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Yoga Vashishtha 3.27.43–50
(The soul is Eternal and Pure Consciousness, unbound by any form, yet appears bound through identification with bodies and desires)
लीलोवाच ।
वर्षाण्यष्टौ सुराष्ट्रेषु देवि गोत्वं कृतं मया ।
मोहाद्दुर्जनदुष्टाज्ञबालगोपाललीलया ॥ ४३ ॥
विहंग्या वैरविन्यस्ता वागुरा विपिनावनौ ।
क्लेशेन महता च्छिन्ना अधमा वासना इव ॥ ४४ ॥
कर्णिकाक्रोडशय्यासु विश्रान्तमलिना सह ।
पद्मकुड्मलकोशेषु भुक्तकिंजल्कया रहः ॥ ४५ ॥
भ्रान्तमुत्तुङ्गशृङ्गासु हरिण्या हारिनेत्रया ।
वनस्थलीषु रम्यासु किराताहतमर्मया ॥ ४६ ॥
दृष्टं नष्टासु दिक्ष्वब्धिकल्लोलैरुह्यमानया ।
मत्स्याम्बुकच्छपाच्छोडे मोघमाननताडनम् ॥ ४७ ॥
पीतं चर्मण्वतीतीरे गायन्त्या मधुरस्वरम् ।
पुलिन्द्या सुरतान्तेषु नालिकेररसासवम् ॥ ४८ ॥
सारसीसरसालिन्या सीत्कारमधुरस्वरम् ।
सारसः सुरतैः स्वैरं सामन्तश्चारुरञ्जितः ॥ ४९ ॥
तालीतमालकुञ्जेषु तरलानननेत्रया।
क्षीबप्रेक्षणविक्षोभैः कृतं कान्तावलोकनम् ॥ ५० ॥
Queen Lila continued:
3.27.43
For eight years in the country of Surashtra, O Goddess, I lived as a cow due to delusion, playing the role of an ignorant, naughty cowherd boy among wicked people.
3.27.44
In the forest, like a cruel net of enmity spread by birds, my lowly tendencies were cut with great effort, like bad habits.
3.27.45
I rested secretly with a dirty bee in the hollows of lotus stalks and in the sheaths of lotus buds, having enjoyed the pollen.
3.27.46
I wandered on high mountain peaks with a deer having captivating eyes, in beautiful forest groves, struck in the vital parts by a hunter.
3.27.47
I saw, while being carried away by ocean waves in lost directions, the useless slapping of the face in vain by a fish, turtle, or frog in water.
3.27.48
On the banks of the Charmanyvati river, I drank sweet coconut liquor sung in melodious voice by a Pulinda woman at the end of love-making.
3.27.49
With a lake-bird (crane) lady making sweet cooing sounds, the swan (saras) was freely delighted in love sports, charmingly adorned by attendants.
3.27.50
In the groves of palm and tamala trees, with a woman having trembling face and eyes, passionate glances caused disturbance while looking at the beloved.
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses form part of Lila's recollection of her numerous past existences, as revealed through yogic insight and Divine Grace. Lila describes transmigrating through various lower forms of life—animal, bird, insect, and human-like tribal—highlighting how the soul, driven by ignorance (moha) and deep-rooted desires (vasanas), undergoes endless cycles of birth. The narrative begins with her existence as a cow in delusion and ignorance, showing how even seemingly innocent playful roles bind the soul due to association with impure influences. This illustrates the teaching that the jiva (individual soul) is not fixed in any single form but wanders endlessly due to karma and vasanas, emphasizing impermanence and the futility of worldly identifications.
The imagery of cutting lowly tendencies "with great effort, like a cruel net" points to the arduous process of spiritual purification. Just as a net of enmity traps birds, vasanas ensnare the soul across lifetimes. Lila's effort to break free symbolizes sadhana (spiritual practice) required to destroy bad habits and attachments. The Yoga Vasishta teaches that liberation comes not from avoiding births but from recognizing and uprooting the subtle impressions (vasanas) that propel rebirth, often through discrimination (viveka) and intense inner work.
The verses vividly portray sensual and instinct-driven experiences in animal and semi-human forms—resting in lotus with a bee (symbolizing attachment to fleeting pleasures), wandering as a deer hunted down (showing vulnerability to death and desire), or indulging in intoxicating drinks and love sports as tribal women or birds. These depict how the same consciousness assumes diverse bodies to fulfill latent desires, whether for food, mating, or sensory enjoyment. The teaching here is that all embodied experiences, high or low, arise from the mind's projections and conditioning; there is no essential difference between human "nobility" and animal "baseness"—both are illusions born of ignorance.
A deeper teaching emerges in the futility and suffering inherent in these lives: the "useless slapping" in ocean waves, the strike of the hunter, or the temporary delights of love and intoxication. They reveal samsara's nature as transient, painful, and ultimately empty. Lila's survey of these lives serves to awaken detachment (vairagya), showing that chasing pleasures across forms leads only to repeated bondage. The text uses these graphic recollections to demonstrate that the world is a dream-like play of Consciousness (chit), where births occur due to self-imposed limitations.
Ultimately, these verses reinforce the central doctrine of the Yoga Vasishta: the soul is Eternal and Pure Consciousness, unbound by any form, yet appears bound through identification with bodies and desires. Lila's ability to remember and narrate these lives proves the power of Knowledge (jnana) to transcend time and rebirth. The teaching urges the seeker to realize the non-dual Self (Atman/Brahm), beyond all forms and vasanas, as the only way to end the cycle. By seeing the illusory nature of all existences—as Lila does—the aspirant attains Freedom here and now.
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