Chapter 3.106, Verses 12–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.12–24

(A hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one)

राजोवाच।

ज्ञस्येव विततं चेतो मूर्खस्येव रुषाऽजवम्।

अदृष्टजनसंसर्गमजाततृणपल्लवम् ॥ १२॥

अरण्यमिदमासाद्य मतिर्मे खेदमागता।

ललनेवैत्य दारिद्र्यं निरन्नफलबान्धवम् ॥ १३॥

कचन्मरुमरीच्यम्बुपुरःप्लुतककुम्मुखम्।

आसूर्यास्तं दिनं तत्र प्रक्रान्तं सीदता मया ॥ १४॥

तदरण्यं मयातीतमतिकृच्छ्रेण खेदिना।

विवेकिनेव संसारो मध्यशून्यतताकृति ॥ १५॥

यदेतेनातिवाह्याहं प्राप्तवाञ्जङ्गलं क्रमात्।

अस्ताद्रिसानुं खिन्नाश्वः शून्यभ्रान्त्येवभास्करः ॥ १६॥

जम्बूकदम्बप्रायेषु कलालापाः पतत्रिणः।

यत्र स्फुरन्ति खण्डेषु पान्थानामिव बान्धवाः ॥ १७॥

यत्र शष्पशिखाश्रेण्यो दृश्यन्ते विरलाः स्थले।

कदर्थलक्ष्म्या जिह्मस्य हृदीवानन्दवृत्तयः ॥ १८॥

पूर्वादरण्यादरसात्तद्धि किंचित्सुखावहम्।

अत्यन्तदुःखान्मरणाद्वरं व्याधिर्हि जन्तुषु ॥ १९॥

तत्र जम्बीरखण्डस्य तलं संप्राप्तवानहम्।

मार्कण्डेय इवागेन्द्रमेकार्णवविहारतः ॥ २०॥

आलम्बिता मया तत्र स्कन्धसंसर्गिणी लता।

नीला जलदमालेव तापतप्तेन भूभृता ॥ २१॥

मयि प्रलम्बमानेऽस्यां प्रयातः स तुरङ्गमः।

गङ्गावलम्बिनि नरे यथा दुष्कृतसंचयः ॥ २२॥

चिरं दीर्घाध्वगः खिन्नस्तत्र विश्रान्तवानहम्।

भानुरस्ताचलोत्सङ्गे तले कल्पतरोरिव ॥ २३॥

यावत्समस्तसंसारव्यवहारभरैः समम्।

रविर्विश्रमणायेव निविष्टोऽस्ताचलाङ्गणे ॥ २४॥

The King said: 

3.106.12–24

> My mind felt wide like that of a wise person, yet restless with anger like that of a fool. I had come to a forest never seen by people, without human contact, and without even grass or young leaves.

> Reaching this forest, my mind grew weary and sad. It felt like a woman falling into poverty, with no food, no fruit, and no relatives.

> The directions ahead shimmered with the water of desert mirages. Suffering there, I spent the whole day until the Sun set.

> With great hardship and exhaustion I crossed that forest. It was like the world crossed by a person of discrimination: empty and hollow in the middle.

> After passing that place I gradually reached a wilderness. I was like the Sun arriving at the peak of the western mountain with tired horses, wandering as if in emptiness.

> In groves of jambu and kadamba trees, birds with sweet calls shone in the patches of forest, like companions appearing to weary travelers.

> Sparse rows of grass tips were seen on the ground, like rare moments of joy in the heart of a crooked person whose fortune is wretched.

> Compared with the earlier tasteless forest, this place brought a little comfort. For living Beings, even illness is better than the extreme pain of death.

> There I reached the ground beneath a cluster of jambu trees, like Markandeya reaching a great mountain after wandering across the single Ocean.

> I clung to a creeper growing from the trunk of a tree, as a heat-scorched mountain clings to a dark garland of clouds.

> While I hung there, the horse went away, just as a heap of sins leaves a person who clings to the Ganga.

> Tired after a long road, I rested there for a while, like the Sun resting in the lap of the western mountain at the base of a wish-fulfilling tree.

> Meanwhile the Sun, as if to rest from the full burden of all worldly activity, settled in the courtyard of the western mountain.

Summary of the verses: 

The verses show a hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one. A barren, waterless forest stands for a mind and a world that look wide yet give no real support. Anger, loneliness, hunger, and mirage-water describe how restlessness and false hopes keep a person moving without rest. Crossing that waste with difficulty points to viveka: seeing that ordinary life is hollow in the middle even while it appears solid at the edges.

