Yoga Vashishtha 1.28.11–19
(Impermanence and illusion-like nature of worldly existence.)
श्रीराम उवाच।
वातान्तर्दीपकशिखालोलं जगति जीवितम् ।
तडित्स्फुरणसंकाशा पदार्थश्रीर्जगत्र्त्रये ॥ ११ ॥
विपर्यासमियं याति भूरिभूतपरम्परा ।
बीजराशिरिवाजस्रं पूर्यमाणः पुनःपुनः ॥ १२ ॥
मनःपवनपर्यस्तभूरिभूतरजःपटा ।
पातोत्पातपरावर्तपराभिनयभूषिता ॥ १३॥
आलक्ष्यते स्थितिरियं जागती जनितभ्रमा ।
नृत्तावेशविवृत्तेव संसारारभटीनटी ॥ १४ ॥
गन्धर्वनगराकारविपर्यास विधायिनी।
अपाङ्गभङ्गुरोदारव्यवहारमनोरमा ॥ १५ ॥
तडित्तरलमालोकमातन्वाना पुनःपुनः।
संसाररचना राजन्नृत्तसक्तेव राजते ॥ १६ ॥
दिवसास्ते महान्तस्ते संपदस्ताः क्रियाश्च ताः ।
सर्वं स्मृतिपथं यातं यामो वयमपि क्षणात् ॥ १७ ॥
प्रत्यहं क्षयमायाति प्रत्यहं जायते पुनः।
अद्यापि हतरूपाया नान्तोऽस्या दग्धसंसृतेः ॥ १८ ॥
तिर्यक्त्वं पुरुषा यान्ति तिर्यञ्चो नरतामपि ।
देवाश्चादेवतां यान्ति किमिवेह विभो स्थिरम् ॥ १९ ॥
Sriram said:
11. "Life in this world is as unsteady as a flame in the wind. The splendor of objects in the three worlds flashes like lightning—brilliant but momentary."
12. " This endless procession of elements continues in delusion, like a heap of seeds constantly being replenished and scattered again."
13. " The mind, tossed about by the winds of desire, stirs up clouds of dust—objects upon objects—decorated with the theatrical play of rise and fall, calamity and chance."
14. " What appears as the reality of the waking state is born of confusion, like an actress caught in the passion of her dance—this world-performance of saṁsāra is a show born of illusion."
15. " Like the city of the gandharvas (an illusory city), this world is full of delusions. Its captivating behavior is charming, yet its glance is fleeting and unstable."
16. "Continuously projecting a flickering radiance like lightning, the creation of the world dazzles like a dancer absorbed in her performance."
17. "Those days, those great events, those riches and those deeds—all have passed into memory. And we too pass away in a moment."
18. "Each day, destruction approaches; each day, rebirth begins again. Yet, even today, this disfigured form of saṁsāra, this burnt-up cycle of existence, knows no end."
19. "Humans become animals, animals are born as humans, gods fall into states below the Divine —what, O Lord, is stable in this world?"
Summary of Teachings:
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha present a stark and poetic reflection on the impermanence and illusion-like nature of worldly existence. They unfold a vivid tapestry of metaphors to describe how fleeting life is, how its charms are transitory, and how the mind, deluded by appearances, constructs a realm of continuous unrest. Through images like a flame flickering in the wind or lightning in the sky, the text emphasizes that what appears solid or meaningful in the world is in fact unstable and perishable.
The verses highlight the cyclical nature of creation—how existence flows through endless repetition, like seeds sprouting again and again. The mind, the engine behind perception, is portrayed as swept by internal winds of desire and thought, stirring up a storm of perceived Reality filled with drama, events, and transitions. This constructed world is not grounded in permanence but is a projection shaped by ignorance and mental activity.
An essential theme is the illusory nature of perception. Just as a dancer entranced in her act forgets herself, the soul, identified with the ego and the world, becomes entranced by the performance of life. This world is likened to a dream or a mirage—its pleasures and routines are enchanting but deceptive. The verse likening it to a gandharva-city—a mirage-like vision often used in Indian philosophy to signify illusion—emphasizes that our engagements and attachments are founded on shifting, insubstantial foundations.
Time, too, is depicted as an inexorable force. All that is achieved or accumulated—glory, wealth, action—is swiftly swept away by Time, and we ourselves are mere moments in this flowing stream. Despite cycles of destruction and rebirth, the fire of saṁsāra (the wandering in the world) continues to burn without reaching its end. This evokes a powerful image of entrapment within temporal existence.
Finally, the verses present the instability of forms and identities. Beings rise and fall in status: humans become animals, gods fall from grace, and vice versa. Nothing in the world is truly fixed. Through these contemplations, the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha guides the aspirant toward dispassion (vairāgya) and a deeper inquiry into the Self beyond change, urging the seeker to look beyond the illusions of the phenomenal world toward the formless Truth of Consciousness.
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