ ॥

पूजिता हि प्रयच्छन्ति देवताः स्वसमीहितम् ।

ममेयमेतयोरेका ज्ञानं जातिस्मृतिप्रदम् ॥ ४३ ॥

इह दत्तवती देवी भाब्जस्येव विकासनम् ।

इदानीं कृतकृत्योऽस्मि जातोऽस्मि गतसंशयः ॥ ४४ ॥

शाम्यामि परिनिर्वामि सुखमासे च केवलम् ।

इतीयमातता भ्रान्तिर्भवतो भूरिसंभ्रमा ॥ ४५ ॥

नानाचारविहाराढ्या सलोकान्तरसंचरा।

यस्मिन्नेव मुहूर्ते त्वं मृतिमभ्यागतः पुरा ॥ ४६ ॥

तदैव प्रतिभैषा ते स्वयमेवोदिता हृदि ।

एकामावर्तचलनां त्यक्त्वा दत्ते यथाऽपराम् ॥ ४७ ॥

क्षिप्रमेव नदीवाहो वित्प्रवाहस्तथैव च।

आवर्तान्तरसंमिश्रो यथावर्तः प्रवर्तते ॥ ४८ ॥

कदाचिदेवं सर्गश्रीर्मिश्राऽमिश्रा च वर्धते ।

तस्मिन्मृतिमुहूर्ते ते प्रतिभानमुपागतम् ॥ ४९ ॥

एतज्जालमसद्रूपं चिद्भानोः समुपस्थितम् ।

यथा स्वप्नमुहूर्तेऽन्तः संवत्सरशतभ्रमः ॥ ५० ॥

यथा संकल्पनिर्माणे जीवनं मरणं पुनः ।

यथा गन्धर्वनगरे कुड्यमण्डनवेदनम् ॥ ५१ ॥

यथा नौयानसंरम्भे वृक्षपर्वतवेपनम्।

यथा स्वधातुसंक्षोभे पूर्वपर्वतनर्तनम् ॥ ५२ ॥

यथा समञ्जसं स्वप्ने स्वशिरःप्रविकर्तनम् ।

मिथ्यैवैवमियं प्रौढा भ्रान्तिराततरूपिणी ॥ ५३ ॥

वस्तुतस्तु न जातोऽसि न मृतोऽसि कदाचन ।

शुद्धविज्ञानरूपस्त्वं शान्त आत्मनि तिष्ठसि ॥ ५४ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.41.41–45

> Seventy years of my age have passed. Now this terrible body of mine has become very weak and powerless.

> After fighting the battle, I have returned home just as I was. These two goddesses have come to my house, and I am worshipping them.

> Worshipped deities surely grant what one desires. Of these two, one goddess has given me knowledge that brings remembrance of past lives.

> This Goddess has given me here the blossoming like that of a lotus. Now I have become fulfilled, I have attained Realization, and all my doubts are gone.

> I am now calm, I am in perfect peace, I rest happily in pure being alone.

3.41.46–50

> This extensive delusion of yours, full of great confusion, with various activities and movements across worlds...

>  ...arose in your heart by itself in that very moment when you faced death in the past. Just as one wave gives up its motion and merges into another.

> Quickly, like the flow of a river or the current of thoughts, one whirlpool mixes into another and a new one arises.

> Sometimes the beauty of creation grows mixed and unmixed in this way. In that moment of your death, this appearance arose in you.

> This net of unreal forms appeared before the light of Consciousness, just as in a dream moment, the illusion of a hundred years passes inside.

3.41.51–54

> Just as in imagination one creates life and then death again, or as in a city of Gandharvas one feels the pain of wall decorations.

> Just as in the excitement of sailing a boat, trees and mountains seem to shake, or as in disturbance of one's own elements, previous mountains seem to dance.

> Just as in a consistent dream one cuts off one's own head, this grand delusion that has spread is false in the same way.

> In reality, you were never born, nor did you ever die. You are Pure Consciousness, peaceful, and you abide in the Self.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

Having returned from battle, he worships two Goddesses who have appeared in his home. One of them grants him profound Self-Knowledge and Remembrance of past existences, likened to a lotus blooming. This gift leads him to a state of complete satisfaction, resolution of doubts, inner calm, and abiding peace in Pure Being alone. The teaching highlights how sincere worship and Divine intervention can awaken Higher Wisdom even in old age or adversity, shifting focus from bodily limitations to spiritual attainment.

Vasishta then turns to address Rama's delusion, explaining that the confusion Rama experiences—filled with endless activities, worldly travels, and mental turmoil—is a vast but illusory spread of misunderstanding. This delusion emerged spontaneously in Rama's mind at the precise moment he confronted death in a previous experience or perception. The Sage uses the analogy of river currents or thought flows, where one whirlpool (vritti or mental modification) merges into another, creating the appearance of continuous change and multiplicity without any real substance shifting.

The process of creation and appearance is portrayed as sometimes mixed (perceived as Real) and sometimes Pure (recognized as unreal), but it unfolds rapidly like natural flows. In the moment of apparent death, this illusory appearance rises before Consciousness, much like how a brief dream-moment can contain the vivid illusion of centuries of events. The teaching emphasizes that time, life cycles, and experiences are projections within Consciousness, not objective realities, and they arise and subside instantly in the mind.

Through vivid examples—such as imagined birth and death in mere thought, illusory pains in a Gandharva city, shaking landscapes from a boat's motion, or self-harm in a dream—Vasishta illustrates the deceptive nature of this grand delusion. All such experiences are false appearances, lacking true existence, just as a dream head-severing feels real but is not. The core instruction is to recognize the entire structure of perceived Reality as a false, inflated error (bhranti) projected by the mind, devoid of independent Reality.

