Chapter 3.20, Verses 42–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.20.42–54

(The apparent world of objects and perceptions is unreal, like a hare's horn, leading to the conclusion that there is no true "seen" or "Seer")

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

सचेत्यापि तथैवैषा परमव्योमरूपिणी।

तस्माच्चेत्यमतो नान्यद्वीचित्वादीव वारितः ॥ ४२ ॥

वीचित्वं च रसे नास्ति शशशृङ्गवदेव हि ।

सैव चेत्यमिवापन्ना स्वभावादच्युताप्यलम् ॥ ४३ ॥

तस्मान्नास्त्येव दृश्योऽर्थः कुतोऽतो द्रष्टृदृश्यधीः ।

निमिषेणैव जीवस्य मृतिमोहादनन्तरम् ॥ ४४ ॥

त्रिजगद्दृश्यसर्गश्रीः प्रतिभामुपगच्छति।

यथादेशं यथाकालं यथारम्भं यथाक्रमम् ॥ ४५ ॥

यथोत्पादं यथामातृ यथापितृ यथौरसम् ।

यथावयो यथासंविद्यथास्थानं यथेहितम् ॥ ४६ ॥

यथाबन्धु यथाभृत्यं यथेहास्तमयोदयम्।

अजात एव जातोऽहमिति चेतति चिद्वपुः ॥ ४७ ॥

देशकालक्रियाद्रव्यमनोबुद्धीन्द्रियादि च।

झटित्येव मृतेरन्ते वपुः पश्यति यौवने ॥ ४८ ॥

एषा माता पिता ह्येष बालोऽभूवमहं त्विति ।

नानुभूतोऽनुभूतो वा यः स्यात्स्मृतिमयः क्रमः ॥ ४९ ॥

पश्चादुदेत्यसौ तस्य पुष्पस्येव फलोदयः ।

निमिषेणैव मे कल्पो गत इत्यनुभूयते ॥ ५० ॥

रात्रिर्द्वादशवर्षाणि हरिश्चन्द्रे तथा ह्यभूत् ।

कान्ताविरहिणामेकं वासरं वत्सरायते ॥ ५१ ॥

मृतो जातोऽहमन्यो मे पितेति स्वप्नतास्विव ।

अभुक्तस्यैव भोगस्य भुक्तधीरुपजायते ॥ ५२ ॥

भुक्तेऽप्यभुक्तधीर्दृष्टमित्यलङ्कितवादिषु ।

शून्यमाकीर्णतामेति तुल्यं व्यसनमुत्सवैः ।

विप्रलम्भोऽपि लाभश्च मदस्वप्नादिसंविदि ॥ ५३ ॥

तैक्ष्ण्यं यथा मरिचबीजकणे स्थितं स्वं स्तम्भेषु चारचितपुत्रकजालमन्तः।

दृश्यं त्वनन्यदिदमेवमजेऽस्ति शान्तं तस्यास्तिबन्धनविमोक्षदृशः कुतः काः ॥ ५४ ॥

The Goddess continued:

3.20.42-44

Even though it has Consciousness, this Supreme Consciousness is in the form of Infinite Space. Therefore, there is nothing other than Consciousness; the idea of waves is rejected, like forbidding something unreal. There are no real waves in the ocean of Consciousness, just as there is no horn on a hare. It is the same Consciousness that appears as if it has become the object of perception, yet it remains unchanged by its own nature.Therefore, there is no seen object at all. So where can the ideas of Seer and seen come from? 

3.20.45-50

In just a moment after the death of a living being, due to delusion, the glory of the creation of the three worlds, which appears as seen, arises as a mere reflection — according to place, time, beginning, and sequence. 

According to birth, measurement, father, lineage, age, knowledge, position, and desire; according to relatives, servants, setting and rising of desires — the Pure Consciousness thinks, "I am born," even though it is unborn.

Place, time, action, substance, mind, intellect, senses, and so on — suddenly, at the end of death, the soul sees its body in youth. "This is my mother, this is my father, I was a child" — whether previously experienced or not, a sequence made of memories arises. Afterwards, it arises in him like the fruit appears after the flower. In just a moment, a whole age (kalpa) is felt to have passed by me.

3.20.51-53

For King Harishchandra, one night became like twelve years. For those separated from their beloved, one day feels like a year. "I died, I was born again, someone else is my father" — like in a dream. The feeling of having enjoyed something that was never enjoyed arises. Even after enjoying, the feeling of not having enjoyed appears, as in false stories. Emptiness appears full; misery and celebration become equal. Deception appears as gain in the knowledge of a madman's dream. 

3.20.54

Just as sharpness resides in the seed of a pepper, and inside pillars there is a network of carved little figures — this visible world is similarly present in the unborn Supreme Consciousness, which is peaceful. For the vision that sees bondage and liberation, where is the question of bondage or liberation?

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses from the Yoga Vasishta emphasize the non-dual nature of Reality, where Pure Consciousness (Brahm) is the only Truth, and the world is an illusory appearance.

The first set of verses (42-44) explains that Consciousness is vast and infinite like space, with no real objects or waves separate from it. The apparent world of objects and perceptions is unreal, like a hare's horn, leading to the conclusion that there is no true "seen" or "Seer."

The next verses (45-50) describe how, immediately after death, the soul instantly creates an entire new life experience — including body, family, time, and memories — as a mere mental reflection or dream-like projection, arising in a single moment despite seeming to span lifetimes.

Verses 51-53 illustrate the subjective nature of Time and experience through examples: a night feeling like years in delusion or separation, and enjoyments or sufferings feeling Real even when not experienced, similar to dreams where opposites blend and illusions dominate.

The final verse (54) compares the world to latent potentials (like sharpness in a seed or figures in wood) existing within the peaceful, unborn Absolute Reality. In true vision, there is no bondage or liberation — all duality dissolves. Overall, these teachings reinforce Advaita Vedanta: the world is a momentary delusion of Consciousness, unborn and unchanging; Realization dissolves all distinctions.