Chapter 3.62, Verses 14–22

Yoga Vashishtha 3.62.14–22

(These verses teach that destiny - niyati - and Creation are not separate from Brahm, the Ultimate Reality or Pure Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

विरिञ्चयाद्यात्मभिर्बुद्धैर्बोधायाविदितात्मनाम्।

ब्रह्मात्मैव सा नियतिः सर्गोऽयमिति कथ्यते ॥ १४॥

अचलं चलवद्दृष्टं ब्रह्मापूर्य व्यवस्थितः।

अनादिमध्यपर्यन्तं सर्गो वृक्ष इवाम्बरे ॥ १५॥

पाषाणोदरलेखौघन्यायेनात्मनि तिष्ठता।

ब्रह्मणा नियतिः सर्गो बुद्धोऽबोधवतेव खम् ॥ १६॥

देहे यथाङ्गिनोऽङ्गादि दृश्यते चित्स्वभावतः।

ब्रह्मणा पद्मजत्वेन नियत्याद्यङ्गकं तथा ॥ १७॥

एषा दैवमिति प्रोक्ता सर्वं सकलकालगम्।

पदार्थमलमाक्रम्य शुद्धा चिदिति संस्थिता ॥ १८॥

स्पन्दितव्यं पदार्थेन भाव्यं वा भोक्तृतापदम्।

अनेनेत्थमनेनेत्थमवश्यमिति दैवधीः ॥ १९॥

एषैव पुरुषस्पन्दस्तृणगुल्मादि चाखिलम्।

एषैव सर्वभूतादि जगत्कालक्रियादि वा ॥ २०॥

अनया पौरुषी सत्ता सत्तास्याः पौरुषेण च।

लक्ष्यते भुवनं यावद्द्वे एकात्मतयैव हि ॥ २१॥

नरेण पौरुषेणैव कार्ये सत्तात्मके उभे।

ईदृश्येतेन नियतिरेवं नियतिपौरुषे ॥ २२॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.62.14–17

> For those who do not know their True Self, the wise ones like Brahma and others declare that this fixed cosmic law (niyati) is itself Brahm, the Self, and this is called Creation.

> Brahm, though unmoving, appears as if moving. Creation, without beginning, middle, or end, is established by fully pervading everything, like a tree standing in Space.

> Just as lines etched inside a stone exist within it, in the same way, Brahm abiding in its own Self understands Creation and destiny. It is known like Space is perceived by an ignorant person.

> Just as the limbs of a person are seen in the body due to the nature of Consciousness, similarly, for the lotus-born Brahma, destiny and its parts are like its own limbs.

3.62.18–22

> This is called the Divine (daiva). It pervades all objects and impurities across all times. Pure Consciousness remains established in its Pure form.

> The idea of destiny is that things must happen in a certain way through the movement or enjoyment of objects, and one must inevitably experience it in this or that manner.

> This itself is the vibration or effort of the Purusha (person). It is all grass, shrubs, and everything. It is all Beings, the world, Time, and actions.

> Through this human existence and the Existence of the Divine, the world is perceived. These two are really One in Essence.

> By human effort alone, both types of essential actions are accomplished. In this way, destiny is seen, and thus destiny and human effort relate to each other.

Summary of the Teachings:

What we call fate or the fixed order of the Universe is simply Brahm appearing as the world for those who have not Realized their True Self. 

Creation is like an illusion or appearance within the Unchanging Brahm, much like a tree seeming to exist in empty Space. The wise explain this to help people move beyond ignorance toward Self-Knowledge.

The world and its laws appear Real due to Consciousness. 

Brahm, though still and eternal, seems active and moving from our limited view. Destiny operates within Brahm like inherent markings in a stone or limbs in a body. Everything in Creation, including Time and objects, is pervaded by Pure Consciousness, which remains untouched and Pure. This "Divine" force is the underlying intelligence behind all phenomena.

Human effort and destiny are interconnected aspects of the same Reality. The feeling that events must unfold in specific ways comes from the dynamic play of Consciousness. All living things, actions, and the flow of time arise from this one Source. What we call personal effort (paurusha) is part of the Universal vibration of Consciousness.

The verses emphasize non-duality: destiny and human will are not opposites but two sides of One Truth. Through effort, we engage with destiny, and together they shape experience. The world appears through their interplay, but at the deepest level, they are unified in Brahm. Realizing this unity frees one from seeing them as conflicting forces.

Ultimately, these teachings encourage Self-Realization. By understanding that everything is a manifestation of One Consciousness, one transcends limited views of fate versus free will. Both are tools for growth within the grand illusion of Creation, leading toward liberation through Knowledge of the Self as Brahm.

Chapter 3.62, Verses 1–13

Yoga Vashishtha 3.62.1–13

(These verses reveal the illusory and dream-like nature of the entire Universe)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

परमाणुनिमेषाणां लक्षांशकलनास्वपि।

जगत्कल्पसहस्राणि सत्यानीव विभान्त्यलम् ॥ १॥

तेष्वप्यन्तस्तथैवान्तः परमाणुकणं प्रति।

भ्रान्तिरेवमनन्ताहो इयमित्यवभासते ॥ २॥

वहन्तीमाः पराः सत्ताः शान्ताः सर्गपरम्पराः।

सलिलद्रवतेवान्तःस्फुटावर्तविवर्तिका ॥ ३॥

मिथ्यात्मिकैव सर्गश्रीर्भवतीह महामरौ।

तीरद्रुमलतोन्मुक्तपुष्पालीव तरङ्गिणी ॥ ४॥

स्वप्नेन्द्रजालपुरवत्संकथेहापुराद्रिवत्।

संकल्पवदसत्यैव भाति सर्गानुभूतिभूः ॥ ५॥

श्रीराम उवाच ।

एकात्मैकतयैवं हि जाते सम्यग्विचारणात्।

निर्विकल्पात्मविज्ञाने परे ज्ञानवतां वर ॥ ६॥

किमर्थमिह तिष्ठन्ति देहास्तत्त्वविदामपि।

दैवेनैव समाक्रान्ता दैवमत्र च किं भवेत् ॥ ७॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

