Chapter 3.110, Verses 25–37

Yoga Vashishtha 3.110.25–37

(True mastery over life begins with mastery over the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

जिते मनसि सर्वैव विजिता चेन्द्रियावलिः।

शीर्यते च यथा तन्तौ दग्धे मौक्तिकमालिका ॥ २५॥

सर्वत्र स्थितया स्वच्छरूपया निर्विकारया।

समया सूक्ष्मया नित्यं चिच्छक्त्या साक्षिभूतया ॥ २६॥

सर्वभावानुगतया न चेत्यार्थविभिन्नया।

रामात्मसत्तया मूकमपि देहसमं जडम् ॥ २७॥

मनोऽन्तश्चलति व्यर्थं मननैषणमुह्यया।

बहिर्गिरिसरिद्व्योमसमुद्रपुरलीलया ॥ २८॥

जाग्रच्चाभिमतं वस्तु नयत्यमृतमृष्टताम्।

अनीहितं च विषतां नयत्यमृतमप्यलम् ॥ २९॥

अमृष्टसर्वभावानामलमात्मचमत्कृतिम्।

मनः स्वाभिमताकारं रूपं सृजति वस्तुषु ॥ ३०॥

स्पन्देषु वायुतामेति प्रकाशेषु प्रकाशताम्।

द्रवेषु द्रवतामेति चिच्छक्तिस्फुरितं मनः ॥ ३१॥

पृथ्व्यां कठिनतामेति शून्यतां शून्यदृष्टिषु।

सर्वत्रेच्छास्थितिं याति चिच्छक्तिस्फुरितं मनः ॥ ३२॥

शुक्लं कृष्णीकरोत्येव कृष्णं नयति शुक्लताम्।

विनैव देशकालाभ्यां शक्तिं पश्यास्य चेतसः ॥ ३३॥

मनस्यन्यत्र संसक्ते चर्वितस्यापि जिह्वया।

भोजनस्यापि मृष्टस्य न स्वादोऽस्यानुभूयते ॥ ३४॥

यच्चित्तदृष्टं तद्दृष्टं न दृष्टं तदलोकितम्।

अन्धकारे यथा रूपमिन्द्रियं निर्मितं तथा ॥ ३५॥

इन्द्रियेण मनो देहि मनसेन्द्रियमुन्मनः।

इन्द्रियाणि प्रसूतानि मनसो नेन्द्रियान्मनः ॥ ३६॥

अत्यन्तभिन्नयोरैक्यं येषां चित्तशरीरयोः।

ज्ञातज्ञेया महात्मानो मनस्यास्ते सुपण्डिताः ॥ ३७॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.110.25–30

> When the mind is conquered, the whole group of senses is also conquered, just as a string of pearls falls apart when its thread is burned.

> The mind is a power of Consciousness that is present everywhere. It (Consciousness) is Pure and clear by Nature, Unchanging, even, subtle, Eternal, and acts only as a Witness.

> It follows every State of Being and is not divided by the many objects it knows. Through the Reality of the True Self, O Rama, even though silent, it is like an inert body.

> Confused by its own urge to think and desire, the mind moves about uselessly inside. Outside, it plays as mountains, rivers, sky, ocean, and cities.

> In the waking state, the mind turns a desired object into something as sweet as nectar. It turns an undesired object into poison, even if that object is nectar itself.

> For all things not yet experienced, the mind fully creates its own wonder. It gives objects whatever form and shape it prefers.

3.110.31–37

> In moving things the mind becomes like wind. In shining things it becomes light. In flowing things it becomes the flow. The mind is only a flash of the power of Consciousness.

> In the Earth it becomes hardness. In empty Spaces it becomes emptiness. Everywhere it takes the form of desire. The mind is only a flash of the power of Consciousness.

> See the power of this mind: without any need of place or time, it turns white into black and black into white.

> When the mind is attached elsewhere, even tasty food being chewed by the tongue gives no experience of taste.

> Whatever the mind looks at is seen. Whatever it does not look at is not seen at all. Just as an eye may be formed, yet in darkness it sees no shape.

> Through the senses one seems to gain a body, and through the mind a sense organ, though the mind itself is beyond them. The senses are born from the mind; the mind is not born from the senses.

> Those great souls who understand the unity of the mind and the body—two things that are completely different—are the truly wise ones who know what should be known and rest in the mind as true scholars.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that true mastery over life begins with mastery over the mind. When the mind is brought under control, all the senses automatically come under control, just as pearls scatter when the thread that holds them is burned. The mind itself is not a solid thing but a pure, subtle, ever-present power of Consciousness that remains an unchanging Witness to everything.

The mind creates the appearance of the outer world through its restless thinking and desires. Inside, it wanders pointlessly; outside, it appears as mountains, rivers, cities, and every other form. It has the power to turn the same object into nectar or poison simply by liking or disliking it, and it freely invents shapes and qualities for things it has never experienced.

Because the mind is only a flash of Consciousness, it can take on any quality—movement, light, hardness, emptiness, or desire—according to what it rests upon. This power works without depending on time or place, so it can even reverse the nature of things, turning white into black and black into white.

Everyday experience proves the mind’s central role: when attention is elsewhere, even delicious food has no taste, and only what the mind notices is truly perceived. The senses and the body appear through the mind, not the other way around; the senses arise from the mind.

Those who understand this relationship—that mind and body are utterly different yet seem united—are the truly wise. By knowing the mind as the Source and resting in that Knowledge, they become free of confusion and live as true scholars of the Self.

Chapter 3.110, Verses 12–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.110.12–24

(True nature of a person is the mind rather than the physical body)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

येन च्छिन्ना विचारेण जीवस्य ज्ञेयवासना।

निरभ्रस्येव सूर्यस्य तस्यालोको विराजते ॥ १२॥

अतस्त्वं मन एवेदं नरं विद्धि न देहकम्।

जडो देहो मनश्चात्र न जडं नाजडं विदुः ॥ १३॥

यत्कृतं मनसा तात तत्कृतं विद्धि राघव।

यत्त्यक्तं मनसा तावत्तत्त्यक्तं विद्धि चानघ ॥ १४॥

मनोमात्रं जगत्कृत्स्नं मनः पर्यन्तमण्डलम्।

मनो व्योम मनो भूमिर्मनो वायुर्मनो महान् ॥ १५॥

मनो यदि पदार्थे तु तद्भावेन न योजयेत्।

ततः सूर्योदयेऽप्येते न प्रकाशाः कदाचन ॥ १६॥

मनो मोहमुपादत्ते यस्यासौ मूढ उच्यते।

शरीरे मोहमापन्ने न शवो मूढ उच्यते ॥ १७॥

मनः पश्य भवत्यक्षि श्रृण्वच्छ्रवणतां गतम्।

त्वग्भावं स्पर्शनादेति घ्राणतामेति जिघ्रणात् ॥ १८॥

रसनाद्रसतामेति विचित्रास्तत्र वृत्तिषु।

नाटके नूटवद्देहे मन एवानुवर्तते ॥ १९॥

लघु दीर्घं करोत्येव सत्येऽसत्तां प्रयच्छति।

कटुतां नयति स्वादु रिपुं नयति मित्रताम् ॥ २०॥

य एव प्रतिभासोऽस्य चेतसो वृत्तिवर्तिनः।

ततस्तदेव प्रत्यक्षं तथात्रानुभवादिह ॥ २१॥

प्रतिभासवशादेव स्वप्नाकुलितचेतसः।

हरिश्चन्द्रस्य संपन्ना रात्रिर्द्वादशवार्षिकी ॥ २२॥

चित्तानुभाववशतो मुहूर्तत्वे गतं युगम्।

इन्द्रद्युम्नस्य वैरिञ्च्यपुराभ्यन्तरवर्तिनः ॥ २३॥

मनोज्ञया मनोवृत्त्या सुखतां याति रौरवम्।

प्रातःप्राप्तव्यराज्यस्य सुबद्धस्येव बन्धनम् ॥ २४॥

Sage Vashishtha continued:

3.110.12–17

> When discriminative inquiry cuts off the living being’s craving for knowable objects, that person’s light shines forth like the sun in a cloudless sky.

> Therefore know that a human Being is the mind itself, not merely the body. The body is inert, but the mind is neither purely inert nor purely conscious.

> Dear Rama, know that whatever is done by the mind is truly done; and, O sinless one, whatever is abandoned by the mind is truly abandoned.

> The entire World is nothing but the mind; the whole circle of existence is bounded by the mind. The mind is Space, the mind is Earth, the mind is Air, and the mind is the great principle.

> If the mind does not connect with an object through its own nature, then even at sunrise those objects never shine forth at all.

> The one whose mind takes on delusion is called deluded. When the body is overcome by insensibility, a corpse is not called deluded.

3.110.18–24

> The mind, when seeing, becomes the eye; when hearing, it becomes the ear. Through touching it becomes the skin; through smelling it becomes the nose.

> Through tasting it becomes the sense of taste. In all these varied activities the mind alone acts in the body, just as an actor performs in a play.

> It makes the short appear long and turns the Real into the unreal. It turns the sweet into the bitter and turns an enemy into a friend.

> Whatever appears in this mind that functions through its modifications, that alone becomes direct perception, as is known from experience in this World.

> Simply by the force of appearance, King Harishchandra, whose mind was disturbed as in a dream, experienced a single night as lasting twelve years.

> Through the power of mental experience, for King Indradyumna who dwelt inside Brahma’s city, an entire age passed as if it were a mere moment.

> Through a pleasing activity of the mind, even the hell called Raurava becomes happiness, just as the bonds of one tightly bound do not feel heavy when a kingdom is to be received in the morning.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the true nature of a person is the mind rather than the physical body. Discriminative inquiry severs the deep-seated tendencies that bind the individual soul to objects of Knowledge. When those tendencies are cut away, the light of Awareness shines clearly, free from obstruction, like the sun in a sky without clouds. The body is merely inert matter; the mind is the living principle that experiences, acts, and suffers. Therefore the human being is essentially the mind.

Everything that is done or left undone is truly accomplished only by the mind. The whole visible World, including Space, Earth, Air, and the great elements, is nothing other than the mind itself. Objects appear and become luminous only when the mind joins itself to them. Without that mental connection even the brightest light fails to reveal anything. Delusion belongs exclusively to the mind; a lifeless body cannot be called deluded.