Ultimately, the verses reveal the Highest Truth: in Absolute Reality, there is no birth or death ever. The individual is eternally Pure Consciousness (shuddha vijnana), inherently peaceful, and ever-established in the unchanging Self (Atman). This liberates one from fear of mortality or worldly suffering, pointing to abiding as the Self beyond all illusions. The teaching culminates Advaitic wisdom, urging Direct Realization that the Self alone exists, untouched by apparent changes.

Chapter 3.41, Verses 21–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.41.21–40

(These verses teach the illusory nature of the world and individual identity through the King's sudden Remembrance triggered by Goddess Saraswati's touch)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

पालयत्येष भूपीठं ततः प्रभृति धर्मतः।

भवत्यावद्यसंप्राप्ते फलिते सुकृतद्रुमे ॥ २१ ॥

देव्यौ दीर्घतपःक्लेशशतैर्दुष्प्रापदर्शने ।

इत्ययं वसुधाधीशो विदूरथ इति श्रुतः ॥ २२ ॥

अद्य युष्मत्प्रसादेन परां पावनतां गतः ।

इत्युक्त्वा संस्थिते तूष्णीं मन्त्रिण्यवनिपे तथा ॥ २३ ॥

कृताञ्जलौ नतमुखे बद्धपद्मासनेऽवनौ।

राजन्स्मर विवेकेन पूर्वजातिमिति स्वयम् ॥ २४ ॥

वदन्ती मूर्ध्नि पस्पर्श तं करेण सरस्वती।

अथ हार्दं तमो मायापद्मस्य क्षयमाययौ ॥ २५ ॥ >>>

तस्मिँल्लोकान्तरेऽतीते तस्मिन्नेव मुहूर्तके ।

तस्मिन्नेव गृहे चास्मिन्नेव व्योम्न्यपि सद्मनि ॥ ३२ ॥

अयं तस्य गृहस्यान्तर्व्योमन्येव किल स्थिते ।

गिरिग्रामकविप्रस्य गृहेऽन्तर्भूप मण्डपः ॥ ३३ ॥

तस्यान्तरेऽयमाभाति प्रत्येकं च जगद्गृहम् ।

किल ब्राह्मणगेहान्तर्जीवस्ते मदुपास्थितः ॥ ३४ ॥

तत्रैव तस्य भूपीठं तस्मिंश्च किल मण्डपे ।

तस्यैव च गृहस्यान्तरिदं संसारमण्डलम् ॥ ३५ ॥

तन्नैवेदं तव गृहं स्थितमारम्भमन्थरम् ।

तत्रैव चेतसि तव निर्मलाकाशनिर्मले ॥ ३६ ॥

प्रतिभामागतमिदं व्यवहारभ्रमाततम् ।

यथेदं नाम मे जन्म तथेक्ष्वाकुकुलं मम ॥ ३७ ॥

एवंनामान एते मे पुराभूवन्पितामहाः।

जातोऽहमभवं बालो दशवर्षस्य मे पिता ॥ ३८ ॥

परिव्राड्विपिनं यात इह राज्येऽभिषिच्य माम् ।

ततो दिग्विजयं कृत्वा कृत्वा राज्यमकण्टकम् ॥ ३९ ॥

अमीभिर्मन्त्रिभिः पौरैः पालयामि वसुन्धराम् ।

यज्ञक्रियाक्रमवतो धर्मे पालयतः प्रजाः ॥ ४० ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.41.21–25

> From that time onward, he has been ruling this kingdom righteously. This happens when the tree of good deeds bears fruit, and faults or sins come to an end.

> These two Goddesses, attained through hundreds of long and difficult austerities, are hard to see. Thus, this lord of the earth is known as King Viduratha.

> Having said this, the minister became silent, and so did the King on the ground.

> O King, with folded hands, bowed head, and seated in lotus posture on the ground, remember your previous birth with discrimination.

> Saraswati, while speaking, touched his head with her hand. Then the inner darkness, like the delusion of the lotus of Maya, was destroyed.

3.41.26–31

> These verses describe the immediate experience after Saraswati's touch: In that very moment, within the same intermediate world, in the same house and the same Space of the palace, the king's Consciousness awakens to the Truth that all worlds, creations, and appearances are nested illusions. The scene shifts to show how everything perceived as external is actually contained within a tiny inner space, like worlds inside worlds, emphasizing the dream-like and illusory nature of existence, leading to the revelation of infinite regress of creations within a single point of Consciousness.

3.41.32–40

> In that passed intermediate world, in that very moment, in that very house, and in that very sky-like abode.

> Inside the space of that house, there stands a pavilion of the king within the mountain village Brahmin's home.

> Within each of these, shines forth a separate world-home. Indeed, inside the Brahmin's house, your soul has taken refuge near me.

> There itself is his royal seat, and within that pavilion, inside that very house, exists this circle of worldly existence (samsara).

> This is not really your house that appears busy with activities. It is within your own pure mind, which is like clear sky.

> This appearance has come as illusion through worldly transactions and confusion. Just as this is called my birth, so too is the Ikshvaku dynasty mine.

> These were my ancestors with such names in the past. I was born as a child, and when I was ten years old, my father.

> Became a wandering ascetic and went to the forest, crowning me here in the kingdom. Then, after conquering all directions and making the kingdom free of troubles.

