Yoga Vashishtha 1.20.11–23
(The forest of youth)
श्रीराम उवाच।
सर्वस्याग्रे सर्वपुंसः क्षणमात्रमनोहरम्।
गन्धर्वनगरप्रख्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ ११॥
इषुप्रपातमात्रं हि सुखदं दुःखभासुरम्।
दाहपोषप्रदं नित्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १२ ॥
आपातमात्ररमणं सद्भावरहितान्तरम् ।
वेश्यास्त्रीसंगमप्रख्यं यौवनं मे न रोचते ॥ १३ ॥
ये केचन समारम्भास्ते सर्वे सर्वदुःखदाः ।
तारुण्ये संनिधिं यान्ति महोत्पाता इव क्षये ॥ १४ ॥
हार्दान्धकारकारिण्या भैरवाकारवानपि ।
यौवनाज्ञानयामिन्या बिभेति भगवानपि ॥ १५ ॥
सुविस्मृतशुभाचारं बुद्धिवैधुर्यदायिनम् ।
ददात्यतितरामेष भ्रमं यौवनसंभ्रमः ॥ १६॥
कान्तावियोगजातेन हृदि दुःस्पर्शवह्निना ।
यौवने दह्यते जन्तुस्तरुर्दावाग्निना यथा ॥ १७ ॥
सुनिर्मलापि विस्तीर्णा पावन्यपि हि यौवने ।
मतिः कलुषतामेति प्रावृषीव तरङ्गिणी ॥ १८ ॥
शक्यते घनकल्लोला भीमा लङ्घयितुं नदी ।
न तु तारुण्यतरला तृष्णातरलितान्तरा ॥ १९ ॥
सा कान्ता तौ स्तनौ पीनौ ते विलासास्तदाननम् ।
तारुण्य इति चिन्ताभिर्याति जर्जरतां जनः ॥ २० ॥
नरं तरलतृष्णार्ति युवानमिह साधवः ।
पूजयन्ति न तु च्छिन्नं जरत्तृणलवं यथा ॥ २१ ॥
नाशायैव मदार्तस्य दोषमौक्तिकधारिणः।
अभिमानमहेभस्य नित्यालानं हि यौवनम् ॥ २२ ॥
मनोविपुलमूलानां दोषाशीविषधारिणाम् ।
शोषरोदनवृक्षाणां यौवनं बत काननम् ॥ २३ ॥
Sriram said:
11. "I do not find delight in youth, even though it appears charming for a fleeting moment to all beings, like a celestial city—illusory and unreal."
12. "Youth provides pleasure only for the brief instant of an arrow’s flight; it is laden with suffering, gives rise to burning and indulgence, and is ever unstable. I find no joy in it."
13. "It gives momentary delight and is devoid of True Essence within. Like union with a courtesan, it is superficial and lacks depth. Hence, I do not relish youth."
14. "All undertakings in life, whatever they may be, bring suffering in their wake. During youth, they gather like great calamities approaching their peak."
15. "Even the Lord would tremble before the ignorance born night of youth, which casts inner darkness upon the heart and assumes a dreadful form."
16. "The intoxication of youth, which leads to forgetfulness of virtuous conduct and clouds the intellect, brings delusion in excessive measure."
17. "The creature in youth is scorched by the searing fire of grief caused by separation from the beloved, just as a tree is burned by a forest fire."
18. "Even a Pure and expansive mind becomes impure in youth, like a sacred river muddied during the rains."
19. "One may cross a flood-swollen river filled with terrifying waves, but not the torrent of desires and cravings that surge during youth."
20. "That beloved, those full breasts, those playful acts, that charming face" — reflecting thus on youth, a man becomes feeble and worn out.
21. "The wise never esteem a youth burning with fickle desire, just as they do not value broken, dry grass."
22. "Youth, adorned with pride and intoxication, is ever tethered to destruction—like an elephant in rut chained by its own arrogance."
23. "Youth is a forest dense with poisonous serpents of faults, rooted in the expansive delusions of the mind, and filled with the trees of sorrow and lamentation. Alas, what a jungle it is!"
Summary of the Teachings
These verses present a vivid and uncompromising critique of youth (tāruṇya) from a philosophical standpoint. The speaker, Śrī Rāma, reflects dispassionately on the fleeting charm of youth, describing it as transient, deceptive, and ultimately a source of suffering. Though it may appear pleasurable, this phase of life is likened to mirages and illusions—momentarily delightful but inherently empty and unreliable.
The second theme emphasized is the destructiveness that youth can bring when it is not tempered by wisdom. The verses highlight how youth fosters forgetfulness of virtue, clouds discernment, and gives rise to vanity and desire. The metaphor of night, fire, flood, and forest fire portray youth as a phase prone to inner darkness and painful consequences, especially when driven by passions and attachments.
Moreover, the emotional turmoil and instability of youth are underscored, particularly through metaphors of romantic grief, mental agitation, and compulsive craving. These inner afflictions are not merely psychological but spiritual obstacles that obscure the path to Higher Realization.
The grief of separation, the burning intensity of desire, and the deluded hope in transient pleasures—all are cited as sources of immense suffering during youth.
Another critical point made is the contrast between appearance and Reality. The verses show how the external beauty and allure of youth are deceptive.
Just as a courtesan’s affection may be superficial, so too is the joy in youth—brief and lacking in substance. The wise do not honor unrestrained youth, just as dry and broken grass holds no value; thus, discernment is praised above indulgence.
Finally, the cumulative image of youth is that of a dangerous, entangling forest filled with the venomous snakes of faults and the trees of sorrow. Far from being glorified, youth is portrayed as a testing ground of delusion. These teachings gently guide the seeker toward vairāgya (dispassion) and viveka (discernment), encouraging detachment from the seductive but perilous phases of worldly life, especially during youthful vigor.
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