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Yoga Vashishtha 3.46.16–31
(These verses vividly describe an intense cosmic battle as a metaphor for the inner turmoil of the mind and the illusory nature of the world)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
गर्भवासमिवापन्नं तेनासीत्तन्महापुरम्।
मूढत्वं यौवनेनेव घनतामाययौ तमः ॥ १६ ॥
प्रययुः क्वापि दीपौघा दिवसेनेव तारकाः ।
आययुर्बलमालोला नैशभूतपरम्पराः ॥ १७ ॥
ददृशुस्तन्महायुद्धं द्वे लीले सा कुमारिका ।
प्रस्फुटद्धृदयेनेव देवीदत्तमहादृशौ ॥ १८॥
प्रशेमुरथ हेतीषु प्रोद्यत्कटकटारवाः ।
एकार्णवपयःपूरैर्वालवा इव वह्नयः ॥ १९ ॥
शनैः सेनां समाकर्षन्नाज्ञायत बलान्तरम् ।
विवेशपक्षप्रोड्डीनो मेरुरेकमिवार्णवम् ॥ २० ॥
अथोदभूद्गुणध्वानं चटच्चटदिति स्फुटम्।
रचितांशुमयाम्भोदाश्चेरुः परपरम्पराः ॥ २१ ॥
ययुरम्बरमाश्रित्य नानाहेतिविहंगमाः ।
प्रसस्रुरलमात्तासुमलिनाः शस्त्रदीप्तयः ॥ २२ ॥
जज्वलुः शस्त्रसंघट्टज्वलना उल्मुकाग्निवत् ।
जगर्जुः शरधारौघान्वर्षन्तो वीरवारिदाः ॥ २३ ॥
विविशुः क्रकचक्रूरा वीराङ्गेषु च हेतयः ।
पेतुः पटपटारावं हेतिनिष्पिष्टयोऽम्बरे ॥ २४ ॥
जग्मुः शमं तमांस्याशु शस्त्रकानलदीपकैः ।
बभूवुरखिला सेना नवनाराचरोमशाः ॥ २५ ॥
उत्तस्थुर्यमयात्रायां कबन्धनटपङ्क्तयः।
जगुरुच्चै रणोद्रेकं पिशाच्यो रणदारिकाः ॥ २६ ॥
उदगुर्दन्तसंघट्टटंकारा दन्तिनां बलात् ।
ऊहुः क्षपणपाषाणमहानद्यो नभस्तले ॥ २७ ॥
पेतुः शवा निवातास्तसंशुष्कवनपर्णवत्।
निर्ययुर्लोहिता नद्यो रणाद्रेर्मृतिवर्षिणः ॥ २८ ॥
प्रशेमुः पांसवो रक्तैस्तमांस्यायुधवह्निभिः ।
युद्धैकध्यानतः शब्दा भयानि मृतिनिश्चयैः ॥ २९ ॥
अभवत्केवलं युद्धमपशब्दमसंभ्रमम्।
अनाकुलाम्बुवाहाभं खड्गवीचिसटांकृतम् ॥ ३० ॥
खदखदरवसंवहच्छरोघं टकटकितारवसंपतद्भुशुण्डि ।
झणझणरवसंमिलन्महास्त्रं तिमितिमिवद्रणमास दुस्तरं तत् ॥ ३१॥
Maharishi Vashishta continued:
3.46.16–23
> That great city became enveloped in darkness, like a child in the womb; ignorance thickened like the darkness of youth.
> The clusters of lamps went away somewhere, like stars in daylight. Rows of night spirits came in crowds, eager for strength.
> The two Lilas, that young girl, watched that great battle with eyes wide open in wonder, as if their hearts were bursting.
> Then the weapons became calm, with clashing sounds rising high; like fires extinguished by floods of ocean water.
> Slowly drawing the army, the other force could not be seen. It entered like Meru mountain flying on one wing into the ocean.
> Then arose a loud sound of qualities, clearly cracking and snapping. Rows of clouds made of rays moved in succession.
> Various weapon-birds took shelter in the sky. The lights of weapons spread, stained with blood and full of force.
> The fires from weapon clashes blazed like funeral pyres. Hero-clouds roared, raining streams of arrows.
3.46.24–31
> Cruel saw-like weapons entered the bodies of warriors. Weapons crushed in the sky fell with loud pat-pat sounds.
> Darkness quickly calmed by the lamps of weapon-fires. All the armies became hairy with fresh arrows.
> Rows of headless dancers rose in Yama's procession. Fierce demon women sang loudly the frenzy of battle.
> Loud clashing sounds of tusks rose from the elephant forces. Great rivers of enemy-destroying stones flowed in the sky.
> Corpses fell like dry leaves in windless forests. Red rivers flowed from the battle-mountain, showering death.
> Dust settled with blood; darkness by weapon-fires. Sounds from battle-focus; fears from death-certainty.
> Only the battle remained, without bad sounds or confusion, like calm waters with sword-waves splashing.
> With loud khad-khad sounds carrying arrow-floods, tak-tak sounds of falling weapons, jhan-jhan clashing of great missiles, that battle became unbearable and motionless like timiti.
Summary of the teachings:
The great city plunged in darkness represents the state of ignorance (avidya) enveloping the soul, similar to how a fetus is confined or youth brings denser delusion.
The disappearance of lights and arrival of night spirits symbolize how clarity vanishes when tamas (inertia/darkness) dominates, and lower impulses rush in unchecked. The two Lilas watching in awe highlight the witnessing consciousness that observes the drama of existence without being affected, pointing to the detached Self beyond the play of phenomena.
The battle's chaos—with clashing weapons, blazing fires, roaring heroes, and falling corpses—illustrates the relentless conflict within samsara, driven by desires, ego, and karma. Elements like arrow-rains, elephant clashes, and blood-rivers depict how sensory battles and mental agitations create endless suffering and destruction. Yet, the weapons calming or darkness being dispelled by fires suggests that higher awareness (like knowledge or sattva) can subdue these forces, though temporarily in the worldly realm. The headless dancers and singing demons evoke the grotesque, death-bound aspects of ego-driven life, reminding that unchecked passions lead to ruin.
The focus shifts to the battle becoming "only war" without confusion or noise, resembling calm waters with sword-waves. This paradox teaches that even in apparent turmoil, the realized sage sees the world as a non-disturbing play of Consciousness. The absence of bewilderment indicates equanimity (samatva), where one perceives multiplicity as unreal vibrations of the One Brahm.
The unbearable, motionless intensity of the final description (like the mythical timiti fish in stillness) underscores the overwhelming power of maya when fully engaged, yet its ultimate insubstantiality for the enlightened. The core teaching is the illusory (mithya) nature of all phenomena, including grand wars and Cosmic events. Vasishta uses this dramatic scene to show that what appears as real conflict is merely a projection of the mind, like a dream battle. True liberation comes from recognizing this as non-real, detaching from identification with the warring parties (body, ego, senses), and abiding in Pure Awareness.
Ultimately, these verses urge discernment (viveka) and dispassion (vairagya). By witnessing the world's turmoil without attachment—like the Lilas observing—one transcends birth, death, and suffering. The battle's ferocity serves as a mirror to inner chaos, encouraging inquiry into the Self to end the cycle of illusion and attain Unchanging Peace beyond all dualities.
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