Chapter 3.40, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.40.1–15

(These verses describe a scene where the Goddess Lila enters a king's house subtly through small openings while he sleeps, illustrating how non-physical entities move freely)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एवं निशाचराचारचिरघोरे रणाङ्गणे ।

अहनीव जनाचारे स्थिते यामावरेहिते ॥ १ ॥

हस्तहार्यतमःपिण्डस्फुटकुड्ये निशागृहे।

लाभोच्छदोच्चलचते भूतसङ्घे प्रवल्गति ॥ २ ॥

निःशब्दे ध्वान्तसंचारे निद्रारुद्धककुब्गणे ।

लीलापतिरुदारात्मा किंचित्खिन्नमना इव ॥ ३ ॥

प्रातःकार्यं विचार्याशु मन्त्रिभिर्मन्त्रकोविदैः ।

दीर्घचन्द्रसमाकारे शयने हिमशीतले ॥ ४ ॥

चन्द्रोदरनिभे चारुगृहे शिशिरकोटरे।

निद्रां मुहूर्तमगमन्मुद्रितेक्षणपुष्करः ॥ ५॥

अथ ते ललने व्योम तत्परित्यज्य तद्गृहम् ।

रन्ध्रैर्विविशतुर्वातलेखेऽब्जमुकुलं यथा ॥ ६ ॥

श्रीराम उवाच ।

कियन्मात्रमिदं स्थूलं शरीरं वाग्विदांवर।

रन्ध्रेण तन्तुतनुना कथमाश्वाविशत्प्रभो ॥ ७ ॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

आधिभौतिकदेहोऽहमिति यस्य मतिभ्रमः ।

तस्यासावणुरन्ध्रेण गन्तुं शक्नोति नानघ ॥ ८ ॥

रोधितोऽहमनेनेति न माम्यत्रेति यस्य धीः ।

अनुभूतानुभवती भवतीत्यनुभूयते ॥ ९ ॥

येनानुभूतं पूर्वार्धं गच्छामीति स तत्क्रियः ।

कथं भवति पश्चार्धं गमनोन्मुखचेतनः ॥ १० ॥

नहि वार्यूर्ध्वमायाति नाधो गच्छति पावकः ।

या यथैव प्रवृत्ता चित्सा तथैव प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ११ ॥

छायायामुपविष्टस्य कुतस्तापानुभूतयः।

यस्य संवेदनेऽन्योऽर्थः केनचिन्नानुभूयते ॥ १२ ॥

यथा संवित्तथा चित्तं सा तथावस्थितिं गता ।

परमेण प्रयत्नेन नीयतेऽन्यदशां पुनः ॥ १३ ॥

सर्पैकप्रत्ययो रज्ज्वामसर्पप्रत्यये बलात् ।

निवर्ततेऽन्यथा त्वेष तिष्ठत्येव यथास्थितः ॥ १४ ॥

यथा संवित्तथा चित्तं यथा चित्तं तथेहितम् ।

बालं प्रत्यपि संसिद्धमेतत्को नानुभूतवान् ॥ १५ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.40.1–6

> In this way, on the battlefield that had long been terrible due to the actions of night-roaming demons, when the night watches had passed and people were resting as if in daily routine.

> In the dark house of night, where darkness could be grabbed by hand like lumps on cracked walls, groups of spirits were jumping around wildly with excitement for gains.

> In complete silence, with darkness moving about and sleep closing all directions, Lila's Lord (the Supreme soul), noble by nature, seemed a little tired in mind.

> After quickly thinking about morning duties with wise ministers skilled in counsel, on a long moon-like cool bed.

> In a beautiful house resembling the moon's belly, in a cool cave-like room, he slept for a moment with closed lotus-like eyes.

> Then those two Goddesses (Lila's forms), leaving the sky, entered that house through openings, just as wind enters a lotus bud.

Sriram asked: 

3.40.7

> O best among speakers, how could this gross body, even if small, enter through such a thin opening, O Lord?

Maharishi Vashishta replied:

3.40.7–15

> For one who thinks "I am this physical body," that body cannot go through even a tiny hole, O sinless one.

> When the mind thinks "I am blocked by this" or "I cannot go here," experience follows that belief and becomes Real.

> What was experienced before as "I am going" leads to action; how can the later part happen when Consciousness is directed toward movement?

> Water does not rise upward, fire does not go downward; Consciousness stays established exactly as it has proceeded.

> How can heat be felt by one sitting in shade? When in perception another meaning is not experienced by anything.

> As is the understanding, so is the mind; it has reached that State. With supreme effort, it is led again to another condition.

> When the notion of a snake arises strongly on a rope, but the notion of no-snake arises, the belief in snake is forcibly removed; otherwise it remains as it is.

> As is the understanding, so is the mind; as is the mind, so are the actions. This is proven even to a child—who has not experienced it?

Detailed summary of the teachings:

Rama questions how a gross body can pass through tiny holes, prompting Vasishta to explain that the limitation comes from mistaken identification with the physical body. The teaching highlights that the body is not the true Self; the idea of being confined to it creates the illusion of restriction.

The core idea is that Reality depends on perception and belief (samvitti or understanding). Whatever the mind firmly holds as true becomes experienced as real. If one believes "I am this body and cannot pass through a small space," then movement is blocked. But Pure Consciousness has no such limits—it moves as it wills, unbound by material barriers.

Vasishta uses examples from nature (water flows down, fire rises up) to show that things follow their inherent nature. Consciousness, once set in a certain direction or belief, continues in that pattern unless changed by effort. The mind stays fixed in its established state, and only supreme effort or right understanding can shift it to a Higher Realization.

The rope-snake analogy reinforces this: illusion arises from wrong perception, and correct knowledge removes it instantly. If the mind sees a snake in a rope, fear and reaction follow; but Realizing it is just a rope ends the delusion. Similarly, the world and bodily limitations are projections of the mind—change the understanding, and the experience transforms.