A slightly greener wilderness then appears. Sparse grass, a few trees, and the calls of birds are only small reliefs, yet they feel better than the earlier emptiness. The teaching is practical: even limited ease is preferable to total despair, just as illness can be better than death. The traveler does not stop at the first comfort; he still seeks a firmer place to rest.

Reaching the shade of jambu trees and holding a creeper is an image of taking support that is itself unstable. The horse that leaves while the traveler hangs on the vine shows how outer supports and past actions drop away once a person turns toward a higher refuge. The comparison with sins leaving a person who holds the Ganga suggests that genuine rest begins when clinging to the world is replaced by clinging to something that can actually hold.

Rest under the tree at sunset is the first true pause. The Sun itself, carrying the whole day’s work, also settles. The picture teaches that both the individual mind and the apparent activity of the world share the same rhythm of effort and needed stillness. Rest is not escape; it is the natural close of a cycle of strain.

Taken together the verses quietly point to the larger Yoga-Vasistha view: the forest of samsara can be crossed, small comforts are real but temporary, and lasting ease comes only when the traveler stops running after mirages and sits still. Discrimination, endurance, and the willingness to let go of what cannot stay are the inner counterparts of the outer march from waste land to shade.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.1–11

(King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician)

राजोवाच।

अस्ति तावदयं देशो नानावननदीयुतः।

वसुधामण्डलस्यास्य सहोदर इवानुजः ॥ १॥

अस्मिंश्चायमहं राजा पौराभिमतवृत्तिमान्।

इन्द्रः स्वर्ग इवास्यां तु सभायां मध्यसंस्थित ॥ २॥

यावदभ्यागतो दूरात्कश्चिच्छाम्बरिकस्त्वयम्।

रसातलादभ्युदितो मायी मय इव स्वयम् ॥ ३॥

अनेन भ्रमिताद्येह पिच्छिका तेजसोर्जिता।

कल्पान्तपवनाभ्रेण शक्रचापलता यथा ॥ ४॥

आलोक्यैतामहं लोलामस्याश्वस्य पुरः स्थितः।

पृष्ठमारूढवानेक आत्मना भ्रान्तमानसः ॥ ५॥

ततोऽद्रिं प्रलयक्षुब्धं पुष्करावर्तको यथा।

तथा चलन्तं चलितः स्वश्वमारूढवानहम् ॥ ६॥

गन्तुं प्रवृत्तो मृगयामेकोऽहमतिरंहसा।

उर्वरामिव निर्भर्तुः कल्लोलः प्रलयाम्बुधेः ॥ ७॥

तेनानिलविलोलेन दूरं नीतोऽस्मि वाजिना।

योगाभ्यासजडेनाज्ञो मुग्धस्य मनसा यथा ॥ ८॥

अकिंचनमनःशून्यं स्त्रीचित्तमिव निर्भरम्।

ततः प्रलयनिर्दग्धजगदास्पद भीषणम् ॥ ९॥

निष्पक्षिक्षारनीहारं निर्वृक्षमजलं महत्।

संप्राप्तोऽहमपर्यन्तमरण्यं श्रान्तवाहनः ॥ १०॥

तद्द्वितीयमिवाकाशं तथाष्टममिवाम्बुधिम्।

पञ्चमं सागरमिव संशुष्कं शून्यकोटरम् ॥ ११॥

The King continued: 

3.106.1–11

> There is this country full of various forests and rivers. It is like a younger brother of this whole circle of the Earth.

> In this land I am the King, living according to the wishes of the citizens. I sit in the middle of this assembly hall just as Indra sits in Heaven.

> Then a certain magician came from far away. He rose up from the nether world like the demon Maya himself.

> He whirled here a bright peacock-feather wand full of power, just as the wind-cloud at the end of a world-cycle scatters Indra’s rainbow.

> Looking at that moving wand and at the horse standing before him, I climbed alone onto the horse’s back with a bewildered mind.

> Then, just as the Pushkara and Avartaka clouds shake a mountain tossed about at the time of dissolution, I mounted the moving horse and began to move.

 

> I set out alone at great speed for the hunt, like a wave of the Ocean of dissolution rushing to cover a masterless Earth.

> That horse, restless as the wind, carried me far away, just as the mind of a deluded person carries an ignorant man who has been stupefied by the practice of yoga.

> Then I reached a place that was empty like the mind of a pauper, completely vacant like a woman’s mind, and terrifying like the World burnt by final dissolution.

> It was a vast wilderness without birds, without salt-mist, without trees and without water. With my tired horse I arrived at that endless forest.

> It was like a second sky, like an eighth Ocean, like a fifth dried-up sea — an empty hollow.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses begin the King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician. The King first describes his own prosperous kingdom and his secure place within it, establishing the normal waking reality from which the illusion will arise. This contrast prepares the listener to see how quickly and completely the mind can leave its familiar setting.

