Yoga Vashishtha 1.27.1–10
(illusory and transient nature of worldly existence)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
अन्यच्च ताताऽतितरामरम्ये मनोरमे चेह जगत्स्वरूपे ।
न किंचिदायाति तदर्थजातं येनातिविश्रान्तिमुपैति चेतः ॥ १ ॥
बाल्ये गते कल्पितकेलिलोले मनोमृगे दारदरीषु जीर्णे ।
शरीरके जर्जरतां प्रयाते विदूयते केवलमेव लोकः ॥ २ ॥
जरातुषाराभिहतां शरीरसरोजिनीं दूरतरे विमुच्य ।
क्षणाद्गते जीवितचञ्चरीके जनस्य संसारसरोऽवशुष्कम् ॥ ३ ॥
यदा यदा पाकमुपैति नूनं तदा तदेयं रतिमातनोति ।
जराभराऽनल्पनवप्रसूना विजर्जरा कायलता नराणाम् ॥ ४ ॥
तृष्णानदी सारतरप्रवाहग्रस्ताखिलानन्तपदार्थजाता ।
तटस्थसंतोषसुवृक्षमूलनिकाषदक्षा वहतीह लोके ॥ ५ ॥
शारीरनौश्चर्मनिबन्धबद्धा भवाम्बुधावालुलिता भ्रमन्ती ।
प्रलोड्यते पञ्चभिरिन्द्रियाख्यैरधोभवन्ती मकरैरधीरा ॥ ६ ॥
तृष्णालताकाननचारिणोऽमी शाखाशतं काममहीरुहेषु ।
परिभ्रमन्तः क्षपयन्ति कालं मनोमृगा नो फलमाप्नुवन्ति ॥ ७ ॥
कृच्छ्रेषु दूरास्तविषादमोहाः स्वास्थ्येषु नोत्सिक्तमनोभिरामाः ।
सुदुर्लभाः संप्रति सुन्दरीभिः रनाहतान्तःकरणा महान्तः ॥ ८ ॥
तरन्ति मातङ्गघटातरङ्गं रणाम्बुधिं ये मयि ते न शूराः ।
शूरास्त एवेह मनस्तरङ्गं देहेन्द्रियाम्भोधिमिमं तरन्ति ॥ ९ ॥
अक्लिष्टपर्यन्तफलाभिरामा न दृश्यते कस्यचिदेव काचित् ।
क्रियादुराशाहतचित्तवृत्तिर्यामेत्य विश्रान्तिमुपैति लोकः ॥ १० ॥
Sriram said:
1. "O revered One, in this world which is extremely enchanting and beautiful in form, nothing arises that can bestow enduring peace to the mind."
2. "As childhood passes, absorbed in imagined playfulness and fleeting delights, and the body becomes worn with age, the world remains, but the individual decays."
3. "When old age strikes like a frost, withering the lotus of the body, and life’s breath departs in an instant, the stream of worldly existence dries up entirely."
4. "As the body creeper of humans becomes overburdened with age, sprouting many afflictions, it no longer bears fruit—yet somehow, people still seek delight in it."
5. "The river of craving, which engulfs countless desirable objects, flows powerfully. Yet only those rooted in the tree of contentment on the riverbank can withstand its pull."
6. "The body-boat, stitched together with skin, floats in the ocean of becoming, tossed about by the waves of the five senses, and is pulled downward by the sharks of desire and attachment."
7. "These mind-deer, wandering in the forest of worldly desires, leap from one branch of craving to another, wasting time and effort without ever attaining lasting fruit."
8. "True inner nobility—serene, composed minds untouched by despair in adversity and not intoxicated in good health—is rare among even those adorned with external beauty."
9. "Those who conquer only the tumult of battlefield elephants are not the true heroes. Real valor lies in conquering the mind’s waves and crossing the vast ocean of body and senses."
10. "No action in the world ever produces untainted, satisfying results. The world rests in the hope for such outcomes, but the mind ends up disillusioned and weary."
Summary of Teachings:
These ten verses from the Yoga Vāśiṣṭha delve deeply into the illusory and transient nature of worldly existence, portraying life as inherently unsatisfying and deceptive. The dialogue between Śrī Rāma and Sage Vasiṣṭha focuses on the futility of finding enduring peace through external means. Despite the beauty and charm of the world, no experience or object grants lasting fulfillment. This Realization is the first step on the path of dispassion (vairāgya).
The text describes the trajectory of human life, starting from childhood filled with imagined pleasures, to the decay of old age, and ultimately the inevitable end through death. The aging body is likened to a withering lotus, and even in the face of this fragility, human beings irrationally cling to pleasures and comforts. It underscores how worldly involvement continues despite clear evidence of its impermanence.
Craving (tṛṣṇā), a recurring theme, is depicted as a mighty river that sweeps all beings into its flow. Only those rooted in the "tree of contentment"—that is, the few who cultivate inner satisfaction—can resist being swept away. The metaphor of the mind as a deer wandering aimlessly through the forest of desires vividly illustrates the restless and unfulfilled nature of the unenlightened human condition.
The verses praise a higher kind of heroism—not in military conquest or physical domination, but in mastering the mind. The one who overcomes the turbulent inner waves of thought and emotion, and crosses the ocean of body-identification and sensory delusion, is recognized as truly valiant. This establishes the supremacy of inner conquest over outer achievement.
Lastly, the pursuit of actions with the expectation of unblemished, satisfying results is presented as futile. No action in the world, no matter how noble, yields results that are free from some form of disappointment or taint. The enlightened understanding lies in seeing through this illusion and ceasing to pin one’s hopes on worldly achievements. These verses serve as a powerful call to cultivate detachment and seek Realization through Self-Knowledge.
No comments:
Post a Comment