Chapter 3.93, Verses 1–12

Yoga Vashishtha 3.93.1–12

(The process of Creation)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

इति मे भगवता पूर्वमुक्तं तदेतदद्य तुभ्यं कथितम् ॥ १॥

तस्मादनाख्यानाद्ब्रह्मणः सर्वतः सर्वमनाख्यानमुत्पद्यते स्वयमेव तद्धनतां प्राप्य मनः संपद्यते ॥ २॥

तन्मनस्तन्मात्रकल्पनपूर्वकसन्निवेशं भवति ततस्तैजसः पुरुषः संपद्यते सोऽयं ब्रह्मेत्यात्मनि नाम कृतवान् ॥ ३॥

तेन राम योऽयं परमेष्ठी तन्मनस्तत्त्वं विद्धि ॥ ४॥

समनस्तत्त्वाकारो भगवानब्रह्मा संकल्पमयत्वाद्यदेव संकल्पयति तदेव पश्यति ॥ ५॥

ततस्तेनेयमविद्या परिकल्पिता अनात्मन्यात्माभिमानमयीति तेन ब्रह्मणा गिरितृणजलधिमयमिदं क्रमेण जगत्परिकल्पितम् ॥ ६॥

इत्थं क्रमेण ब्रह्मतत्त्वादियमागता सृष्टिरन्यत एवागतेयमिति लक्ष्यते ॥ ७॥

तस्मात्सर्वपदार्थानां त्रैलोक्योदरवर्तिनाम्।

उत्पत्तिर्ब्रह्मणो राम तरङ्गाणामिवार्णवात् ॥ ८॥

य एवमनुत्पन्ने जगति या ब्रह्मणश्चिन्मनोरूपिणी साहंकारे परिकल्प्य ब्रह्म ब्रह्मतामेति ॥ ९॥

यास्त्वन्याश्चिच्छक्तयः सर्वशक्तेरभिन्ना एव कल्प्यन्ते ॥ १०॥

जगति स्फारतां नीते पितामहरूपेण मनसा समुल्लसन्ति ॥ ११॥

एते सहस्रशोऽपि परिवर्तमानजीवा उच्यन्ते ॥ १२॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.93.1–5

> What was previously spoken to me by the revered One, that very thing has now been narrated to you.

> From that indescribable Brahm, all that is unmanifested arises spontaneously from every side. Having attained a condensed State, that then becomes the mind.

> That mind assumes a structure based on the prior conceptualization of the subtle elements. From that, the radiant Cosmic person comes into being. He gave himself the name Brahma.

> Therefore, O Rama, know that this very Supreme Being is the principle of mind.

> The Blessed Lord, whose form is the mind-principle, due to His Nature being characterized by will, whatever He wills, that very thing He perceives.

3.93.6–12

> Thereafter, by Him, this ignorance was conceived, characterized by the identification of the Self with the non-self. By that Brahm, this World consisting of mountains, grass, and oceans was gradually created.

> Thus, in due order, this Creation has emerged from the Principle of Brahm. Yet it appears as if this Creation has come from some other Source.

> Therefore, O Rama, the origin of all entities residing within the three worlds is from Brahm, just as waves arise from the Ocean.

> Indeed, when the World is unmanifested, that which is the Consciousness-Mind form of Brahm, by being conceived with ego, attains the State of Brahma.

> But those other Consciousness-powers are indeed considered non-different from the all-power.

> When the World has attained manifestation, they shine forth by means of the mind in the form of the grandfather (Brahma).

> These, even in thousands, are called transmigrating souls.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses present the process of Creation as arising entirely from the indescribable, Absolute Brahm. Nothing external or separate is required. From the unnameable Brahm, an unmanifest potential first appears spontaneously. Through a process of condensation or densification, this potential takes the form of mind. The mind is thus not an independent entity but a denser expression of Pure Consciousness itself.

The mind then forms subtle notions of the elemental principles and organizes itself into a radiant Cosmic person. This Being names itself Brahma and is identified as the mind-principle seated in the supreme. Because its Nature is made of Will or ideation, whatever it conceives, it immediately perceives as present. In this way the entire field of experience is generated within the mind alone.

Through this same process, ignorance arises. Ignorance consists in mistaking the non-self for the Self. Under the influence of this misidentification, Brahm, functioning as the creative mind, gradually projects the world of mountains, vegetation, oceans, and all other forms. Although the entire sequence unfolds from the Pure Principle of Brahm, it appears to ordinary perception as if the world has come from some other, independent material Source.

