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Yoga Vashishtha 3.18.1–8
(The world is a playful appearance of the One Reality, and the Realised person continues to act in the world while knowing its True Nature)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
इत्थं विनोदयामीदं दुःखदं चित्तमित्यलम् ।
बोधयित्वेङ्गितैर्भूपानास्थानादुत्थिताथ सा ॥ १ ॥
प्रविश्यान्तःपुरं भर्तुः पार्श्वेऽन्तःपुरमण्डपे ।
विवेश पुष्पगुप्तस्य चिन्तयामास चेतसा ॥ २ ॥
अहो विचित्रा मायेयमेतेऽस्मत्पुरमानवाः ।
बहिरन्तरवद्देशे तत्र चेह च संस्थिताः ॥ ३ ॥
तालीतमालहिंतालमालिता गिरयोऽप्यमी ।
यथा तत्र तथेहापि बत मायेयमातता ॥ ४ ॥
आदर्शेऽन्तर्बहिश्चैव यथा शैलोऽनुभूयते ।
बहिरन्तश्चिदादर्शे तथा सर्गोऽनुभूयते ॥ ५ ॥
तत्र भ्रान्तिमयः सर्गः कः स्यात्कः पारमार्थिकः ।
इति पृच्छामि वागीशामभ्यर्च्योक्तमसंशयम् ॥ ६॥
इति निश्चित्य तां देवीं पूजयामास सा तदा ।
ददर्श च पुरः प्राप्तां कुमारीरूपधारिणीम् ॥ ७ ॥
भद्रासनगतां देवीमुपविश्य पुरोगता।
परमार्थमहाशक्तिं लीलाऽपृच्छद्भुवि स्थिता ॥ ८ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta said:
3.18.1
After thus playfully entertaining and comforting the sorrowful mind, she (Queen Chudala) gently signalled to the kings, made them rise from their seats, and then left the court.
3.18.2
Entering the inner palace, she went to her husband’s side in the women’s pavilion and, in her mind, began to reflect deeply on the flower-hidden form of Consciousness (Pushpagupta).
3.18.3
“Ah, how wonderful and strange is this illusion! These very same people of our city are present both there (in the other world) and here — outside and inside at the same time.”
3.18.4
“These mountains decorated with rows of palm, tamala and hintala trees are exactly the same there as they are here — truly, this illusion has spread everywhere!”
3.18.5
“Just as a mountain is seen both inside the mirror and outside it, in exactly the same way the whole creation is experienced both inside and outside the mirror of pure consciousness.”
3.18.6
“Which creation is the illusory one and which one is the absolutely Real?” Thinking thus, she decided to worship and ask Saraswati, the Goddess of speech, and there would be no doubt about the answer.
3.18.7
Having thus resolved, Queen Chudala worshipped the Goddess. Immediately she saw the Goddess appear before her in the form of a young maiden.
3.18.8
Chudala sat near the Goddess who was seated on a beautiful throne, and while remaining on earth in her human form, she asked the Supreme Power of Reality (Saraswati) about the Highest Truth.
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses show Queen Chudala’s profound Realization that the world she experienced in her subtle body during samadhi is exactly the same as the world experienced in the waking State. This direct experience removes all doubt: the “other world” and “this world” are not two separate places; they are simultaneous appearances within one Consciousness.
The example of mountains with the same trees appearing identically in both worlds illustrates the core teaching of Yoga Vasishta: the entire creation is like an image in a mirror. Just as a mountain is seen both inside the mirror and outside it is still only one mountain, the Universe appears both “inside” Consciousness and “outside” it, yet there is nothing apart from Consciousness itself.
The verses emphasise that what we call “Real” and “illusory” are only two ways of looking at the same thing. The waking world is considered Real as long as we are identified with the body-mind, but when seen from the standpoint of Pure Awareness (chid-adarsha, the mirror of Consciousness), both worlds are mere reflections and neither has independent Reality.
Chudala’s decision to worship and question Goddess Saraswati shows the proper attitude of an advanced seeker: even after the Highest intuitive Realization, one respectfully seeks confirmation from the supreme intelligence that governs speech and Knowledge. This removes the last trace of possible doubt.
The appearance of Saraswati as a young maiden and Chudala’s reverent questioning while still living in the body teach that Ultimate Truth is not opposed to worldly life. Enlightenment does not require abandoning the world; the world is seen as a playful appearance (lila) of the One Reality, and the Realised person continues to act in the world while knowing its True Nature.
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