The mind alone takes the form of every sense organ. It becomes the eye when seeing, the ear when hearing, the skin when touching, the nose when smelling, and the tongue when tasting. In all these varied functions the mind is the sole actor within the body, performing like an actor on a stage. The mind also has the power to distort Reality at will: it can make the short seem long, the Real seem unreal, the sweet seem bitter, and an enemy seem a friend.

Whatever arises as an appearance within the active mind is immediately taken as direct, concrete experience. Time itself is elastic under the influence of mental perception. King Harishchandra experienced one night as twelve long years because his mind was agitated by dream-like appearances. King Indradyumna, dwelling in Brahma’s city, saw an entire Cosmic age pass as a single moment solely through the force of mental experience.

Finally, the quality of mental activity determines the quality of experience. A pleasant movement of the mind can turn even the torment of Raurava hell into happiness, just as a tightly bound prisoner feels no weight from his bonds when he knows that a kingdom awaits him at dawn. The mind, therefore, is the sole creator, sustainer, and transformer of every joy and sorrow. Mastery over the mind is the key to freedom from all limitation.

Chapter 3.110, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.110.1–11

(How Pure Consciousness first turns outward, begins to imagine objects, and becomes the restless, divided mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

परमात्कारणादादौ चिच्चेत्यपदपातिनी।

कलनापदमासाद्य कला कलिलतां गता ॥ १॥

असत्स्वेव विमोहेषु रामैवंप्रायवृत्तिषु।

घनेषु तुच्छतामेत्य चिराय परिमूर्च्छति ॥ २॥

असदेव मनोवृत्तिर्म्लाना विस्तारयत्यलम्।

दुःखं दोषसहस्रेण वेतालानिव बालिका ॥ ३॥

सदेव हि महादुःखमसत्तां नयति क्षणात्।

निष्कलङ्का मनोवृत्तिरन्धकारमिवार्करुक् ॥ ४॥

नयत्यभ्याशतां दूरं दूरमभ्याशतां नयेत्।

मनो वल्गति भूतेषु बालो बालखगेष्विव ॥ ५॥

अभयं भयमज्ञस्य चेतसो वासनावतः।

दूरतो मुग्धपान्थस्य स्थाणुर्याति पिशाचताम् ॥ ६॥

शत्रुत्वं शङ्कते मित्रे कलङ्कमलिनं मनः।

मदाविष्टमतिर्जन्तुर्भ्रमत्पश्यति भूतलम् ॥ ७॥

पर्याकुले हि मनसि शशिनो जायतेऽशनिः।

अमृतं विषभावेन भुक्तं याति विषक्रियाम् ॥ ८॥

सुरपत्तननिर्माणमसत्सदिव पश्यति।

वासनावलितं चेतः स्वप्नवज्जाग्रदेव हि ॥ ९॥

मोहैककारणं जन्तोर्मनसो वासनोल्वणा।

उत्खातव्या प्रयत्नेन मूलोच्छेदेन सैव च ॥ १०॥

वासनावागुराकृष्टो मनोहरिणको नृणाम्।

परां विवशतामेति संसारवनगुल्मके ॥ ११॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.110.1–5

> In the beginning, from the highest cause, pu6re Consciousness falls toward objects. Reaching the state of imagining and measuring, it becomes a restless, tangled fragment.

> O Rama, in these unreal delusions of this kind, when they grow thick, the mind becomes empty and lies fainted for a long time.

> This faded and unreal movement of the mind greatly spreads sorrow through a thousand faults, just as a little girl imagines ghosts.

> A pure, stainless movement of the mind instantly turns even great sorrow into nothing, just as the light of the Sun drives away darkness.

> The mind can make what is near seem far and what is far seem near. It jumps among living beings the way a child jumps among small birds.

3.110.6–11

> For an ignorant mind filled with old impressions, even safety becomes fear. From a distance, a simple tree-stump looks like a ghost to a confused traveler.

> A stained mind suspects an enemy even in a friend. A creature whose mind is drunk with pride sees the ground spinning.

> When the mind is agitated, even the moon looks like a thunderbolt. Nectar eaten with the thought that it is poison acts like poison.

> A mind wrapped in impressions sees the building of a city of the gods—something unreal—as if it were real. Even while awake, it sees the world as in a dream.

> Strong impressions in the mind are the one cause of a living being’s delusion. That same impression must be dug out with effort by cutting it at the root.

> The mind of human beings is like a deer pulled by the net of impressions. It falls into complete helplessness in the thickets of the forest of worldly life.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses describe how Pure Consciousness first turns outward, begins to imagine objects, and becomes the restless, divided mind. Once this happens, the mind lives among things that are not ultimately Real. Thick clouds of confusion make it weak and almost unconscious for a long time. Suffering grows not from solid outer facts but from this faded, empty activity of thought, the way a child suffers from ghosts that do not exist.

A mind that stays clean and without stain can dissolve even heavy pain at once, as sunlight removes darkness. The same mind, when restless, distorts distance and nearness and leaps from one living thing to another without rest. Fear, suspicion, and dizziness arise from inner impressions, not from the world itself. A safe place looks dangerous; a friend looks like an enemy; the solid earth seems to spin.

When the mind is disturbed, even gentle or good things turn harmful. The moon can look like a destroying bolt, and nectar can act as poison if taken with a poisoned idea. Impressions make waking life itself look like a dream-city of the gods—appearing solid while remaining empty. The world of waking and the world of dream are not two different kinds of seeing; both are shaped by the same inner traces.

The single root of all this confusion is vasana, the strong leftover impression or craving stored in the mind. It must not be managed on the surface. It has to be pulled out by the root through steady effort and clear seeing. Until that happens, the mind remains a small deer caught in a hunter’s net, dragged helplessly through the tangled forest of birth and death.

The teaching is practical: watch how thought creates distance, fear, enmity, and dream-like worlds. Keep the movement of the mind stainless so that sorrow loses its power. Uproot the impressions themselves rather than fighting their outer effects. Freedom comes when the mind is no longer pulled by the net of old desires and can rest as the Undivided Consciousness from which it first arose.

Chapter 3.109, Verses 20–31

Yoga Vashishtha 3.109.20–31

(The King’s long ordeal come to a sudden end)

राजोवाच।

तस्यां तु यावदात्मानं चितायां निक्षिपाम्यहम्।

चलितोऽस्मि जवात्तावदस्मात्सिंहासनान्नृपः ॥ २०॥

ततस्तूर्यनिनादेन जयशब्देन बोधितः।

इति शाम्बरिकेणायं मोह उत्पादितो मम ॥ २१॥

अज्ञानेनेव जीवस्य दशाशतसमन्वितः।

इत्युक्तवति राजेन्द्रे लवणे भूरितेजसि ॥ २२॥

अन्तर्धानं जगामाशु तत्र शाम्बरिकः क्षणात्।

अथेदमूचुस्ते सभ्या विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनाः ॥ २३॥

नायं शाम्बरिको देव यस्य नास्ति धनैषणा।

दैवी काचन मायेयं संसारस्थितिबोधिनी ॥ २४॥

मनोविलासः संसार इति यस्यां प्रतीयते।

सर्वशक्तेरनन्तस्य विलासो हि मनोजगत् ॥ २५॥

सर्वशक्तेर्विचित्रा हि शक्तयः शतशो विधेः।

यद्विवेकि मनोऽप्येष विमोहयति मायया ॥ २६॥

विज्ञातलोकवृत्तान्तः क्व नामायं महीपतिः।

क्व सामान्यमनोवृत्तियोग्यो विपुलसंभ्रमः ॥ २७॥

न च शाम्बरिकेच्छेयं माया मनसि मोहिनी।

अर्थस्य सिद्ध्यै चेहन्ते नित्यं शाम्बरिकाः किल ॥ २८॥

यत्नेन प्रार्थयन्तेऽर्थं नान्तर्धानं व्रजन्ति भो।

इति संदेहवेलायां संस्थिता लुलिता वयम् ॥ २९॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

सभायामवसं तस्यामहं राम तदा किल।

तेन प्रत्यक्षतो दृष्टं मयैतन्नान्यतः श्रुतम् ॥ ३०॥

इति बहुकलनाविवर्धिताङ्गं जयति चिरं विततं मनो महात्मन्।

शममुपगमिते परस्वभावे परममुपैष्यसि पावनं पदं यत् ॥ ३१॥

The King said: 

3.109.20–29

> But just as I was about to throw myself into that pyre, at that very moment I, the King, suddenly moved from this throne.

> Then, awakened by the sound of musical instruments and the cry of “Victory!”, I realised: “This delusion has been produced in me by the conjurer.”

> As if through ignorance, the living Being is endowed with a hundred states. When the radiant King Lavana had spoken thus,

> the conjurer instantly vanished from that place. Then the courtiers, with eyes wide open in wonder, said this:

> “This is no ordinary conjurer, O Lord, for he has no desire for wealth. This is some Divine illusion that teaches the nature of Worldly Existence.

> In it the World appears as the play of the mind. Indeed the World of the mind is the play of the Infinite all-powerful One.

> The powers of the all-powerful Creator are manifold and number in hundreds; even a discriminating mind is deluded by this magic.

> How can this King, who knows the ways of the World, be fit for the vast confusion that belongs to ordinary mental activity?

> Nor is this mind-deluding magic the wish of a conjurer. Conjurers, after all, always strive for the attainment of wealth.

> They seek gain with effort and do not simply disappear. Thus we stand tossed about in a state of doubt.”

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.109.30–31

> O Rama, I was present in that assembly at that time. I saw this with my own eyes; I did not hear it from anyone else.

> Thus the great mind, expanded by many imaginings, long prevails, O high-souled one. When it is brought to rest in its True Nature, you will attain the Pure Supreme State.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses bring the king’s long ordeal to its sudden end. At the moment he is about to cast himself into the funeral pyre, the sound of royal music and victory shouts startles him back to his throne. He recognises that the entire lifetime of tribal hardship was only a conjurer’s illusion.

The courtiers then interpret the event. They declare that the visitor was no ordinary magician seeking money, because such people never vanish without reward. What occurred was a Divine demonstration meant to reveal the true character of worldly life.

