Chapter 3.96, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.96.1–15

(The mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मनो हि भावनामात्रं भावना स्पन्दधर्मिणी।

क्रिया तद्भावितारूपं फलं सर्वोऽनुधावति ॥ १॥

श्रीराम उवाच।

विस्तरेण मम ब्रह्मन् जडस्याप्यजडाकृतेः।

रूपमारूढसंकल्पं मनसो वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ २॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अनन्तस्यात्मतत्त्वस्य सर्वशक्तेर्महात्मनः।

संकल्पशक्ति रचितं यद्रूपं तन्मनो विदुः ॥ ३॥

भावः सदसतोर्मध्ये नृणां चलति यश्चलः।

कलनोन्मुखतां यातस्तद्रूपं मनसो विदुः ॥ ४॥

नाहं वेदावभासात्मा कुर्वाणोऽस्मीति निश्चयः।

तस्मादेकान्तकलनस्तद्रूपं मनसो विदुः ॥ ५॥

कल्पनात्मिकया कर्मशक्त्या विरहितं मनः।

न संभवति लोकेऽस्मिन्गुणहीनो गुणी यथा ॥ ६॥

यथा वह्न्यौष्ण्ययोः सत्ता न संभवति भिन्नयोः।

तथैव कर्ममनसोस्तथात्ममनसोरपि ॥ ७॥

स्वेनैव चित्तरूपेण कर्मणा फलधर्मिणा।

संकल्पैकशरीरेण नानाविस्तरशालिना ॥ ८॥

इदं ततमनेकात्म मायामयमकारणम् ।

विश्वं विगतविन्यासं वासनाकल्पनाकुलम् ॥ ९॥

या येन वासना यत्र सतेवारोपिता यथा।

सा तेन फलसूस्तत्र तदेव प्राप्यते तथा ॥ १०॥

कर्म बीजं मनःस्पन्दः कथ्यतेऽथानुभूयते।

क्रियास्तु विविधास्तस्य शाखाश्चित्रफलास्तरोः ॥ ११ ॥

मनो यदनुसंधत्ते तत्कर्मेन्द्रियवृत्तयः।

सर्वाः संपादयन्त्येतास्तस्मात्कर्म मनः स्मृतम् ॥ १२॥

मनो बुद्धिरहंकारश्चित्तं कर्माथ कल्पना।

संसृतिर्वासना विद्या प्रयत्नः स्मृतिरेव च ॥ १३॥

मनो बुद्धिरहंकारश्चित्तं कर्माथ कल्पना।

संसृतिर्वासना विद्या प्रयत्नः स्मृतिरेव च ॥ १३॥

इन्द्रियं प्रकृतिर्माया क्रिया चेतीतरा अपि।

चित्राः शब्दोक्तयो ब्रह्मन्संसारभ्रमहेतवः ॥ १४॥

काकतालीययोगेन त्यक्तस्फारदृगाकृतेः।

चितेश्चेत्यानुपातिन्याः कृताः पर्यायवृत्तयः ॥ १५॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.96.1

> The mind is nothing but imagination. Imagination has the nature of movement. Action takes the form shaped by that imagination, and everyone runs after the results.

Sriram asked:

3.96.2

> O Brahman, please explain to me in detail the nature of the mind, which though dull appears as if Conscious and is filled with strong resolve.

Sage Vashishta said:

3.96.3–8

> Know that the form created by the power of resolve of the Infinite, all-powerful Supreme Self is called the mind.

> That restless State which moves among people between the Real and the unreal, and turns toward calculation and thought, is known as the form of the mind.

> The firm idea “I am not the Self shown by the Vedas; I am the doer” – this exclusive thinking is known as the form of the mind.

> The mind without the imaginative power of action cannot exist in this world, just as a person with qualities cannot exist without those qualities.

> Just as fire and its heat cannot exist separately, so action and mind cannot be separate, nor can the Self and the mind.

> By its own Nature as mind, action bears fruits; it has resolve as its single body and spreads out in many forms.

3.96.9–15

> This Universe, spread out in many forms, is made of illusion, without Real Cause, without fixed order, and is full of latent desires and imaginings.

> Whatever latent desire is projected by someone in any place as if Real, that same desire yields its fruit there, and that alone is obtained.

> The seed of action is the movement of the mind; this is said and then experienced. Its many actions are like the branches of a tree that bear varied fruits.

> Whatever the mind thinks of, all the functions of the organs of action accomplish it. Therefore the mind itself is called action.

> Mind, intellect, ego, thought, action, imagination, the cycle of birth and death, latent desire, knowledge, effort, and memory – these are all the same.

> Sense organs, nature, illusion, action, and other such varied names, O Brahman, are the causes of the delusion of Worldly Existence.