All objects and Beings that fill the three worlds therefore originate from Brahm in the same way that waves arise from the Ocean. They have no separate existence apart from their Source. Before the World becomes manifest, the Consciousness-Mind power of Brahm, when touched by the sense of “I,” assumes the role of the Creator Brahma. The other powers of Consciousness remain non-different from the total power of the Absolute.

Once the World expands into manifestation, these powers appear through the mind in the form of the grandfather of Creation - Brahma. In their multiplicity they are known as the countless individual souls that cycle through repeated births. The teaching thus establishes that Mind, Creator, World, and individual Beings are successive appearances within one undivided Consciousness, and that liberation lies in recognizing this non-dual origin.

Chapter 3.92, Verses 26–37

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.26–37

(These verses teach that the mind is the true power in a person and that its own strength and clear discrimination protect it from every outer harm)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

ये चापि खण्डिताः केचिच्छापाद्यैराधिसायकैः।

स्वविवेकाक्षमं तेषां मनो मन्ये विपौरुषम् ॥ २६॥

न कदाचन संसारे सावधानमना मनाक्।

स्वप्नेऽपि कश्चिदृश्ये वा दोषजालैः खिलीकृतः ॥ २७॥

मनसैव मनस्तस्मात्पौरुषेण पुमानिह।

स्वकमेव स्वकेनैव योजयेत्पावने पथि ॥ २८॥

प्रतिभातं यदेवास्य यथाभूतं भवत्यलम्।

क्षणादेव मनः पीनं बालवेतालवन्मुने ॥ २९॥

प्रतिभासस्यानुपदं प्राक्तनीं स्थितिमुज्झति।

कुलालकर्मानुपदं घटो मृत्पिण्डतामिव ॥ ३०॥

प्रतिभासार्थतामेति क्षणादेव मनो मुने।

स्पन्दमात्रात्मकं वारि यथा तुङ्गतरङ्गताम् ॥ ३१॥

अनुसंधानमात्रेण सूर्यबिम्बेऽपि यामिनीम्।

मनः पश्यत्यशुद्धाक्षश्चन्द्रबिम्बे द्वितामिव ॥ ३२॥

यत्पश्यति तदेवाशु फलीभूतमिदं मनः।

सह हर्षविषादाभ्यां भुङ्क्ते तस्मात्तदेव तत् ॥ ३३॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतश्चन्द्रेऽप्यग्निशिखाशतम्।

दृष्ट्वा दाहमवाप्नोति दग्धं च परितप्यते ॥ ३४॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतः क्षारेऽपि हि रसायनम्।

दृष्ट्वा पीत्वा परां तृप्तिं याति वल्गति नृत्यति ॥ ३५॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतो व्योमन्यपि महावनम्।

दृष्ट्वा लुनाति लूत्वा च पुनरारोपयत्यलम् ॥ ३६॥

इत्थं यदेव परिकल्पयतीन्द्रजालं क्षिप्रं तदेव परिपश्यति तात चेतः।

नासज्जगन्न च सदित्यवगम्य नूनं लूनां दृशं विविधभेदवतीं जहीहि ॥ ३७॥

Brahmadev continued: 

3.92.26–37

> Those who are broken by the arrows of curses, afflictions and the like have minds that lack discrimination and manly strength.  

> No one whose mind remains even a little attentive in this world is ever overcome, even in a dream or while looking at anything, by the nets of faults.  

> Therefore a person should join his own mind, by the manly power of the mind itself, to the pure path.  

> Whatever appears to it becomes fully Real for it. In a moment the mind swells, O Sage, like a child’s imaginary ghost.  

> Following the appearance, it leaves its earlier State, just as a pot, after the potter’s work, leaves the condition of a mere lump of clay.  

> In a moment the mind becomes the meaning of the appearance, O Sage, just as water, which is only movement, becomes high waves.  

> By mere imagination the impure mind sees night even in the disc of the sun, and duality even in the disc of the moon.  

> Whatever it sees, that very thing quickly becomes Real for this mind. With joy and sorrow it experiences that, and therefore that alone is that.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees a hundred flames of fire even in the moon, feels the burning, and then suffers as if burnt.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees the best medicine even in alkali, drinks it, attains supreme satisfaction, leaps and dances.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees a great forest even in the sky, cuts it down, and then plants it again fully.  

> In this way, whatever magic show the mind imagines, that very thing it quickly sees, O dear one. Knowing for certain that the World is neither unreal nor real, give up the cut-up vision that is full of many differences.  

Summary of the teachings:

 Curses, diseases and other troubles can affect only those whose minds are weak and unable to discriminate. A mind that stays even a little alert is never truly overcome, whether awake or dreaming.  

A person must therefore use the firm resolve of the mind itself to keep the mind on the pure path. The mind has the amazing ability to turn any thought into an immediate reality for itself. A single idea can swell and take complete hold of it, just as a child’s fear of a ghost becomes real to the child.  

