Chapter 3.44, Verses 26–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.44.26–40

(The core teaching in these verses revolves around the illusory nature of birth, death, and the entire creation, presented by the Goddess to Sriram as a profound insight)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

मृतिर्जन्मन्यसद्रूपा मृत्यां जन्माप्यसन्मयम् ।

विशरेद्विशरारुत्वादनुभूतेश्च राघव ॥ २६ ॥

एवं न सन्नासदिदं भ्रान्तिमात्रं विभासते ।

महाकल्पान्तसंपत्तावप्यद्याथ युगेऽनघ ॥ २७ ॥

न कदाचन यन्नास्ति तद्ब्रह्मैवास्ति तज्जगत् ।

तस्मिन्मध्ये कचन्तीमा भ्रान्तयः सृष्टिनामिकाः ॥ २८ ॥

व्योम्नि केशोण्ड्रकानीव न कचन्तीव वस्तुतः ।

यथा तरङ्गा जलधौ तथेमाः सृष्टयः परे ॥ २९ ॥

उत्पत्त्योत्पत्त्य लीयन्ते रजांसीव महानिले ।

तस्माद्भ्रान्तिमयाभासे मिथ्यात्वमहमात्मनि ॥ ३० ॥

मृगतृष्णाजलचये कैवास्था सर्गभस्मनि।

भ्रान्तयश्च न तत्रान्यास्तास्तदेव परं पदम् ॥ ३१ ॥

घने तमसि यक्षाभास्तम एव न यक्षकः।

तस्माज्जन्ममृतिर्मोहो व्यामोहत्वमिदं ततम् ॥ ३२ ॥

सर्वं तत्समहाकल्पं शान्तौ यदवशिष्यते ।

नातः सत्यमिदं दृश्यं न चासत्यं कदाचन ॥ ३३ ॥

द्वयमेवैतदथवा ब्रह्म तत्रैव संभवात्।

आकाशे परमाण्वन्तर्द्रव्यादेरणुकेऽपि च ॥३४॥

जीवाणुर्यत्र तत्रेदं जगद्वेत्ति निजं वपुः ।

अग्निरौष्ण्यं यथा वेत्ति निजभावक्रमोदितम् ॥ ३५ ॥

पश्यतीदं तथैवात्मा स्वात्मभूतं विशुद्धचित् ।

यथा सूर्योदये गेहे भ्रमन्ति त्रसरेणवः ॥ ३६ ॥

तथेमे परमाकाशे ब्रह्माण्डत्रसरेणवः।

यथा वायौ स्थितः स्पन्द आमोदः शून्यमम्बरे ॥ ३७ ॥

पिण्डग्रहविनिर्मुक्तं तथा विश्वं स्थितं परे ।

भावाभावग्रहोत्सर्गस्थूलसूक्ष्मचराचराः ॥ ३८ ॥

विवर्जितस्यावयवैर्भागा ब्रह्मण ईदृशाः।

साकारस्यावबोधाय विज्ञेया भवताधुना ॥ ३९ ॥

अनन्याः स्वात्मनस्तस्य तेनानवयवा इव ।

यथास्थितमिदं विश्वं निजभावक्रमोदितम् ॥ ४० ॥

Goddess Saraswati continued:

3.44.26–30

> Death takes an unreal form in birth, and birth becomes unreal in death. They vanish and appear like waves, O Rama, due to their illusory nature and past experiences.

> In this way, what is neither Real nor unreal shines only as a mistake of the mind. Even at the end of a great Cosmic cycle, it remains the same today, O Pure One.

> What never truly exists is Brahm itself—that alone is the world. In its midst, these errors called "Creations" arise.

> Just like imaginary hairs seen in the sky or waves on the ocean—these Creations are not real at all.

> They keep arising and dissolving, like particles of dust in a mighty wind. So, in this show of illusion, there is no truth in the Self or the soul.

3.44.31–36 

> What lasting State is there in the gathered water of a desert mirage for the ashes of creation? No other errors exist there—that itself is the Highest Goal.

> In thick darkness, the seeming forms of spirits are just the darkness, not actual spirits. Thus, birth and death are pure confusion, and this whole world is steeped in that confusion.

> Everything in that vast Cosmic age dissolves into Peace, leaving only what remains. From here, this seen world is not real, nor has anything unreal ever existed.

> Or, both Real and unreal are the same—Brahm—because it alone exists everywhere. Even in the Space inside the tiniest atom, in a drop of liquid, or in the smallest particle.

> Wherever the soul-atom is, there the world knows itself as its own form. Just as fire knows its heat, prompted by its natural way of being.

> In the same way, the Pure Conscious Self sees this world as part of itself. Like flies buzzing around in a house at sunrise.

3.44.37–40

> So, these Universes are like flies in the supreme space of Brahm. Like a scent vibrating in the air, existing in the empty sky.

> Freed from the pull of planets and lumps of matter, the whole Universe rests in the Ultimate Reality. All gross and subtle things, moving and still, come from letting go of ideas of being and non-being.

> These are like parts of the part-less Brahm, meant to help understand the formed world. Know them now as tools for grasping the truth with form.

> They are nothing other than its own self, so they seem part-less like it. This world stands as it does, guided by its own natural flow.

Summary of the Teachings:

Birth and death are not opposite realities but mere appearances born from ignorance, vanishing like waves on water when scrutinized. They lack inherent existence, much like a mirage's water that promises but never delivers. This illusion persists across cosmic cycles, unchanged in its falsity, emphasizing that True Reality —Brahm—is Eternal and undivided. The world we perceive is not a separate entity but a fleeting error in Consciousness, urging the seeker to recognize this to transcend cyclic suffering.

