Chapter 3.18, Verses 29–38

Yoga Vashishtha 3.18.29–38

(There is no real difference between the biggest galaxy and the smallest personal story — both are mere appearances in the One Unchanging Awareness)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

प्राक्स्मृतेर्भ्रान्तिमात्रात्मा सर्गोऽयमुदितो यथा ।

स्वप्नभ्रमात्मको भाति तथेदं कथ्यते शृणु ॥ २९ ॥

अस्ति क्वचिच्चिदाकाशे क्वचित्संसारमण्डपः ।

आकाशकाचदलवत्संस्थानाच्छादिताकृतिः ॥ ३० ॥

मेरुस्तम्भस्थलोकेशपुरन्ध्रीशालभञ्जिकः ।

चतुर्दशापवरकस्त्रिगर्तो भानुदीपकः ॥ ३१ ॥

कोणस्थभूतवल्मीकव्याप्तपर्वतलोष्टकः ।

अनेकपुत्रजरठप्रजेशब्राह्मणास्पदम् ॥ ३२ ॥

जीवौघकोशकाराढ्यो व्योमोर्ध्वतलकालिमा ।

नभोनिवाससिद्धौघमशकाहितघुंघुमः ॥ ३३ ॥

पयोदगृहधूमोग्रजालावलितकोणकः ।

वातमार्गमहावंशस्थितवैमानकीटकः ॥ ३४ ॥

सुरासुरादिदुर्बाललीलाकलकलाकुलः ।

लोकान्तरपुरग्रामभाण्डोपस्करनिर्भरः ॥ ३५ ॥

सरःस्रोतोब्धिसरसीजलोक्षितमहीतलः ।

पातालभूतलस्वर्गभागभासुरकोटरः ॥ ३६ ॥

तत्र कस्मिंश्चिदेकस्मिन्कोणेष्वम्बरकोटरे ।

शैललोष्टतलेष्वेको गिरिग्रामकगर्तकः ॥ ३७ ॥

तस्मिन्नदीशैलवनोपगूढे साग्निः सदारः सुतवानरोगः ।

गोक्षीरवान् राजभयाद्विमुक्तः सर्वातिथिर्धर्मपरो द्विजोऽभूत् ॥ ३८॥

3.18.29  

Goddess said: Listen, I will now tell you how this whole Creation arose earlier — it was nothing but pure illusion born of a mistaken thought, just like a dream that appears real while it lasts.

3.18.30  

Somewhere in the Infinite Space of Pure Consciousness there exists a huge pavilion called “the world”.

3.18.31  

It has golden pillars shaped like Mount Meru, lords of the worlds as its pillars, goddesses as dancing figures on the beams, fourteen floors with railings, three surrounding walls, and the sun as its lamp.

3.18.32  

Its corners are filled with the anthills of the five elements, mountains are mere lumps of mud, old kings and their many sons are householders, and brahmins live there.

3.18.33  

It is rich with countless living beings like silkworms in cocoons, the darkness of time covers its upper sky, groups of perfected beings live in the heavens, and mosquitoes make their humming sound.

3.18.34  

Its corners are covered with thick nets of smoke from the clouds that serve as houses, airplanes look like tiny insects flying along the highways of the wind.

3.18.35  

It is full of the childish noisy play of gods, demons and others, filled with the furniture and utensils of towns and villages in many worlds.

3.18.36  

Its ground is sprinkled with water from lakes, rivers, and oceans; it has shining hollows that are the three divisions — underworld, earth, and heaven.

3.18.37  

In one tiny corner of that sky-like pavilion, among the mountain-lumps, there was a small pit that was a mountain village.

3.18.38  

In that village, hidden by rivers, mountains and forests, there lived a brahmin who had fire (sacred fire), wife, healthy sons, plenty of milk from cows, was free from fear of kings, welcomed every guest, and always followed dharma.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses use a powerful metaphor to teach the complete unreality of the world. The Goddess describes the entire Creation — with its countless worlds, gods, demons, heavens, hells, mountains, oceans, and living beings — as nothing more than an imaginary pavilion that appears in the Infinite sky of Pure Consciousness, exactly like a dream-city that appears in sleep.

Everything we think is vast and solid (Mount Meru, sun, planets, gods, hells, heavens) is reduced to tiny, childish playthings: pillars, lamps, dancing dolls, lumps of mud, insects, smoke, and mosquito sounds. This deliberate scaling down shows that the whole Universe is only a fleeting mental projection, no more real than furniture in a dream.

The description gradually zooms in — from the infinite sky to the cosmic pavilion, then to one tiny corner, then to one mountain village, and finally to one ordinary brahmin living there with his family and cows. This zoom effect teaches that the same Consciousness in which the entire cosmos appears is the same Consciousness that appears as “my little life”. There is no real difference between the biggest galaxy and the smallest personal story — both are mere appearances in the One Unchanging Awareness.

The brahmin is described as healthy, prosperous, pious, and free from fear — exactly the kind of life most people desire. Yet the Goddess has just shown that his entire village, his body, his family, and his happiness are only a speck in an imaginary structure. This proves that even the best possible human life is still part of the dream and cannot give lasting peace.

The Ultimate teaching is: the world is nothing but a long mistaken thought, like a dream. When this wrong idea drops, only the Pure, Limitless Consciousness remains — birthless, deathless, ever-free.