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Yoga Vashishtha 3.89.1~30
(These verses teach that the mind alone is the true Creator and ruler of experience)
भानुरुवाच।
मनो हि जगतां कर्तृ मनो हि पुरुषः परः।
मनःकृतं कृतं लोके न शरीरकृतं कृतम् ॥ १॥
सामान्यब्राह्मणा भूत्वा मनोभावनया किल।
ऐन्दवा ब्रह्मतां याता मनसः पश्य शक्तताम् ॥ २॥
मनसा भाव्यमानो हि देहतां याति देहकः।
देहभावनयाऽयुक्तो देहधर्मैर्न बाध्यते ॥ ३॥
बाह्यदृष्टिर्हि नियतं सुखदुःखादि विन्दति।
नान्तर्मुखतया योगी देहे वेत्ति प्रियाप्रिये ॥ ४॥
मनःकारणकं तस्माज्जगद्विविधविभ्रमम्।
इन्द्रस्याहल्यया सार्धं वृत्तान्तोऽत्र निदर्शनम् ॥ ५॥
(३.८९.६–२४)
अथातिसुघनस्नेहनिरावरण चेष्टयोः।
तयोरनयवृत्तान्तो राज्ञाकर्णि कटुव्यथः ॥ २५॥
एवमन्योन्यमासक्तं भावमालक्ष्य भूपतिः।
चकार बहुभिर्दण्डैः स द्वयोरथ शासनम् ॥ २६॥
तावुभावपि संत्यक्तौ हेमन्ते सलिलाशये।
तुष्टौ जहसतुस्तत्र न खेदं समुपागतौ ॥ २७॥
अपृच्छत ततो राजा खिन्नौ स्थो न तु दुर्मती।
तावूचतुर्महीपाल जलाशयसमुद्धृतौ ॥ २८॥
संस्मृत्यावामिहान्योन्यमुखकान्तिमनिन्दिताम्।
आत्मानं न विजानीवो रूढभावं परस्परम् ॥ २९॥
शासनेषु च यत्सङ्गो निःशङ्कस्तेन हर्षितौ।
मुह्यावो न महीपाल स्वाङ्गैरपि विकर्तितैः ॥ ३०॥
Suryadev said:
3.89.1–5
> The mind is indeed the Creator of the Worlds. The mind is indeed the supreme person. Whatever is done by the mind is truly accomplished in the World; what is done merely by the body is not truly done.
> Ordinary brahmins, the descendants of Indu, attained the State of Brahm through the power of mental contemplation. Behold the power of the mind!
> When contemplated upon by the mind, a body becomes a body. But one who is free from the idea of the body is not bound by the qualities of the body.
> One with an outward gaze always experiences pleasure, pain and the like. But the yogi, turned inward, does not feel pleasant or unpleasant sensations in the body.
> Therefore this World with its many illusions is caused by the mind. The story of Indra and Ahalya serves as an illustration of this.
3.89.6–24
These verses tell the story of King Indradyumna of Magadha and his beautiful wife Ahalya. In the same city lived a cunning young brahmin also named Indra. After hearing the old tale of the god Indra and the sage’s wife Ahalya, the queen became passionately attracted to this young man. She pined for him, lost her sense of shame, and with the help of a friend arranged secret meetings. Their intense mutual attachment became obvious to the king through signs on her face and their behaviour.
3.89.25–30
> Then, hearing the deeply painful account of the intense and open affection between the two, the King was greatly distressed.
> Seeing their mutual attachment of feeling, the King then imposed many punishments on both of them.
> Both of them were left in a water reservoir in the cold of winter. There they remained content and laughed, without any sorrow coming upon them.
> Then the King asked them, “Are you not distressed, or are you of wicked mind?” They replied to the King, “We have been taken out of the water reservoir.”
> “Remembering each other’s faultless facial beauty, we do not even know ourselves, so firmly fixed is our mutual feeling.”
> “Because of our attachment even under punishments we are fearless and therefore joyful. O King, we do not faint even if our own limbs are cut off.”
Summary of the Teachings:
The physical body and its actions have no independent power; only what the mind conceives and holds becomes real for the individual. Ordinary people remain bound because they identify with the body and look outward, while the yogi who turns inward remains free from bodily pleasure and pain.
The power of concentrated thought is shown by the example of the sons of Indu, who rose from ordinary brahmin to the state of Brahm simply through Meditation. This illustrates that meditation and firm conviction can completely transform one’s State of Being.
The long story of Indra and Ahalya demonstrates the same principle through intense attachment. Their minds became so fixed on each other that external circumstances—royal luxury, social norms, or physical discomfort—lost all power over them. The mind’s fixation created its own Reality stronger than the outer world.
Even severe punishments inflicted by the King could not disturb them. They remained joyful and free from sorrow because their attention stayed locked on each other. This shows that pain and pleasure are not inherent in the body or outer events but arise from the mind.
Altogether the teaching is that liberation or bondage depends entirely on the mind. By controlling and purifying the mind, or by fixing it on the Highest Reality, one becomes free from the illusions and sufferings of the World. The body is secondary; the mind is primary and Supreme.
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