Once a new appearance arises, the mind quickly drops its former State and becomes that new thing, the way a pot is no longer a lump of clay after the potter shapes it, or still water becomes tall waves with a slight movement. By mere imagination it can see darkness in the bright sun or two moons where there is only one.  

Whatever the mind looks upon becomes fruitful for it at once, and it experiences the joy or sorrow that belongs to that vision. It can feel burning from fire it imagines in the cool moon, feel deep satisfaction from a healing drink it imagines in bitter alkali, or cut down and replant a forest it imagines in empty sky.  

The final teaching is that the entire world is a magic show produced by the mind’s own imagination. It is neither solidly real nor simply unreal. When this is clearly understood, one should stop looking at the world through the divided, many-coloured vision of ordinary perception and rest free from all such distinctions.  

Chapter 3.92, Verses 13–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.13–25

(The power of mind-body)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

मनोनाम द्वितीयोऽयं कायः कायवतामिह।

स आयत्तोऽपि नायत्तो भूतानां भुवनत्रये ॥ १३॥

पौरुषं स्वमवष्टभ्य धैर्यमालम्ब्य शाश्वतम्।

यदि तिष्ठत्यगम्योऽसौ दुःखानां तदनिन्दितः ॥ १४॥

यथा यथासौ यतते मनोदेहो हि देहिनाम्।

तथा तथासौ भवति स्वनिश्चयफलैकभाक् ॥ १५॥

सफलो मांसदेहस्य न कश्चित्पौरुषक्रमः।

मनोदेहस्य सफलं सर्वमेव स्वचेष्टितम् ॥ १६॥

पवित्रमनुसंधानं चेतः स्मरति सर्वदा।

निष्फलास्तत्र शापाद्याः शिलायामिव सायकाः ॥ १७॥

पतत्वम्भसि वह्नौ वा कर्दमे वा शरीरकम्।

मनो यदनुसंधत्ते तदेवाप्नोति तत्क्षणात् ॥ १८॥

पुरुषातिशयः सर्वः सर्वभावोपमर्दने।

ददात्यविघ्नेन फलं मनो हि मनसो मुने ॥ १९॥

पौरुषेण बलेनान्तश्चित्तं कृत्वा प्रियामयम्।

कृत्रिमेन्द्रेण दुःखार्तिर्न दृष्टा सा मनागपि ॥ २०॥

पौरुषेण मनः कृत्वा नीरागं विगतज्वरम्।

माण्डव्येन जिताः क्लेशाः शूलप्रान्तेऽपितिष्ठता ॥ २१॥

अन्धकूपस्थितेनापि मानसैर्यज्ञसंचयैः।

ऋषिणा दीर्घतपसा संप्राप्तं वैबुधं पदम् ॥ २२॥

इन्दुपुत्रैर्नरैरेव पुरुषाध्यवसायतः।

ध्यानेन ब्रह्मता प्राप्ता सा मयापि न खण्ड्यते ॥ २३॥

अन्येऽपि सावधाना ये धीराः सुरमहर्षयः।

चित्तात्स्वमनुसंधानं न त्यजन्ति मनागपि ॥ २४॥

आधयो व्याधयश्चैव शापाः पापदृशस्तथा।

न खण्डयन्ति तच्चित्तं पद्मघाताः शिलामिव ॥ २५॥

Brahmdev continued: 

3.92.13–18

> Among embodied Beings here, this second body is called the mind. Though dependent, it is not truly controlled by other Beings in the three Worlds.

> If a person relies on their own effort and holds firmly to everlasting courage, remaining unreachable by sorrows, then that person is free from blame.

> Just as the mind-body of living Beings strives, so does that person alone enjoy the full fruit of their own firm resolve.

> No effort of the flesh-body ever truly succeeds. All effort of the mind-body alone bears full fruit.

> When the Pure mind constantly holds to Pure contemplation, curses and the like become fruitless against it, just as arrows fail against a rock.

  

> Let the body fall into water, fire or mud; whatever the mind steadily contemplates, that it attains at once.

3.92.19–25

> O Sage, the highest human power that overcomes every condition gives its result without obstacle; for the mind alone acts upon the mind.

> By firm effort making the inner mind filled with the beloved, the artificial Indra felt not even a trace of pain or suffering.

> By firm effort making the mind free of desire and fever, Mandavya conquered all afflictions even while fixed on the tip of a stake.

> Even while trapped in a dark well, the long-austerity Sage attained the State of the Gods through many mental sacrificial rites.

