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Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.1~31
(The King and the magician)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।
अत्र ते श्रृणु वक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तमिममुत्तमम्।
जागतीहेन्द्रजालश्रीश्चित्तायत्ता यथा स्थिता ॥ १॥
अस्त्यस्मिन्वसुधापीठे नानावनसमाकुलः।
उत्तरापाण्डवो नाम स्फीतो जनपदो महान् ॥ २॥
नीरन्ध्रघनगम्भीरवन विश्रान्ततापसः।
विद्याधरीकृतलतादोलोपवनपत्तनः ॥ ३॥
वातोद्धूताञ्जकिञ्जल्कपुञ्जपिञ्जरपर्वतः।
लसत्कुसुमसंभारवनमालावतंसकः ॥ ४॥
(३.१०४.५–११)
तत्रास्ति लवणो नाम राजा परमधार्मिकः।
हरिश्चन्द्रकुलोद्भूतो भूमाविव दिवाकरः ॥ १२॥
यद्यशःकुसुमोत्तंसपाण्डुरस्कन्धमण्डलाः।
तत्र शैला विराजन्ते हाराः प्रोद्धूलिता इव ॥ १३॥
कृपाणशकलोत्कृत्तनिःशेषारातिमण्डलः।
अरातिलोकः प्राप्नोति यदनुस्मरणाज्ज्वरम् ॥ १४॥
यस्योदारसमारम्भमार्यलोकानुपालनम्।
चरितं संस्मरिष्यन्ति हरेरिव चिरं जनाः ॥ १५॥
यस्याप्सरोमिरद्रीन्द्रमूर्धस्वमरसद्मसु।
विकासिपुलकोल्लासं गीयन्ते गुणगीतयः ॥ १६॥
(३.१०४.१७–२५)
सभां विवेश साटोपः कश्चित्तामैन्द्रजालिकः।
वर्षेणाहितसंरम्भो वसुधामिव वारिदः ॥ २६॥
स ननाम महीपालं शिखरोदारकन्धरम्।
पादोपान्तगतः कान्तं शैलं फलतरुर्यथा ॥ २७॥
सच्छायस्योन्नतांसस्य फलिनः पुष्पभासिनः।
स विवेश पुरो राज्ञस्तरोरग्रे कपिर्यथा ॥ २८॥
चपलो लम्पटोऽर्थानामामोदसुखमारुतम्।
उवाचोत्कन्धरं भूपं सपद्ममिव षट्पदः ॥ २९॥
विलोकय विभो तावदेकामिह खरोलिकाम्।
पीठस्थ एव साश्चर्यां व्योम्नि चन्द्र इवावनिम् ॥ ३०॥
इत्युक्त्वा पिच्छिका तेन भ्रामिता भ्रमदायिनी।
नानाविरचनाबीजं मायेव परमात्मनः ॥ ३१॥
Sage Vashishta said:
3.104.1–4
> Listen, I shall now tell you this excellent story of how the wondrous magic of the world depends entirely on the mind.
> On this earth there is a large and prosperous country named Uttara-Pandava, full of many kinds of forests.
> In its dense, deep, and thick forests, holy ascetics find rest. Celestial maidens have turned the groves with creeper-swings into pleasant settlements.
> The mountains there are yellow with masses of flower stamens scattered by the wind, and the land is decorated with shining garlands of forest flowers.
3.104.5–11
> These verses continue the description of the beautiful country. They speak of wild thickets with flowering trees, villages among date palms, the air filled with buzzing sounds, golden-hued paddy fields and rocky rows, forests echoing with the calls of blue-throated birds, groves resounding with the cries of cranes, soft bird songs, riverbanks with red-flowering trees, singing girls in the fields, flower-laden clouds stirred by the breeze, and pavilions of banana groves where divine singers perform, all making the land look pale and lovely with its flower gardens.
3.104.12–16
> In that country lives a King named Lavana, who is extremely righteous. He was born in the family of Harishchandra and shines on Earth like the Sun.
> The mountains there, whitened by the flower-garlands of his fame on their broad peaks, shine brightly as if they were scattered pearl necklaces.
> He has completely destroyed all his enemies with the edge of his sword. Even the memory of him causes feverish fear among enemy peoples.
> People will long remember his noble works and his protection of good people, just as they remember the deeds of Lord Hari.
> On the peaks of the great mountains and in the homes of the gods, celestial nymphs sing songs of his virtues with great joy and thrill.
3.104.17–25
These verses further praise the King’s pure and lofty character. They say that even in dreams no base or faulty act of his has ever been seen or heard. He knows no crookedness and has never shown boldness in wrong ways; he holds generosity as firmly as Brahma holds his rosary. Then they describe a day when the King sits on his throne in the assembly hall after the Sun has risen high. Feudatory armies enter with respect, beautiful women sing, kings sit comfortably, the sound of lutes and flutes delights the mind, graceful women wave chowries, the King sits like a teacher of gods and demons, the ministers are at ease, royal business is discussed, country news is reported by skilled ministers, sacred histories are recited from books, and bards humbly chant holy praises.
3.104.26–31
> At that time a certain proud magician entered the assembly, like a rain-cloud that stirs the whole earth with its coming showers.
> He bowed to the King, who had a lofty and noble neck, going near his feet, just as a fruit-laden tree bows before a beautiful mountain.
> He stood before the King like a monkey climbing to the top of a shady, high-branched, fruit-bearing, and flower-bright tree.
> The restless man, greedy for gain, spoke to the attentive King (whose presence was like a fragrant pleasant breeze) just as a bee speaks to a lotus.
> “O Lord, while you remain seated on your throne, look at just one wonderful puppet-show of mine, as the Moon in the sky looks down upon the Earth.”
> Saying this, he whirled a magic whisk of peacock feathers that creates illusion, like the Supreme Self’s own maya which is the seed of all varied creations.
Detailed Summary of the Teachings:
These verses introduce the famous story of King Lavana to show that the entire world-appearance is like a magic show created by the mind. Vasistha begins by stating that the splendour of worldly illusion depends wholly on the mind, preparing the listener to see that what seems solid and real is only a mental projection.
The detailed and beautiful description of the country Uttara-Pandava and its forests, mountains, birds, flowers, and settlements serves to create a vivid, dream-like picture. This richness of imagery itself illustrates how the mind can construct an entire world of sights, sounds, and feelings that appear completely real while they last.
King Lavana is presented as an ideal, righteous ruler whose fame, power, and virtue are celebrated even by gods and celestial beings. His exalted character makes the later events more striking: if such a great King can be completely overpowered by a momentary mental illusion, then ordinary people are even more subject to the mind’s magic.
The sudden entrance of the proud magician into the peaceful royal assembly and his whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the beginning of the demonstration. The magician’s action is compared directly to the cosmic maya of the Supreme Self, showing that individual mental tricks and the grand illusion of creation are of the same nature.
Taken together, the passage teaches that all experiences—pleasant landscapes, royal glory, fear of enemies, and sudden magical transformations—are products of the mind. By watching how quickly and completely a solid-seeming reality can be replaced by another, the seeker is invited to question the solidity of the waking world and to turn attention inward to the Pure Consciousness that alone is Real.
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