Finally, the verses emphasize that this principle is self-evident even in everyday life, as seen in children or simple experiences. Mind and actions follow understanding exactly. True freedom comes from recognizing Consciousness as limitless, beyond the gross body, leading to liberation from false identifications and illusions of bondage.

Chapter 3.39, Verses 1–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.39.1–30

(These verses paint a dramatic picture of sunset on a vast battlefield after a fierce war. The sun sets like a wounded hero, and twilight transforms the scene into one of eerie beauty mixed with horror)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

अथ वीर इवारक्तः कालेनास्तमितो रविः ।

अस्त्रतेजःपरिम्लानप्रतापोऽब्धौ समुज्झितः ॥ १ ॥

रणरक्तरुचिर्व्योमदर्पणप्रतिबिम्बिता ।

जहौ सूर्यशिरश्छेदे संध्यालेखोदभूत्क्षणम् ॥ २ ॥

भूपातालनभोदिग्भ्यः प्रलयब्धिजलौघवत् ।

समाजग्मुस्तनत्ताला वेताला वलया इव ॥ ३ ॥

मृष्टध्वान्तासिवलिते दिननागेन्द्रमस्तके ।

संध्यारागारुणं कीर्णं तारानिकरमौक्तिकम् ॥ ४ ॥

निःसत्त्वेषु तमोन्धेषु रसनारसशालिषु ।

संकोचमाययुः पद्मामृतानां हृदयेष्विव ॥ ५ ॥

मीलत्पक्षाः क्षणात्सुप्ताः कृच्छ्रप्रोच्छ्रितकन्धराः ।

कुलायेषु खगा आसञ्छवाङ्गेष्विव हेतयः ॥ ६ ॥

आसन्नचन्द्रसुभगा लोकाः कुसुमपङ्क्तयः ।

उल्लसद्धृदया जाता वीरपक्षेष्विव श्रियः ॥ ७ ॥

रक्तवारिमयी सायमङ्गगुप्तशिलीमुखा ।

संकुचद्वक्त्रपद्माभूद्रणभूमिरिवाब्जिनी ॥ ८ ॥

उपर्यभूद्व्योमसरस्ताराकुमुदमण्डितम् ।

अधस्त्वभूद्वारिसरः स्फुरत्कुमुदतारकम् ॥ ९ ॥ >>>

प्रसृतान्त्रमहातन्त्रीप्रायसंपन्नवादनम् ।

पिशाचवासनोत्क्रान्तपिशाचीभूतमानवम् ॥ २४ ॥

रूपिकालोकनापूर्वत्रासार्धमृतसद्भटम् ।

क्वचिद्वेतालरक्षोभिरपरीपूर्णमद्रकम् ॥ २५ ॥

स्वरूपिकास्कन्धपतच्छवत्रस्तनिशाचरम् ।

नभःसंघट्टितापूर्वभूतपेटकसंकटम् ॥ २६ ॥

अतिप्रयत्नापहृतम्रियमाणनरामिषम् ।

स्वभक्ष्यापेक्षपक्षेषु विक्षिप्तशवराशिवत् ॥ २७ ॥

शिवामुखानलशिखाखण्डोत्थमितिरक्तगैः ।

समुड्डीननवाशोकपुष्पगुच्छमिवाभितः ॥ २८ ॥

कबन्धकन्धराबन्धव्यग्रवेतालबालकम् ।

यक्षरक्षःपिशाचादिकचदाकाशगोल्मुकम् ॥ २९ ॥

आकाशभूधरनिकुञ्जगुहान्तरालपिण्डोपमण्डिततमोम्बुदपीठपूरम् ।

व्यालोलभूतरभसाकुलकल्पवातव्याधूतलोककरकाण्डकपेटकल्पम् ॥ ३०॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.39.1–9

> Then the sun, like a brave warrior stained with blood, set in the west. His fiery splendor faded, and he sank into the ocean.

> The evening sky reflected the battlefield's blood-red glow like a mirror. In that moment, the sun's head seemed cut off, creating a brief reddish streak like twilight writing.

> From the directions of earth, underworld, sky, and all sides, like floods of the ocean of dissolution, Vetala spirits and ghosts gathered with loud cries, encircling like rings.

> On the head of the day-elephant (sun) wrapped in darkness like a sword, the twilight's red color spread, scattered with clusters of stars like pearls.

> In the darkness without light, in beings without strength, the lotus-like hearts of beings contracted, like the hearts of lotus flowers in darkness.

> Birds, with wings closing instantly, fell asleep in their nests with raised necks in difficulty, like arrows stuck in corpses.

> The worlds became beautiful like moonlit lotuses, with blossoming hearts, like prosperity shining on the wings of heroes.

> The evening battlefield, soaked in red water with hidden arrows, became like a lotus pond with shrinking faces.

> Above, the sky became a lake adorned with star-lotuses; below, the water became a lake sparkling with lily-stars.

3.39.10–23

> These verses continue the vivid poetic description of the eerie, terrifying, and ghostly atmosphere after sunset on the battlefield, filled with demons, spirits, goblins, and supernatural beings roaming freely in the darkness, creating a scene of horror and chaos typical of post-battle nights in ancient epics.

3.39.24–30

> It was filled with sounds like the stretched strings of great instruments, with humans possessed by demon-like desires and turned into ghosts.

> Warriors half-dead from fear at unseen forms, sometimes fully overcome by Vetala and Rakshasa demons.

> Night creatures terrified by falling corpses from their own kind, the sky crowded with unprecedented clusters of ghosts and beings.

> With great effort snatching the flesh of dying men, like heaps of corpses thrown aside on the wings of their own devourers.

> Flames from the mouths of Shiva-like beings rose with red sparks, flying around like bunches of fresh Ashoka flowers.

> Young Vetala children busy in the caves of headless torsos, with Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pishachas shining like monkeys in the sky.