The heart of the teaching is that the World itself is the play of the mind. This mental world is an expression of the infinite power of the Absolute. Even a discerning intellect can be caught in the web of this creative magic, so ordinary people are easily overwhelmed.

The assembly’s doubt about the conjurer’s identity underlines a further point: true illusion does not operate for personal gain. It arises spontaneously from the Nature of Consciousness itself and serves to instruct those who witness it.

Vasistha confirms that he was present and saw the whole episode with his own eyes. He concludes that the mind, swollen by countless imaginings, rules for a long time; yet when that same mind is quieted and restored to its essential nature, the Pure and Highest State is attained.

Chapter 3.109, Verses 1~19

Yoga Vashishtha 3.109.1~19

(The depth of human suffering under extreme misfortune)

राजोवाच।

तस्मिंस्तदा वर्तमाने कष्टे विधिविपर्यये।

अकालोल्वणकल्पान्ते नितान्तं तापदायिनि ॥ १॥

जनाः केचन निष्क्रम्य सकलत्रसुहृज्जनाः।

गता देशान्तरं व्योम्नः शरदीव पयोधराः ॥ २॥

देहावयवसंलीनपुत्रदाराग्र्यबन्धवः।

शीर्णाः केचन तत्रैव च्छिन्ना इव वने द्रुमाः ॥ ३॥

भक्ताः केचन च व्याघ्रैर्निर्गतास्तु स्वमन्दिरात्।

अजातपक्षकाः श्येनैः खगा नीडोद्गता इव ॥ ४॥

प्रविष्टाः केचिदनलं ज्वलितं शलभा इव।

केचिच्श्वभ्रेषु पतिताः शिला शैलच्युता इव ॥ ५॥

(3.109.6–14)

अथ वात्सल्यमूढेन मया दुःखातिभारिणा।

तस्योक्तं पुत्र मन्मांसं पक्वं संभुज्यतामिति ॥ १५॥

तदप्यङ्गीकृतं तेन देहीति वदता पुनः।

मन्मांसभक्षणं क्षीणवृत्तिनाऽऽश्लेषवृत्तिना ॥ १६॥

सर्वदुःखापनोदाय स्नेहकारुण्यमोहिना।

तस्य तामार्तिमालोक्य मया दुःखातिभारिणा ॥ १७॥

सोढुं तामापदं तीव्रामशक्तेन हतात्मना।

मरणायातिमित्राय कृतोऽन्तर्निश्चयो मया ॥ १८॥

तत्र काष्ठानि संचित्य चितां रचितवानहम्।

चिता चटचटास्फोटैः स्थिता मदभिकाङ्क्षिणी ॥ १९॥

The King continued: 

3.109.1–5

> At that time, while that severe misfortune of reversed destiny was going on—like an untimely and fierce end of the World, causing extreme suffering—

> Some people, taking their wives and friends, left and went to other lands, just as clouds disappear from the sky in autumn.

> Some stayed right there, with their sons, wives and close relatives clinging to their bodies, withering away like trees cut down in the forest.

> Some who went out of their homes were eaten by tigers, like young birds without feathers taken by hawks as they leave the nest.

> Some entered the blazing fire like moths. Some fell into pits like rocks broken from a mountain.

3.109.6–14

> The King escaped from that ruined land with his wife and children after parting from his in-laws; they crossed dangers of pits, storms, wild animals and snakes and reached the edge of the forest. There, under the shade of palm trees, he set down his children, rested from the long hardship as if free from hell, and his wife and two sons slept. Then the younger son woke, stood before him weeping and begged again and again for meat and drink, saying he was dying of hunger. The father had nothing to give, yet the boy kept pleading in his extreme need.

3.109.15–19

> Then, overcome by fatherly love and crushed by heavy sorrow, I told him, “Son, cook and eat my own flesh.”

> He accepted even that, saying “Give it,” for his means of living were gone and he clung only to the hope of food.

> To remove all suffering, and moved by affection and pity at seeing his pain, I, already burdened with sorrow,

> Unable to bear that sharp distress and with my spirit broken, made an inner resolve to die, regarding death as my closest friend.

> There I gathered sticks and built a funeral pyre. The pyre stood ready with its crackling flames, waiting for me.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses show the depth of human suffering under extreme misfortune. When destiny turns against people, some flee to new lands while others remain and perish, some are killed by wild beasts, and some choose fire or fall to their deaths. The scenes of drought, famine and death reveal how fragile ordinary life is when outer supports fail.

The king’s personal story continues with his narrow escape and the final crisis of a starving child. Parental love drives him to offer his own flesh, showing how deep attachment can push a person beyond all normal limits. This extreme act arises from compassion mixed with helplessness.

Unable to watch his son’s pain any longer, the King decides on suicide. He builds a pyre, ready to end his life. The decision marks the complete collapse of hope under unbearable sorrow.

The whole narrative illustrates the power of the mind. What the King experiences as years of tribal life, famine and despair is later revealed as a short magical illusion. The mind can create an entire lifetime of joy and suffering in a brief span.

The deeper teaching is that the World of experience is shaped by thought and imagination. Seeing this clearly helps one understand the illusory nature of both pleasure and pain and points toward freedom from the restless creations of the mind.

Chapter 3.108, Verses 1~30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.108.1~30

(The King’s experience of old age and the passage of time)

राजोवाच।

अथ गच्छति कालेऽत्र जराजर्जरितायुषि।

तुषारपूर्णशष्पौघसमश्मश्रुभृते मयि ॥ १॥

कर्मवातापनुन्नेषु सरसेष्वरसेष्वपि।

पतत्सु वासरौघेषु शीर्णपर्णगणेष्विव ॥ २॥

आजाविव शरौघेषु सुखदुःखेष्वनारतम्।

कलहेष्वप्यकार्येषु चागच्छत्सु पतत्सु च ॥ ३॥

विकल्पकल्पनावर्तवर्तिनि द्विजगे जडे।

समुद्र इव कल्लोलभरे भ्रमितचेतसि ॥ ४॥

चलच्चिन्ताचितं चक्रमारूढे भ्रान्त आत्मनि।

प्रोह्यमाने तृण इव सावर्तं कालसागरे ॥ ५॥

(३.१०८.६–२५)

नीलपत्रलताशङ्कापीत धूमघनच्छवि।

भ्रमद्गृध्रनिगीर्णोग्रनभोभ्रान्तोल्मुकामिषम् ॥ २६॥

इतरेतरभिन्नाङ्गलोक विद्रवणाकुलम्।

ज्वलिताग्निटणत्कारविदीर्णहृदयोदरम् ॥ २७॥

गर्तमारुतक्राङ्कारभीमदावाग्निवल्गनम्।

भीताजगरफूत्कारपतदङ्गारपादपम् ॥ २८॥

सदकाण्डस्फुटद्देशं प्राप्य तच्छुष्ककोटरम्।

द्वादशार्काग्निदग्धस्य जगतोऽनुकृतिं ययौ ॥ २९॥

ज्वलदनलजटालवृक्षखण्ड प्रसरमरुत्प्रसरावनुन्नलोकः।

ज्वलनतपनभास्करात्मजानां रमणगृहानुकृतिं जगाम देशः ॥ ३०॥

The King said: 

3.108.1–5

> Then as time passed here, with my life worn out by old age, and with me having a beard like a mass of grass covered with frost.

> As the multitudes of days, driven by the wind of karma, passed by—whether full of juice or without essence—falling like groups of withered leaves.

> Constantly in joys and sorrows, like a ram in showers of arrows, and also in quarrels and improper deeds that came and fell.

> In the dull mind of the twice-born, revolving in the whirlpool of doubts and imaginations, with Consciousness bewildered like an Ocean full of waves.

> With the deluded self mounted on the wheel filled with restless thoughts, being swept away like a blade of grass with its whirlpool in the ocean of time.

3.108.6–25

> In the omitted verses the King continues that over the years he wasted away like a forest worm or a two-legged beast whose only concern was finding food; he completely forgot his former kingship and came to regard himself as a fixed outcast of the Vindhya hills. The land then suffered a sudden and total drought: no rain fell, hot winds carried sparks of fire, every tree and blade of grass withered, and fierce wildfires swept through the empty forests, reducing everything to ash. Starving people and animals wandered in desperation, some tearing at bark or stones, others attacking one another; the air filled with smoke, the cries of the dying, and the crackle of burning wood, until the whole region became a picture of utter desolation and suffering.

3.108.26–30

> It was a place with dense yellow smoke looking like blue-leafed creepers, and where fierce whirling vultures swallowed firebrands as if they were pieces of meat spinning in the sky.

> Agitated by people whose limbs were torn from one another and who fled in panic, with hearts and bellies split by the crackling of blazing fire.

> With the roaring of winds in pits, the leaping of terrible forest fires, the hissing of frightened snakes, and trees falling as burning embers.

> Reaching that dry hollow where the land suddenly cracked open, it became a likeness of the world burned by the fire of the twelve suns.

> The region, from which people were driven by the spreading winds from blazing tangled pieces of trees, became like a pleasure-house for the children of blazing fire, the scorching sun, and the shining sun.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses describe the king’s experience of old age and the passage of time. Life is shown as fragile and quickly fading. The body grows weak, the days slip away under the force of past actions, and the mind is tossed about by changing joys, sorrows, and conflicts. Everything feels temporary and driven by forces beyond personal control.

The mind itself is pictured as restless and confused. It spins in endless doubts and imaginations like waves in a stormy sea or a blade of grass caught in a whirlpool. This restless thinking keeps a person trapped in the flow of time and unable to find lasting peace.

Later verses paint a vivid picture of a land ruined by drought and wildfire. Smoke, burning trees, fleeing people, and animals in panic create a scene of total destruction. The land becomes dry, cracked, and lifeless, resembling a world scorched by many suns.

This outer devastation mirrors the inner suffering caused by attachment and ignorance. Just as the forest is reduced to ash, human life filled with desire and fear ends in emptiness and pain. The images of fire and chaos serve as a reminder of how fragile and painful the world of appearances can be.

Overall the passage teaches that worldly life is marked by change, suffering, and delusion. By clearly seeing this nature of existence—through the examples of aging, restless thoughts, and natural disaster—one is encouraged to seek a deeper understanding beyond the temporary and the painful.