Delving deeper, the verses illustrate how creation (srishti) is nothing but a series of mental errors or delusions arising within the One Unchanging Brahm. Just as one might imagine hairs floating in the vast sky or waves disturbing the calm ocean, these "Creations" have no substance; they are projections without foundation. They repeatedly emerge and dissolve, akin to dust whirled by wind, highlighting the transient and dream-like quality of all phenomena. The Self (atman) is Pure, partl-ess Consciousness, and any notion of division or multiplicity is a superimposition. By understanding this, the practitioner realizes that clinging to appearances only perpetuates bondage, while discernment reveals the underlying unity.

A key metaphor here is the desert mirage, symbolizing the instability of worldly pursuits and the "ashes" of Creation —remnants of what never truly burned. No real stability or other illusions exist beyond this grand delusion; the Supreme State is the dissolution of all such fictions into Pure Awareness. Darkness itself masquerades as forms (like spirits), teaching that birth-death cycles are not events but intensified layers of ignorance. The visible Universe, spanning eons, ultimately rests in tranquil void, neither truly existent nor non-existent from the absolute viewpoint. This invites a shift from dualistic seeing to non-dual Knowing, where the Seer and seen merge.

The teachings extend to the atomic level, affirming Brahm's omnipresence: even in the infinitesimal spaces within particles or drops, the soul-atom (jiva) perceives the macrocosm as its extension, much like fire inherently knows its warmth. The Self, as Pure chit (Consciousness), mirrors this by envisioning the world as its own reflection, not alien. Analogies of sunrise-flies in a room or airborne scents in emptiness portray universes as mere vibrations in Infinite Space —effortless, ungraspable movements without creator or created. This underscores liberation through non-grasping: releasing notions of entity and non-entity allows gross-subtle, mobile-immobile forms to reveal their groundless play.

Finally, these verses culminate in a call to intellectual comprehension for practical wisdom. The "parts" of the part-less Brahm serve as provisional forms to aid understanding, like maps to the formless. The world, in its apparent stance, is self-prompted by innate tendencies, yet inseparable from the Self. Nothing is other than this singular Reality; multiplicity is apparent, not actual. Thus, the teaching synthesizes inquiry and surrender: by knowing illusions as such, one abides in the supreme, free from the flux of samsara, embodying the peace that transcends all Cosmic dramas.

Chapter 3.44, Verses 15–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.44.15–25

(These verses continue the profound dialogue between the awakened Lila -Prabuddha Lila- and the Divine Goddess, where Lila questions her own apparent transformation and the persistence of the familiar world around her)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

किमिदं देवि हे ब्रूहि कस्मादियमहं स्थिता ।

या साऽभवमहं पूर्वं कथं सेयमहं स्थिता ॥ १५ ॥

मन्त्रिप्रभृतयः पौरा योधाः सबलवाहनाः ।

सर्व एव त एवेमे स्थितास्तत्र तथैव ते ॥ १६ ॥

तत्रापीह च हे देवि सर्वे कथमवस्थिताः।

बहिरन्तश्च मुकुरे इवैते किं प्रचेतनाः ॥ १७ ॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

यथा ज्ञप्तिरुदेत्यन्तस्तथानुभवति क्षणात् ।

चितिश्चेत्यार्थतामेति चित्तं चित्तार्थतामिव ॥ १८ ॥

यादृगर्थं जगद्रूपं तत्रैवोदेति तत्क्षणात् ।

न देशकालदीर्घत्वं न वैचित्र्यं पदार्थजम् ॥ १९ ॥

बाह्यमाभ्यन्तरं भाति स्वप्नार्थोऽत्र निदर्शनम् ।

यदन्तः स्वप्नसंकल्पपुरं च कचनं चितेः ॥ २० ॥

तदेतद्बाह्यनाम्नैव स्वभ्यासात्सत्स्फुटं स्थितम् ।

यादृग्भावो मृतो भर्ता तव तस्मिंस्तदा पुरे ॥ २१ ॥

तादृग्भावस्तमेवार्थं तत्रैव समुपागतः ।

अन्य एव ह्यमी भूतास्तेभ्यस्तास्तादृशा अपि ॥ २२॥

सद्रूपा एव चैतस्य स्वप्नसंकल्पसैन्यवत् ।

अविसंवादि सर्वार्थरूपं यदनुभूयते ॥ २३ ॥

तस्य तावद्वद कथं कीदृशी वापि सत्यता ।

अथवोत्तरकाले तु भङ्गुरत्वादवस्तु तत् ॥ २४ ॥

ईदृक्च सर्वमेवेदं तत्र का नास्तिताधिका ।

स्वप्ने जाग्रदसद्रूपा स्वप्नो जाग्रत्यसन्मयः ॥ २५ ॥

Prabuddha Lila said:  

3.44.15–17

> What is this, O Goddess? Please tell me. Why am I situated like this? I who existed before as that one, how have I now become this one?  

> The ministers, citizens, warriors, along with their armies and vehicles—all of them are the very same ones, standing there exactly as before.  

> Yet here also, O Goddess, how are all of them existing? Inside and outside, like in a mirror—are these conscious Beings or what?  

Goddess or Lila's awakened form replied:

3.44.18–20

> Just as Consciousness arises within, it experiences instantly. Consciousness becomes the object of experience, and the mind becomes the object of Consciousness, as it were.  

> Whatever form the world appears as, it arises there in that very instant. There is no distance of Space or Time, nor any variety born of material objects.  

> The external and internal appear the same; dream objects serve as an example here. Whatever city or appearance arises within as a dream-sankalpa (intention/resolution) is a manifestation of Consciousness. 

