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Yoga Vashishtha 3.31.1–10
(Birth and death are mere transitions in Consciousness; the True Self remains untouched, while the individual ego creates endless worlds even after apparent death)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
एवमाकलयन्त्यौ ये निर्गत्य जगतो निजात् ।
अन्तःपुरं ददृशतुर्झटित्येव विनिर्गते ॥ १॥
स्थितपुष्पभरापूर्णमहाराजमहाशवम् ।
शवपार्श्वोपविष्टान्तश्चित्तलीलाशरीरकम् ॥ २ ॥
घनरात्रितयाल्पाल्पमहानिद्राजनाकुलम् ।
धूपचन्दनकर्पूरकुङ्कुमामोदमन्थरम् ॥ ३ ॥
तमालोक्यापरं भर्तुः संसारं गन्तुमादृता।
पपात लीला संकल्पदेहेनात्रैव तन्नभः ॥ ४ ॥
विवेश भर्तुः संकल्पसंसारं किंचिदाततम् ।
संसारावरणं भित्त्वा भित्त्वा ब्रह्माण्डकर्परम् ॥ ५ ॥
प्राप सार्धं तया देव्या पुनरावरणान्वितम् ।
ब्रह्माण्डमण्डपं स्फारं तं प्रविश्य तथा जवात् ॥ ६ ॥
ददर्श भर्तुः संकल्पजगज्जम्बालपल्वलम् ।
सिंहीव शैलकुहरं तमो जलदपङ्किलम् ॥ ७ ॥
देव्यो विविशतुस्तत्ते व्योम व्योमात्मिके जगत् ।
ब्रह्माण्डेऽन्तर्यथा पक्वं मृदुबिल्वं पिपीलिके ॥ ८ ॥
तत्र लोकान्तराण्यद्रीनन्तरिक्षमतीत्य ते।
प्रापतुर्भूतलं शैलमण्डलाम्भोधिसंकुलम् ॥ ९ ॥
मेरुणालंकृतं जम्बुद्वीपं नवदलोदरम्।
गत्वाथ भारते वर्षे लीलानाथस्य मण्डलम् ॥ १० ॥
Maharishi Vashishta said:
3.31.1–5
> Thus reflecting, the two (Lila and the Goddess) left their own world and quickly came out to see the inner palace.
> There they saw a great king's corpse, fully covered with flowers, and beside the corpse sat a subtle body of pure mind-play (chitta-lila sharirakam).
> It was filled with a short, deep sleep-like state for three nights, and the air was slow with the fragrance of incense, sandalwood, camphor, and saffron.
> Seeing this other world of her husband, Lila, eager to enter that worldly existence, fell there instantly with her willed body in that very sky.
> She entered her husband's creation-born world, which was slightly expanded, piercing through the coverings of that world and breaking through the shell of the Universe.
3.31.6–10
> Along with that Goddess, she reached again a world covered with layers, and swiftly entered that vast dome-like Universe.
> There she saw her husband's mind-created world as a muddy pond full of mire, like a lioness entering a dark mountain cave filled with muddy water.
> The two Goddesses entered that sky-like world within the Universe, just as ants enter a ripe, soft bilva fruit from inside.
> Passing through other worlds, mountains, and skies, they reached the earthly realm filled with mountains, circles of land, and oceans.
> Adorned by Mount Meru, they went to Jambudvipa with its nine petals (continents), and then to the region of Bharata-varsha, the land of Lila's lord.
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses continue the famous Lila story in the Yoga Vasishta, illustrating the mind's immense creative power and the illusory nature of worlds. Lila, through intense desire and will (sankalpa), creates and enters alternate realities or parallel worlds that appear as Real as her original one. The key teaching is that all perceived existence arises from the mind's imagination or resolve; what seems solid and external is actually a projection of Consciousness, without any true material substance. This shows how individuals unknowingly construct their own samsara (cycle of worldly life) through thoughts and attachments.
The journey of Lila and Saraswati (the Goddess) through multiple layers of Universes highlights the concept of Infinite Nested Realities within Brahm. Each "covering" or shell they pierce represents the veils of ignorance (avidya) that hide the non-dual truth. The mind can expand or contract Realities instantly, as seen when they move from one Creation to another with great speed. This teaches that Space, Time, and multiplicity are not Absolute but relative to the perceiving Consciousness, reinforcing Advaita Vedanta's view that the world is mithya (apparent illusion).
The description of the husband's corpse and the subtle mind-body beside it symbolizes the death of the gross body while the subtle impressions (vasanas) and mental world continue. The fragrance-filled, sleep-like state around the corpse points to the dream-like quality of life and death. The teaching here is that birth and death are mere transitions in Consciousness; the True Self remains untouched, while the individual ego creates endless worlds even after apparent death.
The metaphor of entering a muddy pond or a soft bilva fruit like ants emphasizes the smallness of the individual self (jiva) within the vastness of Cosmic Creation, yet the power to traverse it through will. It teaches humility and the need to recognize one's limited perspective while understanding the Infinite potential of Pure Consciousness. Worlds appear dense and material, but they are fragile and dream-like when seen with wisdom.
Overall, these verses urge the seeker to Realize that the entire Universe is a sankalpa (willful creation) of the mind, arising from Brahm. By understanding this, one can transcend personal worlds of suffering and attain Realization. The story inspires detachment from illusory appearances and directs attention inward to the unchanging Witness-Consciousness, leading to freedom from rebirth and the Realization of non-duality.
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