Chapter 3.107, Verses 25~48

Yoga Vashishtha 3.107.25~48

(These verses deepen the picture of the King’s total immersion in a savage, forest existence)

राजोवाच।

रौरवापतितेनेव तत्कालस्निग्धतां गतः।

विन्ध्यकन्दरगुल्मानां बन्धुत्वमिव गच्छता ॥ २५॥

पुलिन्दवपुषा यत्र युक्तयोगैः समर्पिताः।

तर्पिता लगुडाघातजितकौलेयरंहसा ॥ २६॥

पुत्रदाराः कदन्नेन ग्रामकान्धोचितेन च।

धारासाररणत्पत्रशुष्कतालतले निशाः ॥ २७॥

नीता रणितदन्तेन सार्धं विपिनवानरैः।

रोमभिः कोटिमुद्रोद्यैः शीतेनाध्युषितस्य मे ॥ २८॥

वर्षासु मुक्ताकणवद्धृता वानलविन्दवः।

अजाजीमूतखण्डार्थं क्षुत्क्षुण्णक्षीणकुक्षिणा ॥ २९॥

कलत्रेण सहाटव्यां कृतः कलह आकुलः।

वने रणितदन्तेन शीतकेकरचक्षुषा ॥ ३०॥

(३.१०७.३१–४४)

ग्रीष्मे सोढा चलद्भूता वराहेण यथोर्वरा।

बहुशोऽहं वनोत्थाग्निनिर्दग्धप्राणिमण्डलः ॥ ४५॥

कल्पाग्निभुक्तजगतः कालस्यानुगतिं गतः ।

लोभिलिङ्गो यथा रोगमनर्थानिव दुर्ग्रहः।

प्रसूतास्तत्र मे दारा दुःखान्यथ सुखान्यपि ॥ ४६॥

नृपालपुत्रकेनैकतनयेन तदा मया।

नीता नीरन्ध्रदोषेण षष्टिः कल्पसमाः समाः ॥ ४७॥

आक्रुष्टमुद्धुरतरं रुदितं विपत्सु भुक्तं कदन्नमुषितं हतपक्कणेषु।

कालान्तरं बहु मयोपहतेन तत्र दुर्वासनानिगडबन्धगतेन सभ्याः ॥ ४८॥

The King continued: 

3.107.25–30

> As if fallen into the Raurava hell, I then became sticky and unclean, growing almost into a relative of the thickets in the Vindhya caves.

> There, with the body of a forest tribesman, offerings were made according to tribal rites, and hunger was satisfied by the force of club-blows that overcame the speed of dogs.

> Sons and wife lived on coarse food fit only for blind village folk; nights were spent under dry palm trees whose leaves rattled in the pouring rain.

> Those nights passed with chattering teeth in the company of forest monkeys, while cold made the hairs of my body stand on end in countless pores.

> In the rainy season, water-drops were held like pearls; for the sake of a mere scrap of food I, whose belly was crushed and thin with hunger, wandered on.

> In the forest I quarrelled in confusion with my wife, teeth chattering and eyes rolling from the cold.

3.107.31–44

> In these intervening verses the King continues to describe the endless hardships of his tribal life: further struggles for food, exposure to every kind of weather, deepening family discord, the gradual loss of all remaining softness of heart, and the complete acceptance of a brutal, animal-like existence in the wilds.

3.107.45–48

> In the summer I endured the trembling Earth as a boar endures the fertile field; many times the circle of living beings around me was burnt by forest fires.

> I followed the path of Time that has already consumed the World in the fire of Cosmic dissolution. Like a greedy mark or an evil planet that brings misfortunes as diseases, my wives there gave birth both to sorrows and to fleeting pleasures.

> I, who was once the single son of a King’s son, spent sixty years that felt equal to Cosmic ages, filled with unbroken faults.

> I cried out loudly, wept in calamities, ate coarse food, and slept in ruined outcaste settlements. For a long time, O noble ones, I remained there, ruined and bound in the iron chains of evil tendencies.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses deepen the picture of the king’s total immersion in a savage, forest existence. Living like a relative of the Vindhya thickets, eating what is obtained by club and force, and spending nights under rattling palm leaves, he shows how completely the royal identity has been erased. The teaching is that once the mind accepts degradation, even the most brutal surroundings become the only reality it knows.

Family life continues, yet it brings no comfort. Coarse food, constant cold, chattering teeth, and confused quarrels with the wife turn every day into a struggle. The verses illustrate that attachment to wife and children, when rooted in delusion, multiplies suffering instead of relieving it. What should have been sources of support become additional sources of friction and pain.

Exposure to every season—rain, cold, and the scorching summer that sets the forest ablaze—reveals the body’s complete subjection to nature’s harshness. The King endures the trembling Earth like a boar and watches living beings perish in fire. This shows how the loss of discrimination leaves a person defenceless against both outer elements and inner impulses.

The comparison of his life to the path of Time that has already burned the world, and of his own nature to an evil planet bringing disease, teaches that prolonged evil tendencies act like a chronic illness. Even the birth of children is described as the birth of both sorrow and fleeting pleasure, underscoring that nothing arising from a deluded state can bring lasting good.

Finally, the King confesses that sixty years felt like Cosmic ages spent in unbroken fault, bound by the iron chains of wrong tendencies. The passage as a whole warns that a single fall, if not arrested, hardens into a complete way of life. Only the recovery of true discrimination can break those chains; otherwise the soul remains imprisoned in the very existence it has created for itself.

Chapter 3.107, Verses 1~24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.107.1–12

(Continuing the King’s account of his complete descent into the life of an outcaste)

राजोवाच।

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन सोत्सवावर्जिताशयः।

तदाप्रभृति तत्राहं संपन्नः पुष्टपुल्कसः ॥ १॥

सप्तरात्रोत्सवस्यान्ते क्रमान्मासाष्टके गते।

पुष्पिता सास्य संपन्ना स्थिता गर्भवती ततः ॥ २॥

प्रसूता दुःखदां कन्यां विपद्दुःखक्रियामिव।

सा कन्या ववृधे शीघ्रं मूर्खचिन्तेव पीवरी ॥ ३॥

पुनः प्रसूता सा वर्षैस्त्रिभिः पुत्रमशोभनम्।

अनर्थमिव दुर्बुद्धिराशापाशविधायकम् ॥ ४॥

(३.१०७.५–२०)

अस्पृष्टेन जनैर्भुक्तं कुकलत्रवता मया।

गृहीततेजःक्षतये बहुवक्रविकारिणा ॥ २१॥

मार्गाविकमिवात्मीयं विक्रीतं पण्यमन्यतः।

प्राण्यङ्गवपुषस्तस्य प्रोत्कृत्त्योत्कृत्त्य पेशलः ॥ २२॥

आयसंपरि विक्रीता विन्ध्यपक्कणभूमिषु।

जन्मान्तरसहस्रोत्थं स्वपापमिव वृद्धये ॥ २३॥

अविकीर्णमसत्कीर्णं चण्डालारामभूमिषु।

दृष्टः कुद्दालको दृष्ट्या संध्यास्नेहविमुक्तया ॥ २४॥

The King said: 

3.107.1–4

> What more need be said here? From that time onward, my mind drawn by the festivities, I became a well-nourished Pulkasa (outcaste) there.

> At the end of the seven-night festival, after eight months had passed in due course, she became pregnant and remained with a swollen belly.

> She gave birth to a daughter who brings sorrow, like the very deeds that cause calamity and pain. That girl grew quickly, like the fattening thought of a fool.

> Again, after three years, she gave birth to an ugly son, like a misfortune produced by a dull mind that creates the noose of hope.

3.107.5–20

> In these intervening verses the King continues to describe his prolonged life among the outcastes: the daily hardships, the further birth of children, the gradual hardening of his mind to that degraded existence, the loss of his former royal dignity, the acceptance of menial work and impure food, and the deepening of delusion that made the lowly life seem normal to him.

3.107.21–24

> Food untouched by others was eaten by me, who now possessed a lowly wife—food that damaged my former radiance, eaten by one whose face had become distorted in many ways.

> Like goods sold on the roadside, what was my own was sold elsewhere; the soft flesh of that living body was cut off piece by piece.

> Iron tools were sold in the Vindhya outcaste settlements, like my own sins accumulated over thousands of past births, sold only to increase them further.

> Scattered and mixed with the impure, in the garden grounds of the Chandalas, Kuddalaka was seen with a gaze free from the affection of twilight (or evening attachment).

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses continue the king’s account of his complete descent into the life of an outcaste. After the initial marriage and festivities, he reports that he fully became one of them—well-fed yet degraded. The teaching here is that once a person crosses the boundary of social and moral order under the sway of desire or circumstance, the mind quickly adapts and begins to identify with the new, lower condition. What was once unthinkable becomes ordinary.

The birth of children—first a daughter described as a source of sorrow, then an ugly son compared to a misfortune—illustrates how actions performed in delusion produce further bonds. Offspring that arise from an impure union are portrayed not as blessings but as extensions of suffering and attachment. The rapid growth of the daughter is likened to the swelling of foolish thoughts, showing how ignorance multiplies itself when left unchecked.

The omitted middle section, together with the later verses, deepens the picture of progressive degradation. The King eats food that others avoid, loses his former bodily radiance, and engages in the buying and selling of iron tools and even the cutting of flesh. These acts symbolize the piecemeal destruction of his Higher Nature. The text teaches that repeated association with impurity does not remain external; it enters the body, the mind, and the sense of self, steadily eroding discrimination.

A further lesson concerns the accumulation of karma. The sale of iron implements in the outcaste settlements is compared to the increase of sins carried from thousands of previous births. Every action performed in this degraded state is shown to strengthen the very chains that bind the soul. The verses warn that once one has entered a path of impurity, even ordinary livelihood activities become means of further entanglement rather than neutral work.

