Chapter 3.114, Verses 41–48

Yoga Vashishtha 3.114.41–48

(Ignorance is controlled not by force but by simply stopping the mind from creating imaginative thoughts about it)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

असंकल्पो ह्यविद्याया निग्रहः कथितो बुधैः।

यथा गगनपद्मिन्याः स भाति सुकरः स्वयम् ॥ ४१॥

भ्रमस्य जागतस्यास्य जातस्याकाशवर्णवत्।

अपुनःस्मरणं मन्ये साधो विस्मरणं वरम् ॥ ४२॥

नष्टोऽहमिति संकल्पाद्यथा दुःखेन नश्यति।

प्रबुद्धोऽस्मीतिसंकल्पाज्जनो ह्येति यथा सुखम् ॥ ४३॥

तथा संमूढसंकल्पान्मूढतामेति वै मनः।

प्रबोधोदारसंकल्पात्प्रबोधायानुधावति ॥ ४४॥

क्षणात्संस्मरणादेषा ह्यविद्योदेति शाश्वती।

यस्माद्विस्मरणादन्तः परिणश्यति नश्वरी ॥ ४५॥

भावनी सर्वभावानां सर्वभूतविमोहिनी।

भारिणी स्वात्मनो नाशे स्वात्मवृद्धौ विनाशिनी ॥ ४६॥

मनो यदनुसंधत्ते तत्सर्वेन्द्रियवृत्तयः।

क्षणात्संपादयन्त्येता राजाज्ञामिव मन्त्रिणः ॥ ४७॥

तस्मान्मनोनुसंधानं भावेषु न करोति यः।

अन्तश्चेतनयत्नेन स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ ४८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.114.41–48

> The wise have said that the restraint of ignorance is simply the absence of imaginative resolve. Just as restraining a lotus growing in the sky appears easy by itself.

> Of this Worldly delusion that has arisen like the colour of the sky, O good one, I consider the better path to be forgetting it completely so that it is not remembered again.

> Just as a person perishes in sorrow from the resolve “I am destroyed,” and attains happiness from the resolve “I am awakened,”

> so the mind falls into delusion through a deluded resolve, and runs toward awakening through a noble resolve of awakening.

> From a single moment of remembrance this ignorance, which seems eternal, arises; from forgetfulness within, it is destroyed as something perishable.

> Ignorance is the imaginer of all Beings and the deluder of every creature. She sustains herself by destroying the True Self and is destroyed when the True Self grows.

> Whatever the mind continuously contemplates, all the activities of the senses instantly accomplish it, just as ministers carry out the command of a King.

> Therefore, one who does not allow the mind to keep contemplating objects, through the effort of inner awareness, attains peace.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that ignorance is controlled not by force but by simply stopping the mind from creating imaginative thoughts about it. Just as a lotus in the sky needs no real effort to be restrained because it does not exist, ignorance also loses power when the mind refuses to give it further attention or belief.

The world-delusion is compared to the colour of the sky—something that appears real but has no substance. The best remedy is complete forgetting. Once the mind stops recalling and reinforcing the sense of limitation, the delusion fades of its own accord.

Thought itself is shown to be powerful. A single strong resolve of “I am finished” can fill a person with sorrow, while the resolve “I am awake” brings happiness. In the same way, deluded thinking deepens bondage, and clear thinking of awakening leads the mind steadily toward freedom.

Ignorance seems permanent only because it is repeatedly remembered. A moment of attention gives it life; deliberate inner forgetfulness ends it. Ignorance feeds on the denial of the true Self and dies when the true Self is recognised and strengthened.

Finally, the mind is the master of the senses. Whatever it dwells upon, the senses immediately set out to fulfil. Therefore lasting peace comes only when a person, through conscious inner effort, stops the mind from continuously chasing objects and ideas. When that restless pursuit ends, natural Stillness arises.