> With these ministers and citizens, I rule the earth, protecting the people in righteousness, performing sacrifices and rituals in order.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

The minister explains the king's righteous rule as the fruit of past good karma, but the real teaching begins when Saraswati awakens his past-life Awareness. This shows that Spiritual Grace or Divine intervention can instantly dissolve ignorance (the "inner darkness" of Maya), allowing one to see beyond the current life.

The core idea is the nesting of Realities: what seems like a vast world, kingdom, or palace is actually contained within a tiny Inner Space, like a house within a house, or a world inside a pavilion inside a Brahmin's home. This illustrates infinite regression of creations—all perceived Universes are dream-like projections within Consciousness, not separate external realities. Nothing is truly "outside"; everything arises and exists in the mind's pure space.

The King's current life, dynasty, conquests, and rule are revealed as mere appearances born from mental confusion and habitual worldly transactions. His birth, ancestors, childhood, father's renunciation, victories, and present kingship are no more real than a dream story. This directly challenges the ego's sense of personal history and achievement, showing they are transient fabrications of the mind.

The teaching emphasizes discrimination (viveka): by remembering one's "previous birth" (or true nature), one sees the falsehood of individuality and samsara. The pure, sky-like mind is the substratum where all these illusions appear and disappear. True liberation comes from recognizing this non-dual reality, where there is no separate "I" ruling a separate world.

Ultimately, these verses point to Advaita Realization: the world is Brahm appearing as many through ignorance. The King's story serves as an example that even a righteous ruler, attached to his role, must awaken to the truth that all is mind-only, contained in Pure Consciousness. This leads to freedom from birth, death, and worldly bondage by seeing the substratum beneath all appearances.

Chapter 3.41, Verses 1–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.41.1–20

(These verses describe a Divine scene where two Goddesses, Leela and Saraswati in disguise, enter the palace of King Viduratha, awakening him with their radiant presence, followed by his minister narrating the king's lineage. They illustrate the illusory nature of worldly appearances and the Divine intervention that awakens Higher Awareness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तयोः प्रविष्टयोर्देव्योः पद्मसद्म बभूव तत् ।

चन्द्रद्वयोदयोद्द्योतधवलोदरसुन्दरम् ॥ १ ॥

कोमलामलसौगन्ध्यमृदुमन्दारमारुतम् ।

तत्प्रभावेन निद्रालुनृपेतरनराङ्गनम् ॥ २ ॥

सौभाग्यनन्दनोद्यानं विद्रुतव्याधिवेदनम् ।

सवसन्तं वनमिव फुल्लं प्रातीरवाम्बुजम् ॥ ३ ॥

तयोर्देहप्रभापूरैः शशिनिस्यन्दशीतलैः ।

आह्लादितोऽसौ बुबुधे राजोक्षित इवामृतैः ॥ ४ ॥

आसनद्वयविश्रान्तं स ददर्शाप्सरोद्वयम्।

मेरुशृङ्गद्वये चन्द्रबिम्बद्वयमिवोदितम् ॥ ५ ॥

निमेषमिव संचिन्त्य स विस्मितमना नृपः ।

उत्तस्थौ शयनाच्छेषादिव चक्रगदाधरः ॥ ६ ॥

परिसंयमितालम्बिमाल्यहाराधराम्बरः ।

पुष्पाहार इवोत्फुल्लं जग्राह कुसुमाञ्जलिम् ॥ ७ ॥ >>>

उवाच देवी ।

हे राजन्कस्त्वं कस्य सुतः कदा ।

इह जात इति श्रुत्वा स मन्त्री वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १३ ॥

देव्यौ युष्मत्प्रसादोऽयं भवत्योरपि यत्पुरः ।

वक्तुं शक्नोमि तद्देव्यौ श्रूयेतां जन्म मत्प्रभोः ॥ १४ ॥

आसीदिक्ष्वाकुवंशोत्थो राजा राजीवलोचनः ।

श्रीमान्कुन्दरथो नाम दोश्छायाच्छादितावनिः ॥ १५ ॥

तस्याभूदिन्दुवदनः पुत्रो भद्ररथाभिधः ।

तस्य विश्वरथः पुत्रस्तस्य पुत्रो बृहद्रथः ॥ १६ ॥

तस्य सिन्धुरथः पुत्रस्तस्य शैलरथः सुतः।

तस्य कामरथः पुत्रस्तस्य पुत्रो महारथः ॥ १७ ॥

तस्य विष्णुरथः पुत्रस्तस्य पुत्रो नभोरथः।

अयमस्मत्प्रभुस्तस्य पुत्रः पूर्णामलाकृतिः ॥ १८ ॥

अमृतापूरितजनः क्षीरोदस्येव चन्द्रमाः ।

महद्भिः पुण्यसंभारैर्विदूरथ इति श्रुतः ॥ १९ ॥

जातो मातुः सुमित्राया गौर्या गुह इवापरः ।

पितास्य दशवर्षस्य दत्त्वा राज्यं वनं गतः ॥ २० ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.41.1–7

> After the two Goddesses entered, that palace of lotus-like beauty became illuminated like the rise of two moons, shining with a pure white glow in its interior.

> It was filled with the soft, pure, gentle fragrance of mandara flowers carried by a mild breeze, and due to its influence, everyone except the sleeping king and other men became drowsy with delight.

> It was like a garden of good fortune and joy, where diseases and pains had fled, resembling a forest in full spring bloom or a lotus pond at dawn by the riverbank.

> The king, refreshed by the cool, soothing rays overflowing from the bodies of the two goddesses—like moonlight—awoke as if sprinkled with nectar.