Finally, the closing image of Kuddalaka seen with a gaze free from soft evening attachment suggests a moment of stark clarity amid the surrounding impurity. The overall teaching of the passage is that delusion, once accepted, leads step by step from a single transgression to a complete transformation of identity, family, livelihood, and inner vision. Only the recovery of true discrimination can reverse this descent; otherwise the soul continues to multiply its own suffering through the very life it has chosen.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 52~72

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.52~72

(Under the pressure of extreme circumstances, all considerations of family tradition and social duty are abandoned)

राजोवाच।

अथोक्ता सा मया भर्ता भवामि तव सुव्रते।

केनापदि विचार्यन्ते वर्णधर्मकुलक्रमाः ॥ ५२॥

ततस्तयौदनादर्धं मह्यमेकं समर्पितम्।

माधव्येवामृतादर्धमिन्द्रायार्तिमहत्पुरा ॥ ५३॥

जम्बूफलरसः पीतः स भुक्तः पक्कणौदनः।

विश्रान्तं च मया तत्र मोहापहृतचेतसा ॥ ५४॥

मां तत्रार्कमिवापूर्य सा प्रावृट् श्यामला गता।

हस्तेन समुपादाय प्राणं बहिरिव स्थितम् ॥ ५५॥

दुराकृतिं दुरारम्भमाससाद भयप्रदम्।

पितरं पीवराकारमवीचिमिव यातना ॥ ५६॥

तया मदनुषङ्गिण्या स्वार्थस्तस्मै निवेदितः।

मातङ्गाय भ्रमर्येव निःस्वनेनालिलग्नया ॥ ५७॥

(३.१०६.५८–६७)

अथ विश्रम्य चण्डालभोजनान्यजिनासने।

संचितान्युपभुक्तानि दुष्कृतानीव भूरिशः ॥ ६८॥

अनन्तदुःखबीजानि न मनोज्ञतराण्यपि।

तानि प्रणयवाक्यानि श्रुतान्यसुभगान्यलम् ॥ ६९॥

निरभ्राम्बरनक्षत्रे कस्मिंश्चिद्दिवसे ततः।

तैस्तैरारम्भसंरम्भैस्तैर्वस्त्रविभवार्पणैः ॥ ७०॥

दत्ताप्यनेन सा मह्यं कुमारी भयदायिनी।

सुकृष्णा कृष्णवर्णेन दुष्कृतेनेव यातना ॥ ७१॥

सरभसमभितो विनेदुरत्र प्रसृतमहामदिरासवाः श्वपाकाः।

हतपटुपटहा विलासवन्तः स्वयमिव दुष्कृतराशयो महान्तः ॥ ७२॥

The King said: 

3.106.52–57

> Then I told her, “O virtuous one, I shall become your husband. In times of crisis, who bothers about caste rules, family customs or social order?”

> Then she offered me half of her cooked rice, just as Madhavi once offered half of the nectar to Indra when he was in great distress.

> I drank the juice of the jambu fruit and ate the rice of the outcaste settlement. There I rested, my mind overcome by delusion.

> Like a dark monsoon cloud that fills the sky around the sun, she took hold of me as if seizing my very life-breath that stood outside, and then left.

> She went to her father—a frightful, ill-formed man of massive body who looked like the torments of the lowest hell—and approached that terrifying figure of evil deeds.

> Accompanied by me, she announced her personal wish to that Chandala, just as a female bee clinging with a soft hum announces itself to an elephant.

3.106.58–67

> In these intervening verses the narrative continues with the king’s further experiences in the Chandala settlement: the father’s response, the arrangements made for the union, the living conditions among the outcastes, the food and daily life, the gradual acceptance of that degraded existence, and the growing sense of degradation and delusion that settled upon the king’s mind as he remained there.

3.106.68–72

> After resting, I partook of the Chandala meals served on animal-skin seats—meals that had been collected in abundance, like heaps of sinful deeds.

> Those words of affection I heard were seeds of endless sorrow; they were not at all pleasing, and they were thoroughly unpleasant.

> Then, on a certain day when the sky was clear and the stars were visible, amid all those excited preparations and the offerings of clothes and wealth,

> That girl, who inspired fear, was given to me by him. She was very dark, black in complexion, like the torment that follows an evil deed.

> All around, the dog-eaters shouted loudly in great excitement, reeking of strong liquor; with beaten drums and joyful display they seemed like great heaps of sin themselves.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses form part of a larger story in which a king recounts how, under the pressure of extreme circumstances, he abandoned all consideration of caste, family tradition and social duty. The teaching begins by showing that when survival or intense desire is at stake, the ordinary rules of varna and kula are quickly set aside. The king’s ready agreement to marry an outcaste woman illustrates how fragile social conventions become once personal need overrides them.

The episode next describes the king’s complete immersion in a life he would normally regard as impure and degrading. He accepts food from a Chandala household, rests in that environment, and allows his mind to be overtaken by delusion. The text thereby demonstrates how quickly the discriminating intellect can be clouded when one repeatedly associates with what is considered low or impure. The senses and the mind gradually accept what was once repulsive.

A further teaching concerns the power of attachment and the company one keeps. The woman, described as dark and fearful, draws the king deeper into that world; her words of affection become seeds of endless sorrow. The verses warn that even pleasant-sounding expressions of love, when rooted in a base or deluded context, plant the causes of future suffering. Attachment born of ignorance does not liberate; it binds more tightly.

The narrative then moves to the formalization of the union amid the noisy celebrations of the Chandala community. The atmosphere of liquor, drums and wild excitement is presented as the outer reflection of inner disorder. The king’s participation in this scene underscores that once one has crossed certain moral and social boundaries, the surrounding environment itself reinforces and multiplies the original error. Sinful associations tend to grow into larger heaps of misconduct.

Finally, the entire passage serves as a cautionary illustration within the larger philosophical framework of Yoga Vasistha. It shows how a single decision made under delusion can lead a person of high status into progressive degradation, how the mind loses its clarity step by step, and how the consequences of such choices appear as both inner torment and outer chaos. The teaching is that true discrimination must be maintained even in crisis; otherwise the soul sinks into conditions that multiply sorrow rather than remove it.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 25~51

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.25~51

(King Lavana’s account of the long dream-illusion created by a magician)

राजोवाच।

शनैः श्यामिकया ग्रस्ते समस्ते भुवनोदरे।

रात्रिसंव्यवहारेषु संप्रवृत्तेषु जङ्गले ॥ २५॥

अहं तरुतृणे तस्मिन्पेलवे खण्डकोटरे।

निलीनश्चिरलीनास्यः स्वनीडे विहगो यथा ॥ २६॥

विषदष्टविवेकस्य कीनाशस्य गलत्स्मृतेः।

विक्रीतस्येव दीनस्य मग्नस्येवान्धकूपके ॥ २७॥

तत्र कल्पसमा रात्रिर्मोहमग्नस्य मे गता।

एकार्णवोह्यमानस्य मार्कण्डेयमुनेरिव ॥ २८॥

न स्नातवान्नार्चितवान्न तदा भुक्तवानहम्।

केवलं मे गता रात्रिः सापदां धुरि तिष्ठतः ॥ २९॥

विनिद्रस्य विधैर्यस्य स्फुरतः सह पल्लवैः।

समं दुष्टातिदैर्घ्येण सा व्यतीयाय शर्वरी ॥ ३०॥

(३.१०६.३१–४५)

तयोक्तं हारकेयूरिंश्चण्डालीं विद्धि मामिति।

राक्षसीमिव सुक्रूरा पुरुषाश्वगजाशनाम् ॥ ४६॥

राजन्यार्चनमात्रेण मत्तो नाप्नोषि भोजनम्।

ग्राम्यादनभिजातेहात्सौजन्यमिव सुन्दरम् ॥ ४७॥

इत्युक्तवत्या गच्छन्त्या खेलया च पदेपदे।

कुञ्जकेषु निमज्जन्त्या लीलावनतयोदितम् ॥ ४८॥

ददामि भोजनमिदं भर्ता भवसि चेन्मम।

लोको नोपकरोत्यर्थैः सामान्यः स्निग्धतां विना ॥ ४९॥

वाहयत्यत्र मे दान्तान्केदारे पुल्कसः पिता।

श्मशान इव वेतालः क्षुधितो धूलिधूसरः ॥ ५०॥

तस्येदमन्नं भवति भर्तृत्वे दीयते स्थिते।

प्राणैरपि हि संपूज्या वल्लभाः पुरुषा यतः ॥ ५१॥

The King said: 

3.106.25–30

> Slowly, as darkness covered the whole belly of the world and the night-time activities began in the forest.

> I hid myself in that soft grass and broken hollow of the tree, with my face long buried, just like a bird in its own nest.

> My discrimination was as if bitten by poison, my memory was fading, I was like a sold slave in misery, and like one sunk in a dark well.

> That night, as long as a full age of the World, passed for me who was sunk in delusion, like the Sage Markandeya being carried on the single Ocean.

> I did not bathe, did not worship, and did not eat then. That night simply passed for me who stood at the head of all troubles.

> Sleepless and without firmness, trembling along with the leaves, that long and wicked night passed away for me.

3.106.31–45

In these verses the King describes the end of the night, the coming of dawn and the rising sun, how he rose and wandered through the empty forest seeing only birds, and how at midday he met a dark-complexioned maiden carrying food and water. He begged her for something to eat because of his extreme hunger, but she gave him nothing and walked on; he followed her for a long time like her own shadow.

3.106.46–51

> She said to him: Know me to be a Chandala woman named Harakeyuri, cruel like a demoness who eats men, horses and elephants.

> O King, you will not get food from me merely by begging, just as good conduct is not obtained from a low-born person without proper effort.

> Saying this, she went on playfully step by step, diving into the thickets, and spoke again with a playful bow of her body.

> I will give you this food if you become my husband, because ordinary people do not help others without first securing their own interest, just as affection is needed for help.

> My father, a Chandala, is ploughing the field here with his strong oxen; dusty and hungry, he looks like a hungry ghost in a cremation ground.

> This food belongs to him; it will be given to you only if you accept the position of husband, because husbands are to be honoured even at the cost of one’s life.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses form part of King Lavana’s account of the long dream-illusion created by a magician. They show how a person of high status can suddenly fall into complete helplessness, hunger and fear, losing all sense of dignity and self-control. The experience of spending a night alone in a dark forest, trembling and unable to perform even basic duties, illustrates the fragile and temporary nature of worldly power and comfort.

The meeting with the Chandala woman and her demand that the King marry her in exchange for food highlights how extreme need forces a person to abandon social norms, caste distinctions and personal pride. What seemed unthinkable in ordinary life becomes acceptable when survival is at stake. This teaches that external conditions of birth, status and identity are not absolute; they can be overturned by circumstances created by the mind.