Chapter 3.114, Verses 31–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.114.31–40

(The True Self is completely distinct from the physical body)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

नाहं मांसं न चास्थीनि देहादन्यः परो ह्यहम्।

इति निश्चयवानन्तः क्षीणाविद्य इहोच्यते ॥ ३१॥

प्रोत्तुङ्गसुरशैलाग्रवैदूर्य शिखरप्रभा।

अथवार्कांशुदुर्भेदा तिमिरश्रीः स्थितोपरि ॥ ३२॥

कल्प्यते हि यथा व्योम्नः कालिमेति स्वभावतः।

पुंसा धरणिसंस्थेन स्वसंकल्पनयेद्धया ॥ ३३॥

कल्पितैवमविद्येयमनात्मन्यात्मभावना।

पुरुषेणाप्रबुद्धेन न प्रबुद्धेन राघव ॥ ३४॥

श्रीराम उवाच।

मेरुनीलमणिच्छाया नेयं नापि तमःप्रभा।

तदेतत्किंकृतं ब्रह्मन्नीलत्वं नभसो वद ॥ ३५॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

न नाम नीलता व्योम्नः शून्यस्य गुणवत्स्थिता।

अन्यरत्नप्रभाभावान्न वाप्येषा च मैरवी ॥ ३६॥

तेजोमयत्वादण्डस्य स्फारत्वादिव तेजसः।

प्राकाश्यादण्डपारस्य तमसो नात्र संभवः ॥ ३७॥

केवलं शून्यतैवैषा बह्वी सुभग लक्ष्यते।

वयस्येवानुरूपा या अविद्याया असन्मयी ॥ ३८॥

स्वदृष्टिक्षयसंपत्तावक्ष्णोरेवोदितं तमः।

वस्तुस्वभावात्तद्व्योम्नः कार्ष्ण्यमित्यवलोक्यते ॥ ३९॥

एतद्बुद्ध्वा यथा व्योम्नि दृश्यमानोऽपि कालिमा।

न कालिमेति बुद्धिः स्यादविद्यातिमिरं तथा ॥ ४०॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.114.31–34

> I am not flesh and I am not bones. I am something other than the body—I am the Supreme Self. The one who holds this firm conviction within, whose ignorance has been destroyed, is said to be liberated here.

> It is like the radiance shining from the peak of a lofty mountain of the gods made of cat’s-eye gem, or like a mass of darkness that the rays of the sun cannot pierce, standing above.

> Just as a person standing on the earth imagines blackness in the empty sky through his own nature, by the power of his own imagination and resolve,

> in the same way this ignorance is merely imagined as the sense of “I” in what is not the Self by an unawakened person, O Raghava—not by one who is awakened.

Sriram said: 

3.114.35

> This is not the blue shadow of the sapphire of Mount Meru, nor is it the glow of darkness. Then what is this blueness of the sky made of, O Brahman? Please tell me.

Sage Vasistha replied: 

3.114.36–40

> There is in truth no blueness existing as a quality in the empty sky. It does not come from the radiance of other gems, nor is it the shadow of Meru.

> Because the cosmic egg (the Universe) is made of light, because light itself is expansive, and because brightness exists beyond the egg, darkness has no place here at all.

> It is only emptiness itself that appears vast and beautiful—exactly like the unreal nature of ignorance, O friend.

> When one’s own power of seeing is destroyed, darkness arises in the eyes themselves. From the nature of the object, the blackness of the sky is perceived that way.

> Once this is understood, just as the blackness that appears in the sky is not truly blackness, so should one understand the darkness of ignorance.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the True Self is completely distinct from the physical body. The body is only flesh and bone, while the Real “I” is the Supreme Consciousness beyond form. One who firmly knows this and whose ignorance has ended is already free, even while living in the World.

The apparent darkness or blueness of the sky is used as a clear example. What looks like a real quality of the sky is only an appearance created by the mind. In the same way, the sense of being a limited individual is only an imagined covering over pure awareness.

Ignorance does not exist as a real substance. It is projected by the unawakened mind onto the Pure Self, just as blackness is projected onto empty space. The awakened person no longer creates or believes this projection.

Rama’s question about the sky’s colour shows the natural human tendency to treat appearances as real. Vasistha’s reply removes every possible external explanation and points only to emptiness itself appearing as something solid and coloured.

The final teaching is practical: once the mind sees that the sky’s darkness is unreal, it can apply the same insight to the darkness of ignorance. Both are only seeming, not actual. Realising this ends the power of ignorance and reveals the ever-present light of the Self.

