Chapter 3.56, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.56.1–15

(These verses teach that the body is only a temporary shell)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजा परिवृत्ताक्षितारकः।

बभूवैकतनुप्राणशेषः शुष्कसिताधरः ॥ १॥

जीर्णपर्णसवर्णाभः क्षीणपाण्डुमुखच्छविः।

भृङ्गध्वनितसच्छायश्वासकूजाविकूणितः ॥ २॥

महामरणमूर्च्छान्धकूपे निपतिताशयः।

अन्तर्निलीननिःशेषनेत्रादीन्द्रियवृत्तिमान् ॥ ३॥

चित्रन्यस्त इवाकारमात्रदृश्यो विचेतनः।

निःस्पन्दसर्वावयवः समुत्कीर्ण इवोपले ॥ ४॥

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन तनुदेशेन तं जहौ।

प्राणः पिपतिषुं वृक्षं स्वं पक्षीवान्तरिक्षगः ॥ ५॥

ते तं ददृशतुर्बाले दिव्यदृष्टी नभोगतम्।

जीवं प्राणमयी संविद्गन्धलेशमिवानिले ॥ ६॥

सा जीवसंविद्गगने वातेन मिलिता सती।

खे दूरं गन्तुमारेभे वासनानुविधायिनी ॥ ७॥

तामेवानुससाराथ स्त्रीद्वयं जीवसंविदम्।

भ्रमरीयुगलं वातलग्नां गन्धकलामिव ॥ ८॥

ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण शान्ते मरणमूर्च्छने।

अम्बरे बुबुधे संविद्गन्धलेखेन वायुना ॥ ९॥

अपश्यत्पुरुषान्याम्यान्नीयमानं च तैर्वपुः।

बन्धुपिण्डप्रदानेन शरीरं जातमात्मनः ॥ १०॥

मार्गे कर्मफलोल्लासमतिदूरतरे स्थितम्।

वैवस्वतपुरं प्राप जन्तुभिः परिवेष्टितम् ॥ ११॥

प्राप्तं वैवस्वतपुरमादिदेश ततो यमः।

अस्य कर्माण्यशुभ्राणि नैव सन्ति कदाचन ॥ १२॥

नित्यमेवावदातानां कर्तायं शुभकर्मणाम्।

भगवत्याः सरस्वत्या वरेणायं विवर्धितः ॥ १३॥

प्राक्तनोऽस्य शवीभूतो देहोऽस्ति कुसुमाम्बरे।

प्रविशत्वेष तं गत्वा त्यज्यतामिति चेतसा ॥ १४॥

ततस्त्यक्तो नभोमार्गे यन्त्रोपल इव च्युतः।

अथ जीवकला लीला ज्ञप्तिश्चेति त्रयं नभः ॥ १५॥

Sage Vasishta said: 

3.56.1–5

> At that moment the King rolled his eyes upwards and was left with only his body and life breath, his lips dry and white.  

> His body looked like the colour of a dry leaf, his face pale and without shine. He breathed with a soft humming sound like a bee and groaned faintly with half-closed eyes.  

> His mind had fallen into the dark well of deep death unconsciousness. All his senses, starting from the eyes, had withdrawn completely inside.  

> He looked like a figure fixed in a painting, visible only in shape and unconscious, with every limb still, as if carved in stone.  

> What more is there to say? The life breath left that thin body like a bird flying away from a tree that is about to fall, into the sky.  

3.56.6–9

> The two girls saw him with their Divine sight – the soul that had gone into the sky, the living Consciousness full of life breath, like a faint smell in the wind.  

> That soul Consciousness, now mixed with the wind in the sky, started to travel far through space, following its past impressions.  

> Then the two women followed that same soul Consciousness, like two bees chasing a small bit of fragrance stuck to the wind.  

> After just a moment, when the death faintness became calm, the Consciousness woke up in the sky, carried by the wind like a thin line of fragrance.  

3.56.10–15

> She saw the messengers of Yama and the body being carried by them. Through the relatives giving funeral pindas, a new body had been created for the soul.  

> On the path, shining far away with the results of karma, she reached the city of Vaivasvata, surrounded by many Beings.  

> After reaching the city of Vaivasvata, Yama then ordered: This person’s actions were never inauspicious.  

> He is always the doer of pure and good deeds. By the boon of Goddess Saraswati, this one has been specially blessed and raised.  

> His earlier body, which has become a corpse, lies in the flower-filled sky. Let this soul go there, enter it and leave the present State, thus Yama decided in his mind.  

> Then, freed on the sky path, it fell like a stone dropped from a machine. After that the life force, Lila and the Awareness – these three became the sky.

Summary of Teachings: 

When death comes, the eyes roll, the face turns pale, breathing becomes weak and the senses pull inward until the body lies still like a painted picture or a stone statue. This shows that physical life ends but the Inner Self does not vanish with the body; it simply leaves the outer form behind.

The life breath or soul rises from the dead body like a bird leaving a falling tree and floats in the sky as Pure Consciousness mixed with a little life energy. It moves according to its stored desires and past impressions. The verses explain that after the body dies the soul keeps moving, guided not by the physical world but by the mental habits gathered during life.

Two Divine women with heavenly sight follow the soul like bees following a sweet smell in the wind. The soul soon reaches the far city of Yama, the God of death. This part teaches that the soul’s journey is never alone; higher powers watch and accompany it, showing that even in the subtle world there is order and guidance from greater forces.

