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Yoga Vashishtha 3.9.24–34
(The perceived world is a projection of the mind, and Realization is attained by seeing through this illusion to recognize the Singular Reality of Brahm)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
कथमेवं वद ब्रह्मन्भूयते विषमा हि मे ।
दृष्टिरेषाथ दुष्प्राप्या दुराक्रम्येति निश्चयः ॥ २४ ॥
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
मुक्तिरेषोच्यते राम ब्रह्मैतत्समुदाहृतम्।
निर्वाणमेतत्कथितं श्रृणु तत्प्राप्यते कथम् ॥ २५ ॥
यदिदं दृश्यते दृश्यमहन्त्वन्तादिसंयुतम् ।
सतोऽप्यस्यात्यनुत्पत्त्या बुद्धयैतदवाप्यते ॥ २६ ॥
श्रीराम उवाच ।
विदेहमुक्तास्त्रैलोक्यं संपद्यन्ते यदा तदा ।
मन्येते सर्गतामेव गता वेद्यविदांवर ॥ २७ ॥
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
विद्यते चेत्त्रिभुवनं तत्तत्तां संप्रयान्तु ते।
यत्र त्रैलोक्यशब्दार्थो न संभवति कश्चन ॥ २८ ॥
एतत्त्रिलोकतां यातं ब्रह्मेत्युक्तार्थधीः कुतः ।
तस्मान्नो संभवत्येषा जगच्छब्दार्थकल्पना ॥ २९ ॥
अनन्यच्छान्तमाभासमात्रमाकाशनिर्मलम् ।
ब्रह्मैव जगदित्येतत्सर्वं सत्त्वावबोधतः ॥ ३० ॥
अहं हि हेमकटके विचार्यापि न दृष्टवान् ।
कटकत्वं क्वचिन्नाम ऋते निर्मलहाटकात् ॥ ३१ ॥
जलादृते पयोवीचौ नाहं पश्यामि किंचन ।
वीचित्वं तादृशं दृष्टं यत्र नास्त्येव तत्र हि ॥ ३२ ॥
स्पन्दत्वं पवनादन्यन्न कदाचन कुत्रचित् ।
स्पन्द एव सदा वायुर्जगत्तस्मान्न भिद्यते ॥ ३३ ॥
यथा शून्यत्वमाकाशे ताप एव मरौ जलम् ।
तेज एव सदा लोके ब्रह्मैव त्रिजगत्तथा ॥ ३४ ॥
3.9.24 (Rama speaks):
O Brahman, please explain how this is so, as my perception remains clouded and unsteady. I am certain that this Truth is difficult to attain and challenging to Realize.
3.9.25 (Vasishta speaks):
Rama, this State is called Realization, referred to as Brahm, and described as nirvana. Listen carefully, and I will explain how it is attained.
3.9.26 (Vasishta speaks):
This visible world, associated with egoity and other attributes, appears to exist. However, through the understanding that it does not truly arise, this Truth is Realized by the intellect.
3.9.27 (Rama speaks):
O best among the Knowers of Truth, when the Realized ones, free from the body, attain the three worlds, it seems to me that they have simply entered into the state of creation again.
3.9.28 (Vasishta speaks):
If the three worlds exist as such, then let those Realized ones attain them. But where the concept and meaning of the three worlds do not exist at all, such attainment is impossible.
3.9.29 (Vasishta speaks):
How can this notion of the three worlds be equated with Brahm? Therefore, the concept and imagination of the world as a separate entity do not hold true.
3.9.30 (Vasishta speaks):
All this is nothing but Brahm—calm, merely an appearance, Pure like Space. The world is Brahm itself, and this is Realized through the Awakening to the Truth.
3.9.31 (Vasishta speaks):
Just as, upon examination, I do not find any bracelet-ness in a golden bracelet apart from the pure gold itself, so too is the world inseparable from Brahm.
3.9.32 (Vasishta speaks):
Apart from water, I see nothing in the waves of the ocean. The wave-ness is seen in such a way that it does not truly exist; it is merely an appearance.
3.9.33 (Vasishta speaks):
There is never any vibration separate from the wind, anywhere, at any time. The vibration is always the wind itself; similarly, the world is not separate from Brahm.
3.9.34 (Vasishta speaks):
Just as emptiness is inherent in Space, heat in the desert mirage, or water in the flow, so too is Brahm the essence of the three worlds, always Radiant in the Universe.
Summary of the Teachings:
The dialogue between Rama and Vasishta in these verses from the Yoga Vasishta centers on the nature of Realization, the illusory appearance of the world, and the Realization of Brahm as the Ultimate Reality.
In the opening verse, Rama expresses his confusion and doubt, acknowledging that his perception is clouded and that the Truth of Realization seems elusive and difficult to grasp. This sets the stage for Vasishta’s profound teachings, which aim to clarify the Nature of Reality and guide Rama toward understanding the non-dual essence of existence. Rama’s question reflects a common human struggle: the challenge of transcending limited perception to apprehend the Ultimate Truth, which Vasishta addresses with clarity and metaphorical depth.
Vasishta begins by defining the Realization of Brahm, equating it with nirvana, the State of Ultimate Freedom. He explains that the world, with its apparent attributes like egoity, is not a separate entity but an illusion that does not truly arise. Through intellectual discernment, one can realize that the world is a mere appearance, lacking independent existence. This teaching aligns with Advaita Vedanta’s core principle of non-duality, emphasizing that the perceived world is a projection of the mind, and Realization is attained by seeing through this illusion to recognize the Singular Reality of Brahm.
Vasishta’s response addresses Rama’s doubt by shifting the focus from the external world to the internal Realization of Truth.
Rama’s subsequent question reveals his concern that even Realised Beings, free from bodily identification, might still be bound to the three worlds (the physical, astral, and causal realms), thus re-entering the cycle of Creation. This reflects a misunderstanding that Realization might involve some form of continued existence within the framework of the world. Vasishta counters this by asserting that the concept of the three worlds is itself illusory, as they lack independent Reality. He challenges the notion that Realization involves attaining any worldly state, emphasizing that Brahm transcends all such concepts. The three worlds, as imagined by the mind, are not equivalent to Brahm, and thus, the idea of a separate world is a false construct that dissolves in the light of true understanding.
To illustrate the non-dual nature of Reality, Vasishta employs vivid metaphors. He compares the world to a golden bracelet, which, despite appearing as a distinct object, is nothing but gold. Similarly, ocean waves are not separate from water, and vibrations are not distinct from the wind. These analogies underscore that the world, with all its apparent diversity, is merely an expression of Brahm, without any independent existence. The bracelet, wave, and vibration are forms that appear real but are ultimately reducible to their essence—gold, water, and wind, respectively. Likewise, the world is Brahm, and its apparent separateness is an illusion dispelled through discernment. This teaching encourages Rama to see beyond appearances and recognize the underlying unity of all existence.
Finally, Vasishta’s teachings culminate in the assertion that Brahm is the sole Reality, unchanging and ever-present, like emptiness in Space or heat in a mirage. The world’s apparent existence is a superimposition on Brahm, much like a mirage appears as water but is not truly water. By Awakening to this Truth, one Realizes that the world is not separate from Brahm, and Realization is the recognition of this non-dual reality. These verses collectively guide the seeker toward transcending the illusion of the world, dissolving the ego, and attaining Freedom through the intellectual and experiential Realization that all is Brahm. Vasishta’s metaphors and logical arguments provide a profound framework for understanding the non-dual nature of existence, offering Rama—and the reader—a path to Clarity and Freedom from the cycle of Ignorance.
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