Chapter 3.67, Verses 74–82

Yoga Vashishtha 3.67.74–82

(These verses explain that the entire World we see is a creation of the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मनसा ब्रह्मणा यद्यद्यथा दृष्टं विभावितम्।

तत्तथा दृश्यते तज्ज्ञैः स्वभावस्यैव निश्चयः ॥ ७४॥

यथा यदुदितं वस्तु तत्तत्तन्न विना भवेत्।

निमेषमपि कल्पं वा स्वभावस्यैष निश्चयः ॥ ७५॥

अलीकमिदमुत्पन्नमलीकं च विवर्धते।

अलीकमेव स्वदते तथालीकं विलीयते ॥ ७६॥

शुद्धं सर्वगतं ब्रह्मानन्तमद्वितीयं दुःखबोधवशाद शुद्धमिवासदिवानेकमिवासर्वगमिवावबुध्यते ॥ ७७॥

जलमन्यत्तरङ्गोऽन्य इति बालकुकल्पनया भेदः कल्प्यत एवमवास्तवस्तस्माद्यो योऽयमाभाति भेदः।

स केवलमतत्त्वविद्भिः परिकल्पितो रज्ज्वां सर्प इव एवं भेदाभेदशक्त्योररिमित्रयोरेव ब्रह्मण्येव संभवेत् ॥ ७८॥

तेनात्मनाऽद्वितीयेनैव द्वित्वमिवाततं यथासलिलेन तरंगकल्पनया सुवर्णेन कटककल्पनयैवमिति अतस्तेन स्वयमेवात्मनात्मान्य इव चेत्यते ॥ ७९॥

अतः कलना जाता सैव स्फारतां प्राप्य मनः संपन्नं तेनाहंभावः कल्पितो निर्विकल्पप्रत्यक्षरूपमेतत्प्रथमं तन्मनस्तदहं भवति क्षिप्रमहंशब्दार्थभावनात् ॥ ८०॥

ततो मनोहंकाराभ्यां स्मृतिरनुसंहिता तैस्त्रिभिस्तदनुभूततन्मात्राणि कल्पितानि तन्मात्रेषु जीवेन चित्तात्मना स्वयं काकतालीयवद्ब्रह्मोपादानादि यान्संनिवेशः कल्पितो दृश्यते ॥ ८१॥

एवं यदेव मनः कल्पयति तदेव पश्यति।

सद्वा भवत्वसद्वा चित्तं यत्कल्पयत्यभिनेविष्टम् ।

तत्तत्पश्यति यास्यति सदिव प्रतिभासमुपगतं सद्यः ॥ ८२॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.67.74–77

> Whatever the mind sees and imagines as Brahm, in exactly that form it appears to those who know the Truth. This is the definite nature of Reality.

> Whatever object appears, it exists exactly in that form and cannot be without it. Whether in a moment or in a long age, this is the certain nature of things.

> This unreal thing has arisen, it grows as unreal, it is enjoyed as unreal, and it dissolves back as unreal.

> Pure, all-pervading, Infinite, non-dual Brahm appears as impure, non-existent, many, and limited due to the wrong understanding caused by the sense of suffering.

3.67.78–82

> Just as a child imagines water and waves as different, in the same way unreal differences are created. These apparent differences are imagined only by those who do not know the Truth, like seeing a snake in a rope. Such differences and non-differences can only exist within Brahm itself, like enemies and friends.

> Through this non-dual Self, duality appears spread out, like waves imagined in water or bracelets imagined in gold. Therefore, the Self itself thinks of itself as another.

> From this imagination, the mind is born. When it expands, it becomes the mind. Then the sense of "I" is imagined. This is the first thought without any other thoughts. That mind quickly becomes the "I" through the feeling of the word "I".

> Then from mind and ego, memory is formed together. With these three, the subtle elements are imagined. In those subtle elements, the individual soul with mind-nature creates its own placement through Brahm as the material cause, like the coincidence of a crow and a palm fruit. This is how the visible world appears.

> Thus, whatever the mind imagines, that alone it sees. Whether Real or unreal, whatever the mind strongly thinks and believes, that very thing it sees and experiences as if it is Real right away.

Summary of the Teachings:

The Pure Brahm, which is One and Infinite, appears in different forms only because of our thoughts and imagination. Whatever the mind strongly believes and pictures, that becomes our Reality. This shows the power of thought in shaping our experience of the world.

The teaching says that all differences and changes we see are unreal, like dreams or illusions. Things appear, grow, and disappear, but they are all made of the same non-dual Brahm. Just as we mistake a rope for a snake in the dark, we create divisions and opposites in the One Reality due to ignorance.

The mind is born from imagination. First comes the feeling of "I", which creates the ego. From this ego and mind, memories and subtle elements arise. The individual soul then uses these to build the visible World, like a story unfolding from a single thought. Everything we experience is this mental creation.

Even though Brahm is perfect and without any second, it seems divided and limited because of the mind's wrong understanding. The verses remind us that all pairs like friend and enemy, or one and many, exist only in our imagination within the same Brahm.

The final message is that the mind sees only what it imagines with strong belief. To find peace, one must Realize the mind's power and go beyond these imaginations to the Pure, Unchanging Truth of Brahm. This Knowledge frees one from suffering caused by false appearances.