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Yoga Vashishtha 3.43.21–34
(These verses vividly paint the horror of a great city's destruction by fire in war. These describe a massive, terrifying fire that destroys an entire city during a war, as seen or heard by King Viduratha)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
कृशानुकणनाराचनिरन्तरतराम्बरम्।
बहुहेतिशिलाजाललुठद्दग्धपुरोत्करम् ॥ २१ ॥
रणद्द्विरदसंघट्टकुट्टितोद्भटसद्भटम् ।
विद्रवत्तस्करच्छेदमार्गकीर्णमहाधनम् ॥ २२ ॥
अङ्गारराशिनिपतन्नरनार्युग्ररोदनम् ।
स्फुटच्चटचटाशब्दप्रलुठत्स्फुटकाष्ठकम् ॥ २३ ॥
विपुलालातचक्रौघशतसूर्यनभस्तलम् ।
अङ्गारशिखिराकीर्णसमस्तवसुधातलम् ॥ २४ ॥
दग्धाग्निकाष्ठक्रेकाररणज्जवलनवैणवम् ।
दग्धजन्तुघनाक्रन्दरुदत्सकलसैनिकम् ॥ २५ ॥
पांसुशेषात्तराजश्रीवृद्धतृप्तहुताशनम् ।
सकलग्रसनारम्भसोद्योगाग्निमहाशनम् ॥ २६ ॥
यदृच्छात्कारडात्कारकठिनाग्निरटद्गृहम्।
अनन्तजन्तुभोज्यान्नवह्निभुक्तेन्धनस्पृहम् ॥ २७ ॥
अथ शुश्राव तत्रासौ गिरो राजा विदूरथः ।
योधानां दग्धदाराणां पश्यतामभिधावताम् ॥ २८ ॥
हा मत्तमरुदूर्ध्वस्थानङ्गार गृहपादपान् ।
रणत्खरखरं नीरजालामातपपन्थिनः ॥ २९ ॥
हा दग्धदाराः प्रालेयशीता देहेषु दन्तिनाम् ।
मग्ना मनस्तु महतामिव विज्ञानसूक्तयः ॥ २० ॥
हा तात हेतयो लग्नास्तरुणीकबरीतृणे।
ज्वलन्ति शुष्कपर्णौघा इव वीरानिलेरिताः ॥ ३१ ॥
आवर्तननदीदीर्घा वहत्यूर्ध्वतरङ्गिणी।
पश्येयं धूमयमुना व्योमगङ्गां प्रधावति ॥ ३२ ॥
वहदुल्मुककाष्ठोर्ध्वगामिनी धूमनिम्नगा ।
वैमानिकानन्धयति पश्याग्निकणबुद्बुदा ॥ ३३ ॥
अस्या माता पिता भ्राता जामाता स्तनपाः सुते ।
अस्मिन्सद्मनि निर्दग्धा दग्धैवासत्समिन्धने ॥ ३४ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta continued to paraphrase Viduratha:
3.43.21–27
> The sky is densely filled with flying arrows like sparks from a fire, and huge clusters of burnt palaces roll down with stones and weapons.
> It has crowds of elephants clashing and crushing strong warriors, paths scattered with riches from fleeing thieves being cut down.
> Heaps of embers fall on crying men and women in agony, with loud cracking sounds of splitting wood tumbling around.
> The sky looks like hundreds of suns from swirling huge firebrands, and the whole earth is covered with rising flames and sparks.
> Burning firewood crackles loudly like flutes in fire, and all soldiers cry out with the screams of burnt creatures.
> The fire grows satisfied by consuming the remaining royal glory in dust, eagerly devouring everything in its path with great effort.
> By chance or fate, the hard fire roars through houses, hungry for fuel and ready to eat endless beings as its food.
3.43.28–34
> Then King Viduratha heard those words there, from the burning soldiers who were running and watching in horror.
> "Alas! These embers high in the sky like mad winds burn the treetops of houses, roaring harshly like dry reeds in the sun's path."
> "Alas! The burnt wood feels cool like frost on the bodies of elephants, but great minds are sunk in it like wise sayings in profound thoughts." (The soldiers lament the irony of destruction.)
> "Alas, father! The missiles are stuck in young women's hair like grass, burning fiercely like dry leaves fanned by heroic winds."
> "A long river of whirlpools flows upward with waves, look, I see the smoky Yamuna rushing as the heavenly Ganga in the sky."
> "Smoke flows downward while firebrands rise up, blinding the heavenly charioteers; see the fire sparks bubbling like foam."
> "In this house, her mother, father, brother, son-in-law, and nursing children are all burnt to ashes in this fuel of evil."
Detailed summary of teachings:
The intense imagery shows flames spreading everywhere,
consuming buildings, people, animals, and riches without mercy. Arrows, embers, smoke, and cries fill the air and sky, turning the scene into a hellish spectacle.
The King hears the soldiers' pitiful cries and laments as they describe the devastation.
Family members, warriors, and innocents perish together, highlighting how war's fire spares no one—neither high nor low, neither human nor animal.
This part comes from the story of Queen Leela and Goddess Saraswati observing King Viduratha's (a past life form) kingdom being destroyed by enemy King Sindhu. The fire symbolizes the destructive power of desire, attachment, and worldly conflict.
The main teaching is the impermanence and illusory nature of the world (samsara).
All grand cities, armies, families, and glories burn away to nothing, showing that nothing material lasts. True Reality lies beyond such transient appearances.
These verses urge detachment (vairagya). By seeing the horror of destruction, one Realizes the futility of chasing wealth, power, or sensory pleasures. The cries of the dying remind us to seek the Eternal Self instead of temporary things. The fire represents the burning away of ignorance and ego in the fire of Knowledge. Just as the city vanishes in flames, the false world dissolves when true wisdom arises, leading to liberation (moksha) from birth and death cycles.
The verses teach compassion for suffering but also Wisdom to rise above it. Clinging to bodies, relations, or possessions causes pain; understanding their dream-like nature brings Peace.
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