Chapter 3.3, Verses 16–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.3.16–24

(Reality is Unchanging and Eternal, with no Real birth or dissolution)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

प्रतिभानाकृतेरस्मात्प्रतिभामात्ररूपधृक् ।

विभात्येवमयं सर्गः सत्यानुभववान्स्थितः ॥ १६ ॥

दृष्टान्तोऽत्र भवत्स्वप्नपुरस्त्रीसुरतं यथा।

असदप्यर्थसंपत्त्या सत्यानुभवभासुरम् ॥ १७ ॥

अपृथ्व्यादिमयो भाति व्योमाकृतिरदेहकः ।

सदेह इव भूतेशः स्वात्मभूः पुरुषाकृतिः ॥ १८ ॥

संवित्सकल्परूपत्वान्नोदेति समुदेति च।

स्वायत्तत्वात्स्वभावस्य नोदेति न च शाम्यति ॥ १९ ॥

ब्रह्मा संकल्पपुरुषः पृथ्व्यादिरहिताकृतिः।

केवलं चित्तमात्रात्मा कारणं त्रिजगत्स्थितेः ॥ २० ॥

संकल्प एष कचति यथा नाम स्वयंभुवः।

व्योमात्मैष तथा भाति भवत्संकल्पशैलवत् ॥ २१ ॥

आतिवाहिकमेवान्तर्विस्मृत्या दृढरूपया।

आधिभौतिकबोधेन मुधा भाति पिशाचवत् ॥ २२ ॥

इदं प्रथमतोद्योगसंप्रबुद्धं महाचितेः ।

नोदेति शुद्धसंवित्त्वादातिवाहिकविस्मृतिः ॥ २३॥

आधिभौतिकजातेन नास्योदेति पिशाचिका ।

असत्या मृगतृष्णेव मिथ्या जाड्यभ्रमप्रदा ॥ २४ ॥

Sage Vasishta said:

3.3.16: This creation shines forth merely as a reflection of Consciousness, taking the form of pure appearance. It exists as if it were Real, experienced as True, due to the power of Consciousness manifesting it.

3.3.17: An example here is like the experience of a dream where one engages with a woman in a city. Though unreal, it appears vivid and real due to the mind’s conviction, shining forth with the semblance of truth.

3.3.18: Devoid of material elements like earth and others, this creation appears as a formless expanse, like space. Yet, the Lord of beings, Self-Existent and in human-like form, shines as if embodied, though inherently formless.

3.3.19: Being of the nature of Consciousness and mere ideation, this Creation neither arises nor ceases. Due to the self-dependent nature of its essence, it neither comes into being nor subsides.

3.3.20: Brahm, the creator, is a conceptual being, free from material elements like earth. He is purely of the Nature of Consciousness, the sole Cause of the existence of the three worlds.

3.3.21: This Creation shines as a mere concept, just as the Self-Existent Brahm appears. Like a mountain in your imagination, it exists as a projection of thought within the expanse of Consciousness.

3.3.22: Through forgetfulness, this Creation appears internally as a subtle, subjective Reality, but due to a firm material perception, it mistakenly seems like a tangible, physical world, akin to a ghostly illusion.

3.3.23: This Creation, initially arising as a subtle vibration in the Supreme Consciousness, does not truly arise, as it is Pure Consciousness. The subtle forgetfulness of its True Nature does not give rise to a Real Existence.

3.3.24: Due to the material perception of this Creation, a ghostly illusion does not truly arise. Like a mirage, it is unreal, falsely appearing and causing delusion through Ignorance.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses from Yoga Vasishta 3.3.16 to 3.3.24, as spoken by Sage Vasishta, articulate a profound non-dualistic perspective on the nature of Creation, emphasizing its illusory and Consciousness -based Essence. The core teaching is that the Universe, or sarga (Creation), is not an independent, material Reality but a manifestation of Pure Consciousness (chit). In verse 16, Vasishta introduces the idea that Creation appears as a reflection of Consciousness, existing only as an appearance (pratibha) rather than a substantive entity. This sets the stage for understanding the world as a projection of the mind, experienced as Real due to the power of Consciousness, yet lacking inherent existence. The verses collectively aim to dissolve the notion of a solid, external world by revealing its dependence on Consciousness.

To illustrate this, Vasishta employs the analogy of a dream in verse 17, likening creation to the vivid experience of interacting with a woman in a dream-city. Just as a dream feels real while it lasts, the world appears tangible due to the mind’s conviction, despite being fundamentally unreal. This comparison underscores the teaching that the perceived Reality of the world is a mental construct, mistaken for truth due to Ignorance. Verses 18 and 19 further this idea by describing creation as Formless, like Space, and devoid of material elements such as earth. Even the Creator, Brahm, is presented as a conceptual being, not bound by physicality, reinforcing that Creation is a play of Consciousness that neither truly arises nor ceases, as it is rooted in the Unchanging Essence of Pure Awareness.

In verses 20 and 21, Vasishta emphasizes that Brahm, as Pure Consciousness, is the sole Cause of the three worlds (physical, subtle, and causal). Creation is likened to a mental construct, such as an imagined mountain, existing only as a thought within Consciousness. This teaching challenges the notion of an external, objective Reality by asserting that everything perceived is a projection of the mind, dependent on the Self-Existent nature of Consciousness. The use of metaphors like a mountain or a city in a dream highlights the ephemeral and subjective nature of the world, urging the seeker to recognize its illusory quality and shift focus to the underlying Consciousness.

Verses 22 and 23 delve deeper into the mechanism of illusion, explaining how creation appears Real due to a combination of subtle forgetfulness (vismriti) and material perception (adhibhautika-bodha). This forgetfulness causes one to mistake the subtle, Consciousness based Reality for a solid, physical world, akin to seeing a ghost where none exists. The teaching here is that the world’s apparent Reality stems from a misperception of its true nature as Pure Consciousness. By describing creation as a subtle vibration in Supreme Consciousness that does not truly arise, Vasishta reinforces the non-dual perspective that Reality is Unchanging and Eternal, with no Real birth or dissolution.

Finally, verse 24 concludes by comparing the material perception of the world to a mirage, an illusion that falsely appears and leads to delusion through Ignorance. The reference to a “ghostly illusion” (pishachika) and a mirage (mrigatrishna) encapsulates the teaching that the world, while appearing Real, is ultimately insubstantial and misleading. The overarching message of these verses is to guide the seeker toward liberation by recognizing the world as a projection of Consciousness, not an independent Reality. By understanding this, one can transcend Ignorance and Realize the Eternal, Unchanging nature of the Self as Pure Consciousness, free from the delusions of a material world.