Yoga Vashishtha 1.29.13–23
(The inner world: a dense forest of ignorance, tangled with desires and latent impressions)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
विषं विषयवैषम्यं न विषं विषमुच्यते।
जन्मान्तरघ्ना विषया एकदेहहरं विषम् ॥ १३ ॥
न सुखानि न दुःखानि न मित्राणि न बान्धवाः ।
न जीवितं न मरणं बन्धाय ज्ञस्य चेतसः ॥ १४ ॥
तद्भवामि यथा ब्रह्मन्पूर्वापरविदां वर ।
वीतशोकभयायासो ज्ञस्तथोपदिशाशु मे ॥ १५ ॥
वासनाजालवलिता दुःखकण्टकसंकुला ।
निपातोत्पातबहुला भीमरूपाऽज्ञताटवी ॥ १६ ॥
क्रकचाग्रविनिष्पेषं सोढुं शक्नोम्यहं मुने।
संसारव्यवहारोत्थं नाशाविषयवैशसम् ॥ १७ ॥
इदं नास्तीदमस्तीति व्यवहाराञ्जनभ्रमः।
धुनोतीदं चलं चेतो रजोराशिमिवानिलः ॥ १८ ॥
तृष्णातन्तुलवप्रोतं जीवसंचयमौक्तिकम्।
चिदच्छाङ्गतया नित्यं विकसच्चित्तनायकम् ॥ १९ ॥
संसारहारमरतिः कालव्यालविभूषणम् ।
त्रोटयाम्यहमक्रूरं वागुरामिव केसरी ॥ २० ॥
नीहारं हृदयाटव्यां मनस्तिमिरमाशु मे।
केन विज्ञानदीपेन भिन्धि तत्त्वविदांवर ॥ २१ ॥
विद्यन्त एवेह न ते महात्मन् दुराधयो न क्षयमाप्नुवन्ति ।
ये सङ्गमेनोत्तममानसानां निशातमांसीव निशाकरेण ॥ २२ ॥
आयुर्वायुविघट्टिताभ्रपटलीलम्बाम्बुवद्भङ्गुरं भोगा मेघवितानमध्यविलसत्सौदामिनीच ञ्चलाः ।
लोलायौवनलालनाजलरयश्चेत्याकलय्य द्रुतं मुद्रैवाद्य दृढार्पिता ननु मया चित्ते चिरं शान्तये ॥ २३ ॥
Sriram said:
13. "The poison of sense-objects is more dangerous than ordinary poison. Normal poison only destroys one body, but the poison of sense-desires binds one to repeated births and deaths."
14. "Pleasures and pains, friends and relatives, life and death — none of these are bondage for the mind of one who is truly Wise."
15. "O Brahman, greatest among the Knowers of the past and the future! Teach me quickly how to become like that enlightened one — free from sorrow, fear, and fatigue."
16. "The forest of ignorance is thick with the thorns of suffering and overgrown with the creepers of latent tendencies. It is filled with falls and hazards and appears terrifying in form."
17. "O Sage, I am able to endure the grinding agony that arises from worldly duties. But I cannot endure the torment arising from the poisonous confusion of desires."
18. "The thoughts “this exists” and “this does not exist” are merely delusions caused by transactional speech. Let the mind shake them off like a gust of wind dispersing dust."
19. "The pearl-like essence of the individual soul is strung on the thread of craving. Yet it constantly shines as a spark of Pure Consciousness, enlivening the blooming lotus of Awareness."
20. "I will tear apart the cruel noose of worldly attraction — the garland of this samsara — adorned with the venomous serpent of Time, just as a lion snaps a trap without hesitation."
21. "O Knower of the Truth, shine the lamp of Wisdom into the dark fog of ignorance that clouds my heart’s forest and dispel this inner darkness at once."
22. "Indeed, O Noble One, obstacles exist — but they cannot withstand the presence of great souls whose minds are united in Purity, just as even sharp weapons cannot endure the cool light of the moon."
23. "Life is fragile like clouds driven by the wind. Enjoyments are fleeting like flashes of lightning in the midst of clouds. Having understood the impermanence of youth, beauty, and pleasure, I have firmly resolved to establish my mind in enduring Peace."
Summary of Teachings:
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha reflect a profound philosophical turning point in the mind of Śrī Rāma. He Realizes that the root of suffering is not external events, but internal attachment — particularly to the fleeting pleasures of the senses.
Unlike physical poisons, which only destroy the body, desires for sensory gratification act as subtle poison that perpetuate the cycle of rebirth. The message is clear:
Realization requires mastery over the mind and its cravings, not mere control of external circumstances.
The wise — those grounded in Self-Knowledge — are unaffected by dualities like pleasure and pain, life and death. For them, these phenomena are superficial ripples on the surface of the unchanging Self. Rāma seeks this state of equanimity and calls upon his teacher Vasiṣṭha to guide him beyond the reach of sorrow and exhaustion. His urgency and sincerity echo the yearning of a true seeker, ready to abandon all worldly attachments for the sake of Truth.
A vivid metaphor is employed to describe the inner world: it is a dense forest of ignorance, tangled with desires and latent impressions (vāsanās), where suffering lurks in every corner. Though he has tolerated the ordinary burdens of life, Rāma confesses that he can no longer endure the torment of inner confusion and delusion. This reveals a central teaching of Vedānta: true suffering is psychological, not physical, and its remedy lies in spiritual clarity, not in external change.
Rāma’s mind begins to awaken as he perceives the illusory nature of conceptual distinctions like existence and non-existence, and the futility of worldly pleasures. He compares the mind’s craving to a thread upon which the jewel of individual Consciousness is strung. The Self continues to shine despite the entanglement, suggesting that Realization is not about becoming something new, but Realizing what has always been present beneath the surface.
Finally, the verses emphasize the fleeting nature of all worldly phenomena: youth, enjoyment, beauty, and even life itself are as transient as clouds, lightning, and foam. Having recognized this impermanence, Rāma resolves to turn inward, to anchor the mind in deep peace. The essence of these verses is vairāgya (dispassion), viveka (discrimination), and the plea for jñāna (wisdom) — the triad that lays the foundation for Self-Realization and freedom from bondage.
No comments:
Post a Comment