Yoga Vashishtha 1.17.38 – 46
(Desires - even more)
श्रीराम उवाच।
व्यवहाराब्धिलहरी मोहमातङ्गश्रृङ्खला ।
सर्गन्यग्रोधसुलता दुःखकैरवचन्द्रिका ॥ ३८ ॥
जरामरणदुःखानामेका रत्नसमुद्गिका।
आधिव्याधिविलासानां नित्यं मत्ता विलासिनी ॥ ३९ ॥
क्षणमालोकविमला सान्धकारलवा क्षणम् ।
व्योमवीथ्युपमा तृष्णा नीहारगहना क्षणम् ॥ ४० ॥
गच्छत्युपशमं तृष्णा कायव्यायामशान्तये ।
तमी घनतमःकृष्णा यथा रक्षोनिवृत्तये ॥ ४१ ॥
तावन्मुह्यत्ययं मूको लोको विलुलिताशयः ।
यावदेवानुसंधत्ते तृष्णा विषविषूचिका ॥ ४२ ॥
लोकोऽयमखिलं दुःखं चिन्तयोज्झितयोज्झति ।
तृष्णाविषूचिकामन्त्रश्चिन्तात्यागो हि कथ्यते ॥ ४३ ॥
तृणपाषाणकाष्ठादिसर्वमामिषशङ्कया।
आददाना स्फुरत्यन्ते तृष्णा मत्स्यी ह्रदे यथा ॥ ४४ ॥
रोगार्तिरङ्गनातृष्णा गम्भीरमपि मानवम् ।
उत्तानतां नयन्त्याशु सूर्यांशव इवाम्बुजम् ॥ ४५ ॥
अन्तःशून्या ग्रन्थिमत्यो दीर्घस्वाङ्कुरकण्टकाः ।
मुक्तामणिप्रिया नित्यं तृष्णा वेणुलता इव ॥ ४६ ॥
38. "Worldly activity is like the waves of an ocean, bound by the chains of delusion like a wild elephant; it is like a spreading banyan creeper born of creation, and like moonlight that nourishes the night-lily of sorrow."
39. "It is a single jewel-box containing the suffering of old age and death, ever intoxicated with the pleasures of afflictions and ailments."
40. "Desire appears pure for a moment, then becomes clouded with the mist of darkness; it is like a fleeting path through the sky, and like a thick fog that envelopes all for a moment."
41. "Desire ceases only with the calming of bodily agitation, just as dense black darkness vanishes only when demons retreat."
42. "This mute world, with its scattered intentions, remains deluded so long as desire—like a poison epidemic—holds it captive."
43. "This entire world is afflicted with suffering, and only by relinquishing thoughts (which are the mantras against the epidemic of desire) can this poison be cured."
44. "Like a fish in a pond that flutters upon mistaking grass, stones, and wood for bait, desire leaps at everything out of fear of missing gratification."
45. "Like a fevered woman dragging even a deep man to superficiality, desire swiftly brings even profound minds to shallow surfaces, just as the sun's rays draw the lotus upward."
46. "Hollow within, knotted and thorny, yet always adorned with pearls and gems—such is desire, resembling a creeper vine wrapped around a flute."
Summary of the Teachings (1.17.38–46):
These verses offer a striking poetic and philosophical exploration of tṛṣṇā (craving or desire), portraying it as the root of all worldly suffering and delusion. Desire is likened to the restless ocean, a massive banyan creeper, and a force that nourishes sorrow rather than relieving it. Even as it appears beautiful or promising at first, it is ultimately a source of endless affliction, tightly interwoven with the cycle of birth and death.
The metaphorical richness continues as desire is described as an intoxicated courtesan, the container of all sorrows such as aging and illness, and a fog that obscures clarity. These images emphasize how craving seduces the mind with illusions of joy while actually promoting decay and suffering. The imagery of fleeting clarity followed by darkness reflects the transient and deceptive nature of sensual satisfaction.
Desire is not merely a psychological tendency but a cosmic force that disturbs and destabilizes even the wise. It cannot be overcome by external efforts alone; true cessation requires an inner calming, a deep silence of body and mind, which is likened to the disappearance of darkness when demons flee. Until this inner stillness is attained, humanity remains deluded and scattered in purpose.
A powerful metaphor presents desire as an epidemic of poison—viṣūcikā—that infects the entire world. The only known cure is cintā-tyāga, the abandonment of compulsive thought. This act of letting go is portrayed as a spiritual mantra that counteracts the disease of craving, inviting the practitioner to drop mental clutter and seek silence within.
Lastly, desire is portrayed as charming but dangerous: hollow within, thorny without, alluring yet binding. Like a vine of pearls, it entangles the soul with its deceptive beauty. This concludes the passage with a sobering insight—desire may appear lovely, but its embrace is hollow and wounding. The verses collectively urge the seeker to see beyond this illusion and pursue liberation through dispassion and wisdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment