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Yoga Vashishtha 3.28.1–16
(The world shines brightly yet is ultimately asat - unreal - within the Essence of Pure Awareness)
श्रीराम उवाच ।
वज्राङ्गसाराद्ब्रह्माण्डकुड्यान्निबिडमण्डलात् ।
कोटियोजनसंपुष्टात्कथं ते निर्गतेऽबले ॥ १ ॥
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
क्व ब्रह्माण्डं क्व तद्भित्तिः क्वात्रासौ वज्रसारता ।
किलावश्यं स्थिते देव्यावन्तःपुरवराम्बरे ॥ २ ॥
तस्मिन्नेव गिरिग्रामे तस्मिन्नेवालयाम्बरे ।
ब्राह्मणः स वसिष्ठाख्य आस्वादयति राजताम् ॥ ३ ॥
तमेव मण्डपाकाशकोणकं शून्यमात्रकम् ।
चतुःसमुद्रपर्यन्तं भूतलं सोऽनुभूतवान् ॥ ४ ॥
आकाशात्मनि भूपीठं तस्मिंस्तद्राजपत्तनम् ।
राजसद्मानुभवति स च सा चाप्यरुन्धती ॥ ५ ॥
लीलाभिधाना सा जाता तया च ज्ञप्तिरर्चिता ।
ज्ञप्त्या सह समुल्लङ्घ्य खमाश्चर्यमनोहरम् ॥ ६ ॥
प्रादेशमात्रे नभसि सा तत्रैवगृहोदरे ।
ब्रह्माण्डान्तरमासाद्य गिरिग्रामकमन्दिरे ॥ ७ ॥
ब्रह्माण्डात्परिनिर्गत्य स्वगृहे स्थितिमाययौ ।
स्वप्नात्स्वप्नान्तरं प्राप्य यथा तल्पगतः पुमान् ॥ ८ ॥
प्रतिभामात्रमेवैतत्सर्वमाकाशमात्रकम् ।
न ब्रह्माण्डं न संसारो न कुड्यादि न दूरता ॥ ९ ॥
स्वचित्तमेव कचति तयोस्तादृङ्मनोहरम् ।
वासनामात्रसोल्लेखं क्व ब्रह्माण्डं क्व संसृतिः ॥ १० ॥
निरावरणमेवेदं ज्ञप्त्याकाशमनन्तकम् ।
किंचित्स्वचित्तेनोन्नीतं स्पन्दयुक्त्येव मारुतः ॥ ११ ॥
चिदाकाशमजं शान्तं सर्वत्रैव हि सर्वदा।
चित्त्वाज्जगदिवाभाति स्वयमेवात्मनात्मनि ॥ १२ ॥
येन बुद्धं तु तस्यैतदाकाशादप शून्यकम्।
न बुद्धं येन तस्यैतद्वज्रसाराचलोपमम् ॥ १३ ॥
गृह एव यथा स्वप्ने नगरं भाति भासुरम् ।
तथैतदसदेवान्तश्चिद्धातौ भाति भास्वरम् ॥ १४ ॥
यथा मरौ जलं बुद्धं कटकत्वं च हेमनि ।
असत्सदिव भातीदं तथा दृश्यत्वमात्मनि ॥ १५ ॥
एवमाकथयन्त्यौ ते ललने ललिताकृती।
गृहान्निर्ययतुर्बाह्यं चारुचक्रमणक्रमैः ॥ १६ ॥
Sriram said:
3.28.1
How did the lady, being weak, escape from this Universe which is like a solid diamond wall, densely formed and vast like millions of yojanas?
Sage Vashishta replied:
3.28.2
Where is the Universe? Where is its wall? Where is that diamond-like hardness? Indeed, O Goddess, you two are surely present in the inner chamber of the sky itself.
3.28.3–5
In that very mountain village, in that very house in the sky, the Brahmin named Vasistha enjoys royal splendor.
He himself experienced that empty corner of the pavilion in the sky as the entire earth bounded by the four oceans.
In that sky-nature, the earthly seat, and in it that royal city; he and Arundhati experience the royal palace.
3.28.6–8
She who is named Lila was born there, and by her, Consciousness (jnana) was worshipped. With that Consciousness, crossing the wonderful and charming sky...
In a small space of the sky, right there inside the house, she reached another Universe within the mountain village temple.
Emerging from that Universe, she returned to her own home. Just as a man in bed goes from one dream to another dream.
3.28.9–11
All this is mere appearance, nothing but empty Space. There is no Universe, no worldly life, no wall, no distance.
One's own mind alone shines forth with such charming forms for them both. It is merely a trace of latent impressions (vasanas). Where is the Universe? Where is worldly existence?
This is indeed the uncovered, Infinite Space of Consciousness. Something is projected by one's own mind, like wind stirred by motion.
3.28.12
The Space of Consciousness is Unborn, Peaceful, All-pervading and Evere-present. Due to its nature as Consciousness, it appears as the world, shining by itself in itself.
3.28.13–15
For one who knows it, this is even emptier than empty Space. For one who does not know it, this is like a diamond-hard mountain.
Just as in a dream within the house a shining city appears, so this unreal thing shines brightly within the Essence of Consciousness.
As water is seen in a desert mirage, or bracelet-form in gold, this unreal appears as Real in the Self, so the seen world appears in the Self.
3.28.16
Thus speaking, days Vashishta, the two charming ladies, with graceful forms, left the house and went outside, walking beautifully in graceful steps.
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses form part of the Lila story in the Utpatti Prakarana, emphasizing the illusory nature of the Universe and the Reality of Pure Consciousness. Rama questions how Lila could exit the vast, impenetrable-seeming universe, highlighting the common perception of the world as solid and distant. Vasistha explains that the Universe has no real substance or boundaries—it exists only as an appearance within Consciousness. The "diamond wall" and immense size are mental projections, not objective realities. This sets the foundation for understanding that Creation is mind-made, without inherent existence apart from Awareness.
The narrative illustrates how the same Consciousness (jnana) manifests multiple layers of experience, like Vasistha and Arundhati enjoying royal life in a tiny sky-pavilion that appears as the entire earth. Lila, born from this, worships Consciousness and travels through nested "Universes" within a small space, showing that all worlds are contained within the mind's projections. This journey resembles entering one dream from another while asleep, proving that transitions between States of existence are illusory shifts in perception, not movements in real Space.
The core teaching is non-duality: everything perceived is mere appearance (pratibha) in empty Space (akasha), with no True Universe, samsara, walls, or distances. The mind alone projects charming forms through vasanas (latent tendencies or impressions), creating the illusion of multiplicity. When vasanas are seen as such, the question of "where is the world?" dissolves, revealing that bondage and liberation depend on mental conviction.
Consciousness (cidakasha) is described as Unborn, Eternal, Peaceful, and All-pervading. It appears as the world due to its own nature, self-shining within itself. For the ignorant, the world feels solid and immovable like a diamond mountain; for the Knower, it is emptier than emptiness. This relativity of perception underscores that Reality depends on Realization —ignorance hardens illusion, while Knowledge reveals its non-existence.
The verses use analogies like dream-cities, mirage-water, and gold-bracelets to show how the unreal appears Real in the substratum (the Self or Consciousness). The world shines brightly yet is ultimately asat (unreal) within the essence of Pure Awareness. The ladies' graceful exit symbolizes liberated beings moving freely in the world without attachment, embodying the teaching that true freedom comes from recognizing the dream-like nature of existence and resting in the Unchanging Self.
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