3.44.21–25

> That very thing, known externally by habit, appears clearly established as Real. Whatever State your deceased husband had in that city at that time—   

> That same State and meaning has come here exactly as it was. These beings are different from those, yet they too are of the same kind. 

> They are truly existing forms, like the army in a dream-sankalpa. Whatever is experienced without contradiction as having all meanings— 

> Tell me for now, what kind of reality does it have, or how Real is it? Or else, later on, due to its fragility, it becomes unreal.  

> Everything here is exactly like this. So what greater non-existence is there? In a dream, the waking state appears unreal; in waking, the dream appears unreal.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

The core teaching is the illusory and instantaneous nature of all experience. Lila wonders how she, who was once in one form and place, now exists in another, while the entire entourage—ministers, soldiers, and city—remains unchanged. This highlights the non-dual Advaita perspective: there is no real change or movement; everything is a projection within Consciousness.

The Goddess explains that Consciousness (chit) spontaneously gives rise to experience the moment it stirs. There is no sequence involving Space, Time, or physical Causation —the world manifests instantly as per the arising idea or vibration in Consciousness. The dream analogy is central: just as a dream city, people, and events appear vividly real within the mind without any external material cause, so does the waking world. Internal and external are mere labels; both are equally appearances in the mirror-like Consciousness.

The Reality we perceive is sustained by habit (abhyasa) and repeated experience, making it seem solid and external. Yet it is no more substantial than dream objects. The deceased husband's state in one "world" or life transfers seamlessly to another because there is only one Consciousness projecting multiple apparent realities. Beings in different "lives" or appearances differ in form but share the same essence—manifestations of the same conscious power.

All experienced objects gain a seeming consistency and lack of contradiction only within their own framework, like an army in a dream that feels fully real to the dreamer. However, this "reality" has no ultimate truth; it is transient and fragile. Upon deeper inquiry or awakening, its insubstantial nature is revealed, and it dissolves as unreal. The teaching urges discernment: what appears solid is dream-like, and clinging to it as absolute leads to bondage.

Ultimately, the verses dissolve the distinction between dream and waking states—each sees the other as unreal. This equality points to the highest truth: the entire manifest Universe, whether called waking or dreaming, lacks independent existence. There is only Pure Consciousness, appearing as all forms without any addition or subtraction of non-existence. Liberation comes from recognizing this non-duality, freeing one from the illusion of separate reality and its inherent suffering.

Chapter 3.44, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.44.1–14

(These verses form part of the famous Lila story in the Utpatti Prakarana, illustrating the illusory nature of the world and individual identities)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजमहिषी मत्तयौवना।

तद्विवेश गृहं लक्ष्मीरिव पङ्कजकोटरम् ॥ १ ॥

आलोलमाल्यवसना भिन्नहारलताकुला ।

अनुयाता वयस्याभिर्दासीभिर्भयविह्वला ॥ २॥

चन्द्राननावदाताङ्गी श्वासोत्कम्पिपयोधरा ।

तारकाकारदशना स्थिता द्यौरिव रूपिणी ॥ ३ ॥

अथ तस्या वयस्यैका राजानं तं व्यजिज्ञपत् ।

भूतसंग्रामसंरब्धममरेन्द्रमिवाप्सराः ॥ ४ ॥

देव देवी सहास्माभिः पलाय्यान्तःपुरान्तरात् ।

शरणं देवमायाता वातार्तेव लता द्रुमम् ॥ ५ ॥

राजन्दारा हृतास्तास्ते बलवद्भिरुदायुधैः ।

ऊर्मिजालैर्महाब्धीनां तीरद्रुमलता इव ॥ ६ ॥

अन्तःपुराधिपाः सर्वे पिष्टाः शत्रुभिरुद्धतैः ।

अशङ्किताभिपतितैर्वातैरिव वरद्रुमाः ॥ ७ ॥

दूरेणाशङ्कमायातैः परैर्नः पुरमाहृतम् ।

रात्रौ वर्षास्विवोद्धोषैः कमलानीव वारिभिः ॥ ८ ॥

धूमं वर्षद्भिरुन्नादैर्लेलिहानोग्रहेतिभिः।

वह्निभिर्नः पुरं प्राप्तं परयोधैश्च भूरिभिः ॥ ९ ॥

परिवारैर्विलासिन्यो देव्य आहृत्य मूर्धजैः ।

आक्रन्दन्त्यो बलान्नीताः कुरर्य इव धीवरैः ॥ १० ॥

इति नो येयमायाता शाखा प्रसरशालिनी ।

आपत्तामलमुद्धर्तुं देवस्यैवास्ति शक्तता ॥ ११ ॥

इत्याकर्ण्यावलोक्यासौ देव्यौ युद्धाय याम्यतः ।

क्षम्यतां मम भार्येयं युष्मत्पादाब्जषट्पदी ॥ १२ ॥

इत्युक्त्वा निर्ययौ राजा कोपारुणितलोचनः ।

मत्तेभनिर्भिन्नवनः कन्दरादिव केसरी ॥ १३ ॥

लीला लीलां ददर्शाथ स्वाकारसदृशाकृतिम् ।

प्रतिबिम्बमिवायातामादर्शे चारुदर्शनाम् ॥ १४ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.44.1–5

> At that moment, the queen of the king, who was in the prime of her youthful beauty, entered the inner palace like Goddess Lakshmi entering the heart of a lotus.

> She had swaying garlands and disheveled clothes, her pearl necklace broken and scattered, and she was followed by her fearful friends and maidservants who were trembling with terror.

> Her face was as bright as the moon, her body fair, her breasts heaving with heavy breaths, her teeth shining like stars—she stood there like the sky personified in beautiful form.

> Then one of her companions approached the king and informed him, like an apsara approaching Indra in the midst of a fierce battle with demons.