> The darkness filled the spaces between mountain caves in the sky, like thick clouds; shaken by fierce winds of spirits, it resembled a vast cosmic shell tossed about.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

This imagery symbolizes the transient nature of life and the world—day (activity, light, victory) ends, giving way to night (darkness, death, chaos). In Yoga Vasishta's philosophy, such descriptions remind us that the phenomenal world is impermanent and illusory (maya), like a dream or mirage that appears vivid but dissolves.

The gathering of ghosts, demons, Vetala, and supernatural beings in the darkness highlights how the mind projects fears and attachments in moments of transition or loss. The battlefield represents the constant struggle of ego and desires in samsara (cycle of birth and death). When the "sun" of awareness sets (due to ignorance), lower tendencies and vasanas (mental impressions) rise unchecked, creating terror and confusion.

The poetic contrast between upper sky-lake with star-lotuses and lower water-lake with lily-stars shows the unity of macrocosm and microcosm—everything is a reflection of Consciousness. This teaches non-duality (advaita): what seems divided (heaven/earth, light/dark) is one in essence. The contraction of lotuses in darkness symbolizes how purity and knowledge shrink in ignorance, urging seekers to awaken inner light.

The chaotic night filled with spirits devouring corpses and flying flames underscores the grotesque results of attachment to the body and senses. Corpses represent discarded forms after death; demons symbolize unchecked desires that feed on life's energy. This warns against identifying with the perishable body and encourages detachment (vairagya) to transcend fear of death.

Overall, these verses serve as a meditation on impermanence, the horror of ignorance, and the need for Self-Realization. Vasishta uses this terrifying yet poetic scene to illustrate that the world is a projection of the mind. True Peace comes from Realizing the Self (Atman) beyond birth, death, and phenomena—leading to liberation (moksha) where no darkness or fear remains.

Chapter 3.38, Verses 41–58

Yoga Vashishtha 3.38.41–58

(The verses portray the scene as a terrifying, blood-soaked landscape resembling the end of the world or the mouth of death)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

मर्मच्छेदशराघातव्यथाविदितदुष्कृति ।

कबन्धबन्धप्रारब्धवेतालवदनाक्रमम् ॥ ४१ ॥

उह्यमानध्वजच्छत्रचारुचामरपङ्कजम् ।

किरत्संध्यारुणं दिक्षु तेजस्कं रक्तपङ्कजम् ॥ ४२ ॥

रथचक्रधरावर्तं रक्तार्णवमिवाष्टमम् ।

पताकाफेनपुञ्जाढ्यं चारुचामरबुद्बुदम् ॥ ४३ ॥

विपर्यस्तरथं भूमिपङ्कमग्नपुरोपमम् ।

उत्पातवातनिर्धूतद्रुमं वनमिवाततम् ॥ ४४ ॥

कल्पदग्धजगत्प्रख्यं मुनिपीतार्णवोपमम् ।

अतिवृष्टिहतं देशमिव प्रोज्झितमानवम् ॥ ४५ ॥

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रक्तनिःस्वनभाङ्कारफेत्कारार्धमृतारवम् ।

शिलामुखललद्रक्तधाराधूतरजःखगम् ॥ ५४ ॥

सुतालोत्तालवेतालतालताण्डवसंकटम् ।

पर्यस्तरथदार्वन्तरर्धान्तरितसद्भटम् ॥ ५५ ॥

अन्तस्थसज्जीवभटस्पन्दिस्पन्दनभीतिदम् ।

रक्तकर्दमपूर्णास्यकिंचिज्जीवकृपाच्छवम् ॥ ५६ ॥

किंचिज्जीवनरोद्ग्रीवदुःखदृष्टश्ववायसम् ।

एकामिषोत्कक्रव्यादयुद्धकोलाहलाकुलम् ।

एकामिषार्थयुद्धेहामृतक्रव्यादसंकुलम् ॥ ५७ ॥

विवृत्तासंख्याश्वद्विरदपुरुषाधीश्वररथप्रकृत्तोष्ट्रग्रीवाप्रसृतरुधिरोद्गारसुसरित् ।

रणोद्यानं मृत्योस्तदभवदशुष्कायुधलतं सशैलं कल्पान्ते जगदिव विपर्यस्तमखिलम् ॥ ५८ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.38.41–45

> The battlefield appeared like a demon (vetala) that had pierced the vital points with arrows, causing pain to the wicked, and like a headless torso (kabanda) that had begun its destined actions. It was carried along with beautiful flags, umbrellas, charming chowries (fly-whisks), and lotuses. It scattered the red glow of twilight in all directions, shining with splendor and like a red lotus. It resembled the eighth ocean of blood with whirlpools from chariot wheels, full of foam-like banners and bubbles from lovely chowries.

3.38.46–53

> The field was filled with the half-dead cries, groans, screams, and sounds of agony mixed with the clashing of weapons and the fluttering of vultures disturbed by streams of blood from stone-like faces. It was crowded with the wild dance of ghosts and goblins in rhythmic steps, with broken chariots and scattered remains of warriors half-hidden between wooden fragments. Inside, the trembling bodies of dying soldiers caused fear, their mouths filled with blood-mud and showing slight signs of lingering life and compassion in death. Some showed necks strained in pain, eyes staring at crows and dogs in misery. It was chaotic with battles among carnivorous beasts fighting over single pieces of flesh, and crowded with predators battling for the meat of the dead in a frenzy of slaughter.