In Yama’s city the God of death himself declares that the soul has done only pure and good deeds because of the special blessing of Goddess Saraswati. There are no bad karmas to punish. The teaching here is that a life full of right actions and the Grace of a Divine boon can change the usual rules of death and save the soul from ordinary suffering or delay.

Finally Yama orders the soul to return to its old body lying in the flower-filled sky. The soul is released and falls back, its life force, Divine play and Awareness becoming one with the sky again. These verses show that death is not always final; for souls rich in merit and blessed by Grace, the body can be re-entered and life can continue, proving that Consciousness is stronger than death and that good karma plus Divine kindness can bring the soul back.

Chapter 3.55, Verses 61–73

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.61–73

(These verses teach about the illusion of the world and how everything is pervaded by Consciousness)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

यथोत्तराब्धिजनता दक्षिणाब्धिजनं स्थितम्।

न किंचिदपि जानाति निजसंवेदनादृते ॥ ६१॥

स्वसंज्ञानुभवे लीनास्तथा स्थावरजङ्गमाः।

परस्परं यदा सर्वे स्वसंकेतपरायणाः ॥ ६२॥

यथा शिलान्तःसंस्थानां बहिष्ठानां च वेदनम्।

असज्जडं च भेकानां मिथोऽन्तस्तस्थुषां तथा ॥ ६३॥

सर्वं सर्वगतं चित्तं चिद्व्योम्ना यत्प्रचेतितम्।

सर्गादौ चोपनं वायुः स इहाद्यापि संस्थितः ॥ ६४॥

चेतितं यत्तु सौषिर्यं तन्नभस्तत्र मारुतः।

स्पन्दात्मेत्यादिसर्गेहाः पदार्थेष्विव चोपनम् ॥ ६५॥

चित्तं तु परमार्थेन स्थावरे जंगमे स्थितम्।

चोपनान्यनिलैरेव भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥ ६६॥

एवं भ्रान्तिमये विश्वे पदार्थाः संविदंशवः।

सर्गादिषु यथैवासंस्तथैवाद्यापि संस्थिताः ॥ ६७॥

यथा विश्वपदार्थानां स्वभावस्य विजृम्भितम्।

असत्यमेव सत्याभं तदेतत्कथितं तव ॥ ६८॥

अयमस्तं गतः प्रायः पश्य राजा विदूरथः।

मालाशवस्य पद्मस्य पत्युस्ते याति हृद्गतम् ॥ ६९॥

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

केन मार्गेण देवेशि यात्येष शवमण्डपम्।

एनमेवाशु पश्यन्त्यावावां गच्छाव उत्तमे ॥ ७०॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

मनुष्यवासनान्तस्थं मार्गमाश्रित्य गच्छति।

एषोऽहमपरं लोकं दूरं यामीति चिन्मयः ॥ ७१॥

मार्गेणैवमनेनैव यावस्तेयेन संमतम्।

परस्परेच्छाविच्छित्तिर्न हि सौहार्दबन्धनी ॥ ७२॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

इति विहितकथागतक्लमायां परमदृशि प्रसृते विबोधभानौ।

नृपतिवरसुतामनस्युदारे विगलितचित्तजडो विदूरथोऽभूत् ॥ ७३॥

The Goddess continued: 

3.55.61–69

> Just as the people living in the northern ocean do not know anything about those living in the southern ocean except through their own Awareness.

> In the same way, all moving and unmoving Beings are absorbed in their own experience and knowledge. They all depend on their own mutual signs and agreements.

> Like the feelings inside stones and those outside, and the senseless frogs and those staying inside mutually, it is the same.

> The mind is everywhere and all-pervading. It is made Conscious by the Space of Consciousness. At the beginning of Creation, the wind (vayu) was brought forth, and it remains here even now.

> Whatever is perceived as emptiness, there is sky and wind in it. The first creations like vibration and others are like the wind brought into objects.

> In Reality, the mind exists in both stationary and moving things. These winds (vayus) are brought forth and also not brought forth.

> Thus, in this world full of illusion, all objects are parts of Consciousness. Just as they were in the Creations at the beginning, they remain the same even now.

> Just as the Nature and display of all objects in the Universe is unreal but appears Real, I have told this to you.

> Look, King Viduratha has almost died. The husband of your lotus-like garland (or the one in the story) is entering your heart.

Awakened Lila said: 

3.55.70

> O Goddess, by which path does this one go to the hall of the corpse? Let us both quickly see him and go there, O best one.

The Goddess said: 

3.55.71–72

> Relying on the path within human desires, this Conscious Being goes thinking, "I am going to another distant world."

> By this very path that is agreed upon mutually, the interruption of each other's wishes does not bind with the tie of friendship.

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.55.73

> Thus, when the story was told and fatigue removed in the Supreme Seer, with the sun of Knowledge spread out, in the broad mind of the king's excellent daughter, Viduratha became free from the dullness of his mind.

Summary of the Teachings:

Beings in different realms or experiences do not truly know each other beyond their own Awareness, showing that the Universe is subjective and based on individual Consciousness. All things, living or not, are absorbed in their own sense of Self, relying on mental constructs and agreements rather than absolute Reality. This highlights the mind's role in creating the appearance of separation and multiplicity.