अस्तीह नियतिर्ब्राह्मी चिच्छक्तिः स्पन्दरूपिणी।

अवश्यभवितव्यैकसत्ता सकलकल्पगा ॥ ८॥

आदिसर्गे हि नियतिर्भाववैचित्र्यमक्षयम्।

अनेनेत्थं सदा भाव्यमिति संपद्यते परम् ॥ ९॥

महासत्तेति कथिता महाचितिरिति स्मृता।

महाशक्तिरिति ख्याता महादृष्टिरिति स्थिता ॥ १०॥

महाक्रियेति गदिता महोद्भव इति स्मृता।

महास्पन्द इति प्रौढा महात्मैकतयोदिता ॥ ११॥

तृणानीव जगन्त्येवमिति दैत्याः सुरा इति।

इति नागा इति नगा इत्याकल्पं कृतास्थितिः ॥ १२॥

कदाचिद्ब्रह्मसत्ताया व्यभिचारोऽनुमीयते।

चित्रमाकाशकोशे च नान्यथा नियतेः स्थितिः ॥ १३॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.62.1–5

> Even in the tiniest fraction of an atom or the blink of an eye, thousands of worlds and cosmic ages appear abundantly, as if they were truly Real.

> Oh, within those worlds too, and again within each tiny atom, this endless illusion appears in the same way, manifesting as "this is Reality."

> These Supreme, Peaceful series of Creations and existences flow along, like the fluidity of water with its clear eddies and whirlpools inside.

> The splendor of Creation here is purely illusory, like a river of flowers and garlands appearing in a great desert mirage from trees and creepers on the banks.

> The world experienced as the ground of existence appears unreal, just like a city in a dream, a magic show, a story, a past mountain, or a mere mental concept.

Sriram asked:

3.62.6–7

> O best among the wise, when through proper inquiry the Realization arises of the Oneness of the single Self in the Supreme, concept-free Knowledge of the Self...

> Why then do bodies continue to exist even for those who know the Truth? Are they overpowered by destiny (daiva)? And what exactly is this destiny here?

Sage Vashishta replied:

3.62.8–13

> There exists here a Divine Cosmic law (niyati), which is the vibrating power of Consciousness. It is the one inevitable Existence that pervades all Cosmic cycles.

> Indeed, at the beginning of Creation, this law establishes an imperishable variety of existences. Through it, things are always destined to be this way, and thus the Supreme comes to be.

> It is called the Great Existence, remembered as the Great Consciousness, known as the Great Power, and established as the Great Vision.

> It is spoken of as the Great Action, known as the Great Origin, mighty as the Great Vibration, and declared through the Oneness of the Supreme Self.

> All these worlds are like mere blades of grass. In this way, distinctions such as demons, gods, serpents, and mountains are fixed and endure for a whole Cosmic age.

> Sometimes a deviation from Brahm's Existence is perceived. This is wonderful, appearing as pictures in the vast Space of the sky. The State of this Cosmic law is not otherwise.

Summary of the Teachings:

Even the smallest units of Time and Space contain countless worlds and Cosmic cycles that seem completely real but are products of illusion (bhranti or maya). Creation is compared to mirages, dreams, magic shows, and mental constructs, showing that what appears solid and lasting is actually transient and without independent Reality. The multiplicity of Existence flows like whirlpools in water, always changing yet rooted in a deeper, Peaceful Reality.

Rama questions how Realized Beings who know the non-dual Self still inhabit bodies. Vasistha explains that a Divine Cosmic order or law (niyati), which is none other than the vibrating power of Consciousness (chit-shakti), governs everything. This law is inevitable and operates across all kalpas (cosmic cycles), ensuring that manifestations occur in their destined variety without contradicting the underlying Oneness of Brahm.

This Cosmic law is praised with many names: Great Existence, Great Consciousness, Great Power, Great Vision, Great Action, Great Origin, and Great Vibration. It is ultimately the expression of the Supreme Self's Oneness. Through this law, diverse forms like gods, demons, mountains, and serpents arise and appear distinct, yet they are as insignificant as blades of grass in the grand scheme.

The law creates an imperishable variety of Beings and worlds right from the start of Creation. While occasional perceptions of change or deviation from Pure Brahm may arise, these are like pictures drawn in the sky—apparent but not altering the fundamental fixed order. Everything remains within this Divine framework, which is Brahm itself.

Ultimately, these teachings point to non-dual Realization: 

the world is an appearance in Consciousness, sustained by its own power as niyati. Proper inquiry leads to freedom from concepts, yet life continues under the play of this Cosmic law until full liberation. The emphasis is on seeing through the illusion while understanding the intelligent order behind all appearances.