> "O Lord, O King! The queen, along with us, has fled from the inner chambers in fear and has come to you for refuge, just as a creeper seeks shelter in a tree during a storm."

3.44.6–10

> "O King, your wives have been taken away by powerful armed enemies, like vines and trees on the shore being swept by huge ocean waves."

> "All the lords and protectors of the inner palace have been crushed by the arrogant enemies who attacked suddenly, like strong winds uprooting great trees without warning."

> "The enemies came from afar without any fear and captured our city, like lotuses being taken by water in the rainy season's floods at night."

> "Our city has been reached by the enemies with loud cries, showering smoke, roaring fiercely, licking with sharp weapons like flames, and with many warriors."

> "The beautiful ladies of the harem were dragged away by their hair by the enemies' attendants, crying out loudly, just as female ospreys are carried off by fishermen."

3.44.11–14

> "This is the branch-like queen who has come to you, full of spreading virtues—she alone has the power to remove this calamity, O God-like king."

> Hearing this and seeing the queen approaching for battle from the south, the king said, "Forgive me, this is my wife, a bee at your lotus-like feet."

> Saying this, the King came out with eyes red with anger, like a lion coming out of a cave, bursting through the forest like an enraged elephant.

> Then Lila saw a form similar to her own appearance, like a beautiful reflection appearing in a mirror.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

The dramatic scene of the queen fleeing danger and seeking refuge highlights how worldly attachments, beauty, power, and relationships are transient and dream-like. The sudden attack on the palace and the capture of women and city symbolize the unpredictable assaults of time, desire, and karma that destroy even the most secure and splendid lives, reminding us that nothing in the material realm is permanent or truly "ours."

The king's fierce reaction and readiness to fight represent the ego's instinctive response to protect its possessions and identity, driven by anger and attachment. Yet, this outburst is futile in the larger spiritual context, as the entire episode is a projection within Consciousness. The teaching underscores that fear, protection, and conflict arise only because we identify with the body, family, and kingdom as real, whereas they are mere appearances in the mind, like waves on the ocean of Pure Awareness.

The most profound teaching emerges in the final verse, where Lila (the enlightened queen from the parallel story) perceives her own likeness in the terrified queen of Viduratha. This mirror-like reflection reveals the non-dual truth: all forms, personalities, and experiences are projections of the one Self. What appears as "other" is actually the same Consciousness appearing in different forms, emphasizing Advaita (non-duality). The illusion of separateness—between self and other, victor and victim—dissolves when one sees the unity underlying multiplicity.

Overall, these verses teach detachment (vairagya) from worldly drama. The chaos of battle, loss, and fear serves as a metaphor for samsara (worldly existence), showing how the mind creates elaborate stories of gain and loss. True liberation comes from recognizing the dream-like quality of these events and turning inward to the Unchanging Witness, rather than fighting illusory battles.

In essence, the passage guides the seeker toward Self-Realization by demonstrating that the world is a Creation of Consciousness (chit), and individual suffering stems from misidentification with transient roles. By seeing one's own form in another, as Lila does, the aspirant transcends duality, attains equanimity, and Realizes the Self as the sole Reality beyond birth, death, victory, or defeat.

Chapter 3.43, Verses 48–61

Yoga Vashishtha 3.43.48–61

(Sage Vasishta uses this graphic imagery in these verses to illustrate the transient and painful nature of worldly life)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

दह्यमानो विनिर्याति न कलत्रं विना नरः ।

अहो बत दुरुच्छेदाः प्राणिनां स्नेहवागुराः ॥ ४८ ॥

करी रभसनिर्लूनज्वलदङ्गारपादपः।

प्लुष्टपुष्करकः कोपान्मग्नः पुष्करदं सरः ॥ ४९ ॥

धूमोऽम्बुदपदं प्राप्य विलोलान्तस्तडिल्लतः ।

ज्वलदङ्गारनाराचनिकरं परिवर्षति ॥ ५० ॥

देव धूमस्फुरद्वह्निकण आवर्तवृत्तिमान्।

स्थित आपीडवात्तव्योम्नि रत्नपूर्ण इवार्णवः ॥ ५१ ॥

गौरमम्बरमाभाति ज्वालाशिखरतेजसा।

मृत्युनेवोत्सवे दत्तः कुङ्कुमाक्तकरण्डकः ॥ ५२ ॥

अहो नु विषमं चेदं वर्तते वृत्तवर्जितम्।

ध्रियन्ते राजनार्योऽपि वैरिवीरैरुदायुधैः ॥ ५३ ॥

लोलस्रग्दामकुसुमैर्मार्गप्राकारकारकैः ।

अर्धनिर्दग्धकबरीकीर्णवक्षस्थलस्तनाः ॥ ५४ ॥

आलोलाम्बरसंलक्ष्यनितम्बजघनस्थलाः ।

पतन्माणिक्यवलयवलितावनिमण्डलाः ॥ ५५ ॥

छिन्नहारलताजालविकीर्णामलमौक्तिकाः ।

दृष्टादृष्टस्तनश्रेणीपार्श्वोद्यत्कनकप्रभाः ॥ ५६ ॥

कुररीकर्कशाक्रन्दमन्दीकृतरणारवाः।

धारावाहास्रुतारावभिन्नपार्श्वविचेतनाः ॥ ५७ ॥

रक्तकर्दमवाष्पाम्बुक्लिन्नग्रन्धितवाससः ।

भुजमूलार्पितभुजैर्नीयमाना बलान्नृभिः ॥ ५८ ॥

क इवास्मिन्परित्राता स्यादित्यादीनवीक्षितैः ।

उत्पलालीव वर्षद्भिः परिरोदितसैनिकाः ॥ ५९ ॥

मृणालकोमलाच्छोरुमूलजालैः सुनिर्मलैः ।

स्वच्छाम्बरतलालक्ष्यैराकाशनलिनीनिभाः ॥ ६० ॥

आलोलमाल्यवसनाभरणाङ्गरागा बाष्पाकुलाततचलालकवल्लरीकाः।

आनन्दमन्दरनिरन्तरमथ्यमानात्कामार्णवात्समुदिता इव राजलक्ष्म्यः ॥ ६१ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.43.48–52

> A man burning in fire comes out only if his wife is not with him. Alas, how difficult to cut are the nets of attachment for living beings!