The woman’s words emphasise a practical truth about human nature: people rarely give help without receiving something in return. Ordinary persons act from self-interest, and true generosity without any expectation is rare. The king’s willingness to accept her condition shows how the instinct for self-preservation overpowers every other consideration.

Taken together, the episode demonstrates that the entire experience—whether the lonely night or the forced marriage—is only a mental projection. Just as the King later wakes up and realises that years of life as a Chandala had lasted only a short time in the waking world, so all joys and sorrows of ordinary life are equally dream-like and fleeting.

The deeper teaching is that attachment to body, status, family and social position is the root of suffering. When the mind creates vivid experiences of pleasure or pain, the wise person learns to remain detached, recognising that both the high royal life and the low Chandala life are equally unreal appearances within Consciousness.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 12–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.12–24

(A hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one)

राजोवाच।

ज्ञस्येव विततं चेतो मूर्खस्येव रुषाऽजवम्।

अदृष्टजनसंसर्गमजाततृणपल्लवम् ॥ १२॥

अरण्यमिदमासाद्य मतिर्मे खेदमागता।

ललनेवैत्य दारिद्र्यं निरन्नफलबान्धवम् ॥ १३॥

कचन्मरुमरीच्यम्बुपुरःप्लुतककुम्मुखम्।

आसूर्यास्तं दिनं तत्र प्रक्रान्तं सीदता मया ॥ १४॥

तदरण्यं मयातीतमतिकृच्छ्रेण खेदिना।

विवेकिनेव संसारो मध्यशून्यतताकृति ॥ १५॥

यदेतेनातिवाह्याहं प्राप्तवाञ्जङ्गलं क्रमात्।

अस्ताद्रिसानुं खिन्नाश्वः शून्यभ्रान्त्येवभास्करः ॥ १६॥

जम्बूकदम्बप्रायेषु कलालापाः पतत्रिणः।

यत्र स्फुरन्ति खण्डेषु पान्थानामिव बान्धवाः ॥ १७॥

यत्र शष्पशिखाश्रेण्यो दृश्यन्ते विरलाः स्थले।

कदर्थलक्ष्म्या जिह्मस्य हृदीवानन्दवृत्तयः ॥ १८॥

पूर्वादरण्यादरसात्तद्धि किंचित्सुखावहम्।

अत्यन्तदुःखान्मरणाद्वरं व्याधिर्हि जन्तुषु ॥ १९॥

तत्र जम्बीरखण्डस्य तलं संप्राप्तवानहम्।

मार्कण्डेय इवागेन्द्रमेकार्णवविहारतः ॥ २०॥

आलम्बिता मया तत्र स्कन्धसंसर्गिणी लता।

नीला जलदमालेव तापतप्तेन भूभृता ॥ २१॥

मयि प्रलम्बमानेऽस्यां प्रयातः स तुरङ्गमः।

गङ्गावलम्बिनि नरे यथा दुष्कृतसंचयः ॥ २२॥

चिरं दीर्घाध्वगः खिन्नस्तत्र विश्रान्तवानहम्।

भानुरस्ताचलोत्सङ्गे तले कल्पतरोरिव ॥ २३॥

यावत्समस्तसंसारव्यवहारभरैः समम्।

रविर्विश्रमणायेव निविष्टोऽस्ताचलाङ्गणे ॥ २४॥

The King said: 

3.106.12–24

> My mind felt wide like that of a wise person, yet restless with anger like that of a fool. I had come to a forest never seen by people, without human contact, and without even grass or young leaves.

> Reaching this forest, my mind grew weary and sad. It felt like a woman falling into poverty, with no food, no fruit, and no relatives.

> The directions ahead shimmered with the water of desert mirages. Suffering there, I spent the whole day until the Sun set.

> With great hardship and exhaustion I crossed that forest. It was like the world crossed by a person of discrimination: empty and hollow in the middle.

> After passing that place I gradually reached a wilderness. I was like the Sun arriving at the peak of the western mountain with tired horses, wandering as if in emptiness.

> In groves of jambu and kadamba trees, birds with sweet calls shone in the patches of forest, like companions appearing to weary travelers.

> Sparse rows of grass tips were seen on the ground, like rare moments of joy in the heart of a crooked person whose fortune is wretched.

> Compared with the earlier tasteless forest, this place brought a little comfort. For living Beings, even illness is better than the extreme pain of death.

> There I reached the ground beneath a cluster of jambu trees, like Markandeya reaching a great mountain after wandering across the single Ocean.

> I clung to a creeper growing from the trunk of a tree, as a heat-scorched mountain clings to a dark garland of clouds.

> While I hung there, the horse went away, just as a heap of sins leaves a person who clings to the Ganga.

> Tired after a long road, I rested there for a while, like the Sun resting in the lap of the western mountain at the base of a wish-fulfilling tree.

> Meanwhile the Sun, as if to rest from the full burden of all worldly activity, settled in the courtyard of the western mountain.

Summary of the verses: 

The verses show a hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one. A barren, waterless forest stands for a mind and a world that look wide yet give no real support. Anger, loneliness, hunger, and mirage-water describe how restlessness and false hopes keep a person moving without rest. Crossing that waste with difficulty points to viveka: seeing that ordinary life is hollow in the middle even while it appears solid at the edges.

A slightly greener wilderness then appears. Sparse grass, a few trees, and the calls of birds are only small reliefs, yet they feel better than the earlier emptiness. The teaching is practical: even limited ease is preferable to total despair, just as illness can be better than death. The traveler does not stop at the first comfort; he still seeks a firmer place to rest.

Reaching the shade of jambu trees and holding a creeper is an image of taking support that is itself unstable. The horse that leaves while the traveler hangs on the vine shows how outer supports and past actions drop away once a person turns toward a higher refuge. The comparison with sins leaving a person who holds the Ganga suggests that genuine rest begins when clinging to the world is replaced by clinging to something that can actually hold.

Rest under the tree at sunset is the first true pause. The Sun itself, carrying the whole day’s work, also settles. The picture teaches that both the individual mind and the apparent activity of the world share the same rhythm of effort and needed stillness. Rest is not escape; it is the natural close of a cycle of strain.

Taken together the verses quietly point to the larger Yoga-Vasistha view: the forest of samsara can be crossed, small comforts are real but temporary, and lasting ease comes only when the traveler stops running after mirages and sits still. Discrimination, endurance, and the willingness to let go of what cannot stay are the inner counterparts of the outer march from waste land to shade.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.1–11

(King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician)

राजोवाच।

अस्ति तावदयं देशो नानावननदीयुतः।

वसुधामण्डलस्यास्य सहोदर इवानुजः ॥ १॥

अस्मिंश्चायमहं राजा पौराभिमतवृत्तिमान्।

इन्द्रः स्वर्ग इवास्यां तु सभायां मध्यसंस्थित ॥ २॥

यावदभ्यागतो दूरात्कश्चिच्छाम्बरिकस्त्वयम्।

रसातलादभ्युदितो मायी मय इव स्वयम् ॥ ३॥

अनेन भ्रमिताद्येह पिच्छिका तेजसोर्जिता।

कल्पान्तपवनाभ्रेण शक्रचापलता यथा ॥ ४॥

आलोक्यैतामहं लोलामस्याश्वस्य पुरः स्थितः।

पृष्ठमारूढवानेक आत्मना भ्रान्तमानसः ॥ ५॥

ततोऽद्रिं प्रलयक्षुब्धं पुष्करावर्तको यथा।

तथा चलन्तं चलितः स्वश्वमारूढवानहम् ॥ ६॥

गन्तुं प्रवृत्तो मृगयामेकोऽहमतिरंहसा।

उर्वरामिव निर्भर्तुः कल्लोलः प्रलयाम्बुधेः ॥ ७॥

तेनानिलविलोलेन दूरं नीतोऽस्मि वाजिना।

योगाभ्यासजडेनाज्ञो मुग्धस्य मनसा यथा ॥ ८॥

अकिंचनमनःशून्यं स्त्रीचित्तमिव निर्भरम्।

ततः प्रलयनिर्दग्धजगदास्पद भीषणम् ॥ ९॥

निष्पक्षिक्षारनीहारं निर्वृक्षमजलं महत्।

संप्राप्तोऽहमपर्यन्तमरण्यं श्रान्तवाहनः ॥ १०॥

तद्द्वितीयमिवाकाशं तथाष्टममिवाम्बुधिम्।

पञ्चमं सागरमिव संशुष्कं शून्यकोटरम् ॥ ११॥

The King continued: 

3.106.1–11

> There is this country full of various forests and rivers. It is like a younger brother of this whole circle of the Earth.

> In this land I am the King, living according to the wishes of the citizens. I sit in the middle of this assembly hall just as Indra sits in Heaven.

> Then a certain magician came from far away. He rose up from the nether world like the demon Maya himself.

> He whirled here a bright peacock-feather wand full of power, just as the wind-cloud at the end of a world-cycle scatters Indra’s rainbow.

> Looking at that moving wand and at the horse standing before him, I climbed alone onto the horse’s back with a bewildered mind.

> Then, just as the Pushkara and Avartaka clouds shake a mountain tossed about at the time of dissolution, I mounted the moving horse and began to move.

 

> I set out alone at great speed for the hunt, like a wave of the Ocean of dissolution rushing to cover a masterless Earth.

> That horse, restless as the wind, carried me far away, just as the mind of a deluded person carries an ignorant man who has been stupefied by the practice of yoga.

> Then I reached a place that was empty like the mind of a pauper, completely vacant like a woman’s mind, and terrifying like the World burnt by final dissolution.

> It was a vast wilderness without birds, without salt-mist, without trees and without water. With my tired horse I arrived at that endless forest.

> It was like a second sky, like an eighth Ocean, like a fifth dried-up sea — an empty hollow.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses begin the King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician. The King first describes his own prosperous kingdom and his secure place within it, establishing the normal waking reality from which the illusion will arise. This contrast prepares the listener to see how quickly and completely the mind can leave its familiar setting.