> By pure chance, like a crow landing on a palm tree and a fruit falling, when Infinite Consciousness loses its wide vision and follows objects, these alternative names and functions are created.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the mind is not a solid thing but pure imagination or feeling. This imagination is always moving, and from it arise all actions and their results. People chase the fruits of their actions because those fruits are shaped by the mind’s own ideas. The mind appears active and conscious even though it is essentially dull matter, because it is filled with strong resolve and thought.

The mind arises from the power of resolve of the Infinite Supreme Self. It is the restless movement of thought that swings between what is real and what is not real. The key error of the mind is the firm belief “I am the doer and not the Pure Self taught in the scriptures.” Without the power of imaginative action the mind cannot exist, just as fire cannot exist without heat. Action, mind, and the Self are inseparable.

The whole Universe is an expansion of this mind. It is made of illusion, has no real independent Cause, and is driven by latent desires and mental pictures. Whatever desire a person plants in the mind as if it were Real, that desire alone produces the matching result in that person’s experience. The movement of the mind is the seed of all action; the many kinds of deeds are only its branches that bear different fruits.

Whatever the mind decides, the organs of action carry out. Therefore the mind itself is action. Names such as mind, intellect, ego, thought, action, imagination, the cycle of rebirth, desire, knowledge, effort, memory, senses, nature, and illusion are only different words for the same mental process. All these names create the confusion of worldly life.

These many names and functions arise by pure accident when Pure Consciousness momentarily forgets its own nature and begins to follow objects. The teaching is that the world and all its activities are only the play of mind. By understanding this, one can stop identifying with the restless mind and rest in the True Self.

Chapter 3.95, Verses 28–38

Yoga Vashishtha 3.95.28–38

(These verses teach that the mind and action are inseparable from the very beginning)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

साधु राघव पृष्टोऽस्मि त्वया प्रश्नमिमं शुभम्।

शृणु वक्ष्यामि ते येन भृशं ज्ञानोदयो भवेत् ॥ २८॥

मानसोऽयं समुन्मेषः कलाकलनरूपतः।

एतत्तत्कर्मणां बीजं फलमस्यैव विद्यते ॥ २९॥

यदैव हि मनस्तत्त्वमुत्थितं ब्रह्मणः पदात्।

तदैव कर्म जन्तूनां जीवो देहतया स्थितः ॥ ३०॥

कुसुमाशययोर्भेदो न यथा भिन्नयोरिह।

तथैव कर्ममनसोर्भेदो नास्त्यविभिन्नयोः ॥ ३१॥

क्रियास्पन्दो जगत्यस्मिन्कर्मेति कथितो बुधैः।

पूर्वं तस्य मनो देहं कर्मातश्चित्तमेव हि ॥ ३२॥

न स शैलो न तद्व्योम न सोऽब्धिश्च न विष्टपम्।

अस्ति यत्र फलं नास्ति कृतानामात्मकर्मणाम् ॥ ३३॥

ऐहिकं प्राक्तनं वापि कर्म यद्रचितं स्फुरत्।

पौरुषोऽसौ परो यत्नो न कदाचन निष्फलः ॥ ३४॥

कृष्णतासंक्षये यद्वत्क्षीयते कज्जलं स्वयम्।

स्पन्दात्मकर्मविगमे तद्वत्प्रक्षीयते मनः ॥ ३५॥

कर्मनाशे मनोनाशो मनोनाशो ह्यकर्मता।

मुक्तस्यैव भवत्येव नामुक्तस्य कदाचन ॥ ३६॥

वह्न्यौष्णयोरिव सदा श्लिष्टयोश्चित्तकर्मणोः।

द्वयोरेकतराभावे द्वयमेव विलीयते ॥ ३७॥

चित्तं सदा स्पन्दविलासमेत्य स्पन्दैकरूपं ननु कर्मविद्धि।

कर्माथ चित्तं किल धर्मकर्मपदं गते राम परस्परेण ॥ ३८॥

Sage Vashishta replied:

3.95.28–38

> O good Rama, you have asked me this auspicious question well. Listen, I shall tell you that by which a great rise of Knowledge will take place.

> This arising of the mind is of the nature of conceptualization and calculation. This itself is the seed of actions, and its fruit also exists from this alone.

> The very moment the principle of mind arose from the State of Brahm, at that very time the actions of living Beings came about, and the individual soul became established in the form of a body.

> Just as there is no difference between a flower and its fragrance even when they are thought of as separate, in the same way there is no difference between action and mind, which are not separate from each other.

> The vibration of activity in this world is called action by the wise. First there is the mind as the body of that action, and from action arises the mind itself.

> There is no mountain, no sky, no ocean, and no heaven where the fruit of the actions performed by oneself does not exist.

> Whether belonging to this life or to a previous one, the action that has been created and is now appearing is the supreme human effort, and it is never without fruit.