> He saw the two celestial Beings resting on seats, appearing like two moon discs risen on the twin peaks of Mount Meru.

> Thinking for a moment in amazement, the astonished king rose from his bed, like Lord Vishnu (with disc and mace) rising from Shesha serpent.

> Restraining his hanging garlands, necklaces, and garments, he offered a handful of flowers like a blossoming floral offering.

3.41.8–12

> These verses continue the description of the king's respectful actions, his wonder at the Divine visitors, and the beginning of the Goddesses' inquiry about his identity and origin, setting the stage for the minister to speak.

The Goddess said: 

3.41.13–20

> O King, who are you? Whose son are you? When were you born here? Hearing this, the minister spoke these words.

> O Goddesses, by your grace, I am able to speak in your presence. Please hear the account of my lord's birth.

> There was a king born in the Ikshvaku dynasty named Kundaratha, the illustrious lotus-eyed one whose arms' shadow covered the earth.

> His son was moon-faced Bhadaratha; his son was Vishwaratha; his son was Brihadratha.

> His son was Sindhuratha; his son was Shailaratha; his son was Kamaratha; his son was Maharatha.

> His son was Vishnuratha; his son was Nabhoratha. This our lord is his son, perfect and pure in form.

> Filled with nectar-like people, like the moon from the milky ocean, he is known as Viduratha due to his great accumulation of merits.

> Born to his mother Sumitra, like another Guha (Kartikeya) to Gauri; his father gave him the kingdom at the age of ten and went to the forest.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

The entry of the Goddesses' into the palace transforms the ordinary royal chamber into a celestial, blissful realm, symbolizing how spiritual presence can dispel ignorance, disease, and suffering. The king's awakening through their cool, moon-like radiance represents the soul's revival by Divine Grace or Wisdom, where ordinary sleep (ignorance) gives way to perception of truth. It teaches that the material world, though seemingly solid, can be transcended and beautified by contact with Higher Consciousness, as seen in the fragrance, joy, and absence of pain.

The king's rising in reverence and offering flowers highlights humility, devotion, and recognition of the Divine even in human form. His astonishment and quick composure reflect the ideal response of a seeker—wonder at the sublime, followed by immediate surrender and worship. This episode underscores that true kingship lies not in power but in recognizing and honoring spiritual realities beyond the ego.

The lineage narration by the minister serves to ground the king's identity in a historical and dynastic context, yet subtly points to the impermanence of such lineages. The chain of kings from Ikshvaku down to Viduratha shows the continuity of royal dharma, but the emphasis on Viduratha's purity, merits, and early ascension hints at his spiritual readiness for deeper inquiry. It teaches that worldly status and ancestry are provisional labels, preparing the mind for the Realization that all forms arise from and return to the same Consciousness.

The Goddesses' questioning and the minister's response initiate the process of self-inquiry, a core teaching of Yoga Vasishta: "Who am I?" This prompts reflection on birth, origin, and identity, revealing that personal history is part of the dream-like world. The Divine Grace enabling the minister to speak shows that True Knowledge flows only when blessed from above, emphasizing surrender over self-effort alone.

Overall, these verses convey that life is a Divine play (lila) where apparent events—birth, rule, awakening—lead toward Self-Realization. The palace scene symbolizes the inner sanctum of Consciousness, where the individual soul meets Universal Truth. The teachings stress detachment from worldly attachments, reverence for wisdom-bearers, and recognition that true bliss comes from transcending name, form, and lineage to abide in the Eternal Self.

Chapter 3.40, Verses 55–64

Yoga Vashishtha 3.40.55–64

(These verses emphasize the infinite and transient nature of manifested beings and worlds within the vast expanse of consciousness. Innumerable creators, Gods, and perceivers of Cosmic structures arise, exist briefly, and dissolve, like fleeting visions)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

कोटयो ब्रह्मरुद्रेन्द्रमरुद्विष्णुविवस्वताम् ।

गिर्यब्धिमण्डलद्वीपलोकान्तरदृशां गताः ॥ ५५ ॥

याता यास्यन्ति यान्त्येता दृष्टयो नष्टरूपिणीः ।

या ब्रह्मण्युपबृंहाढ्यास्ताः के गणयितुं क्षमाः ॥ ५६ ॥

एवं कुड्यमयं विश्वं नास्त्येव मननादृते।

मनने चलमेवान्तस्तदिदानीं विचारय ॥ ५७ ॥

यदेव तच्चिदाकाशं तदेव मननं स्मृतम्।

यदेव च चिदाकाशं तदेव परमं पदम् ॥ ५८ ॥

यदेवाम्बु स आवर्तो नत्वस्यावर्त वस्तु सन् ।

द्रष्टैवास्ते दृश्यमिव दृश्यं नत्वस्ति वस्तु सत् ॥ ५९ ॥

चिद्व्योम्नो भूतनभसि कचनं यन्मणेरिव।

तज्जगद्भाविनानासत्तत्त्वं श्वभ्रमिवाम्बरे ॥ ६० ॥

मद्बुद्धार्थो जगच्छब्दो विद्यते परमामृतम् ।

त्वद्बुद्धारर्थस्तु नास्त्येव त्वमहंशब्दकादपि ॥ ६१ ॥

तस्माल्लीलासरस्वत्यावाकाशवपुषौ स्थिते ।

सर्वगे परमात्माच्छे सर्वत्राप्रतिघेऽनघे ॥ ६२ ॥

यत्र यत्र सदा व्योम्नि यथाकामं यथेप्सितम् ।

उदयं कुरुतस्तेन तद्गेहेऽस्ति गतिस्तयोः ॥ ६३ ॥

सर्वत्र संभवति चिद्गगनं तदत्र सद्वेदनं कलनमामननं विसारि ।

तच्चातिवाहिकमिहाहुरकुड्यमेव देहं कथं क इव तं वद किं रुणद्धि ॥ ६४ ॥

Maharishi Vasishta said:

3.40.55–60

> Countless Brahmas, Rudras, Indras, Maruts, Vishnus, suns, and beings who perceive mountains, oceans, continents, islands, and other worlds have come and gone. 