The mind is described as all-pervading and the basis of Creation. From the beginning, subtle elements like wind or vibration fill Space and objects, making the world seem Real. Yet, these are projections of Consciousness. Stationary and moving objects alike exist only as expressions of this mind, which brings forth and withdraws these forces at will. The teaching emphasizes non-duality: what seems created is always within the One Consciousness.

The world is full of illusion where objects appear as parts or rays of Pure Awareness. 

They have remained unchanged since the start of Creation in their essential Nature. The display of nature in the universe looks true but is ultimately unreal, like a dream or magic show. Understanding this helps one see beyond appearances to the underlying truth of Consciousness.

In the narrative, King Viduratha's death illustrates how the soul moves according to its desires and mental paths. The Conscious Self travels to other worlds or States thinking it is going far away, but it follows inner tendencies and vasanas (latent impressions). Mutual wishes and interruptions show that relationships and events are not firmly bound by external ties but by inner mental states.

Finally, the story leads to Awakening. As Knowledge spreads like the Sun, the dullness of the mind dissolves. The king's daughter and others gain clarity. The verses point to liberation through Realizing the illusory nature of the world and resting in Pure Consciousness, freeing one from mental fog and worldly attachments.

Chapter 3.55, Verses 44–60

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.44·60

(These verses teach that the whole world we see is nothing but the Supreme Reality or Pure Consciousness appearing in different forms)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

आदिसर्गे यथा देवि भ्रम एष प्रवर्तते।

तथा कथय मे भूयः प्रसादाद्वोधवृद्धये ॥ ४४॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

परमार्थघनं शैलाः परमार्थघनं द्रुमाः।

परमार्थघनं पृथ्वी परमार्थघनं नभः ॥ ४५॥

सर्वात्मकत्वात्स यतो यथोदेति चिदीश्वरः।

परमाकाशशुद्धात्मा तत्र तत्र भवेत्तथा ॥ ४६॥

सर्गादौ स्वप्नपुरुषन्यायेनादिप्रजापतिः।

यथा स्फुटं प्रकचितस्तथाद्यापि स्थिता स्थितिः ॥ ४७॥

प्रथमोऽसौ प्रतिस्पन्दः पदार्थानां हि बिम्बकम्।

प्रतिबिम्बितमेतस्माद्यत्तदद्यापि संस्थितम् ॥ ४८॥

यन्नाम सुषिरं स्थानं देहानां तद्गतोऽनिलः।

करोत्यङ्गपरिस्पन्दं जीवतीत्युच्यते ततः ॥ ४९॥

सर्गादावेवमेवैषा जङ्गमेषु स्थिता स्थितिः।

चेतना अपि निःस्पन्दास्तेनैते पादपादयः ॥ ५०॥

चिदाकाशोऽयमेवांशं कुरुते चेतनोदितम्।

स एव संविद्भवति शेषं भवति नैव तत् ॥ ५१॥

नरोपाधिपुरं प्राप्तं चेतत्यक्षिपुटं नयत्।

तत्तस्या नाक्षिचिज्जीवं नो जीवत्येव सर्गतः ॥ ५२॥

तथा खं खं तथा भूमिर्भूमित्वेनाप्त्ववज्जलम्।

यद्यथा चेतति स्वैरं तद्वेत्त्येव तथा वपुः ॥ ५३॥

इति सर्वशरीरेण जंगमत्वेन जंगमम्।

स्थावरं स्थावरत्वेन सर्वात्मा भावयन् स्थितः ॥ ५४॥

तस्माद्यज्जङ्गमं नाम तत्स्वबोधनरूपवत्।

तेन बुद्धं ततस्तद्बत्तदेवाद्यापि संस्थितम् ॥ ५५॥

यद्वृक्षाभिधमाबुद्धं स्थावरत्वेन वै पुनः।

जडमद्यापि संसिद्धं शिलातरुतृणादि च ॥ ५६॥

न तु जाड्यं पृथक्किंचिदस्ति नापि च चेतनम्।

नात्र भेदोऽस्ति सर्गादौ सत्तासामान्यकेन च ॥ ५७॥

वृक्षाणामुपलानां या नामान्तःस्थाः स्वसंविदः।

बुद्ध्यादिविहितान्येव तानि तेषामिति स्थितिः ॥ ५८॥

विदोन्तःस्थावरादेर्यास्तस्या बुद्ध्यास्तथा स्थितेः।

अन्याभिधानास्थानार्थाः संकेतैरपरैः स्थिताः ॥ ५९॥

कृमिकीटपतङ्गानां या नामान्तःस्वसंविदः।

तान्येव तेषां बुद्ध्यादीन्यभिधार्थानि कानिचित् ॥ ६०॥

The Awakened Lila said:

3.55.44

> O Goddess, just as this illusion begins to work in the first Creation, please explain it to me again by your Grace so that my knowledge may grow.

The Goddess said:

3.55.45–54

> The mountains are filled with Supreme Reality. The trees are filled with Supreme Reality. The earth is filled with Supreme Reality. The sky is filled with Supreme Reality.

> Because it is the Self of everything, wherever the Lord of Consciousness rises, the Pure Self of the Supreme Space appears in the same way there.

> At the start of Creation, the first Creator appeared clearly like a person in a dream. That same State still exists today.