Chapter 3.114, Verses 22–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.114.22–30

(Root of all bondage is the mind’s firm conceptual conviction about itself and the World)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

पौरुषोद्योगसिद्धेन भोगाशा रूपतां गता।

असंकल्पनमात्रेण साविद्या प्रविलीयते ॥ २२॥

नाहं ब्रह्मेति संकल्पात्सुदृढाद्बध्यते मनः।

सर्वं ब्रह्मेति संकल्पात्सुदृढान्मुच्यते मनः ॥ २३॥

संकल्पः परमो बन्धस्त्वसंकल्पो विमुक्तता।

संकल्पं संविजित्यान्तर्यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ २४॥

दृढा न याम्बरेऽत्रास्ति नलिनी हेमपङ्कजा।

लोलवैदूर्यमधुपा सुगन्धितदिगन्तरा ॥ २५॥

उद्दण्डैः प्रकटाभोगैर्मृणालभुजमण्डलैः।

विहसन्ती प्रकाशस्य शशिनो रश्मिमण्डलम् ॥ २६॥

विकल्पजालिकेवेत्थमसत्येवापि सत्समा।

मनःस्वार्थविलासार्थं यथा बालेन कल्प्यते ॥ २७॥

तथैवेयमविद्येह भवबन्धनबन्धनी।

चपला न सुखायैव बालेन कलिता दृढा ॥ २८॥

कृशोऽतिदुःखी बद्धोऽहं हस्तपादादिमानहम्।

इति भावानुरूपेण व्यवहारेण बध्यते ॥ २9 ॥

नाहं दुःखी न मे देहो बन्धः कस्यात्मनः स्थितः।

इति भावानुरूपेण व्यवहारेण मुच्यते ॥ ३०॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.114.22–30

> The craving for enjoyments, which has taken shape through the success of personal effort, dissolves completely by the mere absence of mental conception. That ignorance vanishes through non-conceptualization alone.

> The mind remains firmly bound by the strong conviction “I am not Brahm” The mind is liberated by the strong conviction “Everything is Brahm”

> Conceptual thought is the highest bondage; non-conceptual Awareness is liberation. Having fully conquered conceptual thought within yourself, act thereafter as you wish.

> There does not exist in the sky any firm lotus growing from golden mud, with restless bees of cat’s-eye gems and fragrance spreading in every direction.

> With raised stalks and fully expanded petals, and with circles of soft fibrous arms, it appears to laugh at the radiant disc of the moon’s rays.

> Just like a web of pure imagination that, though unreal, seems Real, it is created by a child solely for the mind’s own playful enjoyment.

> In exactly the same way, this ignorance here binds a person in the fetters of Worldly existence. It is unstable, brings no Real happiness, and is firmly imagined by a childlike mind.

> “I am thin, extremely miserable, bound, and possessed of hands, feet and so on”—by living and acting in accordance with such notions, a person remains bound.

> “I am not miserable, I have no body, and for which Self does any bondage exist?”—by living and acting in accordance with such notions, a person is set free.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the root of all bondage is the mind’s firm conceptual conviction about itself and the World. Desire for pleasure arises only through personal effort and mental projection; the same desire disappears the moment the mind stops generating supporting thoughts. Liberation is therefore not a distant achievement but the simple cessation of limiting ideas.

The decisive power of resolve is emphasized next. Holding the thought “I am not the Absolute” keeps the mind trapped, while holding the opposite conviction “All is the Absolute” dissolves the sense of separation. Conceptual thinking itself is declared the supreme chain; freedom is nothing other than the absence of that thinking. Once the inner habit of conceptualization is mastered, outer action may continue freely without creating new bondage.

An elaborate image of an impossible golden lotus floating in the sky is then introduced. The lotus, complete with jeweled bees and soft fibrous arms that seem to mock the moon, is beautiful yet entirely unreal. It exists only because a child invents it for amusement. In the same way, the entire fabric of worldly ignorance is a mental construction that appears solid and binding only because the mind continually affirms it.

Ignorance therefore has no independent substance. It is fickle, incapable of giving lasting happiness, and sustained solely by childish imagination. The practical implication is clear: the sense of being a limited, suffering body is itself only a notion. When a person lives and behaves according to the idea “I am weak, bound, and embodied,” that very behavior reinforces the prison.

Conversely, when the same person lives according to the clear understanding “I am not the sufferer, the body is not mine, and the Self was never bound,” the chains fall away. Freedom is not produced by external change; it arises the moment the mind stops validating the old story and begins to act from the truth of its own unbound nature.