> These perceptions come, go, and pass away, losing their forms. Those that are nourished and expanded in Brahman—who can count them? 

> Thus, this world, which seems solid like a wall, does not exist at all except through thought. It moves only in thought within. Reflect on this now. 

> What is called Pure Consciousness-Space is itself known as thought. And that very Consciousness-Space is the Supreme State. 

> Just as water is real but the whirlpool in it is not a separate real thing, the seer alone exists, appearing as if seeing an object; but the seen object has no real existence. 

> The appearance of the world in the Space of Consciousness, like a shine in a gem, or like the notion of many things in empty sky, is the unreal imagination of future existence. 

3.40.61–64

> The word "world" exists only in my understanding as supreme nectar (bliss); but in your understanding, it does not exist at all—not even from words like "I" and "you." 

> Therefore, Lila and Sarasvati, having bodies of space, exist in the supreme Self, which is all-pervading, clear, unobstructed everywhere, and sinless.

> Wherever in Space they always arise as they wish and desire, there is their abode and movement.

> Consciousness-sky is everywhere possible; here it is True Knowledge, imagination, and pervasive thought. It is called the subtle body here, without walls. How or who blocks it—what can stop it? 

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

No one can enumerate these endless appearances because they are mere modifications or expansions within the one unchanging Brahm. The teaching points to the illusory brevity of individual existences against the backdrop of Eternal Reality, urging recognition that multiplicity is not Ultimate.

The world appears solid and objective, yet it has no independent existence apart from mental activity or thought (manana). Without thought, there is no world—everything perceived as external is internal vibration of the mind. Vasishta instructs direct inquiry into this: the Universe is "wall-like" only due to habitual thinking, and true insight reveals its non-substantiality. This forms a core Advaitic principle that phenomena depend entirely on Consciousness for their seeming Reality.

Consciousness (cid-akasha) is equated with thought and also with the Highest State (paramam padam). There is no distinction between Pure Awareness, the process of conceptualization, and Ultimate Reality. The verse uses the analogy of water and its temporary whirlpool to illustrate that the perceiver (drashta) alone is real, while the perceived (drishya) lacks independent substance. The world is like an unreal appearance projected onto consciousness, without any true "thingness."

The world exists only as a notion in individual minds—beautiful and blissful in one perspective (as supreme nectar), yet utterly nonexistent in enlightened understanding, including even basic dualistic notions like "I" and "you." This highlights how reality shifts with Realization: ignorance gives rise to perceived multiplicity and solidity, while Knowledge dissolves it completely into non-dual Awareness.

Finally, enlightened beings like Lila and Sarasvati, embodied as Pure Space, abide freely in the all-pervading, pure, and flawless Supreme Self. 

Consciousness can manifest anywhere as desired, without obstruction, as it is inherently subtle, wall-less, and limitless. Nothing can hinder it, as it is the very substratum of all experience. The teaching culminates in the freedom of the Self, where knowledge, imagination, and subtle existence expand boundlessly, affirming liberation as unrestricted Being.

Chapter 3.40, Verses 45–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.40.45–54

(These verses explain how the individual soul -jiva- creates and experiences its own personal world at the moment of death or in the process of birth and rebirth)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

यत्रैव म्रियते जन्तुः पश्यत्याशु तदेव सः।

तत्रैव भुवनाभोगमिममित्थमिव स्थितम् ॥ ४५ ॥

व्योमैवानुभवत्यच्छमहं जगदिति भ्रमम्।

व्योमरूपं व्योमरूपी जीवो जात इवात्मवान् ॥ ४६ ॥

सुरपत्तनशैलार्कतारानिकरसुन्दरम् ।

जरामरणवैक्लव्यव्याधिसंकटकोटरम् ॥ ४७ ॥

स्वभावाभावसंरम्भस्थूलसूक्ष्मचराचरम् ।

साव्ध्यद्व्युर्वीनदीशाहोरात्रिकल्पक्षणक्षयम् ॥ ४८ ॥

अहं जातोऽमुना पित्रा किलात्रेत्याप्तनिश्चयम् ।

इयं माता धनमिदं ममेत्युदितवासनम् ॥ ४९ ॥

सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चेदं ममेति कृतकल्पनम्।

बालोऽभूवमहं त्वद्य युवेति विलसद्धृदि ॥ ५० ॥

प्रत्येकमेवमुदितः संसारवनखण्डकः।

ताराकुसुमितो नीलमेघचञ्चलपल्लवः ॥ ५१ ॥

चरन्नरमृगानीकः सुरासुरविहंगमः ।

आलोककौसुमरजाः श्यामागहनकुञ्जकः ॥ ५२ ॥

अब्धिपुष्करिणीपूर्णो मेर्वाद्यचललोष्टकः ।

चित्तपुष्करबीजान्तर्निलीनानुभवाङ्कुरः ॥ ५३ ॥

यत्रैष म्रियते जीवस्तत्रैवं पश्यति क्षणात् ।

प्रत्येकमुदितेष्वेवं जगत्खण्डेषु भूरिशः ॥ ५४ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.40.45–50

> Wherever a living Being dies, he quickly sees that very place as his world spread out before him in this manner.