> Even ordinary men, the sons of Indu, attained Brahmanhood through determined human effort and meditation; that State even I cannot revoke.

> Other careful, steadfast Gods and great Sages likewise never abandon even slightly the pure contemplation of their own minds.

> Mental distresses, diseases, curses and evil glances cannot break that mind, any more than blows of lotus leaves can split a rock.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that every living Being possesses two bodies: the physical body of flesh and the far more powerful mental body. The physical body is weak, short-lived and easily affected by external forces such as curses, mantras or physical hardship. In contrast, the mind remains essentially free and cannot be truly subdued by outside agencies so long as a person exercises deliberate personal effort and steady courage. Success in any endeavour depends almost entirely on the focused activity of the mind rather than on muscular or material exertion.

When the mind is firmly fixed on a pure and steady purpose, external threats lose their power. Curses fall away like arrows striking stone; physical suffering—whether immersion in water or fire, impalement, or confinement in a dark well—cannot disturb a resolute mind. Historical and legendary examples illustrate this truth: the artificial Indra who filled his mind with the thought of his beloved felt no pain; Mandavya remained calm while fixed on a stake; a Sage in a dark well still performed mental sacrifices and rose to the Divine State; and the ordinary human sons of Indu attained the status of Brahma through determined meditation that even Brahma himself could not reverse.

The verses emphasise that the mind alone shapes and Realizes its own destiny. Whatever the mind steadily contemplates, it obtains at once. Pure, uninterrupted contemplation renders the mind invulnerable, while scattered or impure mental activity leaves a person open to every form of suffering. Therefore the highest human power lies in the deliberate direction of one’s own mind.

A person who continually guards mental focus, never abandoning pure contemplation even for a moment, stands beyond the reach of mental anguish, disease, curses or hostile influences. Such a mind is as unbreakable as rock struck by soft lotus leaves. The practical instruction is clear: rely on personal effort, cultivate unwavering mental steadiness, and keep the mind fixed on pure resolve; then every obstacle dissolves and the desired result is attained without hindrance.

In short, these teachings place complete responsibility and complete power in the individual’s own mental discipline. Mastery of the mind is the single most effective means of overcoming suffering and achieving the Highest Goals, whether Worldly or Spiritual.

Chapter 3.92, Verses 1–12

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.1–12

(The Mind-Body connection)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

इत्युक्तवान्स भगवान्मया कमलसंभवः।

रघूद्वह पुनः पृष्टो वाक्यमाक्षिप्य भूतपः ॥ १ ॥

त्वयैव भगवन्प्रोक्ताः शापमन्त्रादिशक्तयः ।

अमोघा इति ता एव कथं मोघाः कृताः पुनः ॥ २ ॥

शापेन मन्त्रवीर्येण मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियाण्यपि ।

सर्वाण्येव विमूढानि दृष्टानि किल जन्तुषु ॥ ३ ॥

यथैतौ पवनस्पन्दौ यथा स्नेहतिलौ यथा ।

अभिन्नौ तद्वदेवैतौ मनोदेहौ स एव तत् ॥ ४ ॥

अथ नास्तीह वा देहः केवलं चेतसैव सः।

मुधानुभूयते स्वप्नमृगतृष्णाद्विचन्द्रवत् ॥ ५ ॥

एकनाशे द्वयोरेव नाशोऽत्राभ्युपपद्यते ।

अवश्यं भवितुं मनोनाशे देहपरिक्षयः ॥ ६ ॥

मनः शापादिभिर्दोषैः कथं नाक्रम्यते प्रभो ।

कथमाक्रम्यते वापि ब्रूहि मे परमेश्वर ॥ ७ ॥

ब्रह्मोवाच।

न तदस्तिजगत्कोशे शुभकर्मानुपातिना।

यत्पौरुषेण शुद्धेन न समासाद्यते जनैः ॥ ८ ॥

आब्रह्म स्थावरान्तं च सर्वदा सर्वजातयः ।

सर्व एव जगत्यस्मिन्द्विशरीराः शरीरिणः ॥ ९ ॥

एकं मनःशरीरं तु क्षिप्रकारि सदा चलम्।

अकिंचित्करमन्यत्तु शरीरं मांसनिर्मितम् ॥ १० ॥

तत्र मांसमयः कायः सर्वस्यैव च संगतः।

सर्वैराक्रम्यते शापैस्तथा विद्यादिसंचयैः ॥ ११ ॥

मूकप्रायो ह्यशक्तोऽसौ दीनः क्षणविनश्वरः ।

पद्मपत्राम्बुचपलो दैवादिविवशस्थितिः ॥ १२ ॥

Maharishi Vasishta said: 

3.92.1–7

> After the lotus-born Lord had spoken thus to me, O scion of the Raghu race, I questioned him again, interrupting his words, O Lord of Beings.

> Lord, you yourself had declared that the powers of curses, mantras and the like are unfailing. How then can those very powers be made fruitless again?

> By the force of curses and the power of mantras, the mind, intellect and senses of creatures are all seen to be completely bewildered.

> Just as wind and its motion, or oil and the sesame seed, are inseparable, so also are the mind and the body; they are one and the same.

> Or else, there is no body here at all; it is experienced only through the mind, like a dream, a mirage, or the illusion of two moons.

> Therefore the destruction of one necessarily brings the destruction of both. When the mind is destroyed, the decay of the body must certainly follow.

> How is it, O Lord, that the mind is not overcome by the faults of curses and the like? Or how is it overcome? Please tell me, O Supreme Lord.

Lord Brahmdev said: 

3.92.8–12

> There is nothing in the entire storehouse of the World that cannot be attained by people who follow pure effort and good actions.

> From Brahma down to the immobile Beings, all species of creatures in this world always possess two bodies.

> One is the mind-body, which is ever active and always moving. The other is the body made of flesh, which is powerless and does nothing.

> Of these, the body of flesh is joined to every Being and is overcome by all curses as well as by the accumulation of knowledge and similar powers.

> That body of flesh is almost mute, powerless, miserable, perishing in a moment, unsteady like water on a lotus leaf, and completely subject to fate and the like.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses begin with Vasishta recalling a conversation with Brahma in which he raises a doubt about the claimed infallibility of curses and mantras. He points out that such powers are said to be unfailing, yet they appear to fail in some cases, and he seeks clarification on how the mind can remain unaffected while the body and senses are disturbed.

The discussion establishes the intimate connection between mind and body, comparing them to wind and its movement or oil and sesame. At the same time, it suggests that the body may ultimately be only a mental construct, like a dream or mirage, so that the destruction of the mind would necessarily bring the end of the body.

Brahma responds by affirming the power of pure human effort, stating that nothing in the world is beyond the reach of those who act with sincerity and righteousness. He then explains that every living Being, from the highest to the lowest, has two distinct bodies: a subtle, ever-active mental body and a gross, inert physical body of flesh.

The physical body alone is vulnerable to curses, mantras, and other external influences, while remaining weak, fleeting, and subject to destiny. The mental body, by contrast, is the seat of true agency and can remain free when properly directed. The teaching therefore points to the primacy of the mind and the possibility of rising above external forces through purified effort and self-mastery.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 43–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.43–54

(These verses teach that the Pure Self, or Pure Consciousness, is completely free of ego-sense, individuality, and all dualistic notions)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

अहंतादिपरे तत्त्वे मनागपि न विद्यते।

ऊर्म्यादीव पृथक्तोये संवित्सारं हि तद्यतः ॥ ४३॥

अहंप्रत्ययसंदृश्यं चेत्यं विद्धि समुत्थितम्।

मृगतृष्णाम्ब्विवान्तस्थं नूनं विद्यत एव नो ॥ ४४॥

अहंतापदमन्तात्मपदं विद्धि निरामयम्।

विदं विदुरहंतादि शैत्यमेव यथा हिमम् ॥ ४५॥

चित्तेव चेत्यते जाड्यं स्वप्ने स्वमरणोपमम्।

सर्वात्मत्वात्सर्वशक्तीः कुर्वती नैति साम्यताम् ॥ ४६॥

मनः पदार्थादितया सर्वरूपं विजृम्भते।

नानात्माचित्तदेहोऽयमाकाशविशदाकृतिः ॥ ४७॥

देहादिदेहप्रतिभारूपात्म्यं त्यजता सता।

विचार्यं प्रतिभासात्म चित्तं चित्तेन वै स्वयम् ॥ ४८॥

चित्तताम्रे शोधिते हि परमार्थसुवर्णताम्।

गतेऽकृत्रिम आनन्दः किं देहोपलखण्डकैः ॥ ४९॥

यद्विद्यते शोध्यते तद्बोधः के च खपादपाः।

देहाद्यविद्या सत्या चेद्युक्त एतां प्रति ग्रहः ॥ ५०॥

असत्यविनिविष्टानां देहवाचितया त्विह।

ये नामोपदिशन्त्यज्ञाः किंचित्ते पुरुषैडकाः ॥ ५१॥

यथैतद्भावयेत्स्वान्तं तथैव भवति क्षणात्।

दृष्टान्तोऽत्रैन्दवाहल्याकृत्रिमेन्द्रादिनिश्चयाः ॥ ५२॥

यद्यद्यथा स्फुरति सुप्रतिभात्मचित्तं तत्तत्तथा भवति देहतयोदितात्म।

देहोऽयमस्ति न न चाहमिति स्वरूपं विज्ञानमेकमवगम्य निरिच्छमास्स्व ॥ ५३॥

देहोऽयमेष च किलायमिति स्वभावाद्देहोऽयमेतदखिलं तत एति नाशम्।

यक्षादिकल्पनवशाद्भयमेति बालो निर्यक्षदेहगत एव कयापि युक्त्या ॥ ५४॥

Brahmadev continued:

3.91.43–48

> In the Highest Reality there is not even the slightest trace of ego-sense or related notions. That Reality is Pure Consciousness itself, just as waves are not separate from the water.

