Yoga Vashishtha 1.19.11-21
(The Perils of boyhood)
श्रीराम उवाच।
बाल्यं रम्यमिति व्यर्थबुद्धयः कल्पयन्ति ये ।
तान्मूर्खपुरुषान्ब्रह्मन्धिगस्तु हृतचेतसः ॥ ११ ॥
यत्र दोलाकृति मनः परिस्फुरति वृत्तिषु ।
त्रैलोक्याऽभव्यमपि तत्कथं भवति तुष्टये ॥ १२ ॥
सर्वेषामेव सत्त्वानां सर्वावस्थाभ्य एव हि ।
मनश्चञ्चलतामेति बाल्ये दशगुणं मुने ॥ १३ ॥
मनः प्रकृत्यैव चलं बाल्यं च चलतां वरम्।
तयोः संश्लिष्यतोस्त्राता क इवान्तः कुचापले ॥ १४ ॥
स्त्रीलोचनैस्तडित्पुञ्जैर्ज्वलाजालैस्तरङ्गकैः ।
चापलं शिक्षितं ब्रह्मञ्छैशवाक्रान्तचेतसः ॥ १५ ॥
शैशवं च मनश्चैव सर्वास्वेव हि वृत्तिषु।
भ्रातराविव लक्ष्येते सततं भङ्गुरस्थिती ॥ १६ ॥
सर्वाणि दुःखभूतानि सर्वे दोषा दुराधयः।
बालमेवोपजीवन्ति श्रीमन्तमिव मानवाः ॥ १७ ॥
नवं नवं प्रीतिकरं न शिशुः प्रत्यहं यदि।
प्राप्नोति तदसौ याति विषवैषम्यमूर्च्छनाम् ॥ १८ ॥
स्तोकेन वशमायाति स्तोकेनैति विकारिताम् ।
अमेध्य एव रमते बालः कौलेयको यथा ॥ १९ ॥
अजस्रवाष्पवदनः कर्दमाक्तो जडाशयः ।
वर्षोक्षितस्य तप्तस्य स्थलस्य सदृशः शिशुः ॥ २० ॥
भयाहारपरं दीनं दृष्टादृष्टाभिलाषि च ।
लोलबुद्धि वपुर्धत्ते बाल्यं दुःखाय केवलम् ॥ २१ ॥
Sriram said:
11. "Those who imagine boyhood to be delightful are deluded by vain understanding. Such foolish people, with their minds captivated, are to be pitied."
12. "When the mind wavers like a pendulum and constantly flickers amidst various tendencies, how can even the unimaginable pleasures of the three worlds bring satisfaction?"
13. "In every living being and in all states of existence, the mind becomes fickle; yet, in boyhood, O Sage, it becomes ten times more unstable."
14. "The mind is inherently unsteady, and boyhood adds even more instability. Who can rescue anyone caught in the grip of both, except perhaps by chance?"
15. "Through the lightning-flash glances of women, through flames and waves of distraction, the mind learns restlessness early in life when consciousness is overtaken by boyhood."
16. "Boyhood and the mind, in all forms of behavior, resemble two brothers: constantly seen together, they remain ever in a fragile and unstable state."
17. "All sufferings, faults, and misfortunes draw their sustenance from boyhood, just as dependents flock around a wealthy person."
18. "If the boy does not receive some new pleasure each day, he quickly plunges into a poisonous state of imbalance and unconscious misery."
19. "With a little provocation, the boy is pacified; with a little more, he is disturbed. He delights in the impure, much like a scavenger."
20. "With tear-filled eyes, smeared in dirt, and a dull intellect, the boy resembles scorched land soaked and ruined by sudden rain."
21. "Absorbed in fear and hunger, weak and desiring both seen and unseen objects, with a mind full of whims, boyhood exists only for sorrow."
Overall Summary (Five Paragraphs):
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha present a vivid critique of boyhood, challenging the romanticized view that early years of life are joyful and pure. Rāma, the speaker, considers such a notion to be the product of deluded thinking. He argues that the state of boyhood is characterized not by bliss, but by ignorance, confusion, and the domination of unsteady mental tendencies. The portrayal is not sentimental but philosophical, aiming to strip away illusions about the human condition.
Rāma highlights the extreme fickleness of the mind during boyhood. Even in adults, the mind tends to waver, but in boys, this instability is greatly amplified. Their moods change rapidly, their desires are endless, and their responses to pleasure and pain are disproportionate. The boy's nature is likened to an uncontrolled swinging pendulum — incapable of rest, and driven by surface impressions and impulses, rendering even the pleasures of heaven ineffective in granting satisfaction.
The verses draw attention to how early conditioning — especially sensory impressions such as the seductive glances of women or the appeal of fleeting joys — shape the restless tendencies of the mind. Rāma explains that both the mind and boyhood share an innate instability, like fragile brothers whose presence disrupts balance and peace. As long as one is caught between these two forces, liberation or deep contentment remains elusive.
Furthermore, boyhood is described as the fertile ground for all forms of suffering, just as parasites cling to the wealthy. The boy is easily disturbed, quick to anger or sorrow, and finds delight even in the impure or base. This metaphor starkly contrasts with modern ideals of boyhood innocence, presenting a more raw and existential view — that boyhood is not immune to the sufferings and flaws that plague adulthood but is instead their foundation.
Ultimately, Rāma describes the boy as physically and emotionally frail — often crying, soiled, driven by fear and hunger, and pursuing both tangible and imagined desires. Such a life, he asserts, is devoid of true happiness. The purpose of these verses is to awaken dispassion (vairāgya) in the seeker by emphasizing that suffering begins not in adulthood but at birth, and only through spiritual wisdom and inner mastery can one transcend the bondage initiated in boyhood.
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