Chapter 3.61, Verses 26–38

Yoga Vashishtha 3.61.26–38

(These verses teach the non-dual nature of Reality, where the entire Creation is not separate from the Supreme Consciousness or Brahm)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

ब्रह्मणा चिन्मयेनात्मा सर्गात्मैव विभाव्यते।

न भाव्यते चानन्यत्वाद्बीजेनान्तरिव द्रुमः ॥ २६॥

यथा क्षीरस्य माधुर्यं तीक्ष्णत्वं मरिचस्य च।

द्रवत्वं पयसश्चैव स्पन्दनं पवनस्य च ॥ २७॥

स्थितोऽनन्यो यथान्यः सन्नास्ति तत्र तथात्मनि।

सर्गो निर्गलचिद्रूपः परमात्मात्मरूपभृत् ॥ २८॥

कचनं ब्रह्मरत्नस्य जगदित्येव यत्स्थितम्।

तदकारणकं यस्मात्तेन न व्यतिरिच्यते ॥ २९॥

वासना चित्तजीवादिवेदनं वेदनोदितम्।

नोदेत्यवेदनादेव यतनादेव पौरुषात् ॥ ३०॥

नास्तमेति न चोदेति क्वचित्किंचित्कदाचन।

सर्वं शान्तमजं ब्रह्म चिद्धनं सुशिलाघनम् ॥ ३१॥

पराणुं प्रति सर्गौघाश्चिताद्भान्तिसहस्रशः।

तेष्वप्यणावणावन्तः कैवात्रावासना कथम् ॥ ३२॥

यथा जलान्त ऊर्म्याद्या गुप्तागुसाश्च शक्तयः।

जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्ताद्यास्तथा जीवेऽन्तरास्थिताः ॥ ३३॥

जाता चेदरतिर्जन्तोर्भोगान्प्रति मनागपि।

तदसौ तावतैवोच्चैः पदं प्राप्त इति श्रुतिः ॥ ३४॥

यतो यतो विरज्यते ततस्ततो विमुच्यते।

अतोऽहमित्यसंविदन्क एति जन्मसंविदम् ॥ ३५॥

चितिं परापरामजामरूपिकामनामिकाम्।

चराचराऽधरामयीं विदन्ति ये जयन्ति ते ॥ ३६॥

परे चितिः स्वप्रकटाद्वितीयास्वावर्तलेखेव जले द्रवान्तः।

साहं तयेमानि जगन्ति धत्ते न सन्ति नासन्ति परात्मकानि ॥ ३७॥

अहंमयी पद्मजभावना चित् संकल्पभेदाद्वितनोति विश्वम्।

अन्तर्मुखैवानुभवत्यनन्तनिमेषकोट्यंशविधौ युगान्तम् ॥ ३८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.61.26–31

> The soul, which is Pure Consciousness, is imagined by Brahma as the form of Creation itself. It is not thought of as separate because of its oneness, just like a tree is not different from its seed.

> Just as sweetness is in milk, sharpness in pepper, liquidity in water, and movement in wind.

> In the same way, the Creation exists as non-different in the soul. This Creation is Pure Consciousness without any gap, and it holds the form of the Supreme Soul.

> The shining of the jewel of Brahm is called the world. Since it has no Cause, it is not separate from that.

> Desires, the individual soul, life, and experiences arise from Consciousness. They do not arise without Knowing, but only through human effort.

> It neither sets nor rises anywhere, at any time, or in any way. Everything is peaceful, unborn Brahm, dense with Consciousness, like a solid rock.

3.61.32–38

> Creation appears in countless ways as illusions of Consciousness even in the smallest particle. In those tiniest atoms within atoms, how can there be any place for desires?

> Just as waves and hidden powers exist within water, the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep exist within the soul.

> If a Being feels even a little dislike for pleasures, then by that much he has reached a very High State, as per the scriptures.

> From whatever one turns away with detachment, from that one becomes Free. Therefore, one who does not think "I am this" escapes the Knowledge of birth.

> Those who know the Supreme and lower Consciousness as unborn, formless, nameless, and containing all moving and unmoving things, they are victorious.

> The Supreme Consciousness is self-revealed, without a second, like a whirlpool in liquid water. I am that, and through it these worlds are held. They are neither existent nor non-existent; they belong to the Supreme.

> I am the Consciousness that thinks of itself as the lotus-born Brahma. Through differences in thought, it spreads the Universe. Inwardly facing, it experiences the end of an age in countless millions of moments.

Summary of the Teachings:

The world appears as an expression of the Divine Intellect, much like a tree grows from a seed without being different from it. 

Qualities like sweetness in milk or movement in air exist inherently within their substances, showing that Creation is an inseparable appearance within Pure Consciousness. There is no real division or independent cause for the world; it is simply the shining of Brahm itself.

The text emphasizes that desires and individual experiences arise only through Conscious effort and identification. Without this mental activity, there is no arising or setting of anything. The True Reality is always peaceful, unborn, and full of Consciousness, solid like a rock. Even in the smallest particles, what appears as Creation is just countless illusions of Consciousness, leaving no room for personal desires or vasanas in the ultimate view.

States of Consciousness like waking and dreaming are latent within the soul, similar to waves hidden in calm water. 

True progress comes from developing detachment from sensory pleasures, even a little, which elevates one spiritually. By turning away from identification with the limited "I" and body, one is freed from the cycle of birth and death.

The Supreme Consciousness is described as beyond name and form, containing all things, and those who Realize this attain victory. It is self-evident and without a second, like movements in water. The "I" is this very Consciousness, which holds the worlds that are neither fully Real nor unreal but appear within the Supreme.

Finally, this Consciousness, imagining itself as the Creator Brahma, projects the Universe through its thoughts and Sankalpas. Facing inward, it experiences vast cycles of Time in moments. The teaching points to Realizing this inner truth for liberation, seeing the world as a play of Consciousness rather than independent matter.