> Just as lampblack disappears by itself when blackness is destroyed, in the same way the mind is destroyed when the vibrating action comes to an end.

> With the destruction of action comes the destruction of the mind, and with the destruction of the mind comes the absence of action. This happens only for the liberated one, and never for one who is not liberated.

> Just as fire and heat are always joined together, so are the mind and action. When either one of the two is absent, both dissolve away.

> Know the mind, which always takes on the play of vibration, to be of the form of vibration alone, and that is action. And O Rama, action and mind mutually enter into the state of their own nature and activity.

Summary of the teachings:

The moment the Principle of mind arises from Brahm, actions of living Beings and the individual soul in bodily form also appear together. The mind’s arising in the form of conceptualization is itself the seed of all actions, and the results of those actions also come from the same source. There is no real distinction between them, just as there is none between a flower and its fragrance.

Action is described as the vibration or movement that the wise call karma in the World. The mind is the prior form or body of that action, and the mind itself arises from action. Thus the two continually support and produce each other. No deliberate human effort, whether of the present life or of past lives, is ever without result. There is no place in the entire universe—mountain, sky, ocean, or heaven—where the fruits of one’s own actions do not exist and operate.

The mind continues only as long as vibrating action continues. When the vibrating activity of the mind ceases, the mind itself dissolves, just as lampblack disappears when its blackness is removed. Conversely, when action is destroyed the mind is destroyed, and when the mind is destroyed actionlessness follows. This complete ending of both occurs only for the liberated person and never for one who remains bound.

Mind and action are as inseparably united as fire and its heat. The absence of either one necessarily brings the disappearance of both. The mind is always of the nature of playful vibration, and that very vibration is action. Action and mind therefore pass into each other’s essential nature and activity, continually conditioning and reinforcing one another.

The overall teaching is that liberation consists in the simultaneous cessation of both mind and action. As long as the mind vibrates in the form of thoughts and desires, actions and their results continue to bind the individual. Only when this mutual dependence is completely ended does the State of Freedom arise, and that State belongs solely to the one who has become free.

Chapter 3.95, Verses 15–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.95.15–27

(Sriram's reasoning on connection between action and the doer of action)

श्रीराम उवाच।

अविसंवादिनार्थे यद्यत्प्रामाणिकदृष्टिभिः।

वीतरागैर्विनिर्णीतं तच्छास्त्रमिति कथ्यते ॥ ३५॥

महासत्त्वगुणोपेता ये धीराः समदृष्टयः।

अनिर्देश्यकलोपेताः साधवस्त उदाहृताः ॥ १६॥

द्वयं हि दृष्टिर्बालानां सिद्धये सर्वकर्मणाम्।

साधुवृत्तं तथा शास्त्रं सर्वदैवानुवर्तते ॥ १७॥

साधुसंव्यवहारार्थं शास्त्रं यो नानुवर्तते।

बहिःकुर्वन्ति तं सर्वे स च दुःखे निमज्जति ॥ १८॥

इह लोके च वेदे च श्रुतिरित्थं सदा प्रभो।

यथा कर्म च कर्ता च पर्यायेणेह संगतौ ॥ १९॥

कर्मणा क्रियते कर्ता कर्त्रा कर्म प्रणीयते।

बीजाङ्कुरादिवन्न्यायो लोकवेदोक्त एव सः ॥ २०॥

कर्मणो जायते जन्तुर्बीजादिव नवाङ्कुरः।

जन्तोः प्रजायते कर्म पुनर्बीजमिवाङ्कुरात् ॥ २१॥

यया वासनया जन्तुर्नीयते भवपञ्जरे।

तद्वासनानुरूपेण फलं समनुभूयते ॥ २२॥

एवं स्थिते कथं नाम जन्मबीजेन कर्मणा।

विनोत्पत्तिस्त्वया प्रोक्ता भूतानां ब्रह्मणः पदात् ॥ २३॥

पक्षेणानेन भगवन्भवता जन्मकर्मणोः।

तिरस्कृता जगज्जाता साऽविनाभावितैतयोः ॥ २४॥

ब्रह्मण्यकारणे ब्रह्मन्ब्रह्मादिषु फलेषु च।

कर्मणां फलमस्तीति द्वयं लोके प्रमार्जितम् ॥ २५॥

संजाते संकरे लोके कर्मस्वफलदायिषु।

मात्स्यन्याये विलसति नाश एवावशिष्यते ॥ २६॥

किं तत्कृतं भवत्येव भगवन्ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः।

एनं मे संशयं स्फारं छिन्धि वेद्यविदांवर ॥ २७॥

Sriram said:

3.95.15–21

> That which is firmly decided, regarding an uncontradicted truth, by those free from attachment who possess authoritative insight, is called scripture.

> Those who are endowed with the great quality of purity (sattva), who are firm-minded, who have equal vision toward all, and who possess indescribable noble qualities, are called the virtuous (sādhus).