The arrival of the magician and the whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the exact point at which the outer world begins to dissolve. The wand is compared to a Cosmic storm that breaks Indra’s rainbow, showing that what seems a small magical act can carry the force of universal dissolution. The mind, once caught by the spectacle, loses its ordinary bearings.

Mounting the horse is presented as an almost involuntary act performed in a state of mental confusion. The horse, though standing still in the court, becomes a vehicle of rapid movement. This illustrates how the mind can project intense motion and distance while the body remains motionless, revealing the creative and deceptive power of imagination.

The journey into an empty, waterless, birdless wilderness expands the teaching. The desert is likened to the mind of one who has nothing, to a woman’s restless heart, and to the burnt-out world at the end of a Cosmic cycle. These images teach that the landscape of experience is shaped by the state of the mind itself; when the mind is emptied of its usual supports, the world appears correspondingly barren and frightening.

Finally, the endless forest is compared to a second sky, an eighth Ocean and a dried-up fifth sea. Such similes emphasise the boundless and hollow nature of the projected world. The entire sequence shows that Time, Space, movement and desolation can all be generated within a brief interval of mental absorption, reminding the reader that ordinary waking life may be no more substantial than this magical ride.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 21–28

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.21–28

(The mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

जाल्म जालजटालेन किमेतद्भवता कृतम्।

येनास्पन्दप्रसन्नोऽब्धिः क्षणादेत्य प्रसन्नताम् ॥ २१॥

चित्रं चित्रा हि देवस्य पदार्थशतशक्तयः।

सुशक्तमपि मे चित्तं याभिर्मोहे निवेशितम् ॥ २२॥

क्व वयं लोकपर्यायकृतान्तपदवेदिनः।

क्व मनोमोहदायिन्यो वितताः प्रकृतापदः ॥ २३॥

अप्यभ्यस्तमहाज्ञानं मनस्तिष्ठति देहके।

कदाचिन्मोहमादत्ते क्षणं मतिमतामपि ॥ २४॥

इदमाश्चर्यमाख्यानं श्रूयतां रे सभासदः।

मम शाम्बरिकेणेह यन्मुहूर्तं प्रदर्शितम् ॥ २५॥

दृष्टवानहमेतस्मिन्बह्वीः कार्यदशाश्चलाः।

मुहूर्तं प्रार्थितोऽध्वस्तशक्रसृष्टिरिवालजः ॥ २६॥

इत्युक्त्वोन्मुखनेत्रेषु सभ्येषु स हसन्निव।

राजा वर्णयितुं चित्रं वृत्तान्तमुपचक्रमे ॥ २७॥

राजोवाच।

इह विविधपदार्थसंकुलायां ह्रदनदपत्तनपर्वताकुलायाम्।

कुलशिखरिसमुद्रसंकरायां भुवि विभवावलितोऽस्त्ययं प्रदेशः ॥ २८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.21–27

> O wretched one with hair tangled like a net! What have you done that the ocean of my mind, which was still and clear, has in a moment been thrown into agitation?

> How wonderful and varied are the hundred powers of the Divine! Even my strong and capable mind has been cast by them into delusion.

> Where are we who know the successive states of the World and the place of death, and where are these widespread natural calamities that delude the mind?

> Even a mind that has practiced the Highest Knowledge and still resides in the body can sometimes fall into delusion for a moment, even in the case of the wise.

> Listen, O members of the assembly, to this astonishing story of what this magician showed me here in a single moment.

> In that short time I saw many changing scenes of events, as numerous as those shown long ago by the creator when he destroyed the magic creation of Indra.

> Having spoken thus, while the assembly looked on with raised faces, the King, smiling as it were, began to describe the wonderful occurrence.

The King said: 

3.105.28

> In this World crowded with many kinds of things, filled with lakes, rivers, towns and mountains, mixed with family hills and oceans, there is this region rich in prosperity.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses show how easily the mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained. The King, who had just emerged from a magical trance, addresses the magician and expresses surprise that his calm mind could be disturbed so quickly. The comparison of the mind to a still ocean that is suddenly agitated teaches that mental peace is fragile and can be lost in an instant under the influence of external forces or internal tendencies.

The verses highlight the extraordinary and manifold powers that belong to the Divine or to the creative force of Consciousness. These powers are capable of producing countless effects and of casting even a disciplined mind into delusion. This points to the idea that the World of appearances is a display of infinite creative energy, and that no individual mind, however powerful, stands outside its reach.

The text contrasts human knowledge of the cycles of life, death and worldly change with the sudden onset of deluding experiences. It reminds us that theoretical understanding of impermanence does not automatically protect us from practical confusion. Even those who know the facts of existence can still be overtaken by mental disturbance when circumstances arise.