The arrival of the magician and the whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the exact point at which the outer world begins to dissolve. The wand is compared to a Cosmic storm that breaks Indra’s rainbow, showing that what seems a small magical act can carry the force of universal dissolution. The mind, once caught by the spectacle, loses its ordinary bearings.

Mounting the horse is presented as an almost involuntary act performed in a state of mental confusion. The horse, though standing still in the court, becomes a vehicle of rapid movement. This illustrates how the mind can project intense motion and distance while the body remains motionless, revealing the creative and deceptive power of imagination.

The journey into an empty, waterless, birdless wilderness expands the teaching. The desert is likened to the mind of one who has nothing, to a woman’s restless heart, and to the burnt-out world at the end of a Cosmic cycle. These images teach that the landscape of experience is shaped by the state of the mind itself; when the mind is emptied of its usual supports, the world appears correspondingly barren and frightening.

Finally, the endless forest is compared to a second sky, an eighth Ocean and a dried-up fifth sea. Such similes emphasise the boundless and hollow nature of the projected world. The entire sequence shows that Time, Space, movement and desolation can all be generated within a brief interval of mental absorption, reminding the reader that ordinary waking life may be no more substantial than this magical ride.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 21–28

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.21–28

(The mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

जाल्म जालजटालेन किमेतद्भवता कृतम्।

येनास्पन्दप्रसन्नोऽब्धिः क्षणादेत्य प्रसन्नताम् ॥ २१॥

चित्रं चित्रा हि देवस्य पदार्थशतशक्तयः।

सुशक्तमपि मे चित्तं याभिर्मोहे निवेशितम् ॥ २२॥

क्व वयं लोकपर्यायकृतान्तपदवेदिनः।

क्व मनोमोहदायिन्यो वितताः प्रकृतापदः ॥ २३॥

अप्यभ्यस्तमहाज्ञानं मनस्तिष्ठति देहके।

कदाचिन्मोहमादत्ते क्षणं मतिमतामपि ॥ २४॥

इदमाश्चर्यमाख्यानं श्रूयतां रे सभासदः।

मम शाम्बरिकेणेह यन्मुहूर्तं प्रदर्शितम् ॥ २५॥

दृष्टवानहमेतस्मिन्बह्वीः कार्यदशाश्चलाः।

मुहूर्तं प्रार्थितोऽध्वस्तशक्रसृष्टिरिवालजः ॥ २६॥

इत्युक्त्वोन्मुखनेत्रेषु सभ्येषु स हसन्निव।

राजा वर्णयितुं चित्रं वृत्तान्तमुपचक्रमे ॥ २७॥

राजोवाच।

इह विविधपदार्थसंकुलायां ह्रदनदपत्तनपर्वताकुलायाम्।

कुलशिखरिसमुद्रसंकरायां भुवि विभवावलितोऽस्त्ययं प्रदेशः ॥ २८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.21–27

> O wretched one with hair tangled like a net! What have you done that the ocean of my mind, which was still and clear, has in a moment been thrown into agitation?

> How wonderful and varied are the hundred powers of the Divine! Even my strong and capable mind has been cast by them into delusion.

> Where are we who know the successive states of the World and the place of death, and where are these widespread natural calamities that delude the mind?

> Even a mind that has practiced the Highest Knowledge and still resides in the body can sometimes fall into delusion for a moment, even in the case of the wise.

> Listen, O members of the assembly, to this astonishing story of what this magician showed me here in a single moment.

> In that short time I saw many changing scenes of events, as numerous as those shown long ago by the creator when he destroyed the magic creation of Indra.

> Having spoken thus, while the assembly looked on with raised faces, the King, smiling as it were, began to describe the wonderful occurrence.

The King said: 

3.105.28

> In this World crowded with many kinds of things, filled with lakes, rivers, towns and mountains, mixed with family hills and oceans, there is this region rich in prosperity.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses show how easily the mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained. The King, who had just emerged from a magical trance, addresses the magician and expresses surprise that his calm mind could be disturbed so quickly. The comparison of the mind to a still ocean that is suddenly agitated teaches that mental peace is fragile and can be lost in an instant under the influence of external forces or internal tendencies.

The verses highlight the extraordinary and manifold powers that belong to the Divine or to the creative force of Consciousness. These powers are capable of producing countless effects and of casting even a disciplined mind into delusion. This points to the idea that the World of appearances is a display of infinite creative energy, and that no individual mind, however powerful, stands outside its reach.

The text contrasts human knowledge of the cycles of life, death and worldly change with the sudden onset of deluding experiences. It reminds us that theoretical understanding of impermanence does not automatically protect us from practical confusion. Even those who know the facts of existence can still be overtaken by mental disturbance when circumstances arise.

A central teaching is that the mind, although it lives in the body and may have cultivated the Highest Knowledge, remains liable to momentary delusion. Wisdom and practice do not grant permanent immunity; vigilance is always required. This underscores the need for continual self-awareness rather than complacent reliance on past attainments.

Finally, the king’s decision to recount the experience to his assembly illustrates the value of examining and sharing such events. By describing the many scenes he witnessed in a brief period—scenes as vast and varied as a cosmic magical display—he demonstrates that time and experience are relative to the state of the mind. The opening description of the prosperous region then begins the narrative proper, showing how the mind projects an entire world of objects, places and conditions within itself. Together the verses teach that the apparent solidity of ordinary life is no more substantial than a magician’s show, and that true clarity arises only when this is clearly recognized.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 10–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.10–20

(Mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

आपातरमणीयेषु पर्यन्तविरसेषु च।

भोगेष्विव विकल्पेषु केषु ते लुलितं मनः ॥ १०॥

सततोदारवृत्तासु कथासु परिशीतलम्।

मनस्ते निर्मलं कस्मात्संभ्रमेषु निमज्जति ॥ ११॥

तुच्छालम्बनमालूनविशीर्णं लोकवृत्तिषु।

मनो मोहमुपादत्ते न महत्त्वविजृम्भितम् ॥ १२॥

सातत्येन हि यैवास्य मनसो वृत्तिरुत्थिता।

शरीरमदमत्तासु तामेवैतद्विधावति ॥ १३॥

अतुच्छालम्बनं धीरं प्रबुद्धं गुणहारि च।

तवापि हि मनश्चित्रमालूनमिव लक्ष्यते ॥ १४॥

अनभ्यस्तविवेकं हि देशकालवशानुगम्।

मन्त्रौषधिवशं याति मनो नोदारवृत्तिमत् ॥ १५॥

नित्यमात्तविवेकस्य कथमालूनशीर्णता।

धुनोति विततं चेतो वात्येव विबुधाचलम् ॥ १६॥

इति जातानुगीर्णस्य भूपतेः कान्तिराननम्।

भूषयामास शीतांशुं मासान्त इव पूर्णता ॥ १७॥

रराज राजा सौम्यास्यमुन्मीलितविलोचनः।

गते हिमर्तावुल्लासिपुष्पौघ इव माधवः ॥ १८॥

अथातिसंभ्रमाश्चर्यखिन्नास्मृतिमुखो बभौ।

आसन्नमृत्युरालोक्य राहुमिन्दुरिवाम्बरे ॥ १९॥

ऐन्द्रजालिकमालोक्य प्रोवाचाथ हसन्निव।

बभुं हिंसात्मकं दृष्ट्वा सर्परूपीव तक्षकः ॥ २०॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.10–14

> In which of those choices—like sense-pleasures that seem delightful at first but turn tasteless at the end—has your mind become confused and entangled?

> Your mind stays cool and pure when listening to stories of always-noble conduct. Why then does it sink into confusion and turmoil?

> A mind that rests on worthless supports, withered and broken amid ordinary worldly ways, takes hold of delusion. It does not expand into greatness.

> Whatever tendency keeps arising again and again in a mind that is drunk with bodily pride—that is the very path this mind races after.

> Even your mind, which rests on solid ground, is steady, awake, and full of good qualities, still appears strangely withered and disturbed.

3.105.15–20

> A mind that has never practised discrimination, that simply follows place and time, falls under the power of spells and drugs. A mind of noble tendency does not.

> How can withering and decay shake the wide Consciousness of one who constantly holds discrimination? A storm cannot shake the mountain of the gods.

> After the King was spoken to in this way, radiance adorned his face, just as the full moon’s completeness adorns the cool-rayed orb at the month’s end.

> The King shone with a calm face and open eyes, like the spring season that bursts into a mass of blooming flowers once winter has gone.

> Then his face showed extreme agitation, wonder, distress and loss of memory, looking like the moon in the sky that sees approaching death in the form of Rahu.

> Seeing the magician, he then spoke as if smiling—like the serpent Takshaka in snake-form when he sees a violent ape.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty. Sense-pleasures and restless choices have exactly this nature: they attract at the start and leave dryness at the end. A mind that has been trained by noble stories and clear thinking should remain cool and pure, yet even such a mind can temporarily sink into confusion when it loses its firm hold on discrimination.  

The root of the problem is the support the mind chooses. When it leans on trivial, worldly props and is swollen with bodily pride, it races after the same restless tendencies again and again and falls into delusion. Greatness cannot grow from such weak supports. In contrast, a mind that rests on solid, non-trivial ground, stays steady, awake and full of good qualities is hard to shake—yet even that mind can appear momentarily withered if vigilance slips.  

Discrimination is the decisive protection. A mind that has never practised it simply drifts with place, time and circumstance and therefore becomes easy prey to outer spells, drugs or inner illusions. A mind of noble tendency, constantly practising discrimination, cannot be permanently unsettled. Storms of confusion may blow, but they cannot uproot a Consciousness that is wide and firmly established, any more than a gale can move the mountain of the gods.  

The outer story shows the recovery of the King. Kind and wise words restore the natural radiance to his face, like the full moon recovering its light or spring returning after winter. Yet the memory of the recent illusion still leaves a trace of agitation, wonder and fear—exactly as the moon looks pale when it remembers Rahu. This mixture of restored calm and residual disturbance is natural when a strong mind has just emerged from a powerful temporary delusion.  