Chapter 3.61, Verses 16–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.61.16–25

(These verses teach that the entire world is not separate from Brahm, the Supreme Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तदेदावनितां वेत्ति स्वचित्तैकात्मतामयीम्।

अन्तःस्थगन्धतन्मात्रामुर्वी स्थैर्यकलामिव ॥ १६॥

तुल्यकालनिमेषांशलक्षभागप्रतीति यत्।

निजं विदः प्रकचनं तत्सर्गौघपरम्परा ॥ १७॥

शुद्धं सकृत्प्रभातान्तर्दृश्यमध्यमनामयम्।

उदयास्तमयोन्मुक्तं ब्रह्म तिष्ठत्यनिष्ठितम् ॥ १८॥

बुद्धं सदपवर्गं तत्ससर्गमपि सत्समम्।

अबुद्धं सर्गरूपात्म विसर्गमपि तत्सदा ॥ १९॥

चिद्रह्म यद्यथा येन बुध्यते स्वात्मनात्मनि।

तत्तत्तथा नु भवति सर्वं सर्वाङ्गशक्तिमत् ॥ २०॥

तत्सत्यं चिद्विलासत्वान्नित्यानुभवरूपतः।

तदसत्यं मनः षष्ठात्सर्वाख्या निगतं यतः ॥ २१॥

यथैतत्सरणं वायौ तथा सर्गः स्थितः परे।

असत्कल्पेऽपि संकल्पः सत्येऽसत्य इवापि च ॥ २२॥

अन्यरूपा यथानन्या तेजस्यालोकतोदरे।

तथा ब्रह्मणि विश्वश्रीः सत्यासत्यात्मिका चिति ॥ २३॥

अनुत्कीर्णा यथा पङ्के पुत्रिका चाथ दारुणि।

यथा वर्णा मषीकल्के तथा सर्गाः स्थिताः परे ॥ २४॥

अनन्यान्येव कचति ब्रह्मतत्त्वमरुस्थले।

असत्यात्मनि सत्येव त्रिजगन्मृगतृष्णिका ॥ २५॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.61.16–20

> Consciousness itself knows the earth as filled with the oneness of its own mind. It is like the solid quality of the earth, with the subtle element of smell inside it.

> The perception that appears in a tiny fraction of a moment, equal to one hundred-thousandth part of the blink of an eye, is the own shining of Consciousness. That itself is the continuous flow of many Creations.

> Pure Brahm remains established without support. It is ever manifest in its inner vision, free from disease, and beyond rising and setting.

> When Known, it is Eternal Existence leading to liberation, and even with Creation it remains the same True Reality. When not known, it always appears as the form of Creation and dissolution.

> Consciousness-Brahm, in whatever way and by whatever means it is understood by the Self within itself, becomes exactly that in all its parts, full of all powers.

3.61.21–25

> It is true because it is the play of Consciousness and eternal experience. It is unreal because all names and forms arise from the mind and the senses.

> Just as movement exists in air, so Creation exists in the Supreme. Even in unreality, imagination works as if in both the Real and the unreal.

> Just as different forms appear non-separate in the light within the eye, so the glory of the Universe, both Real and unreal in nature, exists as Consciousness in Brahm.

> Just as a figure is uncarved in mud and in wood, and colors exist in a lump of ink, so Creations exist in the Supreme.

> Non-different things shine as the Reality of Brahm in the desert-like expanse. The mirage of the three worlds appears Real in what is unreal in Essence.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything we see as solid earth or other elements is simply Consciousness appearing in different forms, like smell in earth or stability in ground. Creation is not a real separate event but a momentary perception within the mind of the Divine. The world arises as a continuous series of appearances in the tiniest fraction of time, showing that Time, Space, and objects are all projections of One Consciousness.

Brahm is described as Pure, Unchanging, and Free from birth and death. It exists beyond all limitations yet appears as the world when viewed through ignorance. When Realized, the same Reality leads to liberation and remains true even amid apparent Creation. Without Realization, it seems like ongoing cycles of birth and dissolution. This highlights the importance of Knowledge versus ignorance in perceiving Reality.

The way we understand Brahm determines how it appears to us. Consciousness has infinite power and becomes whatever form the seeker grasps within their own Self. Truth is the eternal play and experience of Consciousness, while the sense of separate objects comes from the mind and senses. This encourages Self-inquiry to see beyond mental labels to the underlying Reality.

Creation is like movement in air or light in the eye – present yet not separate from the Source. 

The Universe's glory is both Real and unreal at the same time, existing within Brahm as Consciousness. Examples like uncarved figures in mud or colors in ink show that potential worlds are already latent in the Supreme without being made separately. This illustrates non-duality where appearance and Reality are one.

Ultimately, Brahm shines as non-different from all things in its vast expanse. The three worlds are like a mirage in the desert – appearing Real but without true substance apart from Consciousness. These teachings guide the seeker to recognize the world as a dream-like projection and rest in the unchanging Pure Awareness that is their True Self.

Chapter 3.61, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.61.1–15

(These verses teach the non-dual Nature of Reality, where Brahm or Pure Consciousness is the only Truth)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

अहं जगदिति भ्रान्तिः परस्मात्कारणं विना।

यथोदेति तथा ब्रह्मन्भूयः कथय साधु मे ॥ १॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

समस्ताः समतैवान्ताः संविदो बुध्यते यतः।

सर्वथा सर्वदा सर्वं सर्वात्मकमजस्ततः ॥ २॥

सर्वा हि शब्दार्थदृशो ब्रह्मैवैताः पृथङ्ग तत्।

सर्वार्थशब्दार्थकलारूपमासां न विद्यते ॥ ३॥

कटकत्वं पृथग्हेम्नस्तरङ्गत्वं पृथग्जलात्।

यथा न संभवत्येवं न जगत्पृथगीश्वरात् ॥ ४॥

एष एव जगद्रूपं जगद्रूपं तु नेश्वरे।

हेमैव कटकादित्वं कटकत्वं न हेमनि ॥ ५॥

यथावयविनो रूपमनेकावयवात्मकम्।

तथाऽनवयवायास्तु चितः सर्वात्मकं च यत् ॥ ६॥

यत्तुल्यकालमखिलं तन्मात्रावेदनं परे।

अन्तस्थं तदिदं भाति जगदित्यहमित्यपि ॥ ७॥

लेखौघानां यथा भेदसंनिवेशः शिलोदरे।

तथानन्यज्जगदहं चेत्यन्तश्चिद्धने घनम् ॥ ८॥

स्थितास्तरङ्गाः सलिले यथान्तरतरङ्गिते।

सृष्टिशब्दार्थरहितास्तथान्तः सृष्टयः परे ॥ ९॥

न सर्गे तिष्ठति परं सर्गस्तिष्ठति नो परे।

अवयवावयविवत्सत्तानवयवैस्तयोः ॥ १०॥

चिद्रूपेण स्वसंवित्त्या स्वचिन्मात्रं विभाव्यते।

स्वमेव रूपहृदयं वातेन स्पन्दनं यथा ॥ ११॥

तत्कालमेष शब्दाणुश्चिच्चमत्काररूपधृक्।

चेतते खमिवैवान्तः संकल्प इव चेतसा ॥ १२॥

तदेवानिलतां वेत्ति निजसत्तात्मिकां स्वयम्।

अन्तर्गतस्पर्शरसां पवनस्पन्दतामिव ॥ १३॥

तदेवाभासतामेति निजसत्तात्मिकां स्वयम्।

कोशस्थितालोकलवां तेजः प्रगटतामिव ॥ १४॥

तदेवं जलतां याति निजसत्तात्मिकां स्वयम्।

अन्तःस्थितास्वादलवां सलिलं द्रवतामिव ॥ १५॥

Sriram asked: 

3.61.1

> The delusion that "I am the world" arises without any other cause. O Brahman, please explain this to me again clearly.

Sage Vasishta said: 

3.61.2–6

> All Knowledge exists equally within Consciousness, which is the Eternal, all-pervading Reality without beginning.

> All perceptions of words and their meanings are essentially Brahm itself. There is no separate form or Essence for any object or word apart from it.

> Just as the form of a bracelet cannot exist separately from gold, and waves cannot exist separately from water, the world cannot exist separately from God.

> This very Brahm appears as the form of the world, but the world does not exist within God as something different. Gold itself appears as bracelets, but bracelet-ness does not change the gold.

> Just as a whole object has many parts, the indivisible Consciousness appears as everything in its all-pervading form.

3.61.7–10

> Whatever appears simultaneously as the entire Universe is known within the Supreme Consciousness. This inner shining appears as the world and as "I".

> Just as different figures are carved inside a stone, in the same way, the world and "I" exist inseparably within the dense Consciousness.

> Like waves resting within still water, Creations without Real Creation exist inside the Supreme Consciousness.

> The Supreme does not dwell in Creation, nor does Creation dwell in the Supreme. There is no relationship of parts and whole between them.

3.61.11–15

> Through its own form of Consciousness, the Pure Consciousness knows itself. Its own heart-like form vibrates like wind stirring.

> At that moment, this subtle sound-particle of Consciousness, full of Wonder, knows itself within like a thought in the mind, like Space inside Space.

> It knows its own Existence as Air, with inner touch and taste, like the movement of wind.

> It itself becomes light or fire, its own substantial form, like a spark of light inside a covering.

> It itself becomes water, its own substantial form, like water flowing with inner taste.

Summary of the Teachings:

The apparent world and individual Self ("I") are not separate Creations but illusions arising within this one Consciousness, without any external Cause. Just like gold forming ornaments or water forming waves, the world is simply Brahm appearing in different forms, but the forms do not add or subtract anything from the underlying reality.

Consciousness is all-pervading and contains everything equally. All perceptions, words, and meanings are expressions of Brahm alone. There is no independent existence for objects; everything is an Inner Vibration or appearance within the indivisible Consciousness, similar to carvings inside a rock or waves inside an ocean.

Creation is not a real event happening outside God. There is no relationship of container and contained or parts and whole between Brahm and the world. The Universe appears simultaneously within Consciousness as a dream-like projection, shining as both the world and the sense of "I", yet remaining unchanged in its essence.

The process of manifestation is described as Consciousness stirring within itself, first as subtle thought or Space, then taking on qualities like air (touch), fire (light), and water (taste). These are not real transformations but self-perceived states of the same eternal substance, emphasizing that all elements emerge from and remain within Pure Awareness.

Ultimately, these teachings point to liberation through understanding that the world is not separate. By Realizing the identity of Self, world, and Brahm, one sees the illusion and rests in the Peaceful, Unchanging Reality. This Knowledge destroys the delusion of multiplicity and leads to Freedom from suffering.

Chapter 3.60, Verses 30–45

Yoga Vashishtha 3.60.30–45

(These verses teach the illusory and mind-dependent nature of the perceived world)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तेषां संवेदनाभ्यासान्नूनमभ्येति साम्यता।

नौयायिनां भ्रमार्तानां वेदनाद्भूर्विवर्तते ॥ ३०॥

अवेदनाभ्रमार्तानामपि नैषां विवर्तते।

शून्यमाकीर्णतामेति वेदनात्स्वप्नदृक्ष्विव ॥ ३१॥

वेदनात्पीतमानीलं शुक्लं वाप्यनुभूयते।

आपद्वदुत्सवः खेदं करोति परिमोहतः ॥ ३२॥

कुड्येऽपि ख इवाचारो दृष्टो नन्वविचारिणः।

असद्यक्षो विमूढानां प्राणानप्यपकर्षति ॥ ३३॥

वेदनात्स्वप्नवनिता जाग्रतीव रतिप्रदा।

यद्यथाभासमायातं तत्तथा स्थिरतां गतम् ॥ ३४॥

असदेव नभश्चैव नभ एव चिदात्मनि।

शतहस्ताम्बुदच्छायानटनृत्तमिवाततम् ॥ ३५॥

गगने मानसं स्पन्दं जगद्विद्धि न वस्तु तत्।

मिथ्याज्ञानपिशाचस्य स्पन्ददर्शनमाकृति ॥ ३६॥

मायामात्रकमेवेदमरोधकमभित्तिमत्।

इदं भास्वरमाभातं स्वप्नसंदर्शनं स्थितम् ॥ ३७॥

अपूर्वमेवासुप्तस्य नरस्येवोदितं विदुः।

अचेता चेतति स्तम्भो यादृशं शालभञ्जिकाम् ॥ ३८॥

परमार्थमहास्तम्भः सृष्टिं चेतति सादृशम्।

यादृशो मे नरः पार्श्वे स्वप्ने क्षुब्धो महाभटैः ॥ ३९॥

तादृशो ब्रह्मणः स्वर्गो बुद्ध एव सुषुप्तवत्।

तृणगुल्मलतायुक्तः शिशिरान्ते यथा रसः ॥ ४०॥

वासन्तः संस्थितो भूमौ तथा सर्गः परे पदे।

यथा द्रवत्वं कनके स्थितमन्तरनुन्मिषत् ॥ ४१॥

तथा स्थितः परे सर्ग आत्मवर्गादणावणौ।

संनिवेशो यथाङ्गानामङ्गिनोऽनन्य आत्मनः ॥ ४२॥

जगदेवमनङ्गस्य स्वात्मनो ब्रह्मणस्तथा।

यादृगेकनरः स्वप्ने युद्धमन्यं नरं प्रति ॥ ४३॥

तादृशं सदसद्रूपं स्वात्मेदं व्योमगं जगत्।

महाकल्पान्तसर्गादौ चित्स्वभावमिदं जगत् ॥ ४४॥

कारणत्वं मिथः पश्चादसदेति न वास्तवम् ।

मुक्तेऽस्मिन्ब्रह्मणि यदि ब्रह्मान्यः स्मृतिजो भवेत्।

तत्स्मृतिज्ञप्तिजे सर्गे स्थितैव ज्ञप्तिमात्रता ॥ ४५॥

Sage Vasistha continued: 

3.60.30–35

> By the practice of sensing or perceiving in a certain way, these people surely attain equanimity. For those suffering from dizziness on a moving boat, the earth seems to revolve due to their sensation.

> Even for those not sensing it but suffering from illusion, it does not revolve. Through sensation, emptiness becomes filled, like in the vision of a dreamer.

> Through sensation, something blue appears yellow or white is experienced. Like calamity seeming like a festival, it causes sorrow due to delusion.

> Even on a wall, behavior like in the sky is seen by the unthinking. A non-existent ghost takes away the life of the deluded.

> Through sensation, a dream woman gives pleasure as if real and awake. Whatever appears in a certain way becomes stable accordingly.

> The non-existent sky itself is in the Conscious Self. It is spread out like the dancing and moving of cloud shadows with a hundred arms.

3.60.36–40

> Know the mental vibration in the sky as the world, not a real thing. It is the form seen by the ghost of false knowledge in its movement.

> This is merely illusion, without obstruction, without walls. This shining appearance stands as a dream vision.

> It arises as something new even for one who is not asleep, like a man knowing it. The unconscious pillar thinks like one seeing a wooden doll.

> The great pillar of Supreme Reality thinks of Creation similarly. Like a man beside me disturbed in a dream by great warriors.

> Such is the heaven of Brahm, like one asleep in intellect. Like the sap in grass, shrubs, and creepers at the end of winter.

3.60.41–45

> The spring is established on the earth in the same way as Creation in the Supreme State.

> Like the liquidity in gold existing internally without manifesting. In the same way, Creation exists in the Supreme, in every atom of the self-group.

> The placement is like limbs in the body, non-different from the Self. The world is thus of the bodiless Brahm in its own Self.

> Like one man in a dream fighting against another man. In the same way, this world in the sky is of Real-unreal form in the Self.

> This world is of the nature of Consciousness at the beginning and end of great cycles of Creation. Causality is mutual and later becomes non-existent, not Real. If in this liberated Brahm another arises from memory, then in that Creation born of memory and Knowledge, only the State of Pure Knowledge remains.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything we experience arises from our habits of perception and thought. Just as a person on a rocking boat feels the land is moving, our sensations create the appearance of a solid, changing Reality. The world is not independently Real but shaped by how Consciousness engages with it. Through repeated practice of certain ways of seeing, equanimity or stability can be achieved, showing that reality is flexible based on the observer's State.

