Chapter 3.20, Verses 22–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.20.22–30

(Worlds, Time, and Space are projections within the atomic yet Infinite Self, and awakening involves seeing beyond these illusions to the Unchanging Reality)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

स्वप्नसंभ्रमसंकल्पस्वानुभूतिपरम्पराः ।

प्रमाणान्यत्र मुख्यानि संबोधाय प्रदीपवत् ॥ २२ ॥

स्थितो ब्राह्मणगेहान्तर्द्विजजीवस्तदम्बरे।

ससमुद्रवना पृथ्वी स्थिताब्ज इव षट्पदः ॥ २३ ॥

तस्याः कस्मिंश्चिदेकस्मिन्पेलवे कोणकोटरे ।

इदं पत्तनदेहादि केशोण्ड्रक इवाम्बरे ॥ २४ ॥

तस्मिन्नस्मिन्पुरे तन्वि तदेव सदनं स्थितम् ।

तस्मात्किं त्रसरेण्वन्तर्जगद्वृन्दमिव स्थितम् ॥ २५ ॥

परमाणौ परमाणौ सन्ति वत्से चिदात्मनि ।

अन्तरन्तर्जगन्तीति किंत्वेतन्नाम शङ्क्यते ॥ २६ ॥

लीलोवाच ।

अष्टमे दिवसे विप्रः स मृतः परमेश्वरि।

गतो वर्षगणोऽस्माकं मातः कथमिदं भवेत् ॥ २७ ॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

देशदैर्घ्यं यथा नास्ति कालदैर्घ्यं तथाङ्गने ।

नास्त्येवेति यथान्यायं कथ्यमानं मया शृणु ॥ २८ ॥

यथैतत्प्रतिभामात्रं जगत्सर्गावभासनम्।

तथैतत्प्रतिभामात्रं क्षणकल्पावभासनम् ॥ २९ ॥

क्षणकल्पं जगत्सर्वं त्वत्तामत्तात्मजन्मनाम् ।

यथावत्प्रतिभासस्य वक्ष्ये क्रममिमं शृणु ॥ ३० ॥

3.20.22 

The Goddess said: The series of dream confusions, mental imaginations, and personal experiences—these are the main proofs here for awakening, like a lamp.

3.20.23  

The Brahmin's soul stayed inside the Brahmin's house, in its sky-like space, like a bee inside a lotus, with the earth complete with oceans and forests.

3.20.24

In some soft corner crevice of that earth, this city, body, and so on existed in the sky, like a bunch of hair in the air.

3.20.25 

In that city, O slender one, that very house existed. From a tiny dust particle in it, clusters of worlds existed like that.

3.20.26

O dear, in every atom, in every atom, within the conscious Self, inner worlds exist—but this is not really doubted.

3.20.27

Queen Lila said: O Supreme Goddess, that Brahmin died on the eighth day. Many years have passed for us, O Mother—how can this happen?

3.20.28

The Goddess said: Just as there is no Real length in Space, similarly there is no length in Time, O beautiful one. Listen to me explain this properly as it is.

3.20.29

Just as this appearance of the world's creation is merely an illusion, similarly this appearance of moments and eons is merely an illusion.

3.20.30

The entire world is a moment or an eon for you, me, and others who are born. I will explain the sequence of its proper appearance—listen to this order.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses from the Yoga Vasistha, in the story of Lila, illustrate profound Advaita Vedanta principles about the illusory nature of the world, time, space, and individual experiences.

The first set of verses (22-26) emphasizes that True Knowledge arises from recognizing personal experiences—such as dreams, imaginations, and perceptions—as primary evidences for Spiritual Awakening, much like a lamp illuminates Reality. The narrative uses vivid analogies: the soul of the deceased Brahmin resides within the vast "sky" of his home, containing an entire earth with oceans and forests, like a bee in a lotus. Nested within this, cities, bodies, houses, and even multitudes of worlds exist in tiny spaces like dust particles or atomic corners. This highlights the Infinite nesting of Universes within Consciousness, where countless worlds reside in every atom of the Pure conscious Self, underscoring that all apparent multiplicity is contained within the Singular, Undivided Awareness.

Verses 27-28 address Lila's confusion about time discrepancies: the Brahmin died quickly, yet years passed in her experience. The Goddess explains that just as Space has no inherent length or extension (it is boundless and undivided), Time similarly lacks objective duration—it is not Real in an absolute sense. This teaches that perceived extensions in time and space are mere appearances without Ultimate Reality.

In verses 29-30, the Goddess equates the creation of the world to a mere mental projection or illusion (pratibha), comparable to how moments and vast cosmic ages (kalpas) appear. The entire Universe, for all Beings, alternates between seeming instantaneous (a moment) or eternal (an eon), depending on perception. This points to the subjective nature of existence, where the sequence of manifestation is illusory, and true understanding comes from recognizing this orderly yet unreal appearance.

Overall, these verses convey the non-duality of Consciousness: worlds, time, and space are projections within the atomic yet Infinite Self, and awakening involves seeing beyond these illusions to the Unchanging Reality. The core teaching is liberation through insight into the dream-like quality of all phenomena, dissolving distinctions of vastness, duration, and separation.