3.38.54–58

> The place echoed with blood-curdling noises, half-screams of the dying, and birds shaken by flowing blood from rock-like mouths. It was dense with the frantic dance of ghosts and demons in loud rhythms. Half-burnt chariots and scattered warriors filled the gaps, terrifying with the faint movements of life within dying bodies. Mouths full of red mud showed a little life and pitiful remains. Some men with strained necks in pain gazed at scavenging birds and dogs. It was full of uproar from carnivores fighting over one piece of meat, and crowded with flesh-eating creatures battling for corpses. Countless horses, elephants, men, lords, and chariots lay cut down, with blood gushing from severed camel-like necks in streams. This war-garden of death had become dry-weapon creepers, with mountains, like the entire inverted world at the end of a cosmic cycle.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses vividly describe a devastated battlefield after a massive war, using extreme imagery of blood, death, severed bodies, scavenging birds, and demonic forces to show the horrifying results of violence and attachment to power. The scene is compared to the destruction at the end of a world cycle (kalpanta), emphasizing how human conflicts mirror cosmic dissolution. The teaching here is that worldly pursuits like ambition, conquest, and ego-driven battles lead only to ruin, pain, and meaningless suffering, reminding us that the material world is transient and full of horror when viewed without wisdom.

The poet-sage uses this graphic picture to illustrate the impermanence (anitya) of the body and life. Heads roll, bodies are torn, blood flows like rivers, and even mighty warriors become food for crows and beasts. Nothing lasts—flags, chariots, umbrellas, and chowries that once symbolized glory now float in gore. This teaches detachment (vairagya) from physical forms and sensory pleasures, as everything ends in decay and feeds the cycle of nature.

A deeper lesson is the illusory nature of the world (maya). The battlefield looks like an inverted universe or the mouth of death, but it is just a play of forms in Consciousness. The verses show how the mind projects grand wars and victories, yet they collapse into chaos. True Knowledge reveals that all this is like a dream or mirage—real only to the ignorant who cling to it.

The description warns against the fruits of adharma (unrighteousness) and unchecked desire. The "wicked" feel the pain of arrow-wounds, and the proud fall headless. It points to karma: actions driven by anger, greed, or pride create destruction for oneself and others. Peace comes not from winning battles but from transcending the ego that starts them.

Ultimately, these verses urge turning inward for liberation (moksha). By seeing the horror of samsara (worldly existence) as clearly as this battlefield, one develops disgust for transient things and seeks the eternal Self (Atman). The wise sage uses such terrifying images not to scare but to awaken dispassion, leading to Realization that the True Reality is beyond birth, death, and all dualities — Pure, Unchanging Consciousness.

Chapter 3.38, Verses 21–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.38.21–40

(THE HORRORS OF WAR: These verses paint an extremely graphic and repulsive picture of a post-battlefield filled with mutilated corpses, rivers of blood, scavenging animals, wailing survivors, and the final agonies of the dying)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

करीन्द्रशवराश्यग्रविश्रान्ताम्बुदखण्डकम् ।

विशीर्णरथसंघातं वातच्छिन्नमहावनम् ॥ २१ ॥

वहद्रक्तनदीरंहः प्रोह्यमानहयद्विपम्।

शरशक्त्यृष्टिमुसलगदाप्रासासिसंकुलम् ॥ २२ ॥

पर्याणावनसंनाहकवचावृतभूतलम् ।

केतुचामरपट्टौघगुप्तं शवशरीरकम् ॥ २३ ॥

फणास्फुटकतूणीरकुञ्जकूजत्समीरणम् ।

शवराशिपलालौघतल्पसुप्तपिशाचकम् ॥ २४ ॥

मौलिहाराङ्गदद्योतशक्रचापवनावृतम् ।

श्वशृगालकराकृष्टसान्द्रान्त्रादीर्घरज्जुकम् ॥ २५ ॥

रक्तक्षेत्रक्वणत्किंचिच्छेषजीवनृदन्तुरम् ।

रक्तकर्दमनिर्मग्नसजीवनरदर्दुरम् ॥ २६ ॥

वराङ्गकवचप्रख्यनिर्गताक्षिशतोच्चयम् ।

वहद्भुजोरुकाष्ठौघघोररक्तसरिच्छतम् ॥ २७ ॥

साक्रन्दवन्धुवलितं मृतार्धमृतमानवम् ।

शरायुधरथाश्वेभपर्याणासंवरान्तरम् ॥ २८ ॥

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रुदत्क्रन्दत्परिभ्रष्टशवक्षुब्धासृगुद्धति ।

मृतभर्तृगले शस्त्रत्यक्तप्राणकुलाङ्गनम् ॥ ३४॥

सेनोत्क्रान्तततक्षिप्रबहुपान्थपरीक्षणम् ।

शवहारकराकृष्टसप्राणानुचराकुलम् ॥ ३५ ॥

केशशैवालवक्राब्जचक्रावर्तनदीशतम् ।

तरत्तुङ्गतरङ्गाढ्यवहद्रक्तमहानदम् ॥ ३६ ॥

अङ्गलग्नायुधोद्धारव्यग्रार्धमृतमानवम् ।

विदेशमृतसाक्रन्दहुताङ्गगजवाजिनम् ॥ ३७ ॥

प्राणान्तस्मृतपुत्रेष्टमातृदेवपराभिधम् ।

हाहाहीहीतिकथितमर्मच्छेदनवेदनम् ॥ ३८ ॥

म्रियमाणमथौजिष्ठद्विष्टप्रारब्धसंचयम् ।

दन्तियुद्धासमर्थाग्रमृतदेहेष्टदैवतम् ॥ ३९ ॥

म्रियमाणमहावज्ञाशूराश्रितपलायनम् ।

अशङ्कितासृगावर्तभीमास्पदगमोत्सुकम् ॥ ४० ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.38.21–28

> Clouds rested on heaps of elephant corpses like fragments, broken chariots scattered everywhere, and great forests torn by winds.

> Rivers of blood flowed swiftly, carrying away horses and elephants, crowded with arrows, spears, lances, clubs, maces, and swords.

> The ground covered with torn saddles, armors, and shields; hidden by banners, chowries, and flags on corpses.

> Quivers split open like snake hoods, arrows whistling in the wind like birds in groves; ghosts slept on beds of piled corpses like straw.

> Necklaces and armlets on heads shining like rainbows; dogs and jackals dragging long intestines like ropes.

> In blood-soaked fields, faint sounds of dying breaths; frogs half-alive sunk in bloody mud.