Chapter 3.114, Verses 11–21

Yoga Vashishtha 3.114.11–21

(The Highest non-dual understanding of the Self)

श्रीराम उवाच।

यावत्किंचिदिदं दृश्यं साविद्या क्षीयते च सा।

आत्मभावनया ब्रह्मन्नात्मासौ कीदृशः स्मृतः ॥ ११॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

चेत्यानुपातरहितं सामान्येन च सर्वगम्।

यच्चित्तत्त्वमनाख्येयं स आत्मा परमेश्वरः ॥ १२॥

आब्रह्म स्तम्बपर्यन्तं तृणादि यदिदं जगत्।

तत्सर्वं सर्वदात्मैव नाविद्या विद्यतेऽनघ ॥ १३॥

सर्वं च खल्विदं ब्रह्म नित्यं चिद्धनमक्षतम्।

कल्पनान्या मनोनाम्नी विद्यते नहि काचन ॥ १४॥

न जायते न म्रियते किंचिदत्र जगत्त्रये।

न च भावविकाराणां सत्ता क्वचन विद्यते ॥ १५॥

केवलं केवलाभासं सर्वसामान्यमक्षतम्।

चेत्यानुपातरहितं चिन्मात्रमिह विद्यते ॥ १६॥

तस्मिन्नित्ये तते शुद्धे चिन्मात्रे निरुपद्रवे।

शान्ते समसमाभोगे निर्विकारोदितात्मनि ॥ १७॥

यैषा स्वभावातिगतं स्वयं संकल्प्य धावति।

चिच्चैत्यं स्वयमाम्लाना सा म्लाना तन्मनः स्मृतम् ॥ १८॥

एतस्मात्सर्वगाद्देवात्सर्वशक्तेर्महात्मनः।

विभागकलनाशक्तिर्लहरीवोत्थिताम्भसः ॥ १९॥

एकस्मिन्वितते शान्ते या न किंचन विद्यते।

संकल्पमात्रेण गता सा सिद्धिं परमात्मनि ॥ २०॥

अतः संकल्पसिद्धेयं संकल्पेनैव नश्यति।

येनैव जाता तेनैव वह्निज्वालेव वायुना ॥ २१॥

Sriram asked: 

3.114.11

> O Brahman, as long as this visible World exists and as long as that ignorance continues, of what nature is that Self which is contemplated through the sense of the Self?

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.114.12–17

> That principle of Consciousness which is free from any contact with the Knowable, which is all-pervading in a general way, and which cannot be named — that is the Self, the Supreme Lord.

> From Brahma down to a blade of grass, whatever this World is — all of it is always the Self alone. There is no ignorance, O sinless one.

> Indeed, all this is Brahm — Eternal, dense with Consciousness, and undamaged. There is no other imagination that goes by the name of mind.

> Nothing is born and nothing dies anywhere in these three Worlds. Nor does any existence of modifications of being exist anywhere.

> Only the pure appearance that is common to all, undamaged, free from contact with the Knowable, Pure Consciousness alone exists here.

> In that Eternal, expansive, Pure Consciousness which is free from disturbance, peaceful, of equal and complete enjoyment, and which has arisen as the Self free from modifications —

3.114.18–21

> That which, going beyond its own nature, itself forms a resolve and runs; Consciousness itself becoming the object of Consciousness, itself remaining unfaded — that faded one is known as the mind.

> From this all-pervading God, the all-powerful great Self, the power of imagining division rises like a wave rising from water.

> In that one expansive and peaceful Reality in which nothing exists, that which has gone forth by mere resolve attains fulfilment in the Supreme Self.

> Therefore this which is established by resolve is destroyed by resolve alone — by that very thing by which it was born, just as a flame of fire is extinguished by the wind.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses present the highest non-dual understanding of the Self. Rama asks what the nature of the Self is while the visible world and ignorance still appear to exist. Vasistha replies that the True Self is Pure Consciousness itself — free from any contact with objects, all-pervading, and beyond every name or description. It is not a limited entity but the Supreme Lord.

The teaching then dissolves the entire appearance of the World. Everything from the Highest Creator down to the smallest blade of grass is nothing but the Self at all times. Ignorance has no real existence. The whole Universe is Eternal Brahm, solid Consciousness, completely undamaged. What people call “mind” is only an imagined notion; no such separate thing truly exists.

Nothing is ever born and nothing ever dies in the three worlds. Modifications of existence have no real standing. What alone remains is pure, undamaged Consciousness — the common ground of all appearance, free from every object.