> That first small movement is the image of all objects. Whatever is reflected from it still remains today.

> The air that enters the empty Space inside bodies makes the limbs move, and that is why it is called life.

> Right from the beginning of Creation, this same State is present in moving creatures. Even Conscious Beings are without movement, which is why plants and trees exist like this.

> This Consciousness-Space itself creates a small conscious part. It alone becomes Awareness, and nothing else turns into that.

> When it enters the human body as a limited form, it makes the eyes conscious. This is not a separate life in the eyes, nor does it live apart from the Creation.

> In the same way, the sky remains sky, the earth remains earth, and water remains water by its own nature. The body knows whatever it freely feels in that same way.

> Thus, the Supreme Self stays present in all bodies and thinks of moving things as moving and unmoving things as unmoving.

3.55.55–60 

> So whatever is called moving is like its own form of Knowledge. Because of that Knowledge it is understood, and the same thing still exists today.

> Whatever is called a tree is again fixed as unmoving. Inert things like stones, trees, grass and others are still fixed like this today.

> There is no separate inertness at all, and there is no separate Consciousness either. From the beginning of Creation there is no difference at all in the general Existence.

> The Inner Self-Knowledge inside trees and stones, which are formed by intellect and such things, are simply their own State.

> The Inner Knowledge of unmoving things and others stay with different names and meanings according to other agreements.

> The Inner Self-Knowledge of worms, insects and birds are their own Knowledge forms given some meanings.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything around us — mountains, trees, earth and sky — is completely filled with this One Ultimate Truth. The illusion of Creation starts right at the beginning, and the Goddess is asked to explain it once more so that Knowledge can grow. There is no real separation between things; all is One Single Consciousness.

The Creation is compared to a dream. Just as the first Creator appeared clearly in the beginning like a dreamer seeing himself, the same dream-like State continues even today. The very first small vibration in Consciousness created the images of all objects, and everything we experience now is only a reflection of that original movement. Life itself comes when air enters the empty spaces in bodies and makes limbs move; that is why we call it living.

Consciousness-Space creates small Conscious parts in every Being. The body feels and knows things exactly according to its own nature — sky stays sky, earth stays earth, water stays water. The Supreme Self is present in all bodies at once. It thinks of moving creatures as moving and still things as still, so the world appears divided into moving and unmoving beings. Yet in truth everything is the same Consciousness working in different ways.

There is actually no real difference between what we call conscious and inert, or moving and unmoving. All these are just appearances. From the very start of Creation, everything shares the same general Existence. Stones, trees, grass and all inert objects are simply fixed in their unmoving form by the same Supreme Self. Their Inner Knowledge is Real, but it looks different only because of how Consciousness expresses itself in them.

Finally, the Inner Awareness found in trees, stones, worms, insects and birds is also part of the One Consciousness. These are just different names and meanings given by convention or agreement. No separate inertness or Consciousness exists apart from the Supreme Reality. Everything we see is the same Pure Self appearing in countless ways, and this Truth has remained unchanged since the beginning of Creation.

Chapter 3.55, Verses 31–43

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.31–43

(These verses explain how the individual soul - jiva - perceives its journey in the world of illusion - samsara)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

इयं मे सौम्यसंपाता सरणिः शीतशाद्वला।

स्निग्धच्छाया सवापीका पुरःसंस्थेति मध्यमः ॥ ३१॥

अयं प्राप्तो यमपुरमहमेष स भूतपः।

अयं कर्मविचारोऽत्र कृत इत्यनुभूतिमान् ॥ ३२॥

इति प्रत्येकमभ्येति पृथुः संसारखण्डकः।

यथासंस्थितनिःशेषपदार्थाचारभासुरः ॥ ३३ ॥

आकाश इव निःशून्ये शून्यात्मैव विबोधवान्।

देशकालक्रियादैर्घ्यभासुरोऽपि न किंचन ॥ ३४॥

इतोऽयमहमादिष्टः स्वकर्मफलभोजने।

गच्छाम्याशु शुभं स्वर्गमितो नरकमेव च ॥ ३५॥

यः स्वर्गोऽयं मया भुक्तो भुक्तोऽयं नरकोऽथ वा।

इमास्ता योनयो भुक्ता जायेऽहं संसृतौ पुनः ॥ ३६॥

अयं शालिरहं जातः क्रमात्फलमहं स्थितः।

इत्युदर्कप्रबोधेन बुध्यमानो भविष्यति ॥ ३७॥

संसुप्तकरणस्त्वेवं बीजतां यात्यसौ नरे तद्बीजं योनिगलितं गर्भो भवति मातरि ॥ ३८॥

स गर्भो जायते लोके पूर्वकर्मानुसारतः।

भव्यो भवत्यभव्यो वा बालको ललिताकृतिः ॥ ३९॥

ततोऽनुभवतीन्द्वाभं यौवनं मदनोन्मुखम्।

ततो जरां पद्ममुखे हिमाशनिमिव च्युतम् ॥ ४०॥

ततोऽपि व्याधिमरणं पुनर्मरणमूर्च्छनाम्।

पुनः स्वप्नवदायातं पिण्डैर्देहपरिग्रहम् ॥ ४१॥

याम्यं याति पुनर्लोकं पुनरेव भ्रमक्रमम्।

भूयो भूयोऽनुभवति नानायोन्यन्तरोदये ॥ ४२॥

इत्याजवं जवीभावमामोक्षमतिभासुरम्।

भूयो भूयोऽनुभवति व्योम्न्येव व्योमरूपवान् ॥ ४३॥

The Goddess continued:

3.55.31–37

> This is my gentle and pleasant path, cool and covered with soft green grass. It has smooth shade and ponds in front. This is the moderate one.