> The clear space (void) itself experiences the delusion "I am the world." The soul, having the form of Space and being of the nature of Space, appears as if born with ego-sense.

> It appears beautiful with cities of gods, mountains, suns, clusters of stars; yet it is hollow with the miseries of old age, death, distress, and diseases.

> It is made of natural absence and presence, gross and subtle, moving and unmoving; it includes mountains, earth, rivers, days and nights, eons, moments, and their destruction.

> With the firm conviction "I was born here through this father," and the latent impression "This is my mother, this wealth is mine."

> Imagining "These good and bad deeds are mine," and in the heart thinking "I was a child before, now I am young."

3.40.51–54

> In this way, each one individually rises as a fragment of the world-forest — flowered with stars, having fickle leaves of dark clouds.

> Moving with herds of men and animals, with birds of gods and demons; sprinkled with rays of light like flowers, thick with dark groves.

> Full of oceans and lakes, with lumps of mountains like Meru; the sprout of experience hidden inside the lotus seed of the mind.

> Wherever this soul dies, in that very instant it sees this; thus in many such individually arisen world-fragments, it happens repeatedly.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

The teaching emphasizes that death is not an end but an instant transition where the dying being immediately perceives a new or continued world based on its own mind and vasanas (latent impressions). The world is not objective or shared in the same way for everyone; instead, each soul projects its Reality from Pure Space-like Consciousness, showing the illusory and subjective nature of existence.

The core idea is that the entire Universe appears within the Infinite, Formless Space (vyoma) of Consciousness. The soul, being non-different from this empty Space, mistakenly identifies itself as a limited entity and imagines a vast, beautiful yet painful world full of celestial cities, mountains, stars, gods, demons, aging, diseases, time cycles, and natural elements. This projection arises from delusion (bhrama), where the clear void experiences itself as "I am the world," highlighting non-duality — there is no real creation apart from mind.

The verses describe how egoistic notions solidify this illusion: beliefs like "I was born to this father in this place," "This is my mother," "This is my wealth," "These are my good and bad actions," and the sense of time passing from childhood to youth. These vasanas and convictions bind the soul to repeated cycles of samsara, making the world seem solid and personal, even though it is merely a mental construct without true substance.

Using poetic metaphors, Sage Vasishta portrays each individual's world as a separate "fragment" of a vast forest-like samsara: starry flowers, cloudy leaves, moving creatures, light rays like blossoms, dense dark groves, oceans, mountains, all sprouting from the tiny seed of chitta (mind). This illustrates the multiplicity of worlds within Consciousness — countless private Universes arising and vanishing, each unique to the perceiver, yet all rooted in the same underlying Reality.

Ultimately, the teaching points to liberation through understanding this process. Since the soul sees its world instantly upon "death" in any fragment, and this repeats across many such worlds, true freedom comes from recognizing the dream-like, mind-born nature of all experience. By transcending identification with the body, ego, and vasanas, one Realizes the Pure, Unchanging Space of Awareness beyond birth and death, dissolving the illusion of separate worlds and individual suffering.

Chapter 3.40, Verses 28–44

Yoga Vashishtha 3.40.28–44

(These verses explore the nature of the mind as the root cause of the perceived world and individual existence)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

किं चित्तमेतद्भवति किंवा भवति नौ कथम् ।

कथमेव न सद्रूपं नान्यद्भवति वीक्षणात् ॥ २८ ॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

प्रत्येकमेव यच्चित्तं तदेवंरूपशक्तिकम् ।

पृथक्प्रत्येकमुदितः प्रतिचित्तं जगद्भ्रमः ॥ २९ ॥

क्षणकल्पजगत्संघा समुद्यन्ति गलन्ति च ।

निमेषात्कस्यचित्कल्पात्कस्यचिच्च क्रमं श्रृणु ॥ ३० ॥

मरणादिमयी मूर्च्छा प्रत्येकेनानुभूयते ।

यैषा तां विद्धि सुमते महाप्रलययामिनीम् ॥ ३१ ॥

तदन्ते तनुते सर्गं सर्व एव पृथक्पृथक् ।

सहजस्वप्नसंकल्पान्संभ्रमाचलनृत्यवत् ॥ ३२ ॥

महाप्रलयरात्र्यन्ते चिरादात्ममनोवपुः ।

यथेदं तनुते तद्वत्प्रत्येकं मृत्यनन्तरम् ॥ ३३ ॥

श्रीराम उवाच ।

मृतेरनन्तरं सर्गो यथा स्मृत्यानुभूयते।

चिरात्तथानुभवति नातो विश्वमकारणम् ॥ ३४ ॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

