Chapter 3.22, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.22.1–9

(In waking life, when these impressions fade completely, the gross physical form loses its hold, much like the dream body fades upon awakening)

 

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

यथा स्वप्नपरिज्ञानात्स्वप्नदेहो न वास्तवः ।

अनुभूतोऽप्ययं तद्वद्वासनातानवादसन् ॥ १ ॥

यथा स्वप्नपरिज्ञानात्स्वप्नदेहः प्रशाम्यति ।

वासनातानवात्तद्वज्जाग्रद्देहोऽपि शाम्यति ॥ २ ॥

स्वप्नसंकल्पदेहान्ते देहोऽयं चेत्यते यथा ।

तथा जाग्रद्भावनान्ते उदेत्येवातिवाहिकः ॥ ३ ॥

स्वप्ने निर्वासनाबीजे यथोदेति सुषुप्तता ।

जाग्रत्यवासनाबीजे तथोदेति विमुक्तता ॥ ४ ॥

येयं तु जीवन्मुक्तानां वासना सा न वासना ।

शुद्धसत्त्वाभिधानं तत्सत्तासामान्यमुच्यते ॥ ५ ॥

या सुप्तवासना निद्रा सा सुषुप्तिरिति स्मृता ।

यत्सुप्तवासनं जाग्रद्धनोऽसौ मोह उच्यते ॥ ६ ॥

प्रक्षीणवासना निद्रा तुर्यशब्देन कथ्यते।

जाग्रत्यपि भवत्येव विदिते परमे पदे ॥ ७ ॥

प्रक्षीणवासना येह जीवतां जीवनस्थितिः ।

अमुक्तैरपरिज्ञाता सा जीवन्मुक्ततोच्यते ॥ ८ ॥

शुद्धसत्त्वानुपतितं चेतः प्रतनुवासनम् ।

आतिवाहिकतामेति हिमं तापादिवाम्बुताम् ॥ ९ ॥

3.22.1

The Goddess continued:

Just as upon understanding a dream, the dream body is seen as unreal—even though experienced—so this world and body are unreal, due to the thin veil of latent impressions.

3.22.2

Just as upon understanding a dream, the dream body subsides, so the waking body subsides when the web of latent impressions is dissolved.

3.22.3

Just as at the end of a dream or imagined body, this gross body is perceived, similarly, at the end of waking perceptions, a subtle body arises.

3.22.4

Just as in a dream, when there is no seed of latent impressions, deep sleep arises; so in waking, when there are no latent impressions, liberation arises.

3.22.5

The latent impressions of the living liberated are not really impressions; they are called pure sattva, and are known as the common essence of existence.

3.22.6

The latent impression that is dormant in sleep is called deep sleep; when latent impressions are dormant in waking, that is called delusion.

3.22.7

The sleep where latent impressions are completely destroyed is called the fourth state (turiya); it occurs even in waking upon knowing the Supreme State.

3.22.8

The State of living where latent impressions are destroyed is called living liberation (jivanmukti); it is unknown to the non-liberated.

3.22.8

The mind that has reached pure sattva, with very subtle latent impressions, becomes the subtle body—like ice turning to water from heat.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses from the Yoga Vasishta, spoken by Goddess Saraswati, use the analogy of dreams to explain the illusory nature of the waking world and body. They emphasize that both dream and waking experiences arise from latent impressions (vasanas), which are subtle tendencies carried in the mind. Just as realizing the dream makes the dream body vanish as unreal, True Knowledge dissolves the identification with the waking body, revealing its non-reality.

The verses highlight the process of subsiding the gross body through the dissolution of vasanas. In waking life, when these impressions fade completely, the gross physical form loses its hold, much like the dream body fades upon awakening. This leads to the arising of a subtle (ativahika) body at the end of waking perceptions, showing the continuity of mental projections across states.

A key teaching is the distinction between States of Consciousness based on vasanas. Deep sleep occurs when impressions are dormant without a seed for activity, while true liberation emerges in waking when vasanas are absent altogether. This contrasts ordinary waking delusion—where dormant impressions fuel ignorance—with the liberated state.

The verses redefine vasanas in the jivanmukta (living liberated person): their remaining "impressions" are pure sattva, not binding desires, but a clear, balanced existence aligned with Universal Being. This Pure State is contrasted with sleep and delusion, leading to the concept of turiya—the fourth state beyond waking, dream, and deep sleep—achieved even while awake through Supreme Knowledge.

Ultimately, these teachings describe jivanmukti as living free from vasanas, a state unrecognized by the bound. The mind in pure sattva retains only faint impressions, transforming into a subtle body, illustrating the fluid transition from gross identification to liberated awareness, akin to ice melting into water.