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Yoga Vashishtha 3.96.45–54
(The many definitions of the mind)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।
या एताः कथिताः संज्ञा मया राघव चेतसः।
एता एवान्यथा प्रोक्ता वादिभिः कल्पनाशतैः ॥ ४५॥
स्वभावाभिमतां बुद्धिमारोप्य मनसा कृताः।
मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियादीनां विचित्रा नामरीतयः ॥ ४६॥
मनो हि जडमन्यस्य भिन्नमन्यस्य जीवतः।
तथाहंकृतिरन्यस्य बुद्धिरन्यस्य वादिनः ॥ ४७॥
अहंकारमनोबुद्धिदृष्टयः सृष्टिकल्पनाः।
एकरूपतया प्रोक्ता या मया रघुनन्दन ॥ ४८॥
नैयायिकैरितरथा तादृशैः परिकल्पिताः।
अन्यथा कल्पिताः सांख्यैश्चार्वाकैरपि चान्यथा ॥ ४९॥
जैमिनीयैश्चार्हतैश्च बौद्धैर्वैशेषिकैस्तथा।
अन्यैरपि विचित्रैस्तैः पाञ्चरात्रादिभिस्तथा ॥ ५०॥
सर्वैरेव च गन्तव्यं तैः पदं पारमार्थिकम्।
विचित्रं देशकालोत्थैः पुरमेकमिवाध्वगैः ॥ ५१॥
अज्ञानात्परमार्थस्य विपरीतावबोधतः।
केवलं विवदन्त्येते विकल्पैरारुरुक्षवः ॥ ५२॥
स्वमार्गमभिशंसन्ति वादिनश्चित्रया दृशा।
विचित्रदेशकालोत्था मार्गं स्वं पथिका इव ॥ ५३॥
तैर्मिथ्या राघव प्रोक्ताः कर्ममानसचेतसाम्।
स्वविकल्पार्पितैरर्थैः स्वाः स्वा वैचित्र्ययुक्तयः ॥ ५४॥
Sage Vashishta continued:
3.96.45–54
> O Raghava, these designations of the mind that I have described are spoken of differently by various debaters through hundreds of imaginations.
> Having superimposed their preferred ideas of its nature, the mind itself creates these. There arise many different ways of naming the mind, intellect, senses and so on.
> For some the mind is inert; for others it is different and living. In the same way the ego is seen differently by some, and the intellect differently by other debaters.
> The views concerning ego, mind and intellect are imaginations about Creation. I have described them as being of one Nature, O delight of the Raghu line.
> The Naiyayikas imagine them in another way, and so do others of similar views; the Sankhyas conceive them differently, and the Charvakas also in yet another manner.
> So too the followers of Jaimini, the Arhats, the Buddhists, the Vaisheshikas, and various others such as the Pancharatras.
> Yet all of them must ultimately reach the same Supreme Reality, just as travellers from different places and times all head toward one city.
> Because of ignorance of the Highest Truth and through inverted understanding, they merely keep arguing with their differing views while wishing to rise higher.
> The debaters praise their own path according to their varied outlooks, just as travellers coming from different regions and times each speak of their own road.
> O Raghava, through their false statements about action, mind and Consciousness, each group sets forth its own strange reasonings by projecting meanings born of its own imaginations.
Summary of the teachings:
These verses teach that the many names and definitions given to mind, intellect, ego and the senses are not absolute. Different schools simply invent various labels according to their own preferences and mental constructions. What appears as separate categories is in truth one continuous Reality of Consciousness that has been divided by thought.
The text points out that philosophical systems such as Nyaya, Sankhya, Charvaka, Mimamsa, Jain, Buddhist, Vaisheshika and Pancharatra each describe these faculties differently. Their disagreements arise only from limited viewpoints and the tendency to superimpose personal ideas onto the same underlying experience.
Despite the variety of doctrines, every genuine seeker is moving toward the same ultimate goal—the direct Realization of the Supreme Truth. The different paths are compared to travellers who set out from many places and times yet all journey toward a single city. The destination remains one even when the routes look dissimilar.
Arguments and mutual contradictions among the schools stem from ignorance of that Supreme Reality and from inverted or partial understanding. People cling to their own formulations and praise their chosen method, much as travellers from different regions insist that their road is the correct one.
The verses therefore counsel the aspirant not to be confused by the multiplicity of theories. All such descriptions are mental constructions. What matters is to go beyond the names and concepts and to Realize the single, Undivided Truth that underlies every system.
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