> Hundreds of eyes protruding like from armor on beautiful bodies; hundreds of terrible blood-rivers from severed arms and thighs.

> Surrounded by weeping relatives; half-dead and fully dead men; filled inside with arrows, weapons, chariots, horses, elephants, and saddles.

3.38.29–33

> The deliberately omitted verses continue the same terrifying description: severed heads rolling like fruits, scattered limbs forming grotesque patterns, vultures and crows feasting, flames from burning pyres mixing with smoke, jackals howling over half-eaten bodies, rivers of marrow and fat flowing together, ornaments torn from corpses glittering amidst the gore, and the entire field resembling the mouth of death itself, swallowing armies whole.

3.38.34–40

> Women crying and wailing, fallen from dead husbands' necks, abandoning weapons and life.

> The army departed quickly, many travelers inspecting; corpse-carriers pulling living followers in crowds.

> Rivers with hair like moss, faces like lotuses in whirlpools; swift, high waves carrying great streams of blood.

> Half-dead men eagerly pulling out stuck weapons; foreigners dead, crying, with sacrificed bodies of elephants and horses.

> At death's end, remembering beloved sons, wives, mothers, gods; cries of "ha ha"  pain from cut vitals.

> Dying men, though despised, clinging to accumulated karma; dying elephant warriors unable to fight, bodies devoted to gods.

> Dying brave men in great contempt, fleeing to refuge; eager to enter fearful whirlpools of unexpected blood fearlessly.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

Sage Vasishta deliberately intensifies the horror (including in the omitted verses 29–33 which describe rolling heads, devoured flesh, burning pyres, and the field as death’s gaping mouth) to shatter any romantic or heroic illusion about war, power, and worldly achievement. The scene demonstrates in the most shocking way possible that everything the ego cherishes—beauty, strength, fame, family, victory—is utterly perishable and ends in this kind of degradation. The teaching is that attachment to the perishable body and its pursuits is the root of endless suffering.

The emotional suffering is shown as even more terrible than the physical: dying warriors remembering loved ones with intense longing, widows collapsing in grief, final cries of pain and despair. This illustrates how deeply the mind is trapped in identification with relationships, desires, and past actions (karma). Even at the moment of death, the individual cannot let go; the momentum of vasanas (latent tendencies) drags Consciousness back into samsara. Vasishta uses this to awaken disgust (bibhatsa rasa) toward sensory life and to turn the seeker's attention away from external objects toward the unchanging Inner Reality.

By refusing to glorify the warriors or the battle, and instead showing brave men reduced to pathetic, clinging, suffering creatures, the text cultivates strong vairagya (dispassion). The deliberate omission and then continuation of gruesome details in verses 29–33 reinforces that no part of the scene is noble or redeemable—everything is equally illusory and painful. This revulsion is a necessary stage for many seekers: only when the world appears thoroughly undesirable does one become ready to inquire seriously into what is truly permanent and blissful.

Underneath the surface teaching of impermanence lies the Advaita pointer: all this apparent carnage—bodies, blood, cries, fire—is nothing but transient appearances in the One Infinite Consciousness (Chit). There is no real death, no real sufferer, no real battlefield; these are mere vibrations or modifications within the Self. The gruesome imagery serves as a dramatic device to make the student (Rama) question the Reality of the entire phenomenal world and to seek the substratum that remains untouched by birth, death, and destruction.

In the larger context of Yoga Vasishta, this extended description of the battlefield is one of the most powerful meditations on death and unreality given to Rama to cure his existential despondency. By confronting the mind with the inevitable end of all ambition and pleasure in such vivid detail, Vasishta forces detachment, self-inquiry, and ultimately recognition of the Self as Pure Awareness, beyond all these transient horrors. Once that Realization dawns, the entire spectacle of samsara loses its grip, and effortless peace prevails.

Chapter 3.38, Verses 1–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.38.1–20

(These verses vividly describe the horrific and chaotic nature of war, portraying it as a scene of total confusion, darkness, bloodshed, and destruction)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एवमत्याकुले युद्धे सास्फोटभयसंकुले ।

आदित्ये तमसा वृद्धे चटत्कठिनकङ्कटे ॥ १ ॥

वहत्यम्बूत्पतन्तीषु पतन्तीष्वश्मवृष्टिषु ।

नदीषु क्षेपणाच्छासु वरकेष्वब्जपङ्क्तिषु ॥ २ ॥

मिथः फलाग्रकाटोत्थवह्निसीकरिणीषु च।

आयान्तीषु प्रयान्तीषु दूरं शरनदीषु च ॥ ३ ॥

वहल्लूनशिरःपद्मचक्रावर्तैस्तरङ्गितैः ।

खार्णवे पूरिते हेतिवृन्दमन्दाकिनीगणैः ॥ ४ ॥

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अथसेनाधिनाथाभ्यां विचार्य सहमन्त्रिभिः ।

दूताः परस्परं वृत्ता युद्धं संह्रियतामिति ॥ ८ ॥

तत्र श्रमवशान्मन्दयन्त्रशस्त्रपराक्रमैः।

रणसंहरणं काले सर्वैरेवोररीकृतम् ॥ ९॥

ततो महारथोत्तुङ्गकेतुप्रान्तकृतास्पदम् ।

बलयोरारुहोहैक एको योधो ध्रुवो यथा ॥ १० ॥

सोंऽशुकं भ्रामयामास सर्वदिङ्मण्डले सितम् ।

श्यामेव दीर्घशुद्धांशुं युद्धं संह्रियतामिति ॥ ११ ॥

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विनिर्गन्तुं प्रववृते रणादथ बलद्वयम्।