> For the success of all actions of those who are still immature, there are always two guiding principles: the conduct of the virtuous and the scriptures. One should always follow them.

> Anyone who does not follow the scriptures for the sake of proper conduct with the virtuous is rejected by everyone, and he himself sinks into misery.

> O Lord, in this World and in the Veda, the sacred tradition always declares that action and the doer are connected here, following one another in succession.

> The doer is produced by action, and action is carried out by the doer. This principle, like the relationship between a seed and a sprout, is stated both in worldly usage and in the Veda.

> A living Being is born from action, just as a new sprout arises from a seed. In turn, action arises from the living Being, just as a seed comes from a sprout.

3.95.22–27

> By the particular latent impression (vāsanā) through which a living Being is led into the cage of Worldly existence, a result corresponding exactly to that impression is experienced.

> This being the case, how then have you declared that the origin of Beings from the State of Brahm takes place without the action that is the seed of birth?

> O revered one, by this view of yours the universally accepted mutual dependence of birth and action has been set aside.

> O wise one, the dualistic notion that actions yield results—both in the Causeless Brahm and in effects such as Brahmā and others—is completely wiped out in the World.

> When confusion arises in the World regarding actions that no longer yield results, and the law of the fish (stronger devouring the weaker) prevails, only destruction remains.

> What then is actually accomplished, O Lord? Tell me the truth. Cut asunder this vast doubt of mine, O best among those who know what is to be Known.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses present Sri Rama’s careful reasoning about the nature of true scripture, the character of the virtuous, and the inseparable link between action (karma) and the doer. He first defines scripture as that which is established by dispassionate, authoritative seers on the basis of uncontradicted truth. He then describes the virtuous as those filled with pure sattva, equal vision, and noble qualities. For ordinary people still growing in understanding, the two reliable guides for successful action are the conduct of such virtuous persons and the scriptures themselves. Anyone who discards these guides is socially rejected and falls into suffering.

Rama next recalls the clear teaching of both worldly experience and the Veda: action and the doer continuously produce each other, exactly as a seed produces a sprout and the sprout produces a new seed. A living Being arises from previous action; that being then generates fresh action. The latent impressions (vāsanās) that drive a being through the cycle of existence also determine the precise fruits that being experiences. This mutual dependence of birth and action is presented as an established fact.

Against this background Rama raises a pointed doubt about the teaching he has heard earlier—that Beings arise from the Pure State of Brahm without the involvement of action as the seed of birth. He argues that such a view appears to set aside the universally acknowledged inseparable connection between birth and action. If actions are said to have no results either in the Causeless Brahm or in the World of effects beginning with Brahmā, then the entire dualistic framework of action and its fruit is erased.

Rama warns of the practical consequences of such confusion. When people come to believe that actions yield no results, moral order collapses; the law of the jungle (the stronger devouring the weaker) takes over, and only destruction remains. Finally he earnestly requests Vasistha to resolve this large and urgent doubt by explaining what is truly accomplished in the light of the higher teaching, so that the apparent contradiction may be removed.

Chapter 3.95, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.95.1–14

(These verses teach that action and the doer are not two separate things)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अभिन्नौ कर्मकर्तारौ सममेव परात्पदात्।

