Yoga Vashishtha 1.20.1–10
(The tragedy of youth)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
बाल्यानर्थमथ त्यक्त्वा पुमानभिहताशयः ।
आरोहति निपाताय यौवनं संभ्रमेण तु ॥ १ ॥
तत्रानन्तविलासस्य लोलस्य स्वस्य चेतसः ।
वृत्तीरनुभवन्याति दुःखाद्दुःखान्तरं जडः ॥ २ ॥
स्वचित्तबिलसंस्थेन नानासंभ्रमकारिणा।
बलात्कामपिशाचेन विवशः परिभूयते ॥ ३ ॥
चिन्तानां लोलवृत्तीनां ललनानामिवाऽवृतीः ।
अर्पयत्यवशं चेतो बालानामञ्जनं यथा ॥ ४ ॥
ते ते दोषा दुरारम्भास्तत्र तं तादृशाशयम्।
तद्रूपं प्रतिलुम्पन्ति दुष्टास्तेनैव ये मुने ॥ ५ ॥
महानरकबीजेन संततभ्रमदायिना ।
यौवनेन न ये नष्टा नष्टा नान्येन ते जनाः ॥ ६ ॥
नानारसमयी चित्रवृत्तान्तनिचयोम्भिता।
भीमा यौवनभूर्येन तीर्णा धीरः स उच्यते ॥ ७ ॥
निमेषभासुराकारमालोलघनगर्जितम् ।
विद्युत्प्रकाशमशिवं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ८ ॥
मधुरं स्वादु तिक्तं च दूषणं दोषभूषणम्।
सुराकल्लोलसदृशं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ९ ॥
असत्यं सत्यसंकाशमचिराद्विप्रलम्भदम् ।
स्वप्नाङ्गनासङ्गसमं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १० ॥
Sriram said:
1. "O Sage, when a person, having given up the futility of childhood but still afflicted by ignorance, rushes with excitement into youth, it is only to fall from a greater height."
2. "There, with a restless and unrestrained mind, indulging in endless diversions, he passes from one sorrow to another, experiencing new forms of suffering in his ignorance."
3. "Overpowered by the demon of lust, who dwells in the dark cave of his own mind and causes ceaseless confusion, he becomes helpless and degraded."
4. "Like black kajal applied to the eyes of children, his mind becomes stained by the incessantly wavering thoughts of worries and desires, which act like charming women leading him astray."
5. "The many defects born from such desires, difficult to overcome, overpower the individual whose tendencies are of that Nature, destroying his True Self."
6. "Those who are not lost during the turmoil of youth, the seed of great suffering and future downfall, are truly rare; for others, there is no redemption."
7. "One who crosses the dreadful terrain of youth, filled with ever-changing, colourful attractions and perilous narratives, is rightly called wise and courageous."
8. "I do not take delight in youth, which is like a lightning flash—brilliant for a moment—yet full of unsteady clouds and thunder, and ultimately ominous."
9. "Sweet and pleasing on the surface, yet bitter and adorned with flaws, youth is like the frothing waves of intoxicating liquor—I do not find it appealing."
10. "False in its seeming truth, and soon leading to betrayal, youth is akin to the illusory embrace of a woman in a dream—I take no joy in it."
Summary of Teachings:
These verses, spoken by Sri Rama in the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, present a profound disillusionment with youth, exposing its transient and deceptive nature. While youth is commonly celebrated, Rama reveals it as a stage of intense turmoil and vulnerability, where ignorance manifests in new and often more destructive forms. It is not an age of clarity, but one of impulsive action driven by unchecked emotions and desires.
Youth is depicted here as a breeding ground for suffering, as the mind—fickle and unanchored—chases pleasures, creating deeper attachments and disappointments. Lust, likened to a demon, seizes control, compelling the individual into unwholesome actions that lead to further bondage. This is not just physical but deeply psychological, as thought patterns themselves become tinted and corrupted by illusions of gratification.
The verses emphasize how easily youth seduces the unwary into a cycle of confusion and sorrow. The imagery is striking—of children having their eyes darkened, of inner demons lurking in caves, of lightning and thunder that dazzle but bring danger. These metaphors illustrate how surface appearances can mask inner ruin. Youth is thus a crucible where only the wise, those who resist its sway, emerge unscathed.
What marks the wise, according to Rama, is not abstention from youth but transcendence through understanding. He praises those who endure and rise above the seductions of youthful pleasures, calling them truly strong and discerning. Such a person is rare but represents the ideal spiritual aspirant who sees beyond illusion.
Ultimately, these verses prepare the ground for deeper philosophical inquiry by creating a disenchantment with worldly stages of life. In recognizing the false charm of youth, the aspirant becomes ripe for detachment (vairāgya), which is a prerequisite for Self-Realization in the path of Yoga and Knowledge.
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