> I have reached the city of Yama. He is the Lord of Beings. There is the inquiry into karma done here, thus experiencing it as Real.

> In this way, each one separately approaches this vast section of the world. It shines with all objects and actions exactly as they are placed.

> Like the sky which is completely empty, the Self is void yet aware. Even though it appears bright with Space, time, actions and distances, it is nothing at all.

> From here this I has been ordered to enjoy the fruits of my own karma. I will quickly go to the good heaven or to hell from here.

> The heaven which I enjoyed, or this hell which I enjoyed. These births have been experienced by me. I will be born again in the cycle of Existence.

> This rice I was born as, gradually I became the fruit, I stayed like that. With this future Realization, it will become aware.

3.55.38–43

> With its senses in deep sleep like this, that one attains the State of a seed in a man. That seed, entering the womb, becomes the fetus in the mother.

> That fetus is born in the world according to previous karma. It becomes fortunate or unfortunate, a child with a charming form.

> Then it experiences youth that is moon-like, eager for love. Then old age descends on its lotus-like face like a hail of snow.

> Then also disease and death, again the unconsciousness of death. Again, like a dream, it acquires a body formed from food particles.

> It goes again to the world of Yama, again the cycle of wandering. Again and again it experiences the arising of various births in different wombs.

> Thus this swift back and forth movement, extremely bright until liberation. Again and again it experiences it, being Space-form in Space itself.

Summary of the teachings:

The Goddess describes a gentle path for souls of moderate nature, which is cool, green, shaded, and has ponds, making the soul feel it is in a real and pleasant place. This shows how the mind creates the experience of the world as solid and attractive.

The soul then feels it has arrived at the city of death - Yama's realm - the Lord of Beings. It reflects on its karma and believes all actions and objects around it are truly happening. This teaches that the entire world appears real to the soul because of its own thoughts and past actions, even though it is like a fragment of a dream.

In Reality, the Self is empty like the sky, full of Awareness but without any substance. It may seem to exist in Space, Time, and actions, but it is nothing at all. The soul is directed to reap the results of its karma, moving quickly to heaven or hell, showing that all movements and experiences are just appearances in the Void Consciousness.

The soul remembers enjoying heavens and hells and various births, only to be reborn again. It goes through the stages of life: starting as a seed, becoming an embryo, being born as a child according to past karma, experiencing beautiful youth full of desires, then old age like snow falling on a flower, followed by disease and death. This cycle repeats like a dream.

The soul keeps going back to the realm of death and wandering through different births again and again. This fast-moving cycle of birth and death continues brightly until the soul achieves liberation (moksha). The main teaching is that all this is an illusion happening in empty Space-like Consciousness, and Realizing this Truth frees one from the endless cycle of suffering in samsara.

Chapter 3.55, Verses 16–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.16–30

(These verses explain what happens to the soul right after death, based on the person's past actions and hidden mental tendencies called vasanas)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

