Chapter 1.17, Verses 27–37

Yoga Vashishtha 1.17.27 – 37

(Desire - contd.)

श्रीराम उवाच।

जडकल्लोलबहुला चिरं शून्यान्तरान्तरा।

क्षणमुल्लासमायाति तृष्णा प्रावृट्तरङ्गिणी ॥ २७ ॥

नष्टमुत्सृज्य तिष्ठन्तं तृष्णा वृक्षमिवापरम् ।

पुरुषात्पुरुषं याति तृष्णा लोलेव पक्षिणी ॥ २८ ॥

पदं करोत्यलङ्घ्येऽपि तृप्तापि फलमीहते ।

चिरं तिष्ठति नैकत्र तृष्णा चपलमर्कटी ॥ २९ ॥

इदं कृत्वेदमायाति सर्वमेवासमञ्जसम्।

अनारतं च यतते तृष्णा चेष्टेव दैविकी ॥ ३० ॥

क्षणमायाति पातालं क्षणं याति नभस्थलम् ।

क्षणं भ्रमति दिक्कुञ्जे तृष्णा हृत्पद्मषट्पदी ॥ ३१ ॥

सर्वसंसारदोषाणां तृष्णैका दीर्घदुःखदा ।

अन्तःपुरस्थमपि या योजयत्यतिसंकटे ॥ ३२ ॥

प्रयच्छति परं जाड्यं परमालोकरोधिनी।

मोहनीहारगहना तृष्णा जलदमालिका ॥ ३३ ॥

सर्वेषां जन्तुजातानां संसारव्यवहारिणाम् ।

परिप्रोतमनोमाला तृष्णा बन्धनरज्जुवत् ॥ ३४ ॥

विचित्रवर्णा विगुणा दीर्घा मलिनसंस्थितिः ।

शून्या शून्यपदा तृष्णा शक्रकार्मुकधर्मिणी ॥ ३५ ॥

अशनिर्गुणसस्यानां फलिता शरदापदाम्।

हिमं संवित्सरोजानां तमसां दीर्घयामिनी ॥ ३६ ॥

संसारनाटकनटी कार्यालयविहंगमी ।

मानसारण्यहरिणी स्मरसंगीतवल्लकी ॥ ३७ ॥

Sriram said:

Verse 1.17.27 "Desire is like a monsoon river—turbid with waves of inertia, running empty for long periods, and then suddenly surging forth with forceful excitement."

Verse 1.17.28 "Desire moves from one person to another, leaving one only to cling to another, like a restless bird hopping from tree to tree."

Verse 1.17.29 "Even after being satisfied, desire pursues more, overstepping all boundaries; it never rests in one place for long, like a fickle monkey."

Verse 1.17.30 "Desire, like a divine illusion, keeps the mind ever restless—it completes one act only to rush toward another, all in disorder and without end."

Verse 1.17.31 "In one moment, desire sinks into the depths of ignorance; in the next, it rises to sky-like ambitions. It roams in all directions like a honeybee circling the lotus of the heart."

Verse 1.17.32 "Of all the faults of worldly existence, desire alone brings endless suffering. Even a person dwelling in inner seclusion is pulled by it into terrible entanglements."

Verse 1.17.33 "Desire bestows intense dullness and obscures the light of insight. It is a dense veil of delusion, a garland of dark clouds."

Verse 1.17.34 "Among all creatures engaged in worldly life, desire is a binding chain that fastens itself to the mind like a twisted garland of thoughts."

Verse 1.17.35 "Desire is dazzling in appearance yet hollow and impure. Though appearing to move toward the void, it remains smeared with unclean attachments, like the bow of Indra—beautiful but deceptive."

Verse 1.17.36 "Desire is like a thunderbolt that destroys the harvest of virtue. It bears the fruits of autumnal distress, freezes the blooming lotus of wisdom, and brings the long night of ignorance."

Verse 1.17.37 "Desire is the actress in the drama of worldly life. It soars like a bird through the city of activity, roams like a deer in the forest of the mind, and plays the lute of infatuation in the theater of passion."

Summary of Teachings (Verses 1.17.27–1.17.37)

These verses offer a profoundly poetic and psychologically acute portrayal of tṛṣṇā (desire), characterizing it as the central affliction in the human experience of saṁsāra—the cycle of worldly life. The text uses vivid metaphors to reveal the multifaceted and dangerous nature of desire:

1. Restlessness and unpredictability – 

Desire is likened to natural forces like rivers, storms, birds, and monkeys—constantly moving, never stable, and hard to predict or control.

2. Insatiability – 

Even after apparent satisfaction, desire arises again and again, seeking new objects. It cannot be fulfilled permanently.

3. Mental turbulence – 

Like a bee hovering around the heart or a dancer in a cosmic drama, desire stirs the mind, distracts consciousness, and diverts inner attention toward the outer world.

4. Cause of suffering – 

Desire is not just an emotional impulse; it is a root cause of bondage, delusion, and suffering. It chains the mind, clouds judgment, and destroys virtue and insight.

5. Illusory & deceptive nature – 

Although it appears beautiful or pleasurable, desire is inherently hollow, impure, and misleading, like the ornate bow of Indra or a night of darkness that conceals the light of wisdom.

6. Universality – 

No being engaged in worldly life is free from desire. It penetrates even the minds of those living in seclusion, emphasizing its deep-rooted and pervasive nature.

Through these verses, Yoga Vāsiṣṭha highlights the critical need for viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (dispassion). Freedom from desire is portrayed as essential for Peace, Clarity, and Realization. The text prepares the seeker to face the inner world with insight and detach from the illusory pulls of external cravings.