A central teaching is that the mind, although it lives in the body and may have cultivated the Highest Knowledge, remains liable to momentary delusion. Wisdom and practice do not grant permanent immunity; vigilance is always required. This underscores the need for continual self-awareness rather than complacent reliance on past attainments.

Finally, the king’s decision to recount the experience to his assembly illustrates the value of examining and sharing such events. By describing the many scenes he witnessed in a brief period—scenes as vast and varied as a cosmic magical display—he demonstrates that time and experience are relative to the state of the mind. The opening description of the prosperous region then begins the narrative proper, showing how the mind projects an entire world of objects, places and conditions within itself. Together the verses teach that the apparent solidity of ordinary life is no more substantial than a magician’s show, and that true clarity arises only when this is clearly recognized.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 10–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.10–20

(Mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

आपातरमणीयेषु पर्यन्तविरसेषु च।

भोगेष्विव विकल्पेषु केषु ते लुलितं मनः ॥ १०॥

सततोदारवृत्तासु कथासु परिशीतलम्।

मनस्ते निर्मलं कस्मात्संभ्रमेषु निमज्जति ॥ ११॥

तुच्छालम्बनमालूनविशीर्णं लोकवृत्तिषु।

मनो मोहमुपादत्ते न महत्त्वविजृम्भितम् ॥ १२॥

सातत्येन हि यैवास्य मनसो वृत्तिरुत्थिता।

शरीरमदमत्तासु तामेवैतद्विधावति ॥ १३॥

अतुच्छालम्बनं धीरं प्रबुद्धं गुणहारि च।

तवापि हि मनश्चित्रमालूनमिव लक्ष्यते ॥ १४॥

अनभ्यस्तविवेकं हि देशकालवशानुगम्।

मन्त्रौषधिवशं याति मनो नोदारवृत्तिमत् ॥ १५॥

नित्यमात्तविवेकस्य कथमालूनशीर्णता।

धुनोति विततं चेतो वात्येव विबुधाचलम् ॥ १६॥

इति जातानुगीर्णस्य भूपतेः कान्तिराननम्।

भूषयामास शीतांशुं मासान्त इव पूर्णता ॥ १७॥

रराज राजा सौम्यास्यमुन्मीलितविलोचनः।

गते हिमर्तावुल्लासिपुष्पौघ इव माधवः ॥ १८॥

अथातिसंभ्रमाश्चर्यखिन्नास्मृतिमुखो बभौ।

आसन्नमृत्युरालोक्य राहुमिन्दुरिवाम्बरे ॥ १९॥

ऐन्द्रजालिकमालोक्य प्रोवाचाथ हसन्निव।

बभुं हिंसात्मकं दृष्ट्वा सर्परूपीव तक्षकः ॥ २०॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.10–14

> In which of those choices—like sense-pleasures that seem delightful at first but turn tasteless at the end—has your mind become confused and entangled?

> Your mind stays cool and pure when listening to stories of always-noble conduct. Why then does it sink into confusion and turmoil?

> A mind that rests on worthless supports, withered and broken amid ordinary worldly ways, takes hold of delusion. It does not expand into greatness.

> Whatever tendency keeps arising again and again in a mind that is drunk with bodily pride—that is the very path this mind races after.

> Even your mind, which rests on solid ground, is steady, awake, and full of good qualities, still appears strangely withered and disturbed.

3.105.15–20

> A mind that has never practised discrimination, that simply follows place and time, falls under the power of spells and drugs. A mind of noble tendency does not.

> How can withering and decay shake the wide Consciousness of one who constantly holds discrimination? A storm cannot shake the mountain of the gods.

> After the King was spoken to in this way, radiance adorned his face, just as the full moon’s completeness adorns the cool-rayed orb at the month’s end.

> The King shone with a calm face and open eyes, like the spring season that bursts into a mass of blooming flowers once winter has gone.

> Then his face showed extreme agitation, wonder, distress and loss of memory, looking like the moon in the sky that sees approaching death in the form of Rahu.

> Seeing the magician, he then spoke as if smiling—like the serpent Takshaka in snake-form when he sees a violent ape.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty. Sense-pleasures and restless choices have exactly this nature: they attract at the start and leave dryness at the end. A mind that has been trained by noble stories and clear thinking should remain cool and pure, yet even such a mind can temporarily sink into confusion when it loses its firm hold on discrimination.  

The root of the problem is the support the mind chooses. When it leans on trivial, worldly props and is swollen with bodily pride, it races after the same restless tendencies again and again and falls into delusion. Greatness cannot grow from such weak supports. In contrast, a mind that rests on solid, non-trivial ground, stays steady, awake and full of good qualities is hard to shake—yet even that mind can appear momentarily withered if vigilance slips.  

