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Yoga Vashishtha 3.82.10~31
(These verses show the interaction between the King and the demoness Karkati, highlighting the power of focused thought and meditation)
राजोवाच।
यद्येवं फुल्लपद्माक्षि परदेहैकभोजने।
किं स्याच्छरीरवृत्त्यै ते स्थिताया मत्समीहिते ॥ १६॥
राक्षस्युवाच।
षड्भिर्मासैर्गिरौ राजन्प्रबुद्धायाः समाधितः।
जाता भोजनसंकल्पाद्भोजनेच्छेयमद्य मे ॥ १७॥
इदानीं शिखरं गत्वा तदेव ध्याननिश्चला।
यावदिच्छं सुखेनासे सजीवा शालभञ्जिका ॥ १८॥
आमृतीं धारणां बद्ध्वा धारयामि शरीरकम्।
यथेच्छमथ कालेन त्यक्ष्यामीति मतिर्मम ॥ १९॥
आशरीरपरित्यागमिदानीं न मया नृप।
हिंसनीयाः परप्राणास्तेनेदं मद्वचः शृणु ॥ २०॥
हिमवान्नाम शैलोऽस्ति शरच्चन्द्रांशुनिर्मलः।
य उत्तराशाहृदये स्पृष्टपूर्वापरार्णवः ॥ २१॥
तत्राहं निवसाम्यग्रे हेमशृङ्गदरीगृहे।
आयसी मेघलेखेव कर्कटीनाम राक्षसी ॥ २२॥
तपसोपार्जितो ब्रह्मा जनतामारणेच्छया।
विषूचिका प्राणहरा स्यां सूच्यात्मेति भो मया ॥ २३॥
तस्मात्संप्राप्तवरया बहून्वर्षगणान्मया।
भुक्ता विषूचिकात्वेन जनता जीवबाधनैः ॥ २४॥
त्वया न गुणिनो हिंस्या इति मे ब्रह्मणा ततः।
नियमार्थं महामन्त्रस्तदायत्तास्मि संस्थिता ॥ २५॥
सोऽयं प्रगृह्यतां तेन सर्वं हृदयशूलनम्।
शममेष्यति लोकेऽस्मात्का कथा मत्कृते भ्रमे ॥ २६॥
विततैवास्मि हिंसायां यत्पुरा हिंसितं मया।
जनस्य हृदयं तेन नाड्यो वैधुर्यमागताः ॥ २७॥
हिंसित्वा रक्तमांसानि संत्यक्ता ये महाजनाः।
तेभ्यो विधुरनाडीभ्यो ये जातास्तेऽपि तादृशाः ॥ २८॥
राजन्विषूचिकामन्त्रः सोऽयं संपन्न एव ते।
नहि सत्त्ववतामस्ति दुःसाध्यमिह किंचन ॥ २९॥
अतो दुर्नाडिकोशेषु शूलानां परिशान्तये।
मन्त्रो यो ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तो राजञ्शीघ्रं गृहाण तम् ॥ ३०॥
आगच्छ निकटं नद्या गच्छामस्तत्र भूमिप।
स्वाचान्ताभ्यां संयताभ्यां भवद्भ्यां सुमता ददे ॥ ३१॥
The King said:
3.82.16
> “O lotus-eyed one, if you live by eating only in other bodies, then how will your own body be sustained while you stay here according to my wish?”
The demoness said:
3.82.17–22
> “O King, after six months on the mountain, I awoke from deep meditation. Because of the thought of eating, the desire for food has now arisen in me today.”
> “Now I will go to the mountain peak and remain steady in that same meditation. As long as I wish, I will stay comfortably there like a living statue.”
> “Having taken up the immortal concentration, I sustain this body. When I wish and at the right time, I will leave it—this is my firm thought.”
> “O King, until I give up this body, I must not harm other living Beings. Therefore, listen to my words.”
> “There is a mountain called Himavan, pure like the rays of the autumn moon. It lies in the heart of the northern region and touches both the eastern and western oceans.”
> “I live there in a golden-peaked cave house, like an iron line of clouds. My name is the demoness Karkati.”
3.82.23–31
> “Through penance I pleased Brahma. Desiring to kill people, I asked, ‘May I become cholera, the life-taker, with a needle-like soul.’”
> “Having received this boon, for many years I have lived as cholera and troubled the lives of people by eating them.”
> “Brahma told me that I should not kill virtuous people. For this rule, he gave me a great mantra, and I remain bound by it.”
> “Accept this mantra. By it, all the piercing pain in the heart will calm down in this world. Then there is no question of the delusion caused by me.”
> “I am spread everywhere in the act of violence. Because of the people I killed earlier, their hearts and energy channels have become distressed.”
> “Those great people whose blood and flesh I destroyed and left behind—those born from their distressed channels are also of the same kind.”
> “O King, this cholera mantra is now ready and accomplished for you. For people of good character, nothing is difficult to achieve here.”
> “Therefore, to completely calm the pains in the bad energy channels, quickly accept the mantra that Brahma spoke, O King.”
> “Come near the river. Let us go there, O ruler of the Earth. With pure and controlled minds, I will give the good mantra to both of you.”
Summary of the teachings:
In the omitted verses (10–15), the conversation continues between King Suruchi and the demoness Karkati. The King expresses his fear and concern about her nature as a man-eating demoness who causes widespread suffering through disease. He questions how she can be trusted and pleads with her not to harm virtuous people or his subjects. The demoness responds reassuringly. She explains her background, the boon she received from Brahma, and her current State of Awakening from meditation. She acknowledges her past destructive actions but commits to restraint. She promises that from now on, she will not harm anyone without reason and agrees to the king's request to spare the good and noble.
The demoness now explains that she can live in a meditative state without ordinary food for long periods. Her body is sustained through special concentration rather than physical eating. This teaches that the mind has great control over the body and that deep meditation can reduce normal physical needs.
The story reveals how desires and past actions shape our experiences. The demoness once chose a destructive form through penance to satisfy her wish to harm people. This led to her becoming cholera, a disease that causes pain. It shows that strong intentions, even negative ones, can manifest into Reality, and one must live with the results of those choices for a long time.
A key teaching is the importance of ethical limits even for powerful Beings. Brahma gave the demoness a rule not to harm good people and provided a mantra for protection. This illustrates that higher powers always set boundaries on harm, and there are protective tools like sacred words or mantras that can counter negative forces when used properly.
The verses emphasize the connection between violence, disease, and the subtle energy channels in the body. Past acts of harm create lasting effects in the hearts and nadis of people, passing on suffering to future generations. The mantra helps remove these pains, showing that spiritual remedies can heal both physical and energetic disturbances caused by past negativity.
Finally, these teachings encourage taking up positive spiritual practices quickly. The demoness offers the mantra to the King and his companion so they can overcome troubles. It teaches that for sincere and virtuous people, difficult problems can be solved through divine words and disciplined living, leading to Peace and Freedom from delusion and pain.
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