Chapter 3.92, Verses 26–37

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.26–37

(These verses teach that the mind is the true power in a person and that its own strength and clear discrimination protect it from every outer harm)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

ये चापि खण्डिताः केचिच्छापाद्यैराधिसायकैः।

स्वविवेकाक्षमं तेषां मनो मन्ये विपौरुषम् ॥ २६॥

न कदाचन संसारे सावधानमना मनाक्।

स्वप्नेऽपि कश्चिदृश्ये वा दोषजालैः खिलीकृतः ॥ २७॥

मनसैव मनस्तस्मात्पौरुषेण पुमानिह।

स्वकमेव स्वकेनैव योजयेत्पावने पथि ॥ २८॥

प्रतिभातं यदेवास्य यथाभूतं भवत्यलम्।

क्षणादेव मनः पीनं बालवेतालवन्मुने ॥ २९॥

प्रतिभासस्यानुपदं प्राक्तनीं स्थितिमुज्झति।

कुलालकर्मानुपदं घटो मृत्पिण्डतामिव ॥ ३०॥

प्रतिभासार्थतामेति क्षणादेव मनो मुने।

स्पन्दमात्रात्मकं वारि यथा तुङ्गतरङ्गताम् ॥ ३१॥

अनुसंधानमात्रेण सूर्यबिम्बेऽपि यामिनीम्।

मनः पश्यत्यशुद्धाक्षश्चन्द्रबिम्बे द्वितामिव ॥ ३२॥

यत्पश्यति तदेवाशु फलीभूतमिदं मनः।

सह हर्षविषादाभ्यां भुङ्क्ते तस्मात्तदेव तत् ॥ ३३॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतश्चन्द्रेऽप्यग्निशिखाशतम्।

दृष्ट्वा दाहमवाप्नोति दग्धं च परितप्यते ॥ ३४॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतः क्षारेऽपि हि रसायनम्।

दृष्ट्वा पीत्वा परां तृप्तिं याति वल्गति नृत्यति ॥ ३५॥

प्रतिभानुपदं चेतो व्योमन्यपि महावनम्।

दृष्ट्वा लुनाति लूत्वा च पुनरारोपयत्यलम् ॥ ३६॥

इत्थं यदेव परिकल्पयतीन्द्रजालं क्षिप्रं तदेव परिपश्यति तात चेतः।

नासज्जगन्न च सदित्यवगम्य नूनं लूनां दृशं विविधभेदवतीं जहीहि ॥ ३७॥

Brahmadev continued: 

3.92.26–37

> Those who are broken by the arrows of curses, afflictions and the like have minds that lack discrimination and manly strength.  

> No one whose mind remains even a little attentive in this world is ever overcome, even in a dream or while looking at anything, by the nets of faults.  

> Therefore a person should join his own mind, by the manly power of the mind itself, to the pure path.  

> Whatever appears to it becomes fully Real for it. In a moment the mind swells, O Sage, like a child’s imaginary ghost.  

> Following the appearance, it leaves its earlier State, just as a pot, after the potter’s work, leaves the condition of a mere lump of clay.  

> In a moment the mind becomes the meaning of the appearance, O Sage, just as water, which is only movement, becomes high waves.  

> By mere imagination the impure mind sees night even in the disc of the sun, and duality even in the disc of the moon.  

> Whatever it sees, that very thing quickly becomes Real for this mind. With joy and sorrow it experiences that, and therefore that alone is that.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees a hundred flames of fire even in the moon, feels the burning, and then suffers as if burnt.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees the best medicine even in alkali, drinks it, attains supreme satisfaction, leaps and dances.  

> Following the appearance, the mind sees a great forest even in the sky, cuts it down, and then plants it again fully.  

> In this way, whatever magic show the mind imagines, that very thing it quickly sees, O dear one. Knowing for certain that the World is neither unreal nor real, give up the cut-up vision that is full of many differences.  

Summary of the teachings:

 Curses, diseases and other troubles can affect only those whose minds are weak and unable to discriminate. A mind that stays even a little alert is never truly overcome, whether awake or dreaming.  

A person must therefore use the firm resolve of the mind itself to keep the mind on the pure path. The mind has the amazing ability to turn any thought into an immediate reality for itself. A single idea can swell and take complete hold of it, just as a child’s fear of a ghost becomes real to the child.  

Once a new appearance arises, the mind quickly drops its former State and becomes that new thing, the way a pot is no longer a lump of clay after the potter shapes it, or still water becomes tall waves with a slight movement. By mere imagination it can see darkness in the bright sun or two moons where there is only one.  

Whatever the mind looks upon becomes fruitful for it at once, and it experiences the joy or sorrow that belongs to that vision. It can feel burning from fire it imagines in the cool moon, feel deep satisfaction from a healing drink it imagines in bitter alkali, or cut down and replant a forest it imagines in empty sky.  

The final teaching is that the entire world is a magic show produced by the mind’s own imagination. It is neither solidly real nor simply unreal. When this is clearly understood, one should stop looking at the world through the divided, many-coloured vision of ordinary perception and rest free from all such distinctions.