Discrimination is the decisive protection. A mind that has never practised it simply drifts with place, time and circumstance and therefore becomes easy prey to outer spells, drugs or inner illusions. A mind of noble tendency, constantly practising discrimination, cannot be permanently unsettled. Storms of confusion may blow, but they cannot uproot a Consciousness that is wide and firmly established, any more than a gale can move the mountain of the gods.  

The outer story shows the recovery of the King. Kind and wise words restore the natural radiance to his face, like the full moon recovering its light or spring returning after winter. Yet the memory of the recent illusion still leaves a trace of agitation, wonder and fear—exactly as the moon looks pale when it remembers Rahu. This mixture of restored calm and residual disturbance is natural when a strong mind has just emerged from a powerful temporary delusion.  

Finally the verses point to the larger truth: even a powerful, knowledgeable mind dwelling in a body can, for a moment, fall under illusion. The episode with the magician is therefore not merely an external trick; it is a living demonstration of how the mind itself creates and dissolves entire worlds of experience in a short span of time. Recognition of this power, followed by steady discrimination, is the way to keep the mind from being repeatedly entangled.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.1–9

(Return from a deep state of mental delusion to ordinary awareness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मुहूर्तद्वितयेनाथ बोधमाप महीपतिः।

प्रावृषेण्याम्बुनिर्मुक्तमम्भोरुहमिवोत्तमम् ॥ १॥

आसनात्साङ्गदोत्तंसः प्रबुद्धोऽसावकम्पयत्।

सवनाभोगशृङ्गाग्र्यो भूकम्प इव पर्वतः ॥ २॥

बभूवाथ प्रबुद्धोऽसावासनोपरि कम्पितः।

विक्षुब्ध इव पातालवारणे शङ्कराचलः ॥ ३॥

पतन्तं धारयामासुस्तं पुरोगा नृपं भुजैः।

मेरुं प्रलयविक्षुब्धं कुलशैलास्तटैरिव ॥ ४॥

पुरोगैर्धार्यमाणोऽसौ पर्याकुलमतिर्नृपः।

वीचिविक्षोभितस्येन्दोर्बभार वनमाः श्रियः ॥ ५॥

कोऽयं प्रदेशः कस्येयं सभेति स नृपः शनैः।

दध्वान मज्जदम्भोजकोशस्थ इव षट्पदः ॥ ६॥

अथोवाच सभा देव किमेतदिति सादरम्।

रणन्मधुकरी भानुं दृष्टराहुमिवालिनी ॥ ७॥

अथैनं परिपप्रच्छुः पुरोगा मन्त्रिणस्तथा।

प्रलयोल्लाससंत्रस्तं मार्कण्डेयमिवामराः ॥ ८॥

त्वयीत्थं संस्थिते देव वयमत्यन्तमाकुलाः।

अभेद्यमपि भिन्दन्ति निर्निमित्तं भ्रमा मनः ॥ ९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.105.1–9

> Then, after two moments, the King regained awareness, like a fine lotus freed from the waters of the rainy season.  

> The awakened King, wearing armlets and a crest, shook from his seat like a mountain with forests and high peaks trembling in an earthquake.  

> Then the awakened King trembled on his seat, as if Mount Kailasa were shaken by the elephant of the nether World.  

> His attendants held the falling King with their arms, just as the surrounding mountains support Mount Meru when it is shaken by the winds of dissolution.  

> Held by his attendants and with a confused mind, the King looked like the moon disturbed by waves and carried the beauty of forest garlands.  

> The King slowly murmured, “What is this place? Whose assembly is this?” like a bee trapped in the cup of a sinking lotus.  

> Then the assembly respectfully asked, “O lord, what is this?” like a buzzing bee seeing the Sun as if seized by Rahu.  

> Then the leading men and ministers questioned him, just as the gods, terrified by the onset of cosmic dissolution, once questioned Sage Markandeya.  

> “O Lord, while you are in this state we are extremely anxious. Even unbreakable things are broken by groundless delusions of the mind.”  

Summary of the Teachings: 

These verses show how a person can suddenly return from a deep state of mental delusion or magical illusion to ordinary awareness. The king’s sudden recovery is compared to a lotus that blooms again once the rains clear, teaching that clarity of mind can return quickly once the covering of confusion lifts. The strong physical shaking that follows reveals how deeply the body and mind are linked; a powerful inner experience leaves visible outer signs.  

The attendants’ prompt support of the falling king points to the value of steady companions in moments of weakness. Just as surrounding mountains hold up Meru during upheaval, wise friends and counselors steady a person when the mind is unsettled. The king’s confused appearance, like the moon tossed by waves, shows that even after awakening the mind may still carry traces of disturbance and need gentle help to regain balance.  

