Yoga Vashishtha 1.18.22-31
(Venality of the human body)
श्रीराम उवाच।
चित्तभृत्यकृतानन्तचेष्टावष्टब्धसंस्थिति ।
मिथ्यामोहमहास्थूणं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २२ ॥
दुःखार्भककृताक्रन्दं सुखशय्यामनोरमम्।
दुरीहादग्धदासीकं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २३ ॥
मलाढ्यविषयव्यूहभाण्डोपस्करसंकटम् ।
अज्ञानक्षारवलितं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २४॥
गुल्फगुग्गुलुविश्रान्तजानूर्ध्वस्तम्भमस्तकम् ।
दीघदोर्दारुसुदृढं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २५॥
प्रकटाक्षगवाक्षान्तः क्रीडत्प्रज्ञागृहाङ्गनम् ।
चिन्तादुहितृकं ब्रह्मन्नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २६ ॥
मूर्धजाच्छादनच्छन्नकर्णश्रीचन्द्रशालिकम् ।
आदीर्घाङ्गुलिनिर्व्यूहं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २७ ॥
सर्वाङ्गकुड्यसंघातघनरोमयवाङ्कुरम् ।
संशून्यपेटविवरं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २८॥
नखोर्णनाभिनिलयं सरमारणितान्तरम् ।
भाङ्कारकारिपवनं नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ २९ ॥
प्रवेशनिर्गमव्यग्रवातवेगमनारतम् ।
वितताक्षगवाक्षं तन्नेष्टं देहगृहं मम ॥ ३० ॥
जिह्वामर्कटिकाक्रान्तवदनद्वारभीषणम् ।
दृष्टदन्तास्थिशकलं नेष्टं देहगृह मम ॥ ३१ ॥
Sriram said:
22. "This body, my dwelling, held up by the endless activity of the mind-servant, standing firm upon the stout pillar of delusion and false identification, is not desirable to me."
23. "It is a house echoing with the cries of pain born of suffering, yet furnished with the deceptive bed of fleeting pleasures. It is consumed by the fire of vain desires, and I do not desire such a body."
24. "Filled with the filth of sense objects and burdened with the implements of worldly entanglements, this body is encrusted with the alkaline residue of ignorance — I do not desire it."
25. "Its structure consists of solid wood-like limbs — strong arms, a post-like trunk, and a head rising above the knees resting on knotty joints. This construction is not appealing to me."
26. "Through the eye-windows, knowledge plays within the courtyard of the mind, while anxiety and mental agitation appear as its daughters. O Brahman, this body-house is not dear to me."
27. "Adorned with hair on the head as its thatched covering and ears as its decorative moon-windows, this dwelling extends into long projections of fingers — it does not entice me."
28. "Composed of walls made of limbs, dense with hair-like barley sprouts, and hollow within like an empty granary — I do not wish for this bodily house."
29. "Housing nails, bones, and the navel, and filled with the sound of intestinal growls, and where the wind roars like a demon — I do not delight in this structure."
30. "Constantly invaded by the winds of breath entering and exiting, with open windows of the eyes — such a house is not cherished by me."
31. "The mouth, a dreadful gateway besieged by the monkey of the tongue, reveals within the ghastly spectacle of teeth and bone fragments — I do not desire this body."
Summary of the Teachings:
In these verses, Sri Rama expresses a deep disillusionment with the human body, likening it to a grotesque and impermanent house built upon ignorance and mental delusion. He reflects on the body not as a noble vessel but as a foul structure supported by false identification and mental agitation, emphasizing its transient and unreliable nature.
Each body part and function is metaphorically deconstructed to highlight its limitations and repulsiveness — the eyes, ears, mouth, and limbs are presented not as assets but as the fixtures of a fragile, ever-deteriorating house. This poetic critique aims to provoke detachment from bodily identity and sensory attachment, forming a central tenet in Yoga Vashishta’s teaching on viveka
(discernment).
The verses portray the body as a source of suffering masked by the illusion of pleasure. The comforts of the body are shown as shallow, temporary, and riddled with pain and decay. Rama sees desire and craving as the fuel for this illusion, which keeps beings trapped in the cycle of birth and death (samsara).
This passage encourages the seeker to turn inward, away from identification with the body and outward appearances, and instead focus on self-inquiry, wisdom, and liberation. The disgust expressed is not nihilistic but serves as a powerful tool for cultivating non-attachment and redirecting energy toward Inner Realization.
Ultimately, these verses encapsulate a key yogic insight: liberation lies not in beautifying or indulging the body, but in transcending the identification with it. Rama's renunciation of the body reflects his maturing spiritual insight — a movement toward pure consciousness and freedom beyond the material domain.
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