स्वयं प्रकटतां यातौ पुष्पामोदौ तरोरिव ॥ १॥

सर्वसंकल्पनामुक्ते जीवा ब्रह्मणि निर्मले।

स्फुरन्ति वितते व्योम्नि नीलिमेवाज्ञचक्षुषः ॥ २॥

अप्रबुद्धजनाचारो यत्र राघव दृश्यते।

तत्र ब्रह्मण उत्पन्ना जीवा इत्युक्तयः स्थिताः ॥ ३॥

संप्रबुद्धजनाचारे वक्तुमेतन्न शोभनम्।

यद्ब्रह्मण इदं जातं न जातं चेति राघव ॥ ४॥

काचिद्वा कलना यावन्न नीता राघव प्रथाम्।

उपदेश्योपदेशश्रीस्तावल्लोके न शोभते ॥ ५॥

अतो भेददृशा दीनामङ्गीकृत्योपदिश्यते।

ब्रह्मेदमेते जीवा वै वेति वाचामयं क्रमः ॥ ६॥

इति दृष्टो निरासङ्गाद्ब्रह्मणो जायते जगत्।

तज्जं तदेव तद्धेतुगतं दुरवबोधतः ॥ ७॥

मेरुमन्दरसंकाशा बहवो जीवराशयः।

उत्पत्योत्पत्य संलीनास्तस्मिन्नेव परे पदे ॥ ८॥

अथानन्ताः स्फुरन्त्येते जायमानाः सहस्रशः।

नानाककुब्निकुञ्जेषु पादपेष्विव पल्लवाः ॥ ९॥

जीवौघाश्चोद्भविष्यन्ति मधाविव नवाङ्कुराः।

तत्रैव लयमेष्यन्ति ग्रीष्मे मधुरसा इव ॥ १०॥

तिष्ठन्त्यजस्रं कालेषु त एवान्ये च भूरिशः।

जायन्ते च प्रलीयन्ते परस्मिञ्जीवराशयः ॥ ११॥

पुष्पामोदाविवाभिन्नौ पुमान्कर्म च राघव।

परमेशात्समायाते तत्रैव विशतः शनैः ॥ १२॥

दृष्टमेते जगत्यस्मिन्दैत्योरगनरामराः।

उद्भवन्त्यभवा भावैः प्रस्फुरन्ति पुनः पुनः ॥ १३॥

हेतुर्विहरणे तेषामात्मविस्मरणादृते।

न कश्चिल्लक्ष्यते साधो जन्मान्तरफलप्रदः ॥ १४॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.95.1–7

> Action and the doer are inseparable. They appear together at the same time from the Supreme State, just as the flower and its fragrance arise naturally from the tree.

> Individual souls appear in Pure Brahm, which is free from all thoughts and ideas, just as the blue colour appears in the vast sky to the eyes of the ignorant.

> O Rama, where the ways of unenlightened people are seen, there the teaching is given that individual souls are born from Brahm.

> O Rama, among those who are fully enlightened, it is not proper to say that this has been born from Brahm or that it has not been born.

> O Rama, until some form of understanding is established in common practice, the beauty of the teaching given to the student does not shine in the World.

> Therefore, accepting the limited view of those who see difference, it is taught: “This is Brahm, and these are the individual souls.” This is the order of words used.

> Thus it is seen that the World arises from Brahm, which is free from attachment. What is born from it is the same as it and is rooted in that cause, though this is hard to understand.

3.95.8–14

> Many groups of living Beings, vast like Mount Meru and Mount Mandara, arise again and again and then merge back into that same Supreme State.

> Then countless Beings appear, being born in thousands, like new leaves on trees in various directions and thickets.

> Streams of living Beings will arise like fresh sprouts in spring. They will dissolve right there, just as the sweet sap dries up in the summer heat.

> They remain continuously through the ages, and many others also. Groups of living Beings are born and dissolve in the Supreme.

> O Rama, the person and action are inseparable like the fragrance of a flower. They come forth from the Supreme Lord and slowly enter back into the same.

> It is seen in this World that demons, serpents, humans and gods, though essentially unborn, arise and shine again and again through various States of Being.

> O good one, no cause is seen for their wandering (which gives the results of future births) except the forgetting of the Self.

Summary of the Teachings:

Both action and the doer arise together from the Highest Reality in the same natural way that a flower and its scent come from a tree. There is no real split between the one who acts and the act itself; they appear as one expression of the same Source.

Individual souls seem to exist within Pure Brahm, which has no thoughts or ideas, in the same way that the colour blue seems to colour the clear sky for those who do not know better. This appearance is only for the unawakened. For people still bound by ordinary ways of thinking, teachers say that souls come from Brahm. But for those who are fully awake, it is not right to speak of birth or non-birth from Brahm, because nothing truly stands apart from it.

Teaching must begin by accepting the limited view of those who see difference. Words such as “This is Brahm and these are the souls” are used only as a helpful step. In truth the World arises from Brahm, which remains free of any attachment. What appears is not different from its Source, even though this is difficult for the mind to grasp.

Countless groups of living Beings arise and disappear again and again, like vast mountains rising and sinking, or like new leaves and sprouts that come in spring and dry away in summer. They remain for a time and then return into the same Supreme State. The person and action themselves come out from the Supreme Lord and slowly return into it, never separate from it.

Demons, serpents, humans and gods appear and reappear through different forms, yet they are essentially unborn. The only Real cause of their continued wandering through births is the forgetting of their True Self. When that forgetfulness ends, the cycle of appearing and dissolving loses its hold.

Chapter 3.94, Verses 23–32

Yoga Vashishtha 3.94.23–32

(Brahm - the Absolute Reality)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मन्दारमञ्जरीरूपाश्चन्द्रबिम्बादिवांशवः।

सर्वा एव समुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणो दृश्यदृष्टयः ॥ २३॥

यथा विटपिनश्चित्रास्तद्रूपा विटपश्रियः।

सर्वा एव समुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणो जीवपङ्क्तयः ॥ २४॥