वारिपूरश्चतुर्दिक्षु प्रलयैकार्णवादिव ॥ १५ ॥

उत्क्षिप्तमन्दरक्षीरसमुद्रवदनाकुलम् ।

सैन्यं प्रशाम्यदावर्तं शनैः साम्यमुपाययौ ॥ १६ ॥

क्रमेणासीन्मुहूर्तेन विकटोदरभीषणम् ।

अगस्त्यपीतार्णववच्छून्यमेव रणाङ्गणम् ॥ १७ ॥

शवसन्ततिसंपूर्णं वहद्रक्तनदाकुलम्।

परिकूजनझङ्कारपूर्णझिल्लिवनोपमम् ॥ १८ ॥

बहद्रक्तसरित्स्रोतस्तरङ्गारवघर्घरम् ।

साक्रन्दार्धमृताहूतसप्राणव्यग्रमानवम् ॥ १९ ॥

मृतार्धमृतदेहौघसृतासृक्प्लुतनिर्झरम् ।

सजीवनरपृष्ठस्थशवस्पन्दनभ्रान्तिदम् ॥ २० ॥

Maharishi Vashishtha continued: 

3.38.1–4

> In this extremely chaotic battle, filled with bursting fear and confusion, the sun was darkened by increasing darkness, and hard armors were clashing loudly.

> Rivers of water were flowing and falling, showers of stones were descending, rivers were being thrown by catapults, and rows of excellent lotuses were present.

> Mutual sparks from the tips of weapons produced fire-like drops, and arrow-rivers were coming and going far away.

> The sky-ocean was filled with swirling currents of severed heads like lotuses, and groups of weapons flowing like the Mandakini river.

3.38.8–11

> Then, the two army commanders, after discussing with their ministers, sent messengers to each other saying, "Let the war be stopped."

> Due to fatigue, with slowed chariots, weapons, and strength, everyone agreed to halt the battle at that time.

> Then, a great warrior, standing high with flags on his chariot, rose alone between the two armies like a fixed pole star.

> He waved his white cloth in all directions, like a dark cloud with long pure rays, signaling that the battle should stop.

3.38.15–20

> After that, both armies began to leave the battlefield, like floods of water spreading in all four directions from a single deluge ocean.

> The army, lifted up like the milky ocean churned by Mandara, gradually calmed its whirlpools and slowly attained peace.

> In a moment, the terrible battlefield, once fearsome with huge bellies, became empty like the ocean drunk by Agastya.

> It was filled with rows of corpses, troubled by flowing rivers of blood, resembling a forest of crickets full of humming and buzzing sounds.

> It had great rivers of blood with roaring waves, cries of the half-dead calling out, and agitated people still alive.

> Streams overflowed with blood from heaps of dead and half-dead bodies, and the trembling of corpses with residual life on the backs of living people created illusions of movement.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

The battlefield is compared to an ocean filled with weapons, severed heads, and flowing blood, emphasizing how violence creates an illusion of overwhelming Reality. This serves as a powerful metaphor in Yoga Vasishta for the illusory (maya) nature of the world—sensory experiences and conflicts appear intensely real but are ultimately transient and dream-like.

The turning point comes when both sides, exhausted by the strain on their bodies, weapons, and minds, decide through messengers to cease fighting. This highlights a key teaching: even in the midst of fierce duality and opposition, wisdom and reflection (vichara) can arise, leading to cessation of conflict. It shows that prolonged struggle drains vitality, making peace a natural outcome when fatigue reveals the futility of continued violence.

A single warrior stands as a symbol of calm authority amid the chaos, waving a white cloth to signal truce, like a steady light in darkness. This illustrates the role of inner clarity or a higher perspective (like the pole star) that can bring resolution. In the text's Advaita framework, it points to the unchanging Self that remains untouched by the turmoil of perceived battles between ego-forces.

The armies depart, and the battlefield empties slowly, like an ocean receding or being swallowed up. This process teaches impermanence—grandeur and terror vanish quickly, leaving emptiness. It underscores that all phenomena, including war's horrors, arise and subside in consciousness, without inherent substance.

Finally, the deserted field remains filled with corpses, blood rivers, cries, and eerie movements of half-dead bodies. This gruesome aftermath reinforces the central teaching of Yoga Vasishta: worldly existence is like a dream or nightmare of birth, death, and suffering. True liberation comes from recognizing this as illusion, turning inward to realize the eternal, peaceful Self beyond all such transient spectacles.

Chapter 3.37, Verses 21–59

Yoga Vashishtha 3.37.21–59

(These verses describe a fierce and chaotic battle scene in vivid, poetic detail, narrated by Sage Vasishta)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

भुशुण्डीमण्डलोद्द्योतश्यामार्कोत्पातभीरुषु ।

आभीरेष्वरयः पेतुर्गोगणा हरितेष्विव ॥ २१ ॥

कान्तकाञ्चनकान्तासीत्ताम्रसंग्रामवाहिनी ।

भुक्ता गौडभटेनाङ्ग नखकेशनिकर्षणैः ॥ २२ ॥

रणे नगनयासंख्यकवच्चक्रनिकृन्तनैः।

तङ्गणाः कणशः कीर्णाः कङ्कगृध्रेषुभासकैः ॥ २३ ॥

लगुडालोडनोड्डीनं गौडं गुडुगुडारवम्।

श्रुत्वा गान्धारगावोऽग्रे दुद्रुवुर्द्रविडा इव ॥ २४ ॥

आकाशगार्णवप्रख्यो वहच्छककदम्बकः ।

अकरोत्पारसीकानां घननैशतमोभ्रमम् ॥ २५ ॥

मन्दराहननोड्डीनस्वच्छक्षीरार्णवोदरे ।

वनानीवायुधान्यासञ्छत्रुप्रालेयसानुनि ॥ २६ ॥

यदम्बुदैरिवोड्डीनं शस्त्रवृन्दैर्नभोङ्गणे ।

तद्दृष्टं वीचिवलनैर्लोलैः प्लुतमिवार्णवे ॥ २७ ॥

शतचन्द्रं सितच्छत्रैः शरैः शलभनिर्भरम्।

शक्तिभिः किल नीरन्ध्रं दृष्टमाकाशकाननम् ॥ २८ ॥

वीरासवसमाक्रन्दकारिणः केकयैः कृताः।

कङ्कैः कङ्ककुलाक्रान्तव्योमोद्धूलितमस्तकाः ॥ २९ ॥

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ननर्दुर्नन्दनोद्यानसुन्दर्यो मत्तयौवनाः।