महति प्रलये राम सर्वे हरिहरादयः ।

विदेहमुक्ततां यान्ति स्मृतेः क इव संभव ॥ ३५ ॥

अस्मदादिः प्रबुद्धात्मा किलावश्यं विमुच्यते ।

कथं भवन्तु नो मुक्ता विदेहाः पद्मजातयः ॥ ३६ ॥

अन्ये त्वमिव ये जीवास्तेषां मरणजन्मसु ।

स्मृतिः कारणतामेति मोक्षाभाववशादिह ॥ ३७ ॥

भवत्यद्रिर्धराधारो बद्धपीठो नभः शिराः।

जीवो हि मृतिमूर्च्छान्ते यदन्तः प्रोन्मिषन्निव ।

अनुन्मिषित एवास्ते तत्प्रधानमुदाहृतम् ॥ ३८ ॥

तद्व्योमप्रकृतिः प्रोक्ता तदव्यक्तं जडाजडम् ।

संस्मृतेरस्मृतेश्चैव क्रम एष भवोदये ॥ ३९ ॥

बोधोन्मुखत्वे हि महत्तत्प्रबुद्धं यदा भवेत् ।

तदा तन्मात्रदिक्कालक्रिया भूताद्युदेति खात् ॥ ४० ॥

तदेवोच्छूनमाबुद्धं भवतीन्द्रियपञ्चकम्।

तदेव बुध्यते देहः स एषोऽस्यातिवाहिकः ॥ ४१ ॥

चिरकालप्रत्ययतः कल्पनापरिपीवरः।

आधिभौतिकताबोधमाधत्ते चैष बालवत् ॥ ४२ ॥

ततो दिक्कालकलनास्तदाधारतया स्थिताः ।

उद्यन्त्यनुदिता एव वायोः स्पन्दक्रिया इव ॥ ४३ ॥

वृद्धिमित्थमयं यातो मुधैव भुवनभ्रमः ।

स्वप्नाङ्गनासङ्गसमस्त्वनुभूतोऽप्यसन्मयः ॥ ४४ ॥

Sriram asked:

3.40.28

> What is this mind? How does it come into being, or how does it not? How is it that, upon seeing, it is not truly real, and nothing else appears?

Maharishi Vashishta answered: 

3.40.29–33

> Each individual mind has the power to take such forms. From each mind arising separately, the illusion of the world appears distinctly for each one.

> Groups of worlds lasting a moment or a kalpa arise and dissolve. Listen to the sequence: in a moment for someone, it is a kalpa for another.

> Each one experiences a fainting-like state involving death and so on. Know that this, O wise one, is the great dissolution night.

> After that, each one separately expands creation, like natural dream-thoughts, due to delusion, dancing like unsteady motion.

> Just as at the end of the great dissolution night, after a long time, the body of the Self-mind manifests this world, so too each one does after death.

Sriram asked:

3.40.34

> After death, Creation is experienced as if by memory. In the same way, after a long time, one experiences it; the world is not without cause.

Maharishi Vashishta answered:

3.40.35–38

> In the great dissolution, O Rama, all including Hari, Hara, etc., attain bodiless liberation. How can there be memory?

> People like us, whose Self is awakened, certainly attain liberation. How can Brahma and others, who are liberated without body, not be free?

> For others like you who are living beings, memory becomes the cause in deaths and births here, due to the absence of liberation.

> The mountain becomes the support of the earth, the bound seat has sky as head. The jiva, at the end of death-faint, as if opening inwardly, yet remains unopened; that is called the chief.

3.40.39–44

> That is called space-nature, the unmanifest, both inert and non-inert. This is the sequence from memory and non-memory in the rise of existence.

> When it turns towards awakening in the great, then that awakened one gives rise from Space to the subtle elements, direction, time, action, elements, etc.

> That very thing, swollen and awakened, becomes the five senses. That itself knows the body; this is its ativahika (transmigrating subtle body).

> Due to long-held conviction, fattened by imagination, it assumes the sense of physical materiality like a child.

> Then direction, time, and actions stand as its support. They arise as if unarisen, like the vibrations of wind.

> In this way, this world-delusion has grown vainly. Though experienced like the embrace of a dream-woman, it is unreal.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

Rama questions how the mind arises, why it appears real yet is not truly so upon examination, and how perception creates the illusion of an external reality. Vasishta explains that each mind independently projects its own world-illusion, arising separately for every Being. This highlights the subjective nature of Reality: the Universe is not one objective creation but countless personal dreams emerging from individual Consciousnesses. Worlds can seem momentary or eternal depending on the perceiver's scale of time, emphasizing relativity in experience.

The process of cosmic cycles (creation and dissolution) mirrors individual death and rebirth. Each Being experiences a "great dissolution" in the faint of death, where the world vanishes temporarily. After this "night," the mind recreates its world through innate, dream-like sankalpa (willful imagination), much like spontaneous thoughts in sleep. This recreation happens swiftly after death, driven by latent impressions, showing continuity through memory and vasanas rather than an external cause.

Rama notes that post-death Creation feels like recalling memories over time, implying the world lacks independent Reality. Vasishta clarifies that in true Cosmic dissolution, even gods attain videhamukti (liberation without body), leaving no room for memory or rebirth. Awakened souls (like Realized Beings) escape this cycle permanently. Ordinary jivas, bound by ignorance, retain memory across lives, causing repeated birth and death due to non-liberation.

The subtle body (ativahika or linga sharira) is described as the core: at death's faint, the jiva remains inwardly "unopened" yet potent, like unmanifest potential. This is the unmanifest prakriti or Space-like Essence—neither fully inert nor conscious—arising from memory or its absence. When inclined toward awakening, it manifests time, space, elements, senses, and the gross body from "Space" (void Consciousness). Long-held beliefs thicken this subtle form into a sense of physicality, child-like in its naive assumption of materiality.

Ultimately, the world-delusion grows meaninglessly through imagination and conviction. 

Though vividly experienced—like intimate union in a dream—it remains unreal (asat). The teaching underscores Advaita non-duality: all appearance is mind-born illusion, sustained by ignorance and dissolved in Self-knowledge. Liberation comes from recognizing the mind's projective power, transcending memory-driven cycles, and Realizing the unchanging Self beyond birth, death, and worlds.