> An elephant, in furious rage, uproots a burning tree of coals and plunges into the lake of lotuses that is now on fire.

> The smoke, reaching the position of clouds, with flickering inner lightning streaks, showers a shower of burning coal-arrows.

> O God, the smoke with sparks of fire whirling in circles stands in the sky like an ocean full of gems, pressed by the wind from above.

> The sky appears white with the brilliance of flame-crests, like a turmeric-smeared basket of offerings given to Death in celebration.

3.43.53–61

> Alas, this world is so strange and without any proper order—even royal ladies are carried away by enemy warriors with raised weapons.

> With swaying garlands of flowers and bouquets adorning the path and ramparts, their half-burnt hair scattered on their chests and breasts.

> Their swaying garments revealing their hips and thighs, falling ruby bangles encircling the earth's orb.

> Broken pearl strings from necklaces scattered, pure pearls strewn about, their rows of breasts seen and unseen on the sides shining with golden light.

> Their cries like those of female ospreys softening the roar of battle, their sides split and senseless from streams of flowing blood.

> Clothes knotted and wet with steam from red mud-like blood-water, dragged forcibly by men with arms placed around their shoulders.

> "Who can save us in this?"—seeing such sights, the soldiers weep like blooming lotuses in the rain.

> With soft, pure lotus-stalk-like thighs and clear, shining lower garments visible like sky lotuses.

> With swaying garlands, clothes, ornaments, and body-paint, their curly hair clusters moving due to tears, they appear like royal goddesses risen from the ocean of passion churned endlessly by the Mandara of bliss.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses vividly describe a scene of a city engulfed in flames during a war or destruction, focusing on the intense suffering of its people, especially the royal women who are captured and dragged away by victorious enemies.  The burning city symbolizes the impermanence of material existence, where even the mightiest fall, and attachments lead to unbearable agony. The attachment to loved ones is so strong that a person would rather burn with his wife than escape alone, showing how deep-rooted bonds trap beings in cycles of pain.

The description shifts to natural elements gone chaotic—elephants plunging into burning lakes, smoke forming cloud-like structures raining fire, and the sky turning white with flames—highlighting how destruction disrupts the natural order. This chaos mirrors the turmoil caused by desires and attachments in human life. Vasishta points out the irony and strangeness of the world, where no hierarchy or dharma protects even noble queens from humiliation and violence. The teachings emphasize that worldly power, beauty, and status offer no real security against inevitable downfall and suffering.

The verses portray the pitiable state of the captured women in distressing detail—their disheveled hair, torn ornaments, blood-soaked clothes, cries, and forced dragging—to evoke revulsion toward sensory pleasures and attachments. These women, once adorned like goddesses, are reduced to objects of conquest. This serves to awaken dispassion (vairagya) in the seeker by showing the fragility of physical beauty, wealth, and relationships, which can vanish in an instant through calamity or death.

The soldiers' helpless weeping, compared to lotuses in rain, underscores the universality of sorrow in samsara—no one is spared from grief when attachments are severed by force or fate. The final verse poetically contrasts their former royal splendor with their current misery, likening them to Lakshmis emerging from an ocean of passion, but now in torment. This highlights how the pursuit of sensory enjoyment (kama) churns the mind like the mythical ocean, producing temporary bliss mixed with inevitable pain.

Overall, these verses teach the core Yoga Vasishta doctrine that the world is an illusion born of attachment and ignorance. True liberation comes from recognizing the impermanence and suffering inherent in worldly bonds, cultivating detachment, and Realizing the Self beyond the body and its relations. By contemplating such scenes of destruction and loss, one develops aversion to transient pleasures and turns inward toward Self-Knowledge and Brahm, the only Unchanging Reality.

Chapter 3.43, Verses 35–47

Yoga Vashishtha 3.43.35–47

(These verses vividly describe the horrors of a great battle and the devastating fire consuming everything, as narrated by Sage Vasishta)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