वनोपवनदेशेषु मेरोर्वीरवराश्रिताः ॥ ५०॥

तावत्तारारवं रेजे सैन्यकाननमुत्तमम् ।

यावन्न परपक्षेण प्राप्तं कल्पानलार्चिषा ॥ ५१ ॥

छिन्नाः पिशाचसंयुक्ता भूतापहृतहेतयः।

पातयित्वा ययुः कर्णान्दशार्णास्तर्णका इव ॥ ५२ ॥

जहुर्भग्नेश्वराः कान्ति तां जिगीषवनौजसा ।

कासयः कमलानीव शुष्कस्रोतस्विनौजसा ॥ ५३ ॥

तुषाका मेसलैः कीर्णाः शरशक्त्यसिमुद्गरैः ।

विद्रुता नरकैः क्षिप्ताः कटकच्छलना अपि ॥ ५४ ॥

कौन्तक्षेत्राः प्रस्थवासैः स्थित्वा योधिभिरावृताः ।

गुणा इव खलाक्रान्ता गता व्यक्तमशक्तताम् ॥ ५५ ॥

द्विपयो बाहुधानानां क्षणेनादाय मस्तकम् ।

भल्लैः पलाय्याशु गता विलूनकमला इव ॥ ५६ ॥

मिथः सारस्वता नीत्वा आदिनान्तं कृताजयः ।

पण्डिता इव वादेषु नोद्विग्ना न पराजिताः ॥ ५७ ॥

खर्वगाः खदिताः क्षुद्रा यातुधानैः परावृताः ।

तेजः परममाजग्मुः शान्ताग्नय इवेन्धनैः ॥ ५८ ॥

कियदाख्यायत एतज्जिह्वानिचयैः किलालमाकुलितः ।

वासुकिरपि वर्णयितुं न समर्थो रणवरं राम ॥ ५९ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.37.21–29

> In the tribes of Abhiras, who were terrified by the dark sun-like calamity rising from Bhushundi's circle, enemies fell like herds of cows among green fields.

> The army with beautiful golden luster and coppery weapons in battle was enjoyed (devoured) by the Gauda warriors, O dear one, by tearing nails and hair.

> In the battle, the Tanganas were scattered into pieces by countless mountain-like wheels cutting them, and by herons, vultures, and arrows shining like them.

> Hearing the Gaudas making a rumbling sound like drums while being beaten with clubs and flying up, the Gandhara cows (soldiers) fled ahead like Dravidas.

> The sky-like ocean of moving Shakas created a thick darkness of night illusion for the Parsikas.

> Like clear milky oceans flying up from the beating of Mandara, the armies appeared like forests of weapons on snowy mountain peaks of enemies covered with frost.

> The sky arena seemed flooded like an ocean with waving waves when weapons rose like clouds.

> The sky forest appeared with a hundred moons from white umbrellas, full of locust-like arrows, and densely covered without gaps by shaktis (spears).

> The Kekayas, makers of cries like drinking heroic liquor, had their heads dusted and covered by vultures and kanka birds.

3.37.30–49

> These omitted verses describe the fighting and valour of many more such tribes' and kingdoms' armies.

3.37.50–59

> The beautiful young women of Nandanavana, intoxicated with youth, roared joyfully in the groves and forests on Meru where brave heroes rested.

> Then the excellent army forest shone with star-like sounds until the enemy's side did not reach it with the flames of kalpa fire.

> Cut down, joined with ghosts, weapons stolen by spirits, the Dasharnas fell like young deer after ears were cut.

> The broken lords abandoned their desired beauty with force like lotuses in dry rivers abandoning their charm.

> The Tushakas were scattered by Mesalas with arrows, spears, swords, hammers; fleeing, thrown into hell, even the camp deceivers.

> The Kauntas, standing with Prastha residents surrounded by warriors, went to clear weakness like qualities overtaken by the wicked.

> The elephants of those with arms carrying burdens quickly took heads with broad arrows and fled swiftly like lotuses cut off.

> The Sarasvatas, taking each other to the end of beginning, victorious like scholars in debates, neither agitated nor defeated.

> The short and mean Kharvagas, eaten and surrounded by demons, attained supreme splendor like peaceful fires with fuel.

> How much can be described of this battle? Even Vasuki, his tongue exhausted and mouth filled with heaps, is not capable of describing this excellent war, O Rama.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses portray the horrifying and illusory nature of worldly battles and conflicts, emphasizing how even grand wars, filled with valor, noise, and destruction, are ultimately transient and dream-like. Sage Vasishta uses extreme poetic imagery of armies clashing, bodies falling, weapons flying, and soldiers fleeing to illustrate the impermanence of physical power and victory. The graphic descriptions serve to highlight that what appears as heroic or terrifying is merely a play of the mind, much like scenes in a dream where everything arises and dissolves without lasting substance. This vivid battle narrative is not for glorifying war but to show its futility and the suffering it causes, urging the seeker to look beyond such spectacles.

The teaching underscores the non-dualistic philosophy of Advaita: all phenomena, including wars between tribes, nations, or forces, are appearances in Consciousness, lacking independent Reality. Different groups (Abhiras, Gaudas, Tanganas, Shakas, Parsikas, etc.) symbolize the fragmented ego and divisions created by ignorance (avidya). Their fierce struggles and eventual defeat reflect how the ego's pursuits lead to self-destruction. Vasishta reminds Rama that such cosmic or historical battles are projections of the mind, similar to how the entire Universe is a dream of Brahm, teaching detachment from identification with the body, victory, or defeat.

