Chapter 3.26, Verses 22–32

Yoga Vashishtha 3.26.22–32

(True Peace comes from abiding in the Self, where there is no loss, no death, and no mourning—only Eternal Bliss)

 

श्रीवशिष्ठजी उवाच:।

ज्येष्ठशर्मादयस्ते ते देव्यौ प्रति यथाक्रमम् ।

निजं तद्दुःखमाचख्युर्दम्पतिव्यसनात्मकम् ॥ २२ ॥

ज्येष्ठशर्मादय ऊचुः ।

देव्यावभवतां स्निग्धाविह ब्राह्मणदम्पती ।

सर्वातिथी कुलकरौ स्तम्भाभूतौ द्विजस्थितेः ॥ २३ ॥

तावद्य गृहमुत्सृज्य सपुत्रपशुबान्धवम्।

स्वर्गं गतौ नः पितरौ तेन शून्यं जगत्त्रयम् ॥ २४ ॥

पक्षिणो गृहमारुह्य विक्षिपन्तः प्रतिक्षणम् ।

देहं शून्ये मृतं भक्त्या शोचन्ति मधुरैः स्वरैः ॥ २५ ॥

गुहागुरुगुरारावप्रलापलपनाकुलः ।

सरित्स्थूलाश्रुधाराभिः परिरोदिति पर्वतः ॥ २६ ॥

निर्जराक्रन्दकारिण्यो मुक्ताम्बरपयोधराः ।

तप्तनिःश्वासविध्वस्ताः परं कार्श्यमिता दिशः ॥ २७ ॥

क्षतविक्षतसर्वाङ्गः करुणाक्रन्दकर्कशः।

उपवासरतो ग्रामो दीनो मृतिपरः स्थितः ॥ २८ ॥

दिवसं प्रति वृक्षाणामवश्यायाश्रुबिन्दवः ।

गुच्छलोचनकोशेभ्यस्तापोष्णानि पतन्त्यधः ॥ २९ ॥

प्रशान्तजनसंचारा रथ्या क्षारविधूसरा ।

विधवाविगतानन्दा संशून्यहृदया स्थिता ॥ ३० ॥

कोकिलालिप्रलापिन्यो वृष्टिबाष्पहता लताः ।

उष्णोष्णश्वसना देहं घन्ति पल्लवपाणिभिः ॥ ३१ ॥

आत्मानं शतधा कर्तुं बृहच्छ्वभ्रशिलातले ।

निर्झराः प्रपतन्त्येते तापतप्तशरीरकाः ॥ ३२ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.26.22

Jyeshtha Sharma and the others, one by one, told the two goddesses about their sorrow caused by the death of their parents.

3.26.23 

Jyeshtha Sharma and the others said: 

O Goddesses, we are a loving Brahmin couple, welcoming guests, the pillars of the Brahmin community.

3.26.24

Our parents left this home and it's children, animals, and relatives, and went to heaven. Because of that, the three worlds feel empty to us.

3.26.25

Birds climb onto the empty house and scatter things every moment. They mourn the dead body with devotion, using sweet voices.

3.26.26

The mountain cries loudly with deep sounds from caves, filled with sad talks, and flows with thick streams of tears.

3.26.27

The directions cry with loud wails, their clouds like breasts full of pearl-like tears, destroyed by hot sighs, and they have become very thin.

3.26.28 

The village, with all limbs wounded and scratched, cries harshly with pity, always fasting, looking miserable and ready for death.

3.26.29

Every day, from the trees, dew drops like tears fall down hot from sorrow, from the eye-like clusters of buds.

3.26.30

The streets are quiet with no people walking, covered in salt-like dust, like a widow without joy, empty-hearted.

3.26.31

The creepers, with cuckoos and bees chattering, struck by rain-like tears, breathing hot sighs, beat their bodies with tender leaf hands.

3.26.32

The waterfalls, bodies burning with grief, jump down on big rock slabs in deep pits, as if to break themselves into hundred pieces.

Summary of the Teachings of These Verses -

These verses are part of the story of Goddess Saraswati and Lila in the Yoga Vasistha, where Lila's subtle body visits her former home after the death of the Brahmin couple. The sons, including Jyeshtha Sharma, describe their deep grief to the invisible goddesses. The teaching here illustrates how intense sorrow arises from attachment to the body and worldly relations, making the entire world appear desolate and void after losing loved ones.

The personification of nature—birds, mountains, directions, village, trees, streets, creepers, and waterfalls—all mourning in human-like ways emphasizes that grief is a projection of the mind. In reality, nature remains unchanged, but the grieving mind imposes its pain everywhere, seeing tears in dew, cries in winds, and despair in emptiness. This shows the power of the mind to color the entire perceived Universe with its emotions.

This exaggerated description of Universal mourning serves as a hyperbolic example to highlight the illusory nature of sorrow. Just as the whole world cannot truly grieve for one family's loss, personal grief is an unreal overlay created by ignorance and identification with the transient body and relationships.

The deeper Advaita teaching is that death is merely a change in the dream-like appearance of the world. The parents have "gone to heaven," but in truth, all forms are manifestations of the one consciousness. Clinging to forms causes suffering, while understanding the eternal, unchanging Self beyond body and mind frees one from such grief.

Ultimately, these verses teach detachment through inquiry: by Realizing the world as a mental projection, like a dream, one transcends sorrow. True Peace comes from abiding in the Self, where there is no loss, no death, and no mourning—only Eternal Bliss.