The king’s soft questions—“What place is this? Whose court is this?”—illustrate the natural response of a mind that has briefly lost its bearings. Like a bee inside a sinking lotus, the person feels enclosed and uncertain until the outer world is recognized again. The respectful inquiry of the assembly mirrors the concern of those who care for someone returning from confusion; their tone is gentle yet urgent, seeking to understand what has occurred.  

The ministers’ questioning, compared to the gods asking Markandeya during the fear of cosmic dissolution, teaches that great upheavals—whether outer catastrophe or inner delusion—prompt the same search for explanation. Even the wise feel temporary fear when familiar order is shaken, yet steady inquiry restores perspective.  

Finally, the courtiers’ words state the central lesson: groundless mental delusions can shake even a firm mind. No one is immune to sudden confusion arising without clear outer cause. The teaching urges constant discrimination and calm awareness so that the mind remains unshaken by fleeting illusions, whether produced by magic, dream, or ordinary error.  

Chapter 3.104, Verses 32~49

Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.32~49

(The King and the magician)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

तां ददर्श महीपालस्तेजोरेणुविराजिताम्।

शक्रः सुरविमानस्थः स्वकार्मुकलतामिव ॥ ३२॥

सभां सैन्धवसामन्तो विवेशास्मिन्क्षणे तदा।

तारापरिकरापूर्णां व्योमवीथीमिवाम्बुदः ॥ ३३॥

तं चैवानुजगामाश्वः सौम्यः परमवेगवान्।

देवलोकोन्मुखं तुष्टं शक्रमुच्चैःश्रवा इव ॥ ३४॥

स तमश्वमुपादाय पार्थिवं समुवाच ह।

सोच्चैःश्रवा इव क्षीरसागरो मरुतां पतिम् ॥ ३५॥

इदमुच्चैःश्रवःप्रख्यं हयरत्नं महीपते।

जवोडुयनशीलेन मूर्तिमानिव मारुतः ॥ ३६॥

अश्वोऽयमस्मत्प्रभुणा प्रभो संप्रहितस्त्वयि।

राजते हि पदार्थश्रीर्महतामर्पणाच्छुभा ॥ ३७॥

(३.१०४.३८–४३)

बोधितः केनचिन्नासौ स्वप्रतापजितोर्जितः।

धिया कामप्ययं भूयश्चिन्तां चिन्तयतीति च ॥ ४४॥

बभूवुः केवलं तत्र निःस्पन्दसितचामराः।

चामरिण्यो हि शर्वर्यः स्तम्भितेन्दुकरा इव ॥ ४५॥

विरेजुर्विस्मयापूर्णा निःस्पन्दास्ते सभासदः।

निःस्पन्दकिञ्जल्कदलाः पद्माः पङ्ककृता इव ॥ ४६॥

प्रशशाम सभास्थाने जनकोलाहलः शनैः।

प्रशान्तप्रावृषि व्योमन्याम्भोदमिव गर्जितम् ॥ ४७॥

संदेहसागरे मग्ना जग्मुश्चिन्तां सुमन्त्रिणः।

विषीदति गदापाणावसुराजाविवामराः ॥ ४८॥

विततविस्मितजिह्नितया तया जनतया भयमोहविषण्णया।

स्तिमितचक्षुषि भूमिपतौ स्थिते मुकुलिताज्जवनस्य धृता द्युतिः ॥ ४९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.104.32–37

> The King saw that bright staff circling and shining with sparkling particles of light, just as Indra sees his glowing rainbow in the sky.

> At that moment a chieftain from the Sindhu region entered the assembly, like a cloud appearing in the starry sky.

> A gentle yet extremely swift horse followed him at once, just as the celestial horse Uchchaihsravas follows Indra when he sets out toward the World of the gods.

> Taking hold of that horse, the chieftain spoke to the King, just as the milky ocean once presented Uchchaihsravas to the Lord of the winds.

> “O King of the Earth, this jewel among horses is equal to Uchchaihsravas. In its power to race and leap it is like the wind given bodily form.”

> “Our master has sent this horse to you, O Lord. The beauty of a fine object shines even more when it is offered by the great.”

3.104.38–43. 

> After the chieftain finished speaking, the magician said in a sweet voice that the King should mount the horse and roam freely over the Earth, shining like the Sun as it circles the sky. Hearing this, the King looked at the horse and ordered it brought forward. He gazed at it steadily with unblinking eyes, as if he himself had become a painted picture. After looking for a long time he mounted and sat motionless with closed eyes, remaining for about two hours as if lost in deep meditation, completely unaware of the outer World.