अथवा मृतिमोहान्ते जडदुःखशताकुलाम्।

क्षणाद्वृक्षादितामेव हृत्स्थामनुभवन्ति ते ॥ १६॥

स्ववासनानुरूपाणि दुःखानि नरके पुनः।

अनुभूयाथ योनीषु जायन्ते भूतले चिरात् ॥ १७॥

अथ मध्यमपापो यो मृतिमोहादनन्तरम्।

सशिलाजठरं जाड्यं कंचित्कालं प्रपश्यति ॥ १८॥

ततः प्रबुद्धः कालेन केनचिद्वा तदैव वा।

तिर्यगादिक्रमैर्भुक्त्वा योनीः संसारमेष्यति ॥ १९॥

मृत एवानुभवति कश्चित्सामान्यपातकी।

स्ववासनानुसारेण देहं संपन्नमक्षतम् ॥ २०॥

स स्वप्न इव संकल्प इव चेतति तादृशम्।

तस्मिन्नेव क्षणे तस्य स्मृतिरित्थमुदेति च ॥ २१॥

ये तूत्तममहापुण्या मृतिमोहादनन्तरम्।

स्वर्गविद्याधरपुरं स्मृत्या स्वनुभवन्ति ते ॥ २२॥

ततोऽन्यकर्मसदृशं भुक्त्वान्यत्र फलं निजम्।

जायन्ते मानुषे लोके सश्रीके सज्जनास्पदे ॥ २३॥

ये च मध्यमधर्माणो मृतिमोहादनन्तरम्।

ते व्योमवायुवलिताः प्रयान्त्योषधिपल्लवम् ॥ २४॥

तत्र चारुफलं भुक्त्वा प्रविश्य हृदयं नृणाम्।

रेतसामधितिष्ठन्ति गर्भे जातिक्रमोचिते ॥ २५॥

स्ववासनानुसारेण प्रेता एतां व्यवस्थितिम्।

मूर्च्छान्तेऽनुभवन्त्यन्तः क्रमेणैवाक्रमेण च ॥ २६॥

आदौ मृता वयमिति बुध्यन्ते तदनुक्रमात्।

बन्धुपिण्डादिदानेन प्रोत्पन्ना इति वेदिनः ॥ २७॥

ततो यमभटा एते कालपाशान्विता इति।

नीयमानः प्रयाम्येभिः क्रमाद्यमपुरं त्विति ॥ २८॥

उद्यानानि विमानानि शोभनानि पुनःपुनः।

स्वकर्मभिरुपात्तानि दिव्यानीत्येव पुण्यवान् ॥ २९॥

हिमानीकण्टकश्वभ्रशस्त्रपत्रवनानि च।

स्वकर्मदुष्कृतोत्थानि संप्राप्तानीति पापवान् ॥ ३०॥

The Goddess continued: 

3.55.16–21

> Or else, after the delusion of death ends, they immediately experience in their heart a dull state filled with hundreds of pains, like becoming a tree or something similar.  

> According to their own mental impressions, they experience sufferings again in hell. Then they are born in wombs on earth after a long time.  

> Now, one who has medium sins, right after the delusion of death, sees for some time a dullness like being in a stony womb.  

> Then, awakened by time or by someone, having experienced births in animal forms and others in sequence, he enters the world of samsara.  

> Some ordinary sinner experiences even in death a complete and intact body according to his own mental impressions.  

> He becomes conscious of such a thing like a dream or imagination. In that very moment, such a memory arises in him.  

3.55.22–30

> But those with supreme great merits, after the delusion of death, experience through memory the heaven and the city of vidyadharas.  

> Then, having enjoyed fruits similar to their other karmas elsewhere, they are born in the human world in a prosperous place with good people.  

> And those with medium dharma, after the delusion of death, go to the tender shoots of herbs, carried by sky and wind.  

> There, enjoying beautiful fruits, they enter the hearts of humans and reside in the semen in a womb suitable for their birth order.  

> According to their own mental impressions, the departed souls experience this arrangement internally after fainting, either in order or without order.  

> At first they understand that we have died. Then gradually they know that they have been produced through offerings of pinda and such by relatives.  

> Then these are Yama's messengers with the noose of Time. Being led by them, they go to Yama's city in sequence.  

> The virtuous person thinks again and again that these beautiful gardens and divine vehicles have been obtained by his own good deeds.  

> The sinful person thinks that these snowy areas with thorns, pits, weapons, and sword forests have been obtained due to his evil deeds.  

Summary of the Teachings:

Souls with a lot of bad karma first go through a confusing State at death. They then feel intense but dull pain, as if they have turned into lifeless things like trees. This happens instantly in their subtle heart or mind.  For people with heavy sins, they suffer in hell according to their tendencies. 

Later, they take birth in different animal or human bodies on earth after a long wait. Those with medium level sins experience a period of dullness like being stuck in a stone womb for some time. They wake up eventually and go through lower life forms before returning to human life. Ordinary sinners may feel they have a full body even after death, based on their vasanas. They become aware of their new situation like in a dream, and memories of it come up right away.  

People with medium good deeds are taken by winds and sky to plant forms after death. They enjoy nice fruits there and then move into human reproduction by staying in semen and entering suitable wombs for rebirth. Highly virtuous people with great merits experience heavenly worlds and beautiful cities of celestial beings right after death's confusion ends, all through their memories. They enjoy the results of their good karma in other places first. Then they are born in comfortable human families in the world, among good and prosperous people.  

The verses teach that all these after-death experiences happen inside the soul after it faints or loses Consciousness, 

following the order set by their vasanas or sometimes without clear order. Souls first realize they are dead, then understand they are reborn due to family rituals. They see Yama's servants taking them to his city.  

Good people see lovely gardens and flying cars as rewards of their deeds, while bad people see scary places full of pain as results of their sins. This shows that the afterlife is created by one's own mind and actions, teaching us to live righteously for a better journey after death.  

Chapter 3.55, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.1–15

(These verses explain the process of death and rebirth according to the Yoga Vasistha)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

यथैव जन्तुर्म्रियते जायते च यथा पुनः।

तन्मे कथय देवेशि पुनर्बोधविवृद्धये ॥ १॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