Within this Pure, Eternal, peaceful, and Unchanging Consciousness, a power of imagination arises. Consciousness itself, while remaining unfaded, forms a resolve, runs after it, and appears as the “mind.” This power of imagining division is like a wave rising from the ocean of the all-powerful Self. The wave has no separate substance; it is only the Self appearing to move.

Because the entire appearance of diversity is established only by resolve (sankalpa), it is also destroyed only by resolve. Just as a flame is born of wind and is extinguished by wind, the imagined World arises from the Self’s own power of thought and is dissolved by the same power when it turns back upon itself. Thus the verses lead the seeker to rest in the pure, undivided Consciousness in which no second thing has ever truly existed.

Chapter 3.114, Verses 1–10

Yoga Vashishtha 3.114.1–10

(Nature of the dense darkness of ignorance that grips every person)

श्रीराम उवाच।

अविद्याविभवप्रोत्थं निविडं पुरुषस्य हि।

महदान्ध्यमिदं ब्रह्मन्कथं नाम विनश्यति ॥ १॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

यथा तुषारकणिका भास्करालोकनात्क्षणात्।

नश्यत्येवमविद्येयं राघवात्मावलोकनात् ॥ २॥

तावत्संसारभृगुषु स्वात्मना सह देहिनम्।

आन्दोलयति नीरन्ध्रदुःखकण्टकशालिषु ॥ ३॥

अविद्या यावदस्यास्तु नोत्पन्ना क्षयकारिणी।

स्वयमात्मावलोकेच्छा मोहसंक्षयदायिनी ॥ ४॥

अस्याः परं प्रपश्यन्त्याः स्वात्मनाशः प्रजायते।

आतपानुभवार्थिन्याश्छायाया इव राघव ॥ ५॥

दृष्टे सर्वगते बोधे स्वयमेव विलीयते।

सर्वाशाभ्युदितेच्छाया द्वादशार्कगणे यथा ॥ ६॥

इच्छामात्रमविद्येह तन्नाशो मोक्ष उच्यते।

स चासंकल्पमात्रेण सिद्धो भवति राघव ॥ ७॥

मनागपि मनोव्योम्नि वासनारजनीक्षये।

कालिमा तनुतामेति चिदादित्यमहोदयात् ॥ ८॥

यथोदिते दिनकरे क्वापि याति तमस्विनी।

तथा विवेकेऽभ्युदिते क्वाप्यविद्या विलीयते ॥ ९॥

दृढवासनया बन्धो घनतामेति चेतसः।

बलाद्वेतालसंकल्पः संध्याकाले यथा शिशोः ॥ १०॥

Sriram asked: 

3.114.1

> O Brahman, this dense and great darkness that has arisen from the power of ignorance in a person—how exactly does it come to an end?

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.114.2–6

> Just as a tiny particle of frost vanishes in an instant when the sun’s light falls on it, so this ignorance disappears the moment one looks upon the Self, O Raghava.

> Until then it keeps tossing the embodied Being, together with his own sense of self, among the steep cliffs of Worldly existence that are thickly covered with unbroken thorns of sorrow.

> As long as the wish to look upon one’s own Self—the wish that itself destroys delusion—has not arisen, ignorance continues.

> When ignorance begins to look upon the Supreme, its own destruction takes place, just as a shadow that seeks the experience of sunlight is itself destroyed, O Raghava.

> Once the all-pervading Awareness is seen, ignorance melts away by itself, just as every hope-filled desire vanishes when the host of twelve suns rises.

3.114.7–10

> Ignorance in this world is nothing but desire; the ending of that desire is called liberation. And that liberation is accomplished simply by the absence of imagination, O Raghava.

> Even a slight thinning of the night of latent tendencies in the sky of the mind causes the darkness to grow thin when the great Sun of Pure Consciousness rises.

> Just as night disappears somewhere the moment the Sun rises, so ignorance dissolves and vanishes the moment right discrimination arises.

> Firm latent tendencies make the bondage of the mind dense and heavy, just as the forced imagination of a ghost takes hold of a child at twilight.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses open with Rama’s direct question about the nature of the dense darkness of ignorance that grips every person. Vasistha answers by showing that this darkness is not a permanent substance; it is as fragile as frost before the Sun. The mere clear seeing of one’s own Self is enough to make it vanish instantly. Until that seeing occurs, however, the same ignorance continues to hurl the embodied being into the painful cliffs of samsara, where every step is covered with the thorns of unbroken sorrow.