3.104.44–49

> No one could awaken him. Overcome by the power of his own mind, he remained absorbed in some thought of his own.

> Only the motionless white fly-whisks remained there; the women holding them stood still like nights whose moonlight has been frozen.

> The assembled courtiers sat motionless and full of wonder, like lotuses whose filaments and petals have become fixed in mud.

> Little by little the noise of the crowd in the assembly hall died away, just as the thunder of rain-clouds fades when the rainy season ends.

> The wise ministers sank into doubt and anxiety, just as the gods grow distressed when Vishnu, mace in hand, battles the demon kings.

> While the King sat with closed eyes, the people—filled with wonder, fear, and confusion—lost their brightness, like lotuses whose petals have closed.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses form part of the story of King Lavana and show how a single intense mental impression can seize the mind completely. The sudden appearance of the fine horse and the magician’s suggestion draw the king’s full attention; within moments he is no longer aware of the royal court around him. This illustrates that the outer world loses all force once the mind becomes absorbed in an inner scene of its own making.

The stillness that falls over the entire assembly—the motionless fly-whisks, the silent courtiers, the hushed noise—mirrors the king’s inner state. When the ruling Consciousness becomes fixed, every surrounding activity appears frozen. The text thereby teaches that outer events are secondary; they take their character from the condition of the mind that perceives them.

Verses 44–46 stress that the King is not overpowered by any external force but by the power of his own thought. Once a strong idea takes hold, even the strongest person remains as if bound. No outer call can interrupt the stream of imagination until the mind itself releases it. This points to the central teaching that the mind alone creates and sustains the experiences we call real.

The anxiety of the ministers and the fear of the people further reveal how quickly collective Consciousness is affected by the state of one dominant mind. When the king’s awareness withdraws, the whole court loses its usual vitality. The passage therefore shows the interdependence of individual and collective mental states and the ease with which confusion spreads when attention is misdirected.

Taken together, the verses prepare the larger lesson of the Lavana story: that the world we experience is a mental construction, as fleeting and changeable as a dream or a magician’s illusion. By watching the King pass in an instant from open-eyed alertness into complete absorption, the reader is invited to examine the power of his or her own mind and to recognize that liberation begins when that power is understood and mastered.

Chapter 3.104, Verses 1~31

Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.1~31

(The King and the magician)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अत्र ते श्रृणु वक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तमिममुत्तमम्।

जागतीहेन्द्रजालश्रीश्चित्तायत्ता यथा स्थिता ॥ १॥

अस्त्यस्मिन्वसुधापीठे नानावनसमाकुलः।

उत्तरापाण्डवो नाम स्फीतो जनपदो महान् ॥ २॥

नीरन्ध्रघनगम्भीरवन विश्रान्ततापसः।

विद्याधरीकृतलतादोलोपवनपत्तनः ॥ ३॥

वातोद्धूताञ्जकिञ्जल्कपुञ्जपिञ्जरपर्वतः।

लसत्कुसुमसंभारवनमालावतंसकः ॥ ४॥

(३.१०४.५–११)

तत्रास्ति लवणो नाम राजा परमधार्मिकः।

हरिश्चन्द्रकुलोद्भूतो भूमाविव दिवाकरः ॥ १२॥

यद्यशःकुसुमोत्तंसपाण्डुरस्कन्धमण्डलाः।

तत्र शैला विराजन्ते हाराः प्रोद्धूलिता इव ॥ १३॥

कृपाणशकलोत्कृत्तनिःशेषारातिमण्डलः।

अरातिलोकः प्राप्नोति यदनुस्मरणाज्ज्वरम् ॥ १४॥

यस्योदारसमारम्भमार्यलोकानुपालनम्।

चरितं संस्मरिष्यन्ति हरेरिव चिरं जनाः ॥ १५॥

यस्याप्सरोमिरद्रीन्द्रमूर्धस्वमरसद्मसु।

विकासिपुलकोल्लासं गीयन्ते गुणगीतयः ॥ १६॥

(३.१०४.१७–२५)

सभां विवेश साटोपः कश्चित्तामैन्द्रजालिकः।

वर्षेणाहितसंरम्भो वसुधामिव वारिदः ॥ २६॥

स ननाम महीपालं शिखरोदारकन्धरम्।

पादोपान्तगतः कान्तं शैलं फलतरुर्यथा ॥ २७॥

सच्छायस्योन्नतांसस्य फलिनः पुष्पभासिनः।

स विवेश पुरो राज्ञस्तरोरग्रे कपिर्यथा ॥ २८॥

चपलो लम्पटोऽर्थानामामोदसुखमारुतम्।

उवाचोत्कन्धरं भूपं सपद्ममिव षट्पदः ॥ २९॥

विलोकय विभो तावदेकामिह खरोलिकाम्।

पीठस्थ एव साश्चर्यां व्योम्नि चन्द्र इवावनिम् ॥ ३०॥

इत्युक्त्वा पिच्छिका तेन भ्रामिता भ्रमदायिनी।

नानाविरचनाबीजं मायेव परमात्मनः ॥ ३१॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.104.1–4

> Listen, I shall now tell you this excellent story of how the wondrous magic of the world depends entirely on the mind.