नाडीप्रवाहे विधुरे यदा वातविसंस्थितिम्।

जन्तुः प्राप्नोति हि तदा शाम्यतीवास्य चेतना ॥ २॥

शुद्धं हि चेतनं नित्यं नोदेति न च शाम्यति।

स्थावरे जङ्गमे व्योम्नि शैलेऽग्नौ पवने स्थितम् ॥ ३॥

केवलं वातसंरोधाद्यदा स्पन्दः प्रशाम्यति।

मृत इत्युच्यते देहस्तदासौ जडनामकः ॥ ४॥

तस्मिन्देहे शवीभूते वाते चानिलतां गते।

चेतनं वासनामुक्तं स्वात्मतत्त्वेऽवतिष्ठति ॥ ५॥

जीव इत्युच्यते तस्य नामाणोर्वासनावतः।

तत्रैवास्ते स च शवागारे गगनके तथा ॥ ६॥

ततोऽसौ प्रेतशब्देन प्रोच्यते व्यवहारिभिः।

चेतनं वासनामिश्रमामोदानिलवत्स्थितम् ॥ ७॥

इदं दृश्यं परित्यज्य यदास्ते दर्शनान्तरे।

स स्वप्न इव संकल्प इव नानाकृतिस्तदा ॥ ८॥

तस्मिन्नेव प्रदेशेऽन्तः पूर्ववत्स्मृतिमान्भवेत्।

तदैव मृतिमूर्च्छान्ते पश्यत्यन्यशरीरकम् ॥ ९॥

आत्मन्यस्ति घटापुष्टमन्यस्य व्योम केवलम्।

आकाशभूतले साकं साकाशशशिवासरम् ॥ १०॥

भवन्ति षड्विधाः प्रेतास्तेषां भेदमिमं श्रृणु।

सामान्यपापिनो मध्यपापिनः स्थूलपापिनः ॥ ११॥

सामान्यधर्मा मध्यमधर्मा चोत्तमधर्मवान्।

एतेषां कस्यचिद्भेदो द्वौ त्रयोऽप्यथ कस्यचित् ॥ १२॥

कश्चिन्महापातकवान्वत्सरं स्मृतिमूर्च्छनम्।

विमूढोऽनुभवत्यन्तः पाषाणहृदयोपमः ॥ १३॥

ततः कालेन संबुद्धो वासनाजठरोदितम्।

अनुभूय चिरं कालं नारकं दुःखमक्षयम् ॥ १४॥

भुक्त्वा योनिशतान्युच्चैर्दुःखाद्दुःखान्तरं गतः।

कदाचिच्छममायाति संसारस्वप्नसंभ्रमे ॥ १५॥

Awakened Lila said:  

3.55.1

> O Goddess, please tell me exactly how a living Being dies and is born again, so that my understanding may grow further.

Goddess Saraswati said:  

3.55.2–7

> When the flow in the subtle channels gets disturbed and the vital air (prana) becomes unsteady, the living Being's Consciousness then seems to calm down or fade.

> Pure Consciousness is Eternal; it neither rises nor sets. It exists in immobile things, moving Beings, sky, mountains, fire, and wind.

> Only when the movement of air stops due to blockage, the vibration calms, and the body is called dead or inert.

> When the body becomes like a corpse and the air returns to its elemental state, Consciousness, free from subtle impressions (vasanas), rests in its True Nature as the Self.

> It is then called the individual soul (jiva) when it carries subtle impressions. It stays in the same place, like in the house of the corpse or in the sky.

> People in the world call it a "preta" (departed spirit). Consciousness mixed with subtle impressions remains like fragrance in the air.

3.55.8–15

> Leaving this visible world, when it stays in another State of perception, it becomes like a dream or imagination, taking many forms.

> In that very Inner Space, it regains memory as before. Right after the faint of death, it sees another body.

> In the Self, there is only empty Space like the inside of a pot; for others, it is mere sky along with the sky, moon, and day.

> There are six kinds of pretas (departed beings). Listen to their differences: ordinary sinners, moderate sinners, gross sinners,

> those with ordinary dharma (virtue), moderate dharma, and those with highest virtue. Some have differences of two or three among these.

> Some great sinners experience a year-long state of unconsciousness and faint with memory, like having a heart of stone, deeply deluded inside.

> Then, after some time, when awakened, they experience for a long period the endless suffering of hell arising from their subtle impressions in the belly (of fate).

> After enjoying (suffering) hundreds of births, going from one misery to another misery, sometimes they attain peace in the confusion of the worldly dream.

Summary of the Teachings:

Death occurs when the vital energies and breath become unstable in the body's subtle channels, causing Consciousness to appear to subside. However, Pure Consciousness itself is Eternal and Unchanging; it pervades all things from rocks to air and never truly dies or is born. The body becomes inert when the life force stops moving, but the Conscious Essence, now free from physical ties, rests in its True Self Nature.

The individual soul or jiva carries subtle impressions (vasanas) from past actions and desires. After death, this jiva lingers near the body or in Space, often called a preta or departed spirit. It exists in a dream-like state, creating various forms and experiences through its own imagination and memories, much like a dream world. Immediately after death, it may perceive a new body based on its inner tendencies.

The text classifies departed souls into six types based on their sins and virtues: ordinary, moderate, or gross sinners, and those with varying levels of dharma or righteousness. Some experience prolonged unconsciousness or torpor after death, especially heavy sinners whose hearts are hardened. This leads to long periods of hellish suffering driven by their unresolved impressions.

Over time, these souls undergo many rebirths, moving from one form of suffering to another across hundreds of lives. The cycle is compared to a confusing dream of worldly existence (samsara). Yet, through the exhaustion of karmas or a moment of clarity, some eventually find peace or calm amidst this illusion.

Overall, the teaching emphasizes that death is not the end but a transition where Consciousness continues based on mental impressions. True liberation comes from Realizing the Eternal, Pure Nature of Consciousness beyond body, mind, and vasanas, breaking the dream-like cycle of birth and death.

