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Yoga Vashishtha 3.3.25–32
(There is no real distinction between the Supreme Reality and its manifestations)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
मनोमात्रं यदा ब्रह्मा न पृथ्व्यादिमयात्मकः ।
मनोमात्रमतो विश्वं यद्यज्जातं तदेव हि ॥ २५ ॥
अजस्य सहकारीणि कारणानि न सन्ति यत् ।
तज्जस्यापि न सन्त्येव तानि तस्मात्तु कानिचित् ॥ २६ ॥
कारणात्कार्यवैचित्र्यं तेन नात्रास्ति किंचन ।
यादृशं कारणं शुद्धं कार्य तादृगिति स्थितम् ॥ २७ ॥
कार्यकारणता ह्यत्र न किंचिदुपपद्यते।
यादृगेव परं ब्रह्म तादृगेव जगत्त्रयम् ॥ २८ ॥
मनस्तामिव यातेन ब्रह्मणा तन्यते जगत्।
अनन्यादात्मनः शुद्धाद्द्रवत्वमिव वारिणः ॥ २९ ॥
मनसा तन्यते सर्वमसदेवेदमाततम् ।
यथा संकल्पनगरं यथा गन्धर्वपत्तनम् ॥ ३० ॥
आधिभौतिकता नास्ति रज्ज्वामिव भुजङ्गता ।
ब्रह्मादयः प्रबुद्धास्तु कथं तिष्ठन्ति तत्र ते ॥ ३१ ॥
आतिवाहिक एवास्ति न प्रबुद्धमतेः किल।
आधिभौतिकदेहस्य वाचो वात्र कुतः कथम् ॥ ३२ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta said:
3.3.25: When Brahm, the Creator, is essentially of the nature of mind alone and not composed of elements like earth, then the entire universe, being born from that mind, is also of the nature of mind alone. Whatever arises from it is indeed nothing but that.
3.3.26: Since the Unborn (Brahm) has no auxiliary causes or conditions, there are no Causes associated with it. Therefore, for that which is born from it, there are also no such Causes or conditions whatsoever.
3.3.27: The diversity of effects arises from their Causes, but here, no such diversity exists. The effect is of the same nature as its Pure Cause, and this is how it is established.
3.3.28: In this context, the relationship of Cause and effect does not hold at all. The three worlds (the Universe) are exactly of the same nature as the Supreme Brahm.
3.3.29: The Universe is woven by Brahm through the mind, just as a spider weaves its web. It arises from the Pure, non-different Self, like the fluidity inherent in water.
3.3.30: Everything is spun out by the mind, and this entire world is unreal, like a city imagined in a dream or a city of the Gandharvas (celestial beings).
3.3.31: There is no material Reality, just as there is no snake in a rope. How then do Brahm and others, who are enlightened, exist within this illusory world?
3.3.32: Only the subtle, non-material existence (of the Self) is Real, not the perspective of the unenlightened mind. How can the words or concepts of a material body have any validity here?
Summary of the Teachings:
The teachings of these verses from the Yoga Vasishta, a profound non-dualistic text, articulate the Advaita Vedanta perspective that the Universe is fundamentally an expression of Consciousness, devoid of independent material existence.
Verses 3.3.25 and 3.3.26 establish the foundational idea that Brahm, the Ultimate Reality, is of the nature of Pure mind or Consciousness, not composed of material elements like earth, water, or fire. Consequently, the Universe, which arises from Brahm, is also of the nature of mind alone. This underscores the non-dualistic view that there is no independent material Reality apart from Consciousness. The absence of auxiliary causes for the unborn Brahm further emphasizes that the Universe, as an effect, lacks independent Causal mechanisms, pointing to the illusory nature of the world as a projection of the mind.
Verses 3.3.27 and 3.3.28 deepen this understanding by negating the conventional cause-and-effect framework typically applied to the material world. The diversity seen in the world is not due to a multiplicity of causes but is a reflection of the Singular, Pure nature of Brahm. The effect (the Universe) mirrors the Cause (Brahm) in its Purity and Unity, dissolving any notion of separation or distinction between the Creator and the Creation. By stating that the three worlds (earth, heaven, and the intermediate realms) are identical in nature to Brahm, these verses affirm that the apparent multiplicity of the universe is an illusion, as there is no real distinction between the Supreme Reality and its manifestations.
In verse 3.3.29, the metaphor of a spider weaving its web illustrates how Brahm, through the mind, projects the universe from itself without requiring external materials or Causes.
This imagery highlights the self-contained nature of Consciousness, which creates the appearance of the world while remaining unchanged, much like water retains its fluidity as an inherent quality. Verse 3.3.30 further reinforces the unreality of the world by comparing it to a dream city or the mythical city of the Gandharvas, both of which are mental constructs without substantial existence. These analogies emphasize that the universe is a mental projection, lacking inherent reality, and exists only within the framework of the mind.
Verse 3.3.31 introduces the famous Advaita analogy of the rope and the snake to illustrate the illusory nature of material reality. Just as a rope mistaken for a snake has no real snake in it, the material world has no independent existence apart from Consciousness. The verse raises a rhetorical question about how Enlightened Beings like Brahm can exist within an illusory world, suggesting that their existence transcends the illusory framework of material reality. Verse 3.3.32 answers this by asserting that only the subtle, non-material essence of the Self is Real, and the material body or its associated concepts have no validity in the perspective of the enlightened. This reinforces the teaching that True Reality lies beyond the physical and mental constructs of the unenlightened mind.
Collectively, these verses guide the seeker toward Realizing the non-dual nature of Existence, where the Universe is a projection of the mind, and the Ultimate Reality, Brahm, is Pure Consciousness without differentiation. They challenge the conventional perception of a material world governed by cause and effect, urging the practitioner to transcend dualistic thinking and recognize the Unity of all Existence in the Supreme Self. By likening the world to dreams and illusions, the teachings encourage detachment from the apparent reality of the material world and foster an inquiry into the True nature of the Self, which is identical to Brahm. This profound insight is meant to lead to Realization by dissolving the false identification with the body and mind, revealing the eternal, Unchanging Consciousness as the sole Reality.
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