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Yoga Vashishtha 2.4.1–10
(Nature of Realization and the role of human effort - paurusha in attaining Spiritual Wisdom)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
सौम्याम्बुत्वे तरङ्गत्वे सलिलस्याम्बुता यथा ।
समैवाब्धौ तथाऽदेहसदेहमुनिमुक्तता ॥ १ ॥
सदेहा वास्त्वदेहा वा मुक्तता विषये न च ।
अनास्वादितभोगस्य कुतो भोज्यानुभूतयः ॥ २ ॥
जीवन्मुक्त मुनिश्रेष्ठं केवलं हि पदार्थवत् ।
पश्यामः पुरतो नास्य पुनर्विघ्नोऽन्तराशयम् ॥ ३ ॥
सदेहादेहमुक्तानां भेदः को बोधरूपिणाम् ।
यदेवाम्बुतरङ्गत्वे सौम्यत्वेऽपि तदेव तत् ॥ ४ ॥
न मनागपि भेदोऽस्ति सदेहादेहमुक्तयोः।
सस्पन्दोऽप्यथवाऽस्पन्दो वायुरेव यथानिलः ॥ ५ ॥
सदेहा वा विदेहा वा मुक्तता न प्रमास्पदम् ।
अस्माकमपि तस्यास्ति स्वैकतास्त्यविभागिनी ॥ ६ ॥
तस्मात्प्रकृतमेवेदं शृणु श्रवणभूषणम्।
मयोपदिश्यमानं त्वं ज्ञानमज्ञान्ध्यनाशनम् ॥ ७ ॥
सर्वमेवेह हि सदा संसारे रघुनन्दन ।
सम्यक्प्रयुक्तात्सर्वेण पौरुषात्समवाप्यते ॥ ८ ॥
इह हीन्दोरिवोदेति शीतलाह्लादनं हृदि।
परिस्पन्दफलप्राप्तौ पौरुषादेव नान्यतः ॥ ९ ॥
पौरुषं स्पन्दफलवद्दृष्टं प्रत्यक्षतो नयत् ।
कल्पितं मोहितैर्मन्दैर्दैवं किंचिन्न विद्यते ॥ १० ॥
Maharishi Vashishta said:
2.4.1: Just as water remains water whether it is in the form of a wave or calm, so too the liberated sage, whether embodied or disembodied, remains the same in the ocean of existence.
2.4.2: Whether embodied or disembodied, liberation is not concerned with worldly objects. How can there be experience of pleasures for one who has not tasted them?
2.4.3: We see the best of Sages, liberated while living, standing before us like an ordinary object, with no inner turmoil or obstacles in their mind.
2.4.4: What difference is there between the embodied and disembodied liberated ones, who are of the Nature of Pure Consciousness? Just as water is the same whether calm or in the form of a wave, so too is liberation.
2.4.5: There is not the slightest difference between the embodied and disembodied liberated states, just as air remains air whether it moves or is still.
2.4.6: Whether embodied or disembodied, liberation is not a place of delusion. Even we possess that non-dual, indivisible essence of liberation.
2.4.7: Therefore, listen to this teaching, which is an ornament to the ears, as I impart to you the Knowledge that destroys the darkness of ignorance.
2.4.8: In this world, O delight of the Raghu dynasty, everything is always attained through rightly applied effort, and by effort alone.
2.4.9: Just as the cool, soothing light of the moon rises in the heart, the fruit of action is attained only through effort, not otherwise.
2.4.10: Effort is seen to directly yield the fruit of action, while the notion of fate, imagined by the deluded and ignorant, has no real existence.
Summary of the Teachings:
The verses from Yoga Vasishta 2.4.1 to 2.4.10, spoken by Sage Vasishta to Rama, emphasize the nature of liberation (mukti) and the role of human effort (paurusha) in attaining spiritual Wisdom. The central teaching is that liberation is a state of Pure Consciousness, unaffected by whether a Sage is embodied (living in a physical body) or disembodied (free from the body). Through analogies like water remaining the same whether calm or in waves, and air being unchanged whether still or moving, Vasishta illustrates that the essence of liberation is unchanging and non-dual, transcending physical or mental distinctions.
The verses clarify that a liberated Sage, whether living (jivanmukta) or not, is free from inner turmoil and unaffected by worldly pleasures or objects. This state of liberation is not dependent on external conditions but is an intrinsic quality of pure Awareness. The Sage’s mind is unperturbed, and their liberation is complete, regardless of their physical state. This teaching underscores the Advaita Vedanta principle of non-duality, where the apparent differences between embodied and disembodied states are illusory, as both are rooted in the same Ultimate Reality.
Vasishta further asserts that liberation is accessible to all, as it is the Natural State of the Self, untainted by delusion. He encourages Rama to listen attentively to the teachings, which serve as a means to dispel ignorance (ajnana). The metaphor of Knowledge as an "ornament to the ears" highlights its transformative power, guiding the seeker toward the Realization of their non-dual Essence. This suggests that liberation is not a distant goal but a present reality that can be recognized through proper understanding.
A significant portion of these verses emphasizes the importance of human effort (paurusha) in achieving spiritual and worldly goals. Vasishta rejects the concept of fate (daiva) as a delusion of the ignorant, asserting that effort alone yields results, likening it to the soothing light of the moon that arises through action. This teaching empowers the individual to take responsibility for their spiritual journey, reinforcing the idea that liberation and success are attained through deliberate, righteous effort rather than passive reliance on external forces.
In conclusion, these verses present a cohesive philosophy of liberation as a state of unchanging Consciousness, accessible through Knowledge and effort. They dismantle distinctions between embodied and disembodied liberation, affirm the non-dual nature of reality, and advocate for Self-reliance in the pursuit of Wisdom. By addressing both the metaphysical nature of liberation and the practical means to Realize it, Vasishta provides Rama—and the reader—with a comprehensive guide to transcending ignorance and attaining the Ultimate Truth.
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