हा हा हागच्छ ते शीघ्रमेतदङ्गारमन्दिरम् ।

इतः प्रवृत्तं पतितुं सुमेरुः प्रलये यथा ॥ ३५ ॥

अहो शरशिलाशक्तिकुन्तप्रासासिहेतयः।

जालसंध्याभ्रपटलं विशन्ति शलभा इव ॥ ३६ ॥

हेतिप्रवाहा ज्वलनं नभस्यन्त्यां विशन्त्यहो ।

वडवानलमुज्वालमर्णःपूरा इवार्णवात् ॥ ३७ ॥

धूमायन्ति महाभ्राणि ज्वालाः शिखरिकोटिषु ।

सरसान्यपि शुष्यन्ति हृदयानीव रागिणाम् ॥ ३८ ॥

आलानत्वरुषेवैता दन्तिभिर्वृक्षपङ्क्तयः ।

स्फुरत्कटकटारावं पात्यन्ते कृतचीत्कृतैः ॥ ३९ ॥

पुष्टषुष्पफलस्कन्धा गतश्रीका गृहद्रुमाः।

गता निर्दग्धसर्वस्वा गृहस्था इव दीनताम् ॥ ४० ॥

मातापितृविनिर्मुक्ता बालकास्तिमिरावलीम् ।

मग्नन्तोऽङ्गेषुरथ्यासु कुड्यपातेन हा हताः ॥ ४१ ॥

वातविद्रावितात्त्रस्यन्कीरण्यो रणमूर्धनि ।

पतदङ्गारकागारभारिणः कटुकूजितम् ॥ ४२ ॥

हा कष्टमसिनिर्भिन्ने स्कन्धे सन्नदृढोल्मुके ।

पतितो यन्त्रपाषाणः पुरुष्स्याशनिर्यथा ॥ ४३ ॥

गवाश्वमहिषेभोष्ट्रश्वशृगालेडकैरहो ।

घोरै रणमिवारब्धं मार्गरोधकमाकुलैः ॥ ४४ ॥

पटैः पटपटाशब्दजलजालालिमालितैः।

आक्रन्दन्त्यः स्त्रियो यान्ति स्थलपद्माचिता इव ॥ ४५ ॥

स्त्रीणां ज्वालालवाः पश्य लिहन्त्यलकवल्लरीः ।

कुर्वन्तोऽशोकपुष्पाभां करभा इव पन्नगीः ॥ ४६ ॥

हा हा हरिणशावाक्ष्याः पक्षलक्षणपक्ष्मसु ।

कुमार्गेष्विव विश्रान्तिमेति कार्शानवी शिखा ॥ ४७ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.43.35–40

> Oh no! Come quickly to this house of glowing coals! Just as Mount Meru falls at the time of cosmic dissolution, everything here is rushing to destruction.

> Alas! Arrows, stones, spears, lances, darts, swords, and other weapons are entering the sky like moths rushing into a net of evening clouds.

> Streams of weapons are pouring into the burning sky. Oh wonder! They enter like floods of ocean waves rushing into the submarine fire.

> Huge clouds are smoking, flames rise on mountain peaks. Even watery places dry up, just like the hearts of passionate people.

> These rows of trees are uprooted like posts tied to angry elephants. They fall with loud cracking sounds and cries of distress.

> Trees in houses, once full of flowers, fruits, and leaves, have lost their beauty. They stand burnt and ruined, like householders reduced to poverty.

3.43.41–47

> Children abandoned by parents sink into the darkness of night. Alas! They are killed as walls collapse on them in the streets.

> Sparks fly in the wind at the battlefield's front. They carry burning coals with painful cries.

> Alas! When a shoulder is cut by a sword and the arm falls with a thud, a heavy millstone drops on a man like lightning striking him.

> Cows, horses, buffaloes, camels, dogs, jackals, and sheep create terror. The roads are blocked in chaos, as if a fierce battle has begun.

> Women run away crying, their clothes flapping with loud sounds like waves of water. They look like lotuses on land covered with petals.

> See how sparks of fire lick the curly hair of women. They make their faces glow red like ashoka flowers, as if young elephants tease snakes.

> Alas! Alas! The cruel flame rests on the long eyelashes of doe-eyed young women, like fire finding rest on forbidden paths.

Detailed summary of teachings:

These verses form part of a larger description in the Yoga Vasishta where Sage Vasishta illustrates the illusory and transient nature of the world through dramatic scenes of war and destruction. The intense imagery of fire, weapons, falling trees, crying children, and suffering women highlights how everything in the material world—beauty, life, possessions, and relationships—is fragile and destined to perish. This serves as a powerful reminder that clinging to worldly objects and pleasures leads only to sorrow.

The teachings emphasize the impermanence (anitya) of all phenomena. Just as a grand battle or cosmic fire can reduce everything to ashes in moments, human life and its attachments vanish quickly. The world appears real and attractive, but it is like a dream or mirage—full of apparent activity yet ultimately empty and destructive when seen clearly.

Vasishta uses this terrifying spectacle to awaken detachment (vairagya). By showing the horrors of destruction—innocent children dying, beautiful women suffering, nature ruined—the text urges the seeker to recognize the futility of ego-driven pursuits, desires, and identifications with the body or family. True peace cannot come from the unstable world but only from turning inward.

The verses point to the non-dual Reality (advaita) underlying appearances. The fire and chaos symbolize the burning away of ignorance through Knowledge. When the mind sees the world as unreal and transient, like these scenes of ruin, it ceases to be bound by it. Liberation arises from Realizing that the Self remains untouched by all this apparent destruction.

Ultimately, these verses teach dispassion and self-inquiry as the path to Freedom. They warn against the delusion of permanence in a world full of change and suffering, encouraging the aspirant to seek the Eternal Truth beyond birth, death, and worldly turmoil. This leads to the Highest Peace, untouched by the flames of samsara.

Chapter 3.43, Verses 21–34

Yoga Vashishtha 3.43.21–34

(These verses vividly paint the horror of a great city's destruction by fire in war. These describe a massive, terrifying fire that destroys an entire city during a war, as seen or heard by King Viduratha)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