> On this earth there is a large and prosperous country named Uttara-Pandava, full of many kinds of forests.

> In its dense, deep, and thick forests, holy ascetics find rest. Celestial maidens have turned the groves with creeper-swings into pleasant settlements.

> The mountains there are yellow with masses of flower stamens scattered by the wind, and the land is decorated with shining garlands of forest flowers.

3.104.5–11

> These verses continue the description of the beautiful country. They speak of wild thickets with flowering trees, villages among date palms, the air filled with buzzing sounds, golden-hued paddy fields and rocky rows, forests echoing with the calls of blue-throated birds, groves resounding with the cries of cranes, soft bird songs, riverbanks with red-flowering trees, singing girls in the fields, flower-laden clouds stirred by the breeze, and pavilions of banana groves where divine singers perform, all making the land look pale and lovely with its flower gardens.

3.104.12–16

> In that country lives a King named Lavana, who is extremely righteous. He was born in the family of Harishchandra and shines on Earth like the Sun.

> The mountains there, whitened by the flower-garlands of his fame on their broad peaks, shine brightly as if they were scattered pearl necklaces.

> He has completely destroyed all his enemies with the edge of his sword. Even the memory of him causes feverish fear among enemy peoples.

> People will long remember his noble works and his protection of good people, just as they remember the deeds of Lord Hari.

> On the peaks of the great mountains and in the homes of the gods, celestial nymphs sing songs of his virtues with great joy and thrill.

3.104.17–25

These verses further praise the King’s pure and lofty character. They say that even in dreams no base or faulty act of his has ever been seen or heard. He knows no crookedness and has never shown boldness in wrong ways; he holds generosity as firmly as Brahma holds his rosary. Then they describe a day when the King sits on his throne in the assembly hall after the Sun has risen high. Feudatory armies enter with respect, beautiful women sing, kings sit comfortably, the sound of lutes and flutes delights the mind, graceful women wave chowries, the King sits like a teacher of gods and demons, the ministers are at ease, royal business is discussed, country news is reported by skilled ministers, sacred histories are recited from books, and bards humbly chant holy praises.

3.104.26–31

> At that time a certain proud magician entered the assembly, like a rain-cloud that stirs the whole earth with its coming showers.

> He bowed to the King, who had a lofty and noble neck, going near his feet, just as a fruit-laden tree bows before a beautiful mountain.

> He stood before the King like a monkey climbing to the top of a shady, high-branched, fruit-bearing, and flower-bright tree.

> The restless man, greedy for gain, spoke to the attentive King (whose presence was like a fragrant pleasant breeze) just as a bee speaks to a lotus.

> “O Lord, while you remain seated on your throne, look at just one wonderful puppet-show of mine, as the Moon in the sky looks down upon the Earth.”

> Saying this, he whirled a magic whisk of peacock feathers that creates illusion, like the Supreme Self’s own maya which is the seed of all varied creations.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses introduce the famous story of King Lavana to show that the entire world-appearance is like a magic show created by the mind. Vasistha begins by stating that the splendour of worldly illusion depends wholly on the mind, preparing the listener to see that what seems solid and real is only a mental projection.

The detailed and beautiful description of the country Uttara-Pandava and its forests, mountains, birds, flowers, and settlements serves to create a vivid, dream-like picture. This richness of imagery itself illustrates how the mind can construct an entire world of sights, sounds, and feelings that appear completely real while they last.

King Lavana is presented as an ideal, righteous ruler whose fame, power, and virtue are celebrated even by gods and celestial beings. His exalted character makes the later events more striking: if such a great King can be completely overpowered by a momentary mental illusion, then ordinary people are even more subject to the mind’s magic.

The sudden entrance of the proud magician into the peaceful royal assembly and his whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the beginning of the demonstration. The magician’s action is compared directly to the cosmic maya of the Supreme Self, showing that individual mental tricks and the grand illusion of creation are of the same nature.

Taken together, the passage teaches that all experiences—pleasant landscapes, royal glory, fear of enemies, and sudden magical transformations—are products of the mind. By watching how quickly and completely a solid-seeming reality can be replaced by another, the seeker is invited to question the solidity of the waking world and to turn attention inward to the Pure Consciousness that alone is Real.