Chapter 3.40, Verses 16–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.40.16–27

(These verses explain the True Nature of the individual Self or jiva as a Pure Creation of the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

यः पुनः स्वप्नसंकल्पपुरुषः प्रतिमाकृतिः ।

आकाशमात्रकाकारः स कथं केन रोध्यते ॥ १६ ॥

चित्तमात्रं शरीरं तु सर्वस्यैव हि सर्वतः।

विद्यते वेदनाच्चैतत्क्वचिदेतीव हृद्गतात् ॥ १७ ॥

यथाभिमतमेवास्य भवत्यस्तमयोदयम्।

आदिसर्गे स्वभावोत्थं पश्चाद्द्वैतैक्यकारणम् ॥ १८ ॥

चित्ताकाशं चिदाकाशमाकाशं च तृतीयकम् ।

विद्ध्येतत्त्रयमेकं त्वमविनाभावनावशात् ॥ १९ ॥

एतच्चित्तशरीरत्वं विद्धि सर्वगतोदयम्।

यथासंवेदनेच्छत्वाद्यथासंवेदनोदयम् ॥ २० ॥

वसति त्रसरेण्वन्तर्ध्रियते गगनोदरे ।

लीयतेऽङ्कुरकोशेषु रसीभवति पल्लवे ॥ २१ ॥

उल्लसत्यम्बुवीचित्वे प्रनृत्यति शिलोदरे । 

प्रवर्षत्यम्बुदो भूत्वा शिलीभूयावतिष्ठते ॥ २२ ॥

यथेच्छमम्बरे याति जठरेऽपि च भूभृताम् ।

अनन्तराकाशवपुर्धत्तेऽथ परमाणुताम् ॥ २३ ॥

देहस्यान्तर्बहिरपि दधद्वनतनूरुहम् ॥ २४ ॥

भवत्याकाशमाधत्ते कोटीः पद्मजसद्मनाम् ।

अनन्याः स्वात्मनोऽम्भोधिरावर्तरचना इव ॥ २५ ॥

अनुद्विग्नप्रबोधोऽसौ सर्गादौ चित्तदेहकः ।

आकाशत्मा महान्भूत्वा वेत्ति प्रकृततां ततः ॥ २६ ॥

असत्यमेव वारित्वं बुद्ध्योदेतीव तत्तथा ।

वन्ध्यापुत्रोऽयमस्तीति यथा स्वप्ने भ्रमो नरः ॥ २७ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.40.16–19

> The being created by dream-like imagination and will, which is merely an image or reflection and exists only as the form of space itself—how can it be stopped or restrained by anything?

> The mind alone is the body for everyone, everywhere. This is known from experience, as it seems to arise from the heart or inner feeling.

> Whatever is desired or conceived by it becomes its rise and fall. In the beginning of creation, it arises from its own nature, and later it becomes the cause of duality and unity.

> Know that the Space of the mind (chittakasha), the Space of Consciousness (chidakasha), and the third Space (physical ether) are all one, due to their inseparable connection.

3.40.20–27

> Understand this mind-body to be all-pervading in its arising. It rises and exists according to its own perception and desire.

> It dwells within the smallest particle, is hidden in the vast sky, dissolves into sprouts, and becomes sap in leaves.

> It shines as waves in water, dances within stones, becomes a cloud and rains, then turns solid as rock and stays.

> As it wishes, it moves in space, enters the bellies of mountains, assumes the form of Infinite Space, and then takes the form of the smallest atom.

> It holds the body both inside and outside, bearing hair and all forms.

> It creates countless lotus-like worlds of Brahm within Space, like countless whirlpools in the ocean that are not different from the ocean itself.

> In the beginning of creation, this mind-body, undisturbed in its awakening, becomes great as Space and then knows its own Natural State.

> Just as the idea of water arises falsely in the mind and seems real, or as a man in a dream believes a barren woman's son exists—this is how it appears.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses explain the True Nature of the individual Self or jiva as a Pure Creation of the mind (chitta). It is not a solid, independent entity but a dream-like projection born from imagination and will, appearing as a person or form yet essentially formless Space. Nothing can obstruct or bind it because it has no real substance—its apparent existence depends entirely on thought and perception.

The mind itself is the subtle body that pervades everything. It is not limited to physical form but is the core of all experience, arising from Inner Consciousness or feeling. Whatever the mind conceives or desires instantly becomes its reality, including birth, death, duality, and unity. This shows creation is not an external event but an internal projection rooted in the mind's own nature from the very start.

Sage Vasishta unifies three levels of "Space": the mental Space (where thoughts arise), the Space of Pure Consciousness (the Aware Essence), and physical ether. 

They are not separate but one indivisible reality, inseparable due to their mutual dependence. This teaches non-duality—everything perceived as multiple is actually the same underlying Essence.

The mind-body is omnipresent and takes any form according to its own will and perception. 

It manifests as tiny particles or vast skies, as fluid waves or solid rocks, as rain clouds or immovable stone. It moves freely in Space, enters mountains, shrinks to an atom, or expands infinitely. This illustrates the mind's limitless power to appear as the entire Universe while remaining untouched.

Ultimately, the mind's creations are illusory, like false notions in a dream (e.g., water in a mirage or a barren woman's son). In the dawn of Creation, the mind awakens without disturbance, expands as vast Space, and Realizes its True Nature. The teaching emphasizes that the world and ego are unreal projections of Consciousness, and liberation comes from recognizing this dream-like quality, leading to freedom from false bondage.