A deeper lesson lies in the inevitability of change and decay shown through metaphors like scattered pieces, fleeing armies, broken lotuses, and extinguished fires. These images convey that no power, beauty, or glory endures; everything is subject to dissolution. This realization helps cultivate vairagya (dispassion), as clinging to worldly achievements or fears only prolongs bondage. The battle's chaos mirrors the inner turmoil of uncontrolled desires and attachments, encouraging self-inquiry to transcend them.

The verses also subtly point to the futility of describing Ultimate Reality or the Supreme Truth through words, as seen in the final verse where even Vasuki (the cosmic serpent) cannot fully narrate the war's magnitude. This illustrates the limitations of language and intellect in capturing the infinite, reinforcing that True Knowledge comes from direct Realization rather than intellectual analysis or narration. It directs the aspirant toward silence, meditation, and inner stillness beyond verbal descriptions.

Overall, these verses teach that the world of action, conflict, and multiplicity is maya (illusion), and true liberation lies in recognizing the self as unchanging witness-consciousness untouched by these events. By contemplating the transient and dream-like quality of even the most intense experiences, one awakens to the peaceful, Eternal Reality, free from birth, death, and all dualities.

Chapter 3.37, Verses 1–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.37.1–20

(These verses form part of Sage Vasishta's narration in the story of Queen Lila, where he describes a massive illusory war to illustrate the dream-like nature of the world)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

रणे रभसनिर्लूननरवारणदारुणे ।

अहंपूर्वमहंपूर्वमिति वृन्दानुपातिनि ॥ १॥

एते चान्ये च बहवस्तत्र भस्मत्वमागताः।

प्रविशन्तः प्रयत्नेन शलभा इव पावके ॥ २ ॥

अत्रान्ये मध्यदेशीया जना नोदाहृता मया ।

तानिमाञ्छृणु वक्ष्यामि पक्षाँल्लीलामहीभृतः ॥ ३ ॥

तद्देहिकाः शूरसेना गुडा अश्वघनायकाः।

उत्तमज्योतिभद्राणि मदमध्यमिकादयः ॥ ४ ॥

सालूकाकोद्यमालास्या दौज्ञेयाः पिप्पलायनाः ।

माण्डव्याः पाण्डुनगराः सौग्रीवाद्या गुरुग्रहाः ॥ ५ ॥

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दशार्णाः पाशनिर्मुक्तश्रृङ्खला जालभीरवः ।

निलीना रक्तजम्बाले वैतसास्तिमयो यथा ॥ १८ ॥

गुर्जरानीकनाशेन गुर्जरीकेशलुञ्चनम् ।

विहितं तङ्गणोत्तुङ्गनासिशङ्कुशतै रणे ॥ १९ ॥

सिषिचुः शस्त्रकर्णौघाद्विन्दुभ्यो निगडा गुहान् ।

शरधारावनानीव वीरहेतिप्रभाम्बुदाः ॥ २० ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.37.1–5

> In the fierce battle where many men and elephants were swiftly cut down, crowds rushed forward shouting "I first! I first!"

> Many others there, along with these, turned to ashes. They entered the fight eagerly, like moths rushing into fire.

> Here, I have not yet described the people from the middle region. Listen to these now—I will tell you about the armies on Lila's side of the earth.

> Her brave forces included Shurasena, Guda, leaders of Ashvaghana, Uttamajyoti, Bhadra, Madhyamika, and others.

> There were also Saluka, Kodyamala, Daujneya, Pippalayana, Mandavya, Pandunagara, Saugriava, and other great planetary forces.

3.37.6–17

> Continuing the list of armies and warriors from various regions, the verses describe more groups entering the battle.

3.37.18–20. 

> The Dasharnas, freed from chains and shackles, the fearful ones in nets, hid in red mud like cane reeds submerged in water.

> With the destruction of the Gurjara army, the Gurjari women had their hair pulled in the battle by hundreds of sharp, towering Tangana swords and spears.

> From the showers of weapons and arrows, chains and shackles poured into caves like clouds of heroic weapons raining streams in the forest.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

The fierce battle scene, with armies clashing, warriors shouting to claim priority in attack, and soldiers rushing to death like moths to flame, symbolizes how ego-driven actions and desires lead beings into destruction. The repeated cries of "I first!" highlight the illusion of individuality and competition in samsara (worldly existence), where the sense of separate self fuels conflict and suffering.

The detailed listing of armies from different regions—representing diverse peoples, tribes, and forces—shows the vast multiplicity of the manifested world. All these warriors, despite their bravery, strength, and numbers, ultimately meet the same fate: turning to ashes or falling in battle. This teaches that no matter how grand or varied the appearances of life seem, everything in the phenomenal world is transient and perishable. The world is a projection of Consciousness, and its events, including wars, are unreal appearances like dreams.

The imagery of soldiers entering battle eagerly yet perishing quickly compares them to moths drawn to fire, emphasizing ignorance (avidya) and attachment that pull beings toward destruction. The "fire" represents the consuming power of Time, death, or the illusion itself. Vasishta uses this to point out that without Self-Knowledge, living beings repeatedly engage in futile struggles driven by ego and desire, leading only to ruin.

Descriptions of hidden warriors in mud, destruction of armies, and violent acts like pulling hair or raining weapons illustrate the chaos and horror of worldly conflicts. These vivid details serve to make the unreality of the world more evident—such intense suffering and violence arise only in the dream-state of ignorance. The teaching urges turning away from external battles toward Inner Realization, as true victory lies not in conquering others but in transcending the illusion of separateness.

Overall, these verses reinforce the core Advaita teaching of Yoga Vasishta: the entire universe, including its wars and heroes, is a mental creation (kalpana) with no Ultimate Reality. By contemplating the impermanence and dream-like quality of such events, the seeker develops detachment (vairagya) and discrimination (viveka). This leads to recognition of the Self as the Unchanging Witness beyond all phenomena, bringing liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth, death, and illusory strife.