Chapter 3.14, Verses 64–74

Yoga Vashishtha 3.14.64–74

(The world is the movement of the wind of Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

स्वयं विचित्रं स्फुरति चिदण्डकमनाहतम् ।

स्वयं विलक्षणस्पन्दं चिद्वायुरण्डजात्मकः ॥ ६४ ॥

स्वयं विचित्रं कचनं चिद्वारि न निखातगम् ।

स्वयं विचित्रधातुत्वं श्रेष्ठाङ्गमपि निर्मितम् ॥ ६५ ॥

स्वविचित्ररसोल्लासा चिज्ज्योत्स्ना सततोदिता ।

स्वयं चिदेव प्रकटश्चिदालोको महात्मकः ॥ ६६ ॥

स्वयमस्तं गते बाह्ये स्वज्ञानादुदिता चितिः ।

स्वयं जडेषु जाड्येन पदं सौषुप्तमागता ॥ ६७ ॥

स्वयं स्पन्दितयास्पन्दिचित्त्वाच्चिति महानभ ।

चित्प्रकाशप्रकाशो हि जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ॥ ६८ ॥

चिदाकाशैकशून्यत्वं जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ।

चिदालोकमहारूपं जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ॥ ६९ ॥

चिन्मारुतपरिस्पन्दो जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ।

चिद्धनध्वान्तकृष्णत्वं जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ॥ ७० ॥

चिदर्कालोकदिवसो जगदस्ति च नास्ति च ।

चित्कज्जलरजस्तैलपरमाणुर्जगत्क्रमः ॥ ७१ ॥

चिदग्न्यौष्ण्यं जगल्लेखा जगच्चिच्छङ्खशुक्लता ।

जगच्चिच्छैलजठरं चिज्जलद्रवता जगत् ॥ ७२ ॥

जगच्चिदिक्षुमाधुर्यं चित्क्षीरस्निग्धता जगत् ।

जगच्चिद्धिमशीतत्वं चिज्ज्वालाज्वलनं जगत् ॥ ७३ ॥

जगच्चित्सर्षपस्नेहो वीचिश्चित्सरितो जगत् ।

जगच्चित्क्षौद्रमाधुर्यं जगच्चित्कनकाङ्गदम् ॥ ७४ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.14.64  

The Consciousness-egg (the Universe) shines by itself in wonderful variety, without being struck by anything. The wind of Consciousness itself moves in a unique way and takes the form of the Cosmic egg.

3.14.65  

The water of Consciousness shines in endless variety without ever falling. Consciousness itself has created even the best body with its many parts.

3.14.66  

The moonlight of Pure Consciousness always rises with delightful taste. Consciousness itself appears as the great light of Awareness.

3.14.67  

When the outer world sets (disappears), Consciousness rises by its own Knowledge. It then reaches the state of deep sleep by making even inert things inert.

3.14.68  

Because Consciousness vibrates, the great sky vibrates with it. The light of Consciousness shines, so the world both exists and does not exist.

3.14.69  

The world is pure emptiness like the sky of Consciousness – it both exists and does not exist. The world is the great form of the light of Consciousness – it both exists and does not exist.

3.14.70  

The world is the movement of the wind of Consciousness – it both exists and does not exist. The world is the blackness of the darkness in consciousness – it both exists and does not exist.

3.14.71  

The world is the daylight of the Sun of Consciousness – it both exists and does not exist. The world arises like soot particles, dust, and oil drops in Pure Consciousness.

3.14.72  

The world is the heat-line of the fire of Consciousness; the world is the whiteness of the conch of Consciousness. The world is the inside of the mountain of Consciousness; the world is the liquidity of the water of Consciousness.

3.14.73  

The world is the sweetness of the sugarcane of Consciousness; the world is the smoothness of the milk of Consciousness. The world is the coolness of the snow of Consciousness; the world is the burning flame of Consciousness.

3.14.74  

The world is the oil in the sesame of Consciousness; the waves are the rivers of Consciousness – that is the world. The world is the sweetness of the honey of Consciousness; the world is the golden ornament of Consciousness.

Summary of teachings:

1. Everything in the Universe – space, air, water, light, bodies – arises only from Pure Consciousness by its own power. Nothing outside is needed to create it.

2. Consciousness is like an unlimited sky that shines by itself. It plays in countless forms, yet it never really changes or gets limited.

3. When we think the world is there, it appears because Consciousness is awake and shining. When Consciousness rests (as in deep sleep), the world disappears.

4. The same Consciousness becomes the world in many ways – sometimes like light, sometimes like darkness, heat, coolness, sweetness, hardness, waves, gold – everything is just Consciousness appearing differently.

5. Therefore the world both exists and does not exist at the same time. It exists as an appearance in Consciousness, but in Reality there is only Pure Consciousness, nothing else.