The decisive turning point is the arising of the desire to look at the Self. As long as that desire has not appeared, ignorance remains. The moment it does appear, ignorance is already on the path to its own end. Vasistha compares this to a shadow that tries to experience sunlight: the very attempt dissolves the shadow. In the same way, when the all-pervading Awareness is recognised, ignorance melts of its own accord, just as every hope and longing dissolves when the twelve suns of intense light rise.

Liberation is therefore defined simply as the ending of desire, and desire is declared to be the whole of ignorance. That ending does not require elaborate effort; it is accomplished by the mere absence of mental imagination or projection. Even a slight weakening of the night of latent tendencies (vasanas) in the mind allows the Sun of Pure Consciousness to thin the remaining darkness. When discrimination truly rises, ignorance has nowhere to stay and disappears completely, exactly as night disappears when the Sun appears.

Finally, the verses warn that strong, fixed latent tendencies make the mind’s bondage dense and hard to shake, just as a child’s fearful imagination of a ghost becomes overwhelming at twilight. The teaching therefore points both to the power of right seeing and to the need to weaken the vasanas that keep the darkness thick. Once the Self is seen and the imagination ceases, the entire structure of ignorance collapses by itself.

Chapter 3.113, Verses 60–67

Yoga Vashishtha 3.113.60–67

(Sriram's expression of amazement)

श्रीराम उवाच।

सुदीनाचारधर्मिण्या नित्यं प्राकृतकान्तया।

अनारतास्तंगतया चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ६०॥

अनन्तदुःखाकुलया सदैव मृतयानया।

संबोधहीनया यत्र चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ६१॥

कामकोपघनाङ्गिन्या तमःप्रसरवक्रया।

अचिरेणाशरीरिण्या चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ६२॥

स्वात्मान्धरूपास्पदया जडया जाड्यजीर्णया।

दुःखदीर्घप्रलापिन्या चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ६३॥

पुरुषासङ्गसङ्गिन्या रागिण्या क्रिययानया।

विद्रवन्त्या विवक्षासु चित्रमन्धीकृतः पुमान् ॥ ६४॥

पुरुषस्य न या शक्ता सोढुमीक्षितुमप्यलम्।

तया स्त्रियावरणया चित्रमन्धीकृतः पुमान् ॥ ६५॥

न यस्याश्चेतनैवास्ति याप्यनष्टैव नश्यति।

तया स्त्रिया परुषया चित्रमन्धीकृतः पुमान् ॥ ६६॥

अनन्तदुष्प्रसरविलासकारिणी क्षयोदयोन्मुखसुखदुःखभागिनी।

इयं प्रभो विगलति केन वाऽसमा मनोगुहानिलयनिबद्धवासना ॥ ६७॥

Sriram continued:

3.113.60–63

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by this tendency which follows extremely low behaviour, remains always ordinary yet attractive, and keeps disappearing without stop.

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by this which is filled with endless sorrow, always moves along with death, and has no understanding at all.

> It is a wonder that the world has been blinded by this which has thick limbs of desire and anger, is twisted by the spread of darkness, and becomes without a body in a short time.

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by this which lives in the dark form of the self, is dull, worn out by dullness, and keeps making long complaints of suffering.

3.113.64–67

> The man has been wonderfully blinded by this woman-like force that clings to the company of people, is full of passion, moves through actions, and runs away when one tries to speak of it.

> The man has been wonderfully blinded by this covering woman who cannot even bear to be looked at by a man.

> The man has been wonderfully blinded by this harsh woman who has no awareness at all and who, though not truly destroyed, still keeps perishing.

> O Lord, this latent tendency that stays bound inside the cave of the mind, that creates endless difficult displays, and that shares in pleasure and pain while facing rise and fall — by what means does this unequal one finally dissolve?

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses continue Sriram's expression of amazement at how an empty mental tendency can completely darken the perception of the World. He describes it as something that behaves in a low and ordinary way, yet remains strangely attractive while constantly vanishing. It is filled with endless suffering, always accompanied by death, and completely lacking in true understanding.

The tendency is further shown as thick with desire and anger, twisted by darkness, and quick to lose any solid form. It dwells in the darkened sense of self, remains dull and exhausted by its own dullness, and continually complains of long-lasting pain. In this way it keeps the whole world under its blinding influence.

Rama then speaks of the same force in the image of a woman. This woman-like tendency attaches itself to human company, is driven by passion, works through actions, and flees the moment one tries to examine or speak about it. It acts as a covering that the man cannot even endure to look at directly.

