Yoga Vashishtha 1.28.1–10
(transient nature of the phenomenal world)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
यच्चेदं दृश्यते किंचिज्जगत्स्थावरजंगमम् ।
तत्सर्वमस्थिरं ब्रह्मन्स्वप्नसंगमसंनिभम् ॥ १ ॥
शुष्कसागरसंकाशो निखातो योऽद्य दृश्यते ।
स प्रातरभ्रसंवीतो नगः संपद्यते मुने ॥ २॥
यो वनव्यूहविस्तीर्णो विलीढगगनो महान् ।
दिनैरेव स यात्युर्वीसमतां कूपतां च वा ॥ ३ ॥
यदङ्गमद्य संवीतं कौशेयस्रग्विलेपनैः।
दिगम्बरं तदेव श्वो दूरे विशरिताऽवटे ॥ ४ ॥
यत्राद्य नगरं दृष्टं विचित्राचारचञ्चलम् ।
तत्रैवोदेति दिवसैः संशून्यारण्यधर्मता ॥ ५ ॥
यः पुमानद्य तेजस्वी मण्डलान्यधितिष्ठति ।
स भस्मकूटतां राजन्दिवसैरधिगच्छति ॥ ६ ॥
अरण्यानी महाभीमा या नभोमण्डलोपमा ।
पताकाच्छादिताकाशा सैव संपद्यते पुरी ॥ ७ ॥
या लतावलिता भीमा भात्यद्य विपिनावली ।
दिवसैरेव सा याति पुनर्मरुमहीपदम् ॥ ८ ॥
सलिलं स्थलतां याति स्थलीभवति वारिभूः ।
विपर्यस्यति सर्वं हि सकाष्ठाम्बुतृणं जगत् ॥ ९ ॥
अनित्यं यौवनं बाल्यं शरीरं द्रव्यसंचयाः।
भावाद्भावान्तरं यान्ति तरङ्गवदनारतम् ॥ १० ॥
Sriram said:
1. "O Sage, whatever is seen in this world—whether moving or unmoving—is unstable and impermanent, akin to a fleeting dream."
2. "A dry ocean-bed that is visible today may, by morning, be transformed into a cloud-covered mountain."
3. "A vast and expansive forest spreading beneath the sky can, within days, become leveled land or even a dried-up pit."
4. "A body that today is adorned with silken garments, garlands, and ointments may, by tomorrow, lie naked and abandoned in a distant ravine."
5. "A bustling city, vibrant with activity and diverse customs, may in a few days become a desolate forest inhabited by wild creatures."
6. "The man who today, radiant and powerful, rules over great kingdoms—he soon ends up as a mere mound of ashes."
7. "The dreadful wilderness, as vast as the sky and filled with flags fluttering over trees, can turn into a flourishing city."
8. "The lush creeper-filled forest, beautiful and teeming with life, may soon turn into a barren desert."
9. "Water becomes dry land; solid ground turns into marshes. All elements of the world—wood, water, and grass—constantly shift their forms."
10. "Youth, childhood, the body, and collections of wealth—all of these undergo unceasing change, like waves that never stop forming and dissolving."
Overall Summary of the Teachings:
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha powerfully illustrate the transient nature of the phenomenal world. Vasiṣṭha uses vivid metaphors to emphasize that all forms, structures, and experiences we consider permanent—including cities, forests, wealth, and even human bodies—are subject to rapid transformation and decay. Just as a dream vanishes upon waking, so too do worldly appearances shift and dissolve, often without notice.
By presenting contrasting scenarios—such as a dry seabed becoming a mountain, or a grand city turning into an empty forest—the text challenges the reader’s assumptions of permanence. These transformations are not just poetic images but are meant to evoke a deep sense of disillusionment with the material world, a central tenet of vairāgya (dispassion).
Furthermore, the verses underscore that the body and stages of life (childhood, youth) are no exception to this impermanence. Even powerful rulers and rich persons, though seemingly invincible in their prime, are inevitably reduced to dust. This Realization is meant to shatter ego and attachment, bringing forth an inquiry into what, if anything, remains unchanging.
In this way, the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha leads the seeker to discriminate between the Real and the unreal (viveka). By understanding the illusory and dream-like nature of external phenomena, one is urged to turn inward, seeking the eternal and formless consciousness that underlies all change.
Ultimately, these verses are a call to spiritual awakening. By piercing through the illusions of the world and recognizing its fleeting nature, the aspirant is guided toward liberation (mokṣa)—not through renunciation of action, but through right understanding of Reality’s transient character and the Inner Self’s unchanging Essence.
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