> Know that whatever appears as an object through the idea of “I” is only a rising appearance. It does not really exist within, any more than water exists in a mirage.

> Know the State of egoism to be the impure self, while the Pure Self is free from all affliction. The wise understand ego-sense and the like to be nothing other than the coldness that belongs to ice.

> Consciousness alone imagines inertness, just as one dreams of one’s own death. Being the Self of all, it exercises every power yet never becomes identical with those powers.

> The mind spreads out in every form as though those forms were Real objects. This body made of mind and Consciousness is of the Nature of clear Space and takes on many shapes.

> A wise person should give up identification with the body and the like, and should examine, with the mind itself, the mind that is only an appearance.

3.91.49–54

> When the copper of the mind is purified it becomes the Pure Gold of the Supreme Reality. Then Natural Bliss arises; of what use are the stone fragments of the body?

> Whatever truly exists is purified by Knowledge. What are these trees growing in the sky? If the ignorance that takes the body and the like as Real were itself real, then attachment to them would be justified.

> Those ignorant people who teach others who are attached to the unreal body as the Self are themselves only sheep among men.

> Whatever one contemplates within oneself, that one becomes in an instant. Clear examples are the firm convictions of the sons of Indu, of Ahalya, of the artificial Indra, and so on.

> Whatever form the firmly established mind of appearance takes, that very form becomes the body that rises as the Self. This body does not exist, nor does the “I.” Knowing the single Knowledge that is one’s True Nature, remain free from desire.

> By Nature a person thinks “this body is I” and “this is mine”; from that the entire body comes to destruction. A child feels fear because of the imagined yaksha and the like; by some sound reasoning he becomes free of that imagined yaksha-body.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the Pure Self, or pure Consciousness, is completely free of ego-sense, individuality, and all dualistic notions. Ego and the sense of “I” and “mine” are only fleeting appearances that arise within Consciousness, just as waves arise in water or water seems to exist in a mirage. They have no independent Reality. The mind itself is nothing but Consciousness appearing in limited forms; it projects the body and the world, yet remains of the nature of clear, open Space.

Because the mind creates whatever it firmly contemplates, identification with the body and its limitations is only a temporary, dream-like belief. When this belief is examined carefully with the mind itself, the mind is purified. Like copper refined into Pure Gold, the mind reveals its true nature as the Supreme Reality, and natural, uncreated Bliss arises. Attachment to the perishable body then loses all meaning.

The verses stress that only what truly exists can be purified by Knowledge. The body and the ego are like trees growing in the sky—mere empty imaginations. Those who teach others to cling to the body as the Self are themselves deluded. Instantaneous transformation is possible: as one thinks, so one becomes, illustrated by well-known stories of beings who became what they intensely imagined.

Finally, the teaching is practical. The belief “I am this body” and “this is mine” is the root of fear, limitation, and eventual destruction of the body-idea. Just as a child is freed from the fear of an imaginary demon by clear reasoning, so a person is freed from the imagined body by understanding that only Pure Consciousness is Real. Remaining established in that single, desire-free Knowledge is the Natural State.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 36–42

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.36–42

(These verses teach that the common distinction between the inert - jada - and the Conscious - cetana - has no  substance)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

जडचेतनभावादिशब्दार्थश्रीर्न विद्यते।

अनिर्देश्यपदे पत्रलतादीव महामरौ ॥ ३६॥

चितो यच्चेत्यकलनं तन्मनस्त्वमुदाहृतम्।

चिद्भागोऽत्राजडो भागो जाड्यमत्र हि चेत्यता ॥ ३७॥

चिद्भागोऽत्रावबोधांशो जडं चेत्यं हि दृश्यते।

इति जीवो जगद्भान्तिं पश्यन्गच्छति लोलताम् ॥ ३८॥

चित्तस्य एव भावोऽसौ शुद्ध एव द्विधा कृतः।

अतः सर्वं जगत्सैव द्वैतलब्धं च सैव तत् ॥ ३९॥

स्वमेवान्यतया दृष्ट्वा चितिर्दृश्यतया वपुः।

निर्भागाप्येकभागाभं भ्रमतीव भ्रमातुरा ॥ ४०॥

न भ्रान्तिरस्ति भ्रमभाङ्गा नैवेतीह निश्चयः।

परिपूर्णार्णवप्रख्यावेतीत्थं संस्थिता चितिः ॥ ४१॥

सर्वं स्याज्जाड्यमप्यस्याश्चितिश्चित्त्वं च वेत्सि तत्।

चिद्भागोंशोऽवबोधस्य त्वहंताजडतोदयः ॥ ४२॥

Brahmadev continued:

3.91.36–42

> There is no real glory or meaning in words like inert and Conscious. In the indescribable State they are like leaves and creepers imagined in a great desert.

> The mindedness of Consciousness is said to be its reckoning of the Knowable. Here the Conscious part is the non-inert part, and inertness is simply the State of being Knowable.

> Here the Conscious part is the aspect of understanding, while the inert is seen as the Knowable. Thus the living Being, seeing the illusion of the World, becomes restless.

> This very State of the mind, pure in itself, is made into two. Therefore the whole World is that alone, and duality is also attained only by that.

> Seeing its own Self as other, Consciousness takes on a body as the seen. Though without parts, it appears as if having one part and wanders as if afflicted by delusion.

> There is no delusion, nor is there one who is deluded—this is the certainty here. Consciousness remains established in this way, like a perfectly full Ocean.

> Even if everything of this Consciousness were inert, you still know its Consciousness-Nature. The Conscious part is a share of understanding, while the rise of “I-ness” is the rise of inertness.

Summary of the teachings:

Words and concepts that divide Reality into living and non-living, subject and object, are only provisional labels. In the highest, indescribable Reality they dissolve, just as imaginary plants vanish when one Realizes there is only desert sand. Consciousness alone is Real; every appearance arises within it.

The mind itself is nothing other than Consciousness turning toward an object of Knowledge. When Pure Awareness seems to measure or cognize something, that activity is called mind. Within this process the Knowing aspect remains Conscious and non-inert, while the known aspect appears inert. The living Being (jiva) is simply this mixed appearance: Awareness identifying with the seen and therefore becoming restless amid the world’s illusory display.

Yet the Pure Nature of mind is never truly divided. The same undivided Consciousness is artificially split into Seer and seen, subject and object. The entire Universe and the sense of duality both arise solely from this apparent division of what is essentially One. Duality is not an independent Reality; it is only the pure mind appearing as two.

Consciousness, though partless, seems to regard itself as other and thereby assumes the form of a body or object. This creates the appearance of a fragmented, deluded wanderer. In truth there is neither real delusion nor a real deluded entity. Consciousness stands complete and undisturbed, like an ocean that is already full and needs nothing added or removed.

Even the so-called inert is only a mode of Consciousness. The rise of ego (“I-ness”) is precisely the apparent solidification of Awareness into the inert. Recognizing this, one understands that Consciousness never loses its own nature. All dualities— Conscious and inert, Self and other, Knowledge and ignorance—are provisional appearances within the single, undivided Reality of Pure Awareness.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 23–35

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.23–35

(The mind and its tendencies)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