Although this force has no real Consciousness and is never truly solid, it continues to perish and renew itself, keeping the individual trapped. It creates endless complicated displays and makes a person share in both pleasure and pain that continually rise and fall.

The final verse asks the essential question: how can this deeply rooted mental tendency, bound inside the cave of the mind, finally be dissolved? The teaching points toward the need for clear understanding and steady awareness that alone can loosen its grip and free the mind from its long-standing delusion.

Chapter 3.113, Verses 51–59

Yoga Vashishtha 3.113.51–59

(Unreal mental tendency completely distorts ordinary perception)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

संध्यादिषु च कालेषु लोष्टपाषाणभित्तयः।

अस्याः प्रसादात्दृश्यन्ते सर्पाजगरदृष्टिभिः ॥ ५१॥

एकोऽपि द्वितयोदेति यथा द्विशशिदर्शने।

दूरमभ्याशतां याति स्वप्ने स्वमरणं यथा ॥ ५२॥

आदीर्घं क्षणतामेति कालस्येष्टा यथा निशा।

क्षणो वर्षमिवाभाति कान्ताविरहिणामिव ॥ ५३॥

न तदस्तीह यन्नाम न करोतीयमुद्धता।

अस्यास्त्वकिंचनायास्तु शक्ततां पश्य राघव ॥ ५४॥

संरोधयेत्प्रयत्नेन संविदेवाशु संविदम्।

सरित्स्रोतोनिरोधेन शुष्यत्येषा मनोनदी ॥ ५५॥

श्रीराम उवाच।

अविद्यमानयैवेदं पेलवांग्या सुतुच्छया।

मिथ्याभावनया नाम चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ५६॥

अरूपया निराकृत्या चारुचेतनहीनया।

असत्येवाप्यनश्यन्त्या चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ५७॥

आलोकेन विनश्यन्त्या स्फुरन्त्या तमसोन्तरे।

कौशिकेक्षणधर्मिण्या चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ५८॥

कुकर्मैकान्तकारिण्या न सहन्त्या विलोकनम्।

देहमप्यविजानन्त्या चित्रमन्धीकृतं जगत् ॥ ५९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.113.51–55

> At times such as evening, clods of earth, stones and walls appear as snakes and pythons because of the power of this tendency.

> Even a single thing appears as two, just as one sees two moons. What is far away becomes near, just as a person sees his own death in a dream.

> What is long turns into a mere moment, like the longed-for night. A single moment stretches into a year for those separated from their beloved.

> There is nothing in this world that this arrogant tendency does not accomplish. Look, O Raghava, at the power of this one that is actually nothing at all.

> With effort one should restrain awareness by means of awareness itself. When the flow of the mind-river is blocked, this river of the mind dries up completely.

Sriram said: 

3.113.56–59

> It is a wonder that this whole World has been blinded by a non-existent, delicate, extremely insignificant and completely false imagination.

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by something formless, without shape, appearing charming yet without Consciousness, false and yet never destroyed.

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by something that vanishes in light, shines only in darkness, and behaves like the eyes of an owl.

> It is a wonder that the World has been blinded by something that always performs only harmful actions, cannot bear to be examined, and does not even recognise the body.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses show how the unreal mental tendency completely distorts ordinary perception. Simple objects such as clods, stones and walls can suddenly appear as dangerous snakes simply because of its influence. Distance, time and number lose their natural meaning: one object looks like two, far things seem near, long periods shrink to moments, and brief moments stretch into years according to the state of the mind.

Although this tendency is truly nothing, it displays astonishing power. It can create every kind of experience and make the entire world seem solid and real. The only practical remedy given is to use Pure Awareness itself to restrain the restless flow of the mind. When that flow is stopped, the mental river dries up and the false appearances cease.

Prince Rama expresses deep amazement at how such an empty and weak imagination can darken the whole World. He describes it as formless, without real substance, charming on the surface yet lifeless, false yet strangely persistent. It thrives only in darkness and disappears the moment true light of understanding appears.

The tendency is further characterised as something that always produces harmful results, cannot stand careful examination, and remains unaware even of the body it seems to inhabit. Its power lies entirely in the mind’s failure to look at it clearly.

Taken together, the teaching is that the World of suffering and confusion is created solely by this empty mental force. By recognising its unreality and restraining the mind with steady Awareness, one can free oneself from its blinding influence and rest in clear Knowledge.