Finally the verses point to the larger truth: even a powerful, knowledgeable mind dwelling in a body can, for a moment, fall under illusion. The episode with the magician is therefore not merely an external trick; it is a living demonstration of how the mind itself creates and dissolves entire worlds of experience in a short span of time. Recognition of this power, followed by steady discrimination, is the way to keep the mind from being repeatedly entangled.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.1–9

(Return from a deep state of mental delusion to ordinary awareness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मुहूर्तद्वितयेनाथ बोधमाप महीपतिः।

प्रावृषेण्याम्बुनिर्मुक्तमम्भोरुहमिवोत्तमम् ॥ १॥

आसनात्साङ्गदोत्तंसः प्रबुद्धोऽसावकम्पयत्।

सवनाभोगशृङ्गाग्र्यो भूकम्प इव पर्वतः ॥ २॥

बभूवाथ प्रबुद्धोऽसावासनोपरि कम्पितः।

विक्षुब्ध इव पातालवारणे शङ्कराचलः ॥ ३॥

पतन्तं धारयामासुस्तं पुरोगा नृपं भुजैः।

मेरुं प्रलयविक्षुब्धं कुलशैलास्तटैरिव ॥ ४॥

पुरोगैर्धार्यमाणोऽसौ पर्याकुलमतिर्नृपः।

वीचिविक्षोभितस्येन्दोर्बभार वनमाः श्रियः ॥ ५॥

कोऽयं प्रदेशः कस्येयं सभेति स नृपः शनैः।

दध्वान मज्जदम्भोजकोशस्थ इव षट्पदः ॥ ६॥

अथोवाच सभा देव किमेतदिति सादरम्।

रणन्मधुकरी भानुं दृष्टराहुमिवालिनी ॥ ७॥

अथैनं परिपप्रच्छुः पुरोगा मन्त्रिणस्तथा।

प्रलयोल्लाससंत्रस्तं मार्कण्डेयमिवामराः ॥ ८॥

त्वयीत्थं संस्थिते देव वयमत्यन्तमाकुलाः।

अभेद्यमपि भिन्दन्ति निर्निमित्तं भ्रमा मनः ॥ ९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.105.1–9

> Then, after two moments, the King regained awareness, like a fine lotus freed from the waters of the rainy season.  

> The awakened King, wearing armlets and a crest, shook from his seat like a mountain with forests and high peaks trembling in an earthquake.  

> Then the awakened King trembled on his seat, as if Mount Kailasa were shaken by the elephant of the nether World.  

> His attendants held the falling King with their arms, just as the surrounding mountains support Mount Meru when it is shaken by the winds of dissolution.  

> Held by his attendants and with a confused mind, the King looked like the moon disturbed by waves and carried the beauty of forest garlands.  

> The King slowly murmured, “What is this place? Whose assembly is this?” like a bee trapped in the cup of a sinking lotus.  

> Then the assembly respectfully asked, “O lord, what is this?” like a buzzing bee seeing the Sun as if seized by Rahu.  

> Then the leading men and ministers questioned him, just as the gods, terrified by the onset of cosmic dissolution, once questioned Sage Markandeya.  

> “O Lord, while you are in this state we are extremely anxious. Even unbreakable things are broken by groundless delusions of the mind.”  

Summary of the Teachings: 

These verses show how a person can suddenly return from a deep state of mental delusion or magical illusion to ordinary awareness. The king’s sudden recovery is compared to a lotus that blooms again once the rains clear, teaching that clarity of mind can return quickly once the covering of confusion lifts. The strong physical shaking that follows reveals how deeply the body and mind are linked; a powerful inner experience leaves visible outer signs.  

The attendants’ prompt support of the falling king points to the value of steady companions in moments of weakness. Just as surrounding mountains hold up Meru during upheaval, wise friends and counselors steady a person when the mind is unsettled. The king’s confused appearance, like the moon tossed by waves, shows that even after awakening the mind may still carry traces of disturbance and need gentle help to regain balance.  

The king’s soft questions—“What place is this? Whose court is this?”—illustrate the natural response of a mind that has briefly lost its bearings. Like a bee inside a sinking lotus, the person feels enclosed and uncertain until the outer world is recognized again. The respectful inquiry of the assembly mirrors the concern of those who care for someone returning from confusion; their tone is gentle yet urgent, seeking to understand what has occurred.  

The ministers’ questioning, compared to the gods asking Markandeya during the fear of cosmic dissolution, teaches that great upheavals—whether outer catastrophe or inner delusion—prompt the same search for explanation. Even the wise feel temporary fear when familiar order is shaken, yet steady inquiry restores perspective.  

Finally, the courtiers’ words state the central lesson: groundless mental delusions can shake even a firm mind. No one is immune to sudden confusion arising without clear outer cause. The teaching urges constant discrimination and calm awareness so that the mind remains unshaken by fleeting illusions, whether produced by magic, dream, or ordinary error.  

Chapter 3.104, Verses 32~49

Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.32~49

(The King and the magician)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

तां ददर्श महीपालस्तेजोरेणुविराजिताम्।

शक्रः सुरविमानस्थः स्वकार्मुकलतामिव ॥ ३२॥

सभां सैन्धवसामन्तो विवेशास्मिन्क्षणे तदा।

तारापरिकरापूर्णां व्योमवीथीमिवाम्बुदः ॥ ३३॥

तं चैवानुजगामाश्वः सौम्यः परमवेगवान्।

देवलोकोन्मुखं तुष्टं शक्रमुच्चैःश्रवा इव ॥ ३४॥

स तमश्वमुपादाय पार्थिवं समुवाच ह।

सोच्चैःश्रवा इव क्षीरसागरो मरुतां पतिम् ॥ ३५॥

इदमुच्चैःश्रवःप्रख्यं हयरत्नं महीपते।

जवोडुयनशीलेन मूर्तिमानिव मारुतः ॥ ३६॥

अश्वोऽयमस्मत्प्रभुणा प्रभो संप्रहितस्त्वयि।

राजते हि पदार्थश्रीर्महतामर्पणाच्छुभा ॥ ३७॥

(३.१०४.३८–४३)

बोधितः केनचिन्नासौ स्वप्रतापजितोर्जितः।

धिया कामप्ययं भूयश्चिन्तां चिन्तयतीति च ॥ ४४॥

बभूवुः केवलं तत्र निःस्पन्दसितचामराः।

चामरिण्यो हि शर्वर्यः स्तम्भितेन्दुकरा इव ॥ ४५॥

विरेजुर्विस्मयापूर्णा निःस्पन्दास्ते सभासदः।

निःस्पन्दकिञ्जल्कदलाः पद्माः पङ्ककृता इव ॥ ४६॥

प्रशशाम सभास्थाने जनकोलाहलः शनैः।

प्रशान्तप्रावृषि व्योमन्याम्भोदमिव गर्जितम् ॥ ४७॥

संदेहसागरे मग्ना जग्मुश्चिन्तां सुमन्त्रिणः।

विषीदति गदापाणावसुराजाविवामराः ॥ ४८॥

विततविस्मितजिह्नितया तया जनतया भयमोहविषण्णया।

स्तिमितचक्षुषि भूमिपतौ स्थिते मुकुलिताज्जवनस्य धृता द्युतिः ॥ ४९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.104.32–37

> The King saw that bright staff circling and shining with sparkling particles of light, just as Indra sees his glowing rainbow in the sky.

> At that moment a chieftain from the Sindhu region entered the assembly, like a cloud appearing in the starry sky.

> A gentle yet extremely swift horse followed him at once, just as the celestial horse Uchchaihsravas follows Indra when he sets out toward the World of the gods.

> Taking hold of that horse, the chieftain spoke to the King, just as the milky ocean once presented Uchchaihsravas to the Lord of the winds.

> “O King of the Earth, this jewel among horses is equal to Uchchaihsravas. In its power to race and leap it is like the wind given bodily form.”

> “Our master has sent this horse to you, O Lord. The beauty of a fine object shines even more when it is offered by the great.”

3.104.38–43. 

> After the chieftain finished speaking, the magician said in a sweet voice that the King should mount the horse and roam freely over the Earth, shining like the Sun as it circles the sky. Hearing this, the King looked at the horse and ordered it brought forward. He gazed at it steadily with unblinking eyes, as if he himself had become a painted picture. After looking for a long time he mounted and sat motionless with closed eyes, remaining for about two hours as if lost in deep meditation, completely unaware of the outer World.

3.104.44–49

> No one could awaken him. Overcome by the power of his own mind, he remained absorbed in some thought of his own.

> Only the motionless white fly-whisks remained there; the women holding them stood still like nights whose moonlight has been frozen.

> The assembled courtiers sat motionless and full of wonder, like lotuses whose filaments and petals have become fixed in mud.

> Little by little the noise of the crowd in the assembly hall died away, just as the thunder of rain-clouds fades when the rainy season ends.

> The wise ministers sank into doubt and anxiety, just as the gods grow distressed when Vishnu, mace in hand, battles the demon kings.

> While the King sat with closed eyes, the people—filled with wonder, fear, and confusion—lost their brightness, like lotuses whose petals have closed.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses form part of the story of King Lavana and show how a single intense mental impression can seize the mind completely. The sudden appearance of the fine horse and the magician’s suggestion draw the king’s full attention; within moments he is no longer aware of the royal court around him. This illustrates that the outer world loses all force once the mind becomes absorbed in an inner scene of its own making.

The stillness that falls over the entire assembly—the motionless fly-whisks, the silent courtiers, the hushed noise—mirrors the king’s inner state. When the ruling Consciousness becomes fixed, every surrounding activity appears frozen. The text thereby teaches that outer events are secondary; they take their character from the condition of the mind that perceives them.

Verses 44–46 stress that the King is not overpowered by any external force but by the power of his own thought. Once a strong idea takes hold, even the strongest person remains as if bound. No outer call can interrupt the stream of imagination until the mind itself releases it. This points to the central teaching that the mind alone creates and sustains the experiences we call real.

The anxiety of the ministers and the fear of the people further reveal how quickly collective Consciousness is affected by the state of one dominant mind. When the king’s awareness withdraws, the whole court loses its usual vitality. The passage therefore shows the interdependence of individual and collective mental states and the ease with which confusion spreads when attention is misdirected.

Taken together, the verses prepare the larger lesson of the Lavana story: that the world we experience is a mental construction, as fleeting and changeable as a dream or a magician’s illusion. By watching the King pass in an instant from open-eyed alertness into complete absorption, the reader is invited to examine the power of his or her own mind and to recognize that liberation begins when that power is understood and mastered.