The verses emphasize that the Universe is like a dream or mental vibration within Pure Consciousness (Brahm). Forms, colors, pleasures, and even fears appear Real due to delusion or false knowledge, but they lack substance, like ghosts or sky-castles. Non-existent things seem to act powerfully on the deluded mind. Creation is compared to a dream woman providing pleasure or a pillar unconsciously imagining scenes—highlighting that the apparent multiplicity and activity are projections without true independent Existence.

Brahm, the Supreme Reality, is like a vast, unchanging pillar from which the dream of Creation emerges. The world exists within it like sap in plants waiting for spring, or liquidity hidden in gold—potential and inherent but not separate. Every atom and Being is non-different from this Self; the world is the Self's own expression, bodiless yet appearing as bodies and conflicts, much like one dreamer fighting another in sleep.

The teachings stress non-duality: the world has the nature of Consciousness itself, appearing and dissolving in great Cosmic cycles without true causality or permanence. 

What seems like cause and effect is mutual illusion arising later. Even if worlds appear through memory or thought within Brahm, they remain within the realm of Pure Knowing, without affecting the liberated Essence.

Ultimately, these verses guide towards liberation by Realizing the world as a stable-seeming dream in the mind of Brahm. By understanding this, one moves beyond delusion, attachments, and fears, attaining peace in the recognition that only Consciousness is Real. The practice involves shifting perception from multiplicity and solidity to the underlying unity and emptiness of phenomena.

Chapter 3.57, Verses 21–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.57.21–27

(These verses explore the nature of the yogi’s body and existence during transition between States)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

ब्रह्मँल्लोकैः पुरस्थस्य गच्छतो योगिनो निजम्।

आतिवाहिकतां देहः कीदृशोऽयं विलोक्यते ॥ २१॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

देहाद्देहान्तरप्राप्तिः पूर्वदेहं विना सदा।

आतिवाहिकदेहेऽस्मिन्स्वप्नेष्विव विनश्वरी ॥ २२॥

यथातपे हिमकणः शरद्व्योम्नि सितोऽम्बुदः।

दृश्यमानोऽप्यदृश्यत्वमित्येवं योगिदेहकः ॥ २३॥

द्रागित्येवाथवा कश्चिद्योगिदेहो न लक्ष्यते।

योगिभिश्च पुरो वेगात्प्रोड्डीन इव खे खगः ॥ २४॥

स्ववासनाभ्रमेणैव क्वचित्केचित्कदाचन।

मृतोऽयमिति पश्यन्ति केचिद्योगिनमग्रगाः ॥ २५॥

भ्रान्तिमात्रं तु देहात्मा तेषां तदुपशाम्यति।

सत्यबोधेन रज्जूनां सर्पबुद्धिरिवात्मनि ॥ २६॥

को देहः कस्य वा सत्ता कस्य नाशः कथं कुतः।

स्थितं तदेव यदभूदबोधः केवलं गतः ॥ २७॥

Sriram asked:

3.57.21

> O Brahman, when a yogi travels through the worlds ahead, what kind of body does he appear to have in that subtle state?

Sage Vasishtha replied: 

3.57.22–27

> The passing from one body to another always happens without carrying the old body. This subtle “transit body” is like a dream-body—temporary and perishable.

> Just as a drop of snow melts in heat, or a white cloud in the clear autumn sky seems visible yet vanishes, so too the yogi’s body appears but is not truly real.

> Sometimes the yogi’s body is not seen at all. Moving swiftly, it is as if he flies through Space like a bird, unseen by others.

> Due to their own mental impressions and illusions, some people think, “This yogi has died,” while others perceive him as having gone ahead.

> For them, the idea that the Self is the body is only an illusion, which disappears with True Knowledge —just as mistaking a rope for a snake vanishes when the Truth is known.

> Who really has a body? To whom does existence or destruction belong? What truly exists remains as it always was; only ignorance has disappeared.

Summary of the Teachings:

The text clarifies that what appears as a “body” in such moments is not a physical structure but a subtle, temporary form—more like a projection shaped by Consciousness. It emphasizes that the True Self does not migrate in a physical sense; rather, appearances shift while the underlying Reality remains unchanged.

A central teaching is the dream-like nature of this subtle body. Just as in dreams one experiences a body that feels Real but disappears upon waking, the yogi’s transit form is similarly unreal from the highest standpoint. The comparisons to melting snow and vanishing clouds reinforce that visibility does not equal reality. What is seen may not have lasting substance.

The text also highlights the role of perception and ignorance. Observers interpret events based on their own mental conditioning. Some may think the yogi has died, while others perceive movement or transformation. These differing views do not reflect objective Truth but rather the  illusion created by individual minds.

A powerful philosophical point is made through the analogy of mistaking a rope for a snake, a classic illustration also found in Advaita Vedanta teachings. Just as correct knowledge removes fear and illusion in that case, true understanding dissolves the mistaken identification of the Self with the body. The belief “I am the body” is shown to be the root confusion.

Finally, the verses culminate in a radical assertion of non-duality: questions about who possesses a body, who exists, or who is destroyed are themselves based on ignorance. Reality, as Pure Consciousness, remains constant and unaffected. What disappears is not the self but ignorance about the self. This insight leads to liberation, where distinctions of birth, death, and movement lose their meaning.