कटकाङ्गदकेयूरयुक्तयः कनकादिव।

सर्वा एवोत्थिता राम ब्रह्मणो जीवराशयः ॥ २५॥

निर्झरादमलोद्योतात्पयसामिव बिन्दवः।

अजस्यैवाखिला राम भूतसंततिकल्पनाः ॥ २६॥

आकाशस्य घटस्थालीरन्ध्राकाशादयो यथा।

सर्वा एवोत्थिता लोककलना ब्रह्मणः पदात् ॥ २७॥

सीकरावर्तलहरीबिन्दवः पयसो यथा।

सर्वा एवोत्थिता राम ब्रह्मणो दृश्यदृष्टयः ॥ २८॥

मृगतृष्णातरङ्गिण्यो यथा भास्करतेजसः।

सर्वा दृश्यदृशो द्रष्टुर्व्यतिरिक्ता न रूपतः ॥ २९॥

शीतरश्मेरित ज्योत्स्ना स्वालोक इव तेजसः।

एवमेता हि भूतानां जातयो विविधाश्च याः ॥ ३०॥

यस्मादेव समायान्ति तस्मिन्नेव विशन्ति च।

काश्चिज्जन्मसहस्रान्ते जातयश्चिरकालिकाः।

काश्चित्कतिपयातीतजन्मरूपा व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ३१॥

इत्थं जगत्सु विविधेषु विचित्ररूपास्तस्येच्छया भगवतो व्यवहारवत्यः।

आयान्ति यान्ति निपतन्ति तथोत्पतन्ति रूपश्रियः कणघटा इव पावकोत्थाः ॥ ३२॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.94.23–32

> Just as rays resembling clusters of Mandara flowers come forth from the moon’s disc, so all perceptions of the visible world have arisen from Brahm.

> Just as diverse trees and their various forms of beauty arise from themselves, so all multitudes of living Beings have arisen from Brahm.

> O Rama, just as all ornaments such as bracelets, armlets and bangles arise from gold, so all multitudes of living Beings have arisen from Brahm.

> O Rama, just as drops of water arise from a pure and shining spring, so all the imaginings of successive Beings arise from the Unborn One alone.

> Just as the spaces inside a pot, a plate or a hole and the like are of the one vast space, so all conceptions of the Worlds have arisen from the State of Brahm.

> Just as spray, whirlpools, waves and drops arise from water, so all perceptions of the visible World have arisen from Brahm, O Rama.

> Just as the waves of a mirage appear from the sun’s rays, so all visible perceptions are not different in nature from the Seer.

> Just as the cool moonlight is the light of the moon itself and the sun’s own radiance is its light, so are all the various kinds of Beings.

> From whom they come, into that same they return. Some species last for a thousand births and are of long duration; others are established after only a few past births.

> Thus, by the Will of the Lord, the manifold forms of various kinds move about in the many Worlds. They come and go, fall and rise, shining like sparks that fly up from fire.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the entire visible universe and all living beings arise solely from Brahm, the Absolute Reality, without any real separation from it. Through a series of clear analogies—moon-rays, trees and their beauty, gold ornaments, water-drops from a spring, limited spaces within the one sky, waves and spray from water, and the false waves of a mirage—the text shows that every appearance is only a temporary expression of the same Undivided Source.

The teaching emphasises non-difference: the perceptions of the World are not other than the Seer or Brahm in their essential nature. Just as cool moonlight is nothing but the moon’s own light and sunlight is the sun’s own radiance, the many kinds of Beings are only modifications of the one Consciousness. Apparent multiplicity is therefore an appearance, not an independent Reality.

All these forms come forth from Brahm and eventually return into it. Some species persist through many thousands of births and last a long time; others appear after only a few previous lives. This cycle of arising and dissolving is continuous and is governed solely by the will of the Lord.

The World with its countless shapes and activities is therefore only a play of Divine Will. Beings move, appear, disappear, rise and fall exactly as sparks rise from a fire, shine briefly and then vanish. Nothing has an independent existence apart from Brahm.

The practical import is that true understanding of this origin and identity frees the mind from attachment to the changing forms. When one sees every appearance as nothing but Brahm expressing itself, the sense of separation and the suffering that follows from it come to an end.

Chapter 3.94, Verses 15–22

Yoga Vashishtha 3.94.15–22

(The different degrees of tamas)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

