Yoga Vashishtha 2.1.35–45
(Highest Truth is the recognition of the singular, Unchanging Consciousness (the Self) as the only Reality)
जनक उवाच ।
नातः परतरः कश्चिन्निश्चयोऽस्त्यपरो मुने ।
स्वयमेव त्वया ज्ञातं गुरुतश्च पुनः श्रुतम् ॥ ३५ ॥
अविच्छिन्नचिदात्मैकः पुमानस्तीह नेतरत् ।
स्वसंकल्पवशाद्बद्धो निःसंकल्पश्च मुच्यते ॥ ३६ ॥
तेन त्वया स्फुटं ज्ञातं ज्ञेयं यस्य महात्मनः ।
भोगेभ्यो विरतिर्जाता दृश्यात्प्राक्सकलादिह ॥ ३७ ॥
तव बाल महावीर मतिर्विरतिमागता।
भोगेभ्यो दीर्घरोगेभ्यःकिमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥ ३८॥
न तथा पूर्णता जाता सर्वज्ञानमहानिधेः ।
तिष्ठतस्तपसि स्फारे पितुस्तव यथा तव ॥ ३९ ॥
व्यासादधिक एवाहं व्यासशिष्योऽसि तत्सुतः ।
भोगेच्छातानवेनेह मत्तोऽप्यत्यधिको भवान् ॥ ४० ॥
प्राप्तं प्राप्तव्यमखिलं भवता पूर्णचेतसा।
न दृश्ये पतसि ब्रह्मन्मुक्तस्त्वं भ्रान्तिमुत्सृज ॥ ४१ ॥
अनुशिष्टः स इत्येवं जनकेन महात्मना ।
अतिष्ठत्स शुकस्तूष्णीं स्वच्छे परमवस्तुनि ॥ ४२ ॥
वीतशोकभयायासो निरीहश्छिन्नसंशयः।
जगाम शिखरं मेरोः समाध्यर्थमनिन्दितम् ॥ ४३ ॥
तत्र वर्षसहस्राणि निर्विकल्पसमाधिना ।
दश स्थित्वा शशामासावात्मन्यस्नेहदीपवत् ॥ ४४॥
व्यपगतकलनाकलङ्कशुद्धः स्वयममलात्मनि पावने पदेऽसौ ।
सलिलकण इवाम्बुधौ महात्मा विगलितवासनमेकतां जगाम ॥ ४५॥
Janaka said:
2.1.35: There is no higher conviction than this, O Sage. You have known it yourself and heard it confirmed by your Teacher.
2.1.36: The one unchanging Consciousness alone exists as the Self; nothing else is Real. Bound by one’s own desires, one is liberated by their absence.
2.1.37: Thus, you, great soul, have clearly Realized the Truth to be known, having developed detachment from sensory pleasures and the entire visible world.
2.1.38: O brave youth, your mind has attained detachment from sensory pleasures, which are like chronic diseases. What more do you wish to hear?
2.1.39: Even your father, engaged in vast austerities, has not attained the fullness of Knowledge that you, the great treasure of Wisdom, have.
2.1.40: I am greater than Vyasa, and you, his son and disciple, surpass me in your freedom from the subtle desires for sensory pleasures.
2.1.41: You, with a fully awakened mind, have attained all there is to attain. O Brahman, you are liberated and free from delusion; do not fall into the visible world.
2.1.42: Instructed thus by the great-souled Janaka, Shuka stood silent, absorbed in the Pure, Supreme Reality.
2.1.43: Free from sorrow, fear, and effort, desireless and with doubts dispelled, he went to the peak of Mount Meru for flawless meditation.
2.1.44: There, for ten thousand years, he dwelt in unwavering meditation, dissolving into the Self like a lamp extinguished without oil.
2.1.45: Pure, free from mental constructs and taints, that great soul merged into the immaculate, sacred state of the Self, like a water droplet blending into the ocean.
Summary of the Teachings:
The verses from Yoga Vasishta (2.1.35–2.1.45) encapsulate a profound dialogue between King Janaka and Shuka, the son of Sage Vyasa, emphasizing the essence of Self-Realization and liberation through the Advaita Vedanta perspective. Janaka praises Shuka’s advanced spiritual understanding, affirming that the Highest Truth is the recognition of the singular, unchanging Consciousness (the Self) as the only Reality. This Realization, Janaka notes, has been both self-discovered by Shuka and reinforced by his teacher, Vyasa, highlighting the importance of both personal insight and guidance in spiritual growth.
The teaching underscores that bondage arises from desires born of mental constructs, while Realization is attained by transcending these desires, aligning with the core Advaita principle that the Self is beyond all dualities and illusions.
Janaka further acknowledges Shuka’s remarkable detachment from sensory pleasures, which he compares to chronic diseases that bind one to suffering. This detachment signifies Shuka’s advanced spiritual state, as he has recognized the impermanence and illusory nature of the visible world. Janaka’s rhetorical question about what more Shuka wishes to hear emphasizes that Shuka has already grasped the Ultimate Truth, suggesting that intellectual inquiry must now give way to experiential Realization.
The comparison between Shuka and his father, Vyasa, elevates Shuka’s attainment, indicating that his clarity and detachment surpass even those of his revered father, who is still engaged in austerities. This highlights the teaching that True Realization transcends even rigorous spiritual practices when the mind is fully awakened. The dialogue also emphasizes Shuka’s superiority over Janaka himself, as Shuka’s freedom from subtle desires marks a higher degree of Spiritual Purity. Janaka’s declaration that Shuka has attained all there is to attain reinforces the idea that Realization is not a future goal but a present reality for one who has Realized the Self. By urging Shuka not to fall back into delusion, Janaka emphasizes the need to remain steadfast in this Realization, as the visible world constantly tempts the mind with its illusory allure. This teaching reflects the Advaita emphasis on vigilance in maintaining non-dual Awareness, ensuring that one does not lapse into identification with the transient.
Shuka’s response to Janaka’s instruction is one of silent absorption in the Supreme Reality, demonstrating the shift from intellectual understanding to direct experience. His retreat to Mount Meru for prolonged meditation signifies the culmination of his journey, where he engages in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, a state of unwavering, thought-free contemplation of the Self. The duration of ten thousand years symbolizes the timeless nature of this Realization, transcending ordinary measures of time. The imagery of Shuka dissolving into the Self like a lamp extinguished without oil conveys the complete cessation of individual ego and desires, merging seamlessly into the Universal Consciousness. This illustrates the Ultimate Goal of Advaita Vedanta: the dissolution of the individual self into the Infinite, non-dual Reality.
The final verse employs the metaphor of a water droplet merging into the ocean to describe Shuka’s liberation, emphasizing the purity and unity of the Self, free from all mental constructs and impurities. This imagery encapsulates the Advaita teaching that liberation is not an acquisition but a recognition of one’s inherent oneness with the infinite. The verses collectively convey that true freedom arises from Realizing the non-dual Self, letting go of desires, and abiding in Pure Consciousness. Shuka’s journey serves as an exemplar of the path to liberation, highlighting the importance of Self-Inquiry, detachment, and meditative absorption in achieving the Ultimate State of Oneness with the Self.
No comments:
Post a Comment