कृशानुकणनाराचनिरन्तरतराम्बरम्।

बहुहेतिशिलाजाललुठद्दग्धपुरोत्करम् ॥ २१ ॥

रणद्द्विरदसंघट्टकुट्टितोद्भटसद्भटम् ।

विद्रवत्तस्करच्छेदमार्गकीर्णमहाधनम् ॥ २२ ॥

अङ्गारराशिनिपतन्नरनार्युग्ररोदनम् ।

स्फुटच्चटचटाशब्दप्रलुठत्स्फुटकाष्ठकम् ॥ २३ ॥

विपुलालातचक्रौघशतसूर्यनभस्तलम् ।

अङ्गारशिखिराकीर्णसमस्तवसुधातलम् ॥ २४ ॥

दग्धाग्निकाष्ठक्रेकाररणज्जवलनवैणवम् ।

दग्धजन्तुघनाक्रन्दरुदत्सकलसैनिकम् ॥ २५ ॥

पांसुशेषात्तराजश्रीवृद्धतृप्तहुताशनम् ।

सकलग्रसनारम्भसोद्योगाग्निमहाशनम् ॥ २६ ॥

यदृच्छात्कारडात्कारकठिनाग्निरटद्गृहम्।

अनन्तजन्तुभोज्यान्नवह्निभुक्तेन्धनस्पृहम् ॥ २७ ॥

अथ शुश्राव तत्रासौ गिरो राजा विदूरथः ।

योधानां दग्धदाराणां पश्यतामभिधावताम् ॥ २८ ॥

हा मत्तमरुदूर्ध्वस्थानङ्गार गृहपादपान् ।

रणत्खरखरं नीरजालामातपपन्थिनः ॥ २९ ॥

हा दग्धदाराः प्रालेयशीता देहेषु दन्तिनाम् ।

मग्ना मनस्तु महतामिव विज्ञानसूक्तयः ॥ २० ॥

हा तात हेतयो लग्नास्तरुणीकबरीतृणे।

ज्वलन्ति शुष्कपर्णौघा इव वीरानिलेरिताः ॥ ३१ ॥

आवर्तननदीदीर्घा वहत्यूर्ध्वतरङ्गिणी।

पश्येयं धूमयमुना व्योमगङ्गां प्रधावति ॥ ३२ ॥

वहदुल्मुककाष्ठोर्ध्वगामिनी धूमनिम्नगा ।

वैमानिकानन्धयति पश्याग्निकणबुद्बुदा ॥ ३३ ॥

अस्या माता पिता भ्राता जामाता स्तनपाः सुते ।

अस्मिन्सद्मनि निर्दग्धा दग्धैवासत्समिन्धने ॥ ३४ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued to paraphrase Viduratha:

3.43.21–27

> The sky is densely filled with flying arrows like sparks from a fire, and huge clusters of burnt palaces roll down with stones and weapons.

> It has crowds of elephants clashing and crushing strong warriors, paths scattered with riches from fleeing thieves being cut down.

> Heaps of embers fall on crying men and women in agony, with loud cracking sounds of splitting wood tumbling around.

> The sky looks like hundreds of suns from swirling huge firebrands, and the whole earth is covered with rising flames and sparks.

> Burning firewood crackles loudly like flutes in fire, and all soldiers cry out with the screams of burnt creatures.

> The fire grows satisfied by consuming the remaining royal glory in dust, eagerly devouring everything in its path with great effort.

> By chance or fate, the hard fire roars through houses, hungry for fuel and ready to eat endless beings as its food.

3.43.28–34

> Then King Viduratha heard those words there, from the burning soldiers who were running and watching in horror.

> "Alas! These embers high in the sky like mad winds burn the treetops of houses, roaring harshly like dry reeds in the sun's path."

> "Alas! The burnt wood feels cool like frost on the bodies of elephants, but great minds are sunk in it like wise sayings in profound thoughts." (The soldiers lament the irony of destruction.)

> "Alas, father! The missiles are stuck in young women's hair like grass, burning fiercely like dry leaves fanned by heroic winds."

> "A long river of whirlpools flows upward with waves, look, I see the smoky Yamuna rushing as the heavenly Ganga in the sky."

> "Smoke flows downward while firebrands rise up, blinding the heavenly charioteers; see the fire sparks bubbling like foam."

> "In this house, her mother, father, brother, son-in-law, and nursing children are all burnt to ashes in this fuel of evil."

Detailed summary of teachings: 

The intense imagery shows flames spreading everywhere, 

consuming buildings, people, animals, and riches without mercy. Arrows, embers, smoke, and cries fill the air and sky, turning the scene into a hellish spectacle.

The King hears the soldiers' pitiful cries and laments as they describe the devastation. 

Family members, warriors, and innocents perish together, highlighting how war's fire spares no one—neither high nor low, neither human nor animal.

This part comes from the story of Queen Leela and Goddess Saraswati observing King Viduratha's (a past life form) kingdom being destroyed by enemy King Sindhu. The fire symbolizes the destructive power of desire, attachment, and worldly conflict.

The main teaching is the impermanence and illusory nature of the world (samsara). 

All grand cities, armies, families, and glories burn away to nothing, showing that nothing material lasts. True Reality lies beyond such transient appearances.

These verses urge detachment (vairagya). By seeing the horror of destruction, one Realizes the futility of chasing wealth, power, or sensory pleasures. The cries of the dying remind us to seek the Eternal Self instead of temporary things. The fire represents the burning away of ignorance and ego in the fire of Knowledge. Just as the city vanishes in flames, the false world dissolves when true wisdom arises, leading to liberation (moksha) from birth and death cycles.

The verses teach compassion for suffering but also Wisdom to rise above it. Clinging to bodies, relations, or possessions causes pain; understanding their dream-like nature brings Peace.

