Yoga Vashishtha 1.20.24–33
(The Mirage of Youth)
श्रीराम उवाच।
रसकेसरसंबाधं कुविकल्पदलाकुलम्।
दुश्चिन्ताचञ्चरीकाणां पुष्करं विद्धि यौवनम् ॥ २४ ॥
कृताकृतकुपक्षाणां हृत्सरस्तीरचारिणाम्।
आधिव्याधिविहंगानामालयो नवयौवनम् ॥ २५ ॥
जडानां गतसंख्यानां कल्लोलानां विलासिनाम् ।
अनपेक्षितमर्यादो वारिधिर्नवयौवनम् ॥ २६ ॥
सर्वेषां गुणसर्गाणां परिरूढरजस्तमाः।
अपनेतुं स्थितिं दक्षो विषमो यौवनानिलः ॥ २७ ॥
नयन्ति पाण्डुतां वक्रमाकुलावकरोत्कटाः।
आरोहन्ति परां कोटिं रूक्षा यौवनपांसवः ॥ २८ ॥
उद्वोधयति दोषालिं निकृन्तति गुणावलिम् ।
नराणां यौवनोल्लासो विलासो दुष्कृतश्रियाम् ॥ २९ ॥
शरीरपङ्कजरजश्चञ्चलां मतिषट्पदीम्।
निबध्नन्मोहयत्येष नवयौवनचन्द्रमाः ॥ ३० ॥
शरीरखण्डकोद्भूता रम्या यौवनवल्लरी।
लग्नमेव मनोभृङ्गं मदयत्युन्नतिं गता ॥ ३१ ॥
शरीरमरुतापोत्थां युवतामृगतृष्णिकाम्।
मनोमृगाः प्रधावन्तः पतन्ति विषयावटे ॥ ३२ ॥
शरीरशर्वरीज्योत्स्ना चित्तकेसरिणः सटा।
लहरी जीविताम्भोधेर्युवता मे न तुष्टये ॥ ३३ ॥
Sriram said:
Verse 24: "O Rāma, understand youth to be like a lotus pond overrun by the intoxicating essence of pleasures, swarming with the bees of disturbing thoughts and false imaginations."
Verse 25: "Youth is a dwelling place for the birds of mental and physical afflictions, who flutter along the banks of the heart’s lake, carrying both real and imagined burdens."
Verse 26: "Youth, like a turbulent ocean, is filled with waves of wild and irrational urges. It does not observe any restraint, and is beyond the reach of the dull-witted and the wise alike."
Verse 27: "The wind of youth blows violently, stirring up the dust of passions and darkness (rajas and tamas), making it difficult even for the wise to remain steady and balanced."
Verse 28: "The dry and harsh dust-storms of youth rise high, turning clarity into confusion, and lead even the purest to crookedness and impurity."
Verse 29: "The splendor of youth awakens a multitude of faults, destroys noble qualities, and becomes the ornament of those rich in sin and misdeeds."
Verse 30: "The moon of fresh youth binds the restless bee of the mind to the pollen of the body’s pleasures, bewitching it into delusion."
Verse 31: "The delightful creeper of youth, growing from the root of the body, captures the bee of the mind and intoxicates it when it reaches full bloom."
Verse 32: "The mirage of sensual delights arising from the wind of bodily desires draws the deer-like mind toward it, causing it to fall into the pit of worldly objects."
Verse 33: "The moonlight of a young woman’s body is like the mane of the lion of desire within the heart, and the wave of her charm on the ocean of life does not bring me any satisfaction."
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha form a deeply reflective critique of youth, not as a biological phase but as a psychological condition dominated by desires, restlessness, and illusions. Youth is compared repeatedly to natural images such as ponds, oceans, wind, and dust storms—all of which represent its instability, power, and tendency to obscure clarity and wisdom. The metaphors also emphasize its transience and susceptibility to inner disturbance.
The text highlights that youth is a period when the mind becomes overrun with fantasies and anxieties. Even the intellect becomes clouded, as desires and emotions take control, and judgment is easily compromised.
Real and imagined fears alike take residence in the heart, rendering the aspirant vulnerable to suffering and disorientation. The imagery of birds, bees, waves, and dust evokes a world teeming with activity but lacking grounding.
There is an emphasis on the inability of even the wise to withstand the overpowering effects of youth. The winds of passion and ignorance uproot stability, and the dust they raise blinds moral clarity. Noble virtues and good character are often eroded in this phase of life, giving way to vice and error. The youthful splendor, rather than being celebrated, is shown as dangerous when it lacks discernment.
The attraction to sensual pleasure is portrayed as a delusion—the mind is likened to a bee drawn to the body's superficial beauty or a deer chasing mirages, only to be trapped in the snare of worldly objects. These verses use poetic imagery to show how powerful and deceptive bodily allure can be, especially when filtered through the lens of youthful intoxication.
Finally, Rāma expresses a detachment from this glamour. The last verse marks a decisive turn—what entices and excites most is described as ultimately unsatisfying to the one who sees clearly. This detachment is not born of bitterness but of Wisdom. It sets the stage for deeper renunciation, reflective insight, and a life of inner clarity beyond the illusions of youthful craving.
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