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Yoga Vashishtha 3.4.69–80
(Ultimate Reality - Brahm -is Complete, Tranquil, and all-pervading)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
पूर्णे पूर्णं प्रसरति शान्ते शान्तं व्यवस्थितम् ।
व्योमन्येवोदितं व्योम ब्रह्मणि ब्रह्म तिष्ठति ॥ ६९ ॥
न दृश्यमस्ति सद्रूपं न द्रष्टा न च दर्शनम् ।
न शून्यं न जडं नो चिच्छान्तमेवेदमाततम् ॥ ७० ॥
श्रीराम उवाच ।
वन्ध्यापुत्रेण पिष्टोऽद्रिः शशशृङ्गं प्रगायति ।
प्रसार्य भुजसंपातं शिला नृत्यति ताण्डवम् ॥ ७१ ॥
स्रवन्ति सिकतास्तैलं पठन्त्युपलपुत्रिकाः ।
गर्जन्ति चित्रजलदा इतीवेदं वचः प्रभो ॥ ७२ ॥
जरामरणदुःखादिशैलाकाशमयं जगत् ।
नास्तीति किमिदं नाम भवताऽपि ममोच्यते ॥ ७३ ॥
यथेदं न स्थितं विश्वं नोत्पन्नं न च विद्यते ।
तथा कथय मे ब्रह्मन्येनैतन्निश्चितं भवेत् ॥ ७४ ॥
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
नासमन्वितवागस्मि श्रृणु राघव कथ्यते ।
यथेदमसदाभाति वन्ध्यापुत्र इवाऽऽरवी ॥ ७५ ॥
इदमादावनुत्पन्नं सर्गादौ तेन नास्त्यलम् ।
इदं हि मनसो भाति स्वप्नादौ पत्तनं यथा ॥ ७६ ॥
मन एव च सर्गादावनुत्पन्नमसद्वपुः ।
तदेतच्छ्रणु वक्ष्यामि यथैवमनुभूयते ॥ ७७ ॥
मनोदृश्यमयं दोषं तनोतीमं क्षयात्मकम् ।
असदेव सदाकारं स्वप्नः स्वप्नान्तरं यथा ॥ ७८ ॥
तत्स्वयं स्वैरमेवाशु संकल्पयति देहकम् ।
तेनेयमिन्द्रजालश्रीर्विततेन वितन्यते ॥ ७९ ॥
स्फुरति वल्गति गच्छति याचते भ्रमति मज्जति संहरति स्वयम् ।
अपरतामुपयात्यपि केवलं चलति चञ्चलशक्तितया मनः ॥ ८० ॥
Maharishi Vashishta continued:
3.4.69: The complete manifests as the complete, and the Tranquil abides in Tranquility. Just as Space arises within Space, Brahm (the Ultimate Reality) exists within Brahm.
3.4.70: There is no Real object to be seen, no Seer, and no act of seeing. There is neither void nor inert matter, nor mere Consciousness; only this Tranquil Reality pervades everywhere.
Sriram said:
3.4.71: It is as if a barren woman’s son grinds a mountain, or a hare’s horn sings aloud. It is as if a stone, extending its arms, performs a cosmic dance.
3.4.72: It is as if sand flows with oil, stones recite scriptures, or painted clouds roar. Such, O Lord, seem to be your words to me.
3.4.73: You say this world, made of Space and mountains, filled with decay, death, and suffering, does not exist. What does this mean, and why do you tell me this?
3.4.74: Explain to me, O Brahman, how this world neither exists, nor arises, nor is present, so that I may attain certainty in this understanding.
Maharishi Vashishta said:
3.4.75: I am not speaking meaningless words, O Rama, listen as I explain. This world appears unreal, like the son of a barren woman, yet it seems to exist.
3.4.76: This world did not arise at the beginning of Creation, and thus it truly does not exist. It appears only in the mind, like a city seen in a dream.
3.4.77: The mind itself, at the beginning of Creation, is unarisen and unreal in essence. Listen, I will explain how this is experienced as such.
3.4.78: The mind, made of perceptions, creates this flawed, perishable world. It appears Real though unreal, like a dream within another dream.
3.4.79: The mind, of its own accord, quickly imagines a body. Through this, the illusion of the world, like a magical display, is spread out and sustained.
3.4.80: The mind vibrates, moves, seeks, wanders, sinks, and destroys itself. Yet, it remains ultimately alone, driven by its own restless energy.
Summary of the Teachings:
In these verses from the Yoga Vasishta, Sage Vasishta imparts profound non-dualistic teachings to Lord Rama, addressing the nature of Reality and the illusory nature of the world. In verses 69 and 70, Vasishta introduces the concept that Ultimate Reality (Brahm) is Complete, Tranquil, and all-pervading, akin to Space existing within itself. He negates the conventional distinctions of Seer, seen, and seeing, asserting that what exists is neither void, inert matter, nor mere Consciousness but a serene, all-encompassing Reality. This sets the foundation for a non-dual perspective, where the apparent multiplicity of the world is subsumed into the Unity of Brahm, emphasizing that Reality transcends sensory perceptions and mental constructs.
Rama’s response in verses 71 to 74 reflects his initial skepticism and confusion. He employs vivid, paradoxical metaphors—such as a barren woman’s son grinding a mountain or a stone dancing—to express how Vasishta’s teaching that the world is unreal seems absurd, given the tangible experiences of suffering, decay, and death. Rama’s questioning reveals a common human dilemma: the difficulty of reconciling the apparent Reality of the world with philosophical assertions of its non-existence. His request for clarification underscores his earnest desire to understand how the world, which feels so Real, can be deemed non-existent, seeking a logical and experiential resolution to this paradox.
In verses 75 to 77, Vasishta responds by reassuring Rama that his words are not meaningless and begins to unravel the illusion of the world. He compares the world’s apparent existence to the son of a barren woman—an impossibility that highlights its fundamental unreality. Vasishta explains that the world did not truly arise at the beginning of creation; it exists only as an appearance in the mind, akin to a dream city that seems Real while dreaming but vanishes upon waking. By asserting that even the mind is un-arisen and unreal, Vasishta points to the root of the illusion, preparing Rama for a deeper inquiry into the nature of the mind and its role in creating the perception of Reality.
Verses 78 and 79 elaborate on the mind’s role as the creator of the illusory world. Vasishta describes the world as a product of the mind’s perceptions, inherently flawed and perishable, yet appearing Real, much like a dream within a dream. The mind, through its own imaginative power, conjures the notion of a body and, by extension, the entire world, which Vasishta likens to a magical display (indrajala). This teaching emphasizes that the world’s apparent solidity and diversity stem from the mind’s projections, which lack inherent Reality. The metaphor of a magical illusion underscores the transient and deceptive nature of worldly experiences, urging Rama to look beyond appearances to the underlying Truth.
Finally, verse 80 vividly describes the restless nature of the mind, which vibrates, moves, seeks, wanders, and ultimately destroys itself, yet remains fundamentally alone. This portrayal highlights the mind’s dynamic, self-sustaining activity as the source of the world’s illusion, driven by its own restless energy. Vasishta’s teachings in these verses collectively guide Rama toward Realizing that the world’s apparent Reality is a mental construct, and True Realization lies in recognizing the mind’s illusory nature and abiding in the Tranquil, Unchanging Reality of Brahm. This non-dual understanding invites Rama—and the reader—to transcend the mind’s projections and rest in the Pure Awareness that underlies all experience.
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