Chapter 3.54, Verses 61–74

Yoga Vashishtha 3.54.61–74

(These verses teach that physical death is simply when the breath stops flowing in and out due to problems in the body's energy channels. However, this is not the end of the Real Self)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

न विशत्येव वातो न निर्याति पवनो यदा।

शरीरनाडीवैधुर्यान्मृत इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ ६१॥

आगन्तव्यो मया नाशः कालेनैतावतेति या।

पूर्वसंविदिता संविद्याति तच्चोदिता मृतिम् ॥ ६२॥

ईदृशेन मयेहेत्थं भाव्यमित्यादि सर्गजा।

संविद्वीजकला नाशं न कदाचन गच्छति ॥ ६३॥

संविदो वेदनं नाम स्वभावोऽव्यतिरेकवान्।

तस्मात्स्वभावसंवित्तेर्नान्ये मरणजन्मनी ॥ ६४॥

क्वचिदावृतिमत्सौम्यं क्वचिन्नद्यां जलं यथा।

क्वचित्सौम्यं क्वचिज्जीवधर्मेदं चेतनं तथा ॥ ६५॥

यथा लतायाः पर्वाणि दीर्घाया मध्यमध्यतः।

तथा चेतनसत्ताया जन्मानि मरणानि च ॥ ६६॥

न जायते न म्रियते चेतनः पुरुषः क्वचित्।

स्वप्नसंभ्रमवद्भ्रान्तमेतत्पश्यति केवलम् ॥ ६७॥

पुरुषश्चेतनामात्रं स कदा क्वेव नश्यति।

चेतनव्यतिरिक्तत्वे वदान्यत्किं पुमान्भवेत् ॥ ६८॥

कोऽद्ययावन्मृतं ब्रूहि चेतनं कस्य किं कथम्।

म्रियन्ते देहलक्षाणि चेतनं स्थितमक्षयम् ॥ ६९॥

अमरिष्यन्न वै चित्तमेकस्मिन्नेव तन्मृते।

अभविष्यत्सर्वभावमृतिरेकमृताविह ॥ ७०॥

वासनामात्रवैचित्र्यं यज्जीवोऽनुभवेत्स्वयम्।

तस्यैव जीवमरणे नामनी परिकल्पिते ॥ ७१॥

एवं न कश्चिन्म्रियते जायते न च कश्चन।

वासनावर्तगर्तेषु जीवो लुठति केवलम् ॥ ७२॥

अत्यन्तासंभवादेव दृश्यस्यासौ च वासना।

नास्त्येवेति विचारेण दृढज्ञातैव नश्यति ॥ ७३॥

अनुदितमुदितं जगत्प्रबन्धं भवभयतोऽभ्यसनैर्विलोक्य सम्यक्।

अलमनुदितवासनो हि जीवो भवति विमुक्त इतीह सत्यवस्तु ॥ ७४॥

The Goddess continued: 

3.54.61–63

> When the air neither enters nor exits the body due to disorder in its channels, it is then said to be dead.

> The destruction that was bound to come to me at this time by fate was already known beforehand by the intellect. That intellect then declares it as death.

> With ideas like "this is how I must experience it" and so on, the creative seed born from Consciousness never goes to destruction at any time.

3.54.64–68

> The Nature of Consciousness is Knowing, and it is inseparable. Therefore, apart from this inherent Nature of Consciousness, there are no birth or death.

> Sometimes it is veiled like the moon, sometimes like water in a river. Sometimes gentle, sometimes this Consciousness assumes the qualities of a living Being.

> Just as the nodes in a long creeper appear one after another in its middle sections, so too births and deaths appear in the existence of Consciousness.

> Consciousness, the True Self, is never born nor does it die anywhere. It merely sees this as a delusion, like the confusion in a dream.

> The person is Pure Consciousness alone. When and where does it ever perish? If separated from Consciousness, what else could the person possibly be?

3.54.69–74

> Tell me, who has died today? How and in what way can Consciousness die? Thousands of bodies die, but Consciousness remains Eternal and Imperishable.

> If the mind did not die even when one dies, then the death of all Beings would not happen with just one death here.

> The variety of experiences that the soul undergoes is only due to its mental impressions. Birth and death of the soul are merely names imagined for this.

> In this way, no one dies and no one is born. The soul only tumbles in the whirlpools of its mental impressions.

> Because of its complete impossibility, the impression of the visible world does not exist at all. By firm Realization through inquiry that it does not exist, it is destroyed.

> Having clearly observed the unbroken stream of the world as un-arisen though appearing arisen, through repeated practice due to fear of worldly life, the soul without any arising impressions becomes liberated. This is the True Essence here.

Summary of the Teachings:

The mind already knows about the coming end and labels it as death based on its prior understanding. Consciousness is the core of everything and its basic nature is to Know and be Aware. This Nature cannot be separated from it, so birth and death do not truly apply to Consciousness. It may appear in different forms at different times, like the moon sometimes hidden or water flowing in a river, or sometimes taking on the qualities of life.

The True Person or Self is only Consciousness and never actually born or dies. What we see as birth and death is just an illusion, like getting confused in a dream. Even though many bodies die every day, Consciousness stays forever the same and unchanging.

All the different things the soul experiences come only from its stored mental impressions called vasanas. The ideas of the soul being born or dying are just names we give to these changing experiences. In Reality, no one is truly born and no one dies; the soul just keeps moving through cycles created by these impressions.

To become free, one must inquire deeply and Realize that the seen world and its impressions have no real Existence at all. When this understanding becomes firm, the impressions vanish. By looking at the world properly with practices inspired by the fear of suffering in life, the soul stops creating new impressions and achieves complete liberation. This is the Real Truth.