कथ्यते जीवनाम्नैतच्चित्तं प्रतनुवासनम्।

शान्तदेहचमत्कारं जीवं विद्धि क्रमात्परम् ॥ २३॥

नाहं न चान्यदस्तीह चित्रं चित्तमिदं स्थितम्।

वसिष्ठैन्दवसंविद्वदसत्सत्तामिवागतम् ॥ २४॥

यथैन्दव मनो ब्रह्मा तथैवायमहं स्थितः।

तत्कृतं चाहमेवेदं संकल्पात्मैव भासते ॥ २५॥

कश्चिच्चित्तविलासोऽयं ब्रह्माहमिह संस्थितः।

स्वभाव एव देहादि विद्धि शून्यतरात्मखात् ॥ २६॥

शुद्धचित्परमार्थैकरूपिणीत्येव भावनात्।

जीवो भूयो मनो भूत्वा वेत्तीत्थं देहतां मुधा ॥ २७॥

सर्वमैन्दवसंसारवदिदं भाति चिद्वपुः।

संपन्नसंप्रबोधात्मा स्वप्नो दीर्घः स्वशक्तिजः ॥ २८॥

द्विचन्द्रविभ्रमाकारं तन्मात्राभासपूर्वकम्।

ऐन्दवाम्बरवद्रूढं चित्तादेवाखिलं भवेत् ॥ २९॥

न सन्नासदहंरूपं सत्तासत्ते तदेव च।

उपलम्भेन सद्रूपमसत्यं तद्विरोधतः ॥ ३०॥

जडाजडं मनो विद्धि संकल्पात्म बृहद्वपुः।

अजडं ब्रह्मरूपत्वाज्जडं दृश्यात्मतावशात् ॥ ३१॥

दृश्यानुभवसत्यात्म न सद्भावे विलासि तत्।

कटकत्वं यथा हेम्नि तथा ब्रह्मणि संस्थितम् ॥ ३२॥

सर्वत्वाद्ब्रह्मणः सर्वं जडं चिन्मयभेव च।

अस्मदादिशिलान्तात्म न जडं न च चेतनम् ॥ ३३॥

दार्वादीनामचित्त्वेन नोपलम्भस्य संभवः।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धादेव जायते ॥ ३४॥

उपलब्धेऽजडं विद्धि तेनेदं सर्वमेव हि।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धात्स्यात्समात्मनोः ॥ ३५॥

Brahmadev continued: 

3.91.23–28

> This mind with its subtle residual tendencies covers the individual living soul (jiva). Know that when the body’s wondrous display becomes calm, the jiva gradually becomes the Supreme.

> There is neither “I” nor any other thing here. Only this wondrous mind remains. Like the sons of Indu who imagined themselves as Brahma, the unreal appears to have taken on existence.

> Just as the mind of the sons of Indu became Brahma, so my mind makes me stand as Brahma. Whatever this mind has created appears through its own imagination.

> This is only a play of the mind in which I, Brahma, am situated here. Know that the body and all else arise from the empty nature of the Self and are more empty still.

> Through the constant feeling that Pure Consciousness alone is the Highest Reality, the jiva again becomes the mind and then uselessly regards the body as real.

> Just as the world of the sons of Indu appears, so this entire Universe appears as the body of Consciousness. It is a long dream born of its own power, arising when full awakening has not yet come.

3.91.29–35

> Like the illusion of two moons or the appearance of subtle elements, the whole World is firmly established like the sky of the sons of Indu and arises only from the mind.

> There is neither Real nor unreal in the form of “I.” Existence and non-existence are the same. By perception something seems Real; by contradiction it is known as unreal.

> Know the mind to be both inert and non-inert, a vast body made of imagination. It is non-inert because it is of the nature of Brahm; it is inert because it appears as the visible World.

> The experience of the visible World seems True, yet it dissolves when true existence is known. Just as “bracelet” is only a form in gold, so the world exists only in Brahm.

> Because Brahm is everything, all that appears inert is also Pure Consciousness. From us down to a stone, nothing is purely inert and nothing is purely Conscious.

> Things like wood have no Consciousness, so perception of them is impossible. Perception arises only from a relation of similarity.

> Therefore know that whatever is perceived is non-inert. All this exists only because perception arises from the similar relation of the Self with itself.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the individual living soul is covered with the mind when it is filled with subtle residual tendencies and desires. When those tendencies calm down and the restless display of the body ceases, the same jiva is gradually revealed as the Supreme Reality itself. There is no separate “I” or “other”; only pure mind exists, and whatever appears as a person or a world is only the mind’s own imagination, just as certain sons of Indu once imagined themselves to be creator-gods and thereby seemed to become them.

The mind creates everything through its own thought. Just as those imaginary creators produced whole Worlds by mental force, so every being appears as Brahma or as a limited person solely according to the idea it holds of itself. Bodies, objects and the entire universe are empty of independent Reality; they arise only from the empty, spacious Nature of Consciousness and have no substance of their own.

The pure mind that constantly contemplates Pure Consciousness draws near the Divine. But when that same mind becomes clouded by many desires it turns into the limited living soul, then into animal life, and finally appears as a physical body. The whole World is therefore a long dream projected by Consciousness through its own power. Like the illusion of seeing two moons or the imagined sky of those earlier creators, everything visible is only a reflection arising from the mind.

Nothing is ultimately Real or unreal in itself; both labels depend on mental conception. The mind is both conscious and inert: Conscious because its Essence is Brahm, inert because it appears as the changing visible World. The experience of the world seems solid only while the mind believes in it; when true understanding dawns, the appearance dissolves, just as the name “bracelet” disappears into the single reality of gold.

Because Brahm alone is everything, even what looks inert is actually Consciousness. From human beings down to stones there is neither pure inertness nor pure Consciousness as separate categories. Perception itself is possible only because of an underlying similarity or identity with the Self. Therefore whatever is perceived is non-inert, and the entire Universe exists solely as the Self relating to itself. Realisation consists in recognising this single, undivided Consciousness and letting the dream-like play of mind come to rest.