Yoga Vashishtha 1.18.42 – 52
(transient and decaying nature of the human body)
श्रीराम उवाच।
भुक्त्वा पीत्वा चिरं कालं बालपल्लवपेलवाम् ।
तनुतामेत्य यत्नेन विनाशमनुधावति ॥ ४२ ॥
तान्येव सुखदुःखानि भावाभावमयान्यसौ ।
भूयोऽप्यनुभवन्कायः प्राकृतो हि न लज्जते ॥ ४३ ॥
सुचिरं प्रभुतां कृत्वा संसेव्य विभवश्रियम् ।
नोच्छ्रायमेति न स्थैर्यं कायः किमिति पाल्यते ॥ ४४ ॥
जराकाले जरामेति मृत्युकाले तथा मृतिम् ।
सम एवाविशेषज्ञः कायो भोगिदरिद्रयोः ॥ ४५ ॥
संसाराम्भोधिजठरे तृष्णाकुहरकान्तरे।
सुप्तस्तिष्ठति मुक्तेहो मूकोऽयं कायकच्छपः ॥ ४६ ॥
दहनैकार्थयोग्यानि कायकाष्ठानि भूरिशः ।
संसाराब्धाविहोह्यन्ते कंचित्तेषु नरं विदुः ॥ ४७ ॥
दीर्घदौरात्म्यवलया निपातफलपातया ।
न देहलतया कार्यं किंचिदस्ति विवेकिनः ॥ ४८ ॥
मज्जन्कर्दमकोशेषु झटित्येव जरां गतः ।
न ज्ञायते यात्यचिरात्कः कथं देहदर्दुरः ॥ ४९ ॥
निःसारसकलारम्भाः कायाश्चपलवायवः।
रजोमार्गेण गच्छन्तो दृश्यन्ते नेह केनचित् ॥ ५० ॥
वायोर्दीपस्य मनसो गच्छतो ज्ञायते गतिः ।
आगच्छतश्च भगवञ्छरीरस्य कदाचन ॥ ५१ ॥
बद्धास्था ये शरीरेषु बद्धास्था ये जगत्स्थितौ ।
तान्मोहमदिरोन्मत्तान्धिग्धिगस्तु पुनःपुनः ॥ ५२ ॥
Sriram said:
42 "After a long time spent enjoying tender young shoots and fruits, the body gradually wastes away and rushes inevitably toward destruction."
43 "The same pleasures and pains, composed of transient sensations of existence and non-existence, are experienced repeatedly by the body, which—being of a base nature—feels no shame in undergoing them again and again."
44 "Even after a long reign over power and wealth, and after indulging in grandeur, the body neither attains true greatness nor finds lasting stability; so why should it be protected and pampered?"
45 "In old age, the body inevitably succumbs to decay; at the appointed time, it surely meets death. It remains the same, whether it belongs to the wealthy or the poor, as it cannot distinguish between them."
46 "In the vast stomach of the ocean of saṁsāra (worldly existence), in the dense forest of cravings, this body, like a dumb tortoise, sleeps ignorant of its captivity and bondage."
47 "Countless wooden logs suitable only for burning—the human bodies—float in the ocean of worldly existence; among these, only a few rare ones are recognized as conscious beings."
48 "Wrapped tightly by the long chains of deep-seated wickedness, and falling constantly due to the fruits of previous actions, the body has no real significance for the wise."
49 "Immersed in the mud of bodily impurities, the frog-like body rapidly approaches old age, unnoticed. How and when this occurs is not even realized."
50 "Bodies, fleeting and insubstantial like gusts of wind, arise and vanish through the path of dust. They are perceived here by none in their true essence."
51 "The movement of the wind, the flame of a lamp, or the mind in its transitions can sometimes be perceived; but the coming and going of the body’s vital force is never truly observed."
52 "Those who are attached to bodies, or who are fixated on the world's existence, are drunk with the wine of delusion and ignorance; to them, shame and condemnation are repeatedly due."
Overall Summary of Teachings:
These verses convey a profound reflection on the transient and decaying nature of the human body. Despite indulgence in worldly pleasures, the body inevitably deteriorates and moves toward destruction. It is highlighted that whether one experiences pleasure or pain, power or poverty, the body's fate remains the same—decomposition and death are unavoidable.
The body is compared to a sleeping tortoise, unaware of its bondage within the dense wilderness of worldly cravings. Human lives are likened to countless logs floating in the ocean of existence, emphasizing how rare it is for a soul to recognize its true nature amidst the unconscious masses.
For the discerning seeker, the body is shown to have no true importance, as it is bound by past actions and declines without clear Awareness. The metaphors used—such as the frog slipping into mud or the gusts of wind—illustrate how imperceptibly yet surely the body deteriorates, hidden from our ordinary perception.
The movement of subtle forces like wind or mind can sometimes be known, but the underlying life-force transition, the fundamental Reality of bodily life and death, remains beyond direct observation. This suggests the body's existence is a fleeting phenomenon, and True Reality lies elsewhere.
Finally, attachment to the body and the external world is sharply criticized. Those who cling to bodily existence or worldly appearances are seen as intoxicated by ignorance, worthy of repeated pity and condemnation. True wisdom lies in transcending this bodily fixation and realizing the imperishable truth beyond ephemeral forms.
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