चिरमोक्षा हि कथिता तामसी सा महर्षिभिः।

तज्जन्मनैव मोक्षस्य भागिनी चेत्तदुच्यते ॥ १५॥

तज्ज्ञैस्तामससत्त्वेति तादृशारम्भशालिनी।

भवैः कतिपयैर्मोक्षभागिनी चेत्तदुच्यते ॥ १६॥

तमोराजसरूपेति तादृशैर्गुणबृंहितैः।

पूर्वजन्मसहस्राढ्या पुरोजन्मशतैरपि ॥ १७॥

मोक्षायोग्या ततः प्रोक्ता तज्ज्ञैस्तामसतामसी।

पूर्वं तु जन्मलक्षाढ्या जन्मलक्षैः पुरोऽपि चेत् ॥ १८॥

संदिग्धमोक्षा तदसौ प्रोच्यतेऽत्यन्ततामसी।

सर्वा एताः समायान्ति ब्रह्मणो भूतजातयः ॥ १९॥

किंचित्त्प्रचलिता भोगात्पयोराशेरिवोर्मयः।

सर्वा एव विनिष्क्रान्ता ब्रह्मणो जीवराशयः ॥ २०॥

स्वतेजःस्पन्दिताभोगाद्दीपादिव मरीचयः।

सर्वा एव समुत्पन्ना ब्रह्मणो भूतपङ्क्तयः ॥ २१॥

स्वमरीचिबलोद्भूता ज्वलिताग्नेः कणा इव।

सर्वा एवोत्थितास्तस्माद्ब्रह्मणो जीवराशयः ॥ २२॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.94.15–22

> The great Sages call that tamasic State one of delayed liberation. If it shares in liberation in that very birth, it is then given another name.

> Those who know call such a beginning “tamasic-sattva.” If it attains a share in liberation after only a few births, it is then called by yet another name.

> It is of the form of tamas mixed with rajas and is swollen by such qualities. It has already passed through thousands of earlier births and still has hundreds of births ahead.

> Therefore the wise call it “tamasic of the tamasic” and unfit for liberation, if it has already lived through a hundred thousand births and still faces a hundred thousand more.

> When liberation remains doubtful, that State is called extremely tamasic. All these classes of Beings come forth from Brahm.

> Slightly stirred by enjoyment, like waves rising from the ocean, all the multitudes of living Beings have issued from Brahm.

> From the expansion of its own vibrating radiance, just as rays come from a lamp, all the lines of Beings have arisen from Brahm.

 

> Born from the power of its own rays, like sparks from a blazing fire, all the multitudes of living Beings have risen from that Brahm.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses classify the different degrees of tamas (inertia and ignorance) that condition the soul’s journey toward liberation. The denser the tamas, the longer the cycle of births required before freedom becomes possible. A purely tamasic condition may need countless lives; a slightly mixed tamasic-sattvic condition may need only a few; the densest “tamasic of the tamasic” condition leaves liberation itself uncertain even after hundreds of thousands of births.

The text then shifts from classification to origin. Every one of these graded beings—whether quick or slow to liberate—ultimately springs from the same Source, Brahm. The differences among them are only differences of degree in the agitation or density of their manifestation, not differences of Essence.

Three vivid images drive the point home: waves that rise and fall on the surface of the ocean while remaining water; rays that stream from a lamp while remaining light; and sparks that fly from a fire while remaining fire. In the same way, all living multitudes appear, move, and disappear within Brahm without ever becoming separate from it.

The practical implication is that no soul is essentially cut off from the Absolute. Even the most tamasic condition is only a temporary thickening of the same Consciousness. Knowledge of this non-difference gradually thins the density, shortens the remaining journey, and finally reveals the soul’s identity with its Source.

Thus the teaching balances realism about the length of the path with the assurance that the path itself is never outside Brahm. Liberation is not the acquisition of something new but the recognition of what has always been True.

Chapter 3.94, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.94.1–14

(Creation and the three gunas)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

उत्तमाधममध्यानां पदार्थानामितस्ततः।

उत्पत्तीनां विभागोऽयं श्रृणु वक्ष्यामि राघव ॥ १॥

इदं प्रथमतोत्पन्नो योऽस्मिन्नेव हि जन्मनि।

इदंप्रथमतानाम्नी शुभाभ्याससमुद्भवा ॥ २॥

शुभलोकाश्रया सा च शुभकार्यानुबन्धिनी।

सा चेद्विचित्रसंसारवासनाव्यवहारिणी ॥ ३॥

भवैः कतिपयैर्मोक्षमित्युक्ता गुणपीवरी।

तादृक्फलप्रदानैककार्याकार्यानुमानदा ॥ ४॥

तेन राम ससत्त्वेति प्रोच्यते सा कृतात्मभिः।

अथ चेच्चित्रसंसारवासना व्यवहारिणी ॥ ५॥

अत्यन्तकलुषा जन्मसहस्रैर्ज्ञानभागिनी।

तादृक्फलप्रदानैकधर्माधर्मानुमानदा ॥ ६॥

असावधमसत्त्वेति तेन साधुभिरुच्यते।

सैव संख्यातिगानन्तजन्मवृन्दादनन्तरम् ॥ ७॥

संदिग्धमोक्षा यदि तत्प्रोच्यतेऽत्यन्ततामसी।

अनद्यतनजन्मा तु जातिस्तादृशकारिणी ॥ ८॥

योत्पत्तिर्मध्यमा पुंसो राम द्वित्रिभवान्तरा ।

तादृक्कार्या तु सा लोके राजसी राजसत्तम ॥ ९॥

अविप्रकृष्टजन्मापि सोच्यते कृतबुद्धिभिः।

सा हि तन्मृतिमात्रेण मोक्षयोग्या मुमुक्षुभिः ॥ १०॥

तादृक्कार्यानुमानेन प्रोक्ता राजससात्त्विकी।

सैव चेदितरैरल्पैर्जन्मभिर्मोक्ष भागिनी ॥ ११॥

तत्तादृशी हि सा तज्ज्ञैः प्रोक्ता राजसराजसी।

सैव जन्मशतैर्मोक्षभागिनी चेच्चिरैषिणी ॥ १२॥

त्वदुक्ता तादृगारम्भा सद्भी राजसतामसी।

सैव संदिग्धमोक्षा चेत्सहस्रैरपि जन्मनाम् ॥ १३॥

तदुक्ता तादृशारम्भा राजसात्यन्ततामसी।

भुक्तजन्मसहस्रा तु योत्पत्तिर्ब्रह्मणो नृणाम् ॥ १४॥

Sage Vasishta said: 

3.94.1–8

> O Raghava, listen. I shall now explain to you this classification of the origins of superior, inferior and middle things that arise here and there.

> That which arises first in this very birth is called “firstness.” It springs from the practice of good actions.

> It rests in auspicious realms and is linked with good deeds. If, however, it becomes engaged in the varied latent desires and activities of worldly life…

> …then it is said to attain liberation after only a few births and is called “rich in qualities.” It alone gives results of that kind and helps one judge right and wrong actions.

> Therefore, O Rama, the wise who have purified themselves call it “endowed with sattva.” But if it is driven by the colourful latent desires of worldly existence…

> …it becomes extremely impure and shares in Knowledge only after thousands of births. It alone bestows results of that kind and helps one judge dharma and adharma.

> Therefore the good call it “of low quality.” The same one, after countless endless births…

> …if its liberation still remains doubtful, is then called “extremely tamasic.” Such a nature is produced by deeds of a past existence.

3.94.9–14

> O Rama, best of Kings, the intermediate origin of a person that stands two or three births away from liberation is known in the world as rajasic because of its characteristic actions.

> Even one whose birth is not far removed is so named by those of cultivated understanding. Seekers of liberation regard that origin as fit for liberation simply by the death of the present body.

> By inference from its characteristic actions it is called rajasic-sattvic. If the same attains a share in liberation after only a few more births…

> …then the knowers call it rajasic-rajasic. If the same attains a share in liberation only after hundreds of births and is long in seeking it…

> …then the good call such an undertaking rajasic-tamasic. If even after thousands of births its liberation remains doubtful…

> …then that undertaking is called extremely rajasic-tamasic. It is the origin of human Beings (and even of Brahma) that has already experienced thousands of births.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses present a graded classification of the origins or births of living Beings according to the predominance of the three gunas—sattva, rajas and tamas—and the length of time required for liberation. Vasishta explains to Rama that Beings arise in superior, middling and inferior categories depending on the latent tendencies (vasanas) carried from previous lives and the quality of actions performed. The purest origin, rooted in long practice of virtuous deeds, rests in auspicious realms, produces good results and leads to liberation after only a few births; the wise therefore call it sattvic.

When the same origin becomes entangled in the varied desires and activities of samsara, purity is lost. Liberation is then postponed for thousands of births, Knowledge is gained only slowly, and the condition is labelled low-quality or extremely tamasic if even after countless lives freedom remains uncertain. Intermediate births that require two or three more lives for liberation are termed rajasic; those a little closer to freedom may still be liberated at the end of the present body and are regarded as highly favourable by sincere seekers.

Further distinctions appear among the rajasic types. Some, whose actions combine energy with a measure of purity, reach liberation after a few additional births and are called rajasic-sattvic. Others need hundreds of births and are therefore rajasic-rajasic. When even thousands of lives leave liberation in doubt, the origin is judged rajasic-tamasic or extremely so. In every case the decisive factors are the nature of the latent impressions and the character of the deeds that shape each successive birth.

The teaching emphasises that the length of the journey to freedom is not fixed by external fate but by the quality of one’s own inner tendencies and conduct. Pure, sattvic practice shortens the path dramatically, while entanglement in worldly vasanas lengthens it indefinitely. Even the origin of human Beings, and by extension that of Brahma himself, is said to have already passed through thousands of births, underscoring the vast scale of transmigration for those still bound by impurity.

Ultimately the verses encourage discrimination: by recognising the guna that predominates in one’s present state and by cultivating auspicious actions and pure associations, a seeker can move steadily from lower to higher grades and finally attain liberation. The classification serves as both a map of the relative stages of spiritual evolution and a practical reminder that liberation is always possible, though the time required depends entirely on the purity of one’s own mind and deeds.