Chapter 3.43, Verses 1–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.43.1–20

(These verses form part of a dramatic narrative where Goddess Sarasvati instructs a King about death, rebirth, and the illusory nature of worldly power)

श्रीसरस्वत्युवाच ।

अस्मिन् रणवरे राजन्मर्तव्यं भवताधुना।

प्राप्तव्यं प्राक्तनं राज्यं सर्वं प्रत्यक्षमेव ते ॥ १ ॥

कुमार्या मन्त्रिणा चैव त्वया च प्राक्तनं पुरम् ।

आगन्तव्यं शवीभूतं प्राप्तव्यं तच्छरीरकम् ॥ २ ॥

आवां यावो यथायातं वातरूपेण च त्वया ।

आगन्तव्यः स देशस्तु कुमार्या मन्त्रिणापि च ॥ ३ ॥

अन्यैव गतिरश्वस्य गतिरन्या खरोष्ट्रयोः ।

मदस्विन्नकपोलस्य गतिरन्यैव दन्तिनः ॥ ४ ॥

प्रस्तुतेति कथा यावन्मिथो मधुरभाषिणोः ।

तावत्प्रविश्य संभ्रान्त उवाचोर्ध्वस्थितो नरः ॥ ५ ॥

देव सायकचक्रासिगदापीरघवृष्टिमत् ।

महत्परबलं प्राप्तमेकार्णव इवोद्धतः ॥ ६ ॥

कल्पकालानिलोद्धूतकुलाचलशिलोपमम् ।

गदाशक्तिभुशुण्डीनां वृष्टिं मुञ्चति तुष्टिमत् ॥ ७ ॥

नगरे नगसंकाशे लग्नोऽग्निर्व्याप्तदिक्तटः ।

दहंश्चटचटास्फोटैः पातयत्युत्तमां पुरीम् ॥ ८ ॥

कल्पाम्बुदघटातुल्या व्योम्नि धूममहाद्रयः ।

बलात्प्रोड्डयनं कर्तुं प्रवृत्ता गरुडा इव ॥ ९ ॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

ससंभ्रमं वदत्येवं पुरुषे परुषारवः ।

उदभूत्पूरयन्नाशा बहिः कोलाहलो महान् ॥ १० ॥

बलादाकर्णकृष्टानां धनुषां शरवर्षिणाम् ।

बृंहतामतिमत्तानां कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥ ११ ॥ >>>

तरदुल्मुकखण्डोग्रतारातरलिताम्बरम् ।

अन्योन्यदेशसद्मौघप्रज्वलज्ज्वलनाचलम् ॥ १९ ॥

हतसैन्यपुरापातं द्रुताङ्गाराभ्रकोटरैः।

कर्कशाक्रन्दनिर्दग्धलोकपूगोग्रगर्जितम् ॥ २० ॥

Goddess Saraswati said:

3.43.1–4

> O King, in this great battle, you must now die. You will attain your former kingdom, and everything will become clearly visible to you.

> You, the girl, and the minister must go to your former city. There you will find the body turned into a corpse, and you must obtain that body.

> We two will go as we came, in the form of wind. You too must reach that place, along with the girl and the minister.

> The movement of a horse is one thing, that of a donkey or camel is different, and the gait of an elephant with sweat dripping from its cheeks is entirely another.

3.43.5–9  

> While this sweet conversation between the two was going on, suddenly a man entered in great agitation and spoke while standing above.

> O Lord, a great enemy army has arrived, filled with arrows, wheels, swords, maces, and rain of weapons, roaring like a turbulent ocean.

> It hurls showers of maces, spears, and clubs like rocks uprooted by the wind of the end of the world, and it releases them with great force.

> Fire has caught in the city that looks like a mountain, spreading to all directions, burning with crackling sounds and destroying the excellent city.

> In the sky, clouds of smoke rise like great mountains from the pots of the end-time clouds, and they fly upward forcefully like Garudas.

Maharishi Vasishta said: 

3.43.10–11

> While the man was speaking in panic, a loud, harsh noise arose, filling all directions with great uproar.

> From the bows drawn to the ears, showers of arrows came; from the trumpeting, highly excited elephants rushing swiftly...

3.43.12–18

> These excluded verses continue the description of the intense battle chaos. They vividly portray the terrifying scene of war: blazing torches flying, skies lit up with flickering lights, mutual destruction of homes and regions by raging fires, fallen armies and cities, burning embers in the air like clouds, harsh cries of the dying, and fierce roars from crowds being scorched—creating an atmosphere of total devastation and horror on the battlefield.

3.43.19–20  

> The sky is trembling and shining with fast-moving pieces of burning wood; mountains of fire burn from the floods of houses in each other's regions.

> The fallen armies and cities pour down; swift coals and smoke fill the hollows; harsh cries burn the people, with fierce roars from crowds.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

The core teaching is that physical death is not an end but a transition. The king's impending death in battle is presented as a necessary step to reclaim his "former kingdom," symbolizing the soul's return to its true, eternal state beyond the body. The world and its possessions appear real only through perception, but they are transient and dream-like.

The instructions to travel in wind form (subtle, non-physical) highlight the non-material essence of the Self. The body is merely a corpse to be obtained or discarded, teaching detachment from the physical form. Different gaits of animals illustrate how paths and methods in life vary according to one's nature and karma, yet all lead to the same impermanence.

The sudden interruption by the messenger and the vivid description of the invading army and burning city emphasize the suddenness and violence of change in samsara (worldly existence). No kingdom, city, or power lasts; destruction comes inevitably, like a storm. This serves to awaken dispassion (vairagya) by showing the fragility of material achievements and the futility of attachment to them.

The roaring chaos, fires, smoke, and cries depict the hellish suffering inherent in worldly conflicts and desires. It is a metaphor for the mind's turmoil when caught in illusion. The teaching urges recognition that such scenes are projections of the mind, not Ultimate Reality, encouraging seekers to look beyond sensory chaos to the Unchanging Self.

Overall, these verses teach non-dual wisdom: the world is like a battlefield of appearances, full of birth, death, and destruction, but the wise understand it as unreal. True victory lies not in winning kingdoms but in Realizing one's Eternal Nature, transcending the cycle of bodies and battles through Knowledge. This aligns with the central message of liberation through insight into the illusory nature of the Universe.