Chapter 3.57, Verses 10–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.57.10–20

(These verses open with Rama’s question about what became of Lila’s body after she left it in a certain place and departed through meditation carrying her Consciousness with her)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

तस्मिन्प्रदेशे सा पूर्वलीला संस्थाप्य देहकम्।

ध्यानेन ज्ञप्तिसहिता गताभूदिति वर्णितम् ॥ १०॥

किमिदानीं स लीलाया देहस्तत्र न वर्णितः।

किंसंपन्नः क्व वा यात इति मे कथय प्रभो ॥ ११॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

क्वासील्लीलाशरीरं तत्कुतस्तस्यास्ति सत्यता।

केवला भ्रान्तिरेवाभूज्जलबुद्धिर्मराविव ॥ १२॥

आत्मैवेदं जगत्सर्वं कुतो देहादिकल्पना।

ब्रह्मैऽवानन्दरूपं सद्यत्पश्यसि तदेव चित् ॥ १३॥

यथैव बोधे लीलासौ परिणाममिता क्रमात्।

परे तथैव तस्मात्तद्धिमवद्गलितं वपुः ॥ १४॥

आतिवाहिकदेहेन दृश्यं यदवलोकितम्।

भूम्यादि नाम तस्यैव कृतं तच्चाधिभौतिकम् ॥ १५॥

वास्तवेन तु रूपेण भूम्याद्यात्माधिभौतिकः।

न शब्देन न चार्थेन सत्यात्मा शशश्रृङ्गवत् ॥ १६॥

पुंसो हरिणकोऽस्मीति स्वप्ने यस्योदिता मतिः।

स किमन्विष्यति मृगं स्वमृगत्वपरिक्षये ॥ १७॥

उदेत्यसत्यमेवाशु तथा सत्यं विलीयते।

भ्रान्तिर्भ्रमवतो रज्वामपि सर्पभ्रमे गते ॥ १८॥

समस्तस्याप्रबुद्धस्य मनोजातस्य कस्यचित्।

बीजं विना मृषैवेयं मिथ्यारूढिमुपागता ॥ १९॥

स्वप्नोपलम्भं सर्गाख्यं स सर्वोऽनुभवन्स्थितः।

चिरमावृत्तदेहात्मा भूचक्रभ्रमणं यथा ॥ २०॥

Sriram asked: 

3.57.10–11

> In that place, the earlier Lila placed her body there and then left along with her Awareness through meditation. This is how it was described.

> Now, the body of that Lila there has not been described. What happened to it? Where did it go? Tell me this, O Lord.

Sage Vasistha said:

3.57.12–20 

> Where was Lila’s body? How can it have any Reality? It was only an illusion, like the idea of water in a desert.

> The Self alone is this entire world. Where is the thought of body and such things? Brahm alone is the form of Bliss and Eternal. Whatever you see is indeed Consciousness.

> Just as Lila gradually changed and dissolved step by step in Awareness, in the same way in the Supreme that body melted away like snow on the Himalayas.

> With the subtle body whatever visible thing was seen, names like earth and others were given to it, and that is called the material world.

> But in true form the material things like earth have no real existence. Neither by word nor by meaning is the Self real; it is like the horn of a hare.

> A man who in a dream thinks “I am a deer” – does he search for a deer when his deer-nature is being examined?

> The unreal arises quickly and in the same way the real dissolves. For the deluded person even the snake illusion in the rope disappears when the delusion ends.

> For the completely unawakened, mind-born person this falsehood has taken false root without any seed.

> He remains experiencing the dream-like perception called Creation. Having long revolved while taking the body as the Self, it is like the circling of the earth’s wheel.

Summary of the Teachings: 

To Sriram's questions, Sage Vasistha answers that the body had no real existence at all and was nothing more than an illusion, just like seeing water in a dry desert where none exists. He teaches that the whole world we see is only the Self, which is Pure Consciousness and Eternal Bliss; there is simply no room for separate bodies or material objects because everything is Brahm alone.

Vasistha explains that the idea of a material world with names like earth and sky comes only from the subtle body’s seeing, but in truth these things have no real form or substance. They are as unreal as the horn of a hare or other impossible things. The body and world dissolve in higher awareness just as snow melts on the Himalayas or as Lila’s form gradually faded away in the light of Knowledge.

Using simple examples the sage shows how illusions work. A person dreaming he is a deer does not look for a deer once he wakes up and checks his real nature. In the same way, the false snake seen in a rope vanishes the moment the delusion ends, proving that the unreal appears suddenly and the real also disappears when truth is known.

The verses point out that for anyone who is still not awakened and whose world is created only by the mind, this entire creation is like a long dream that has taken hold without any real seed or cause. Such a person stays caught in the cycle of identifying with the body as the self and keeps going round and round, just like the earth spinning on its axis, until true knowledge removes the false belief.

In the end these teachings remind us that the world we take as solid and real is only a false appearance in Consciousness. When the mind becomes clear, the illusion of body, world and separation melts away completely, leaving only the Blissful, Eternal Self.

Chapter 3.56, Verses 40–50

Yoga Vashishtha 3.56.40–50

(These verses explore the nature of desires - vasanas - and their relation to Time, Space, and Causation in the context of Creation)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

देशकालादिना ब्रह्मन्वासना समुदेति चेत्।

तन्महाकल्पसर्गादौ देशकालादयः कुतः ॥ ४०॥

कारणे समुदेतीदं तैस्तदा सहकारिभिः।

सहकारिकारणानामभावे वासना कुतः ॥ ४१॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एवमेतन्महाबाहो सत्यात्मन्न कदाचन।

महाप्रलयसर्गादौ देशकालौ न कौचन ॥ ४२॥

सहकारिकारणानामभावे सति दृश्यधीः।

नेयमस्ति न चोत्पन्ना न च स्फुरति काचन ॥ ४३॥

दृश्यस्यासंभवादेव किंचिद्यद्दृश्यते त्विदम्।

तद्ब्रह्मैव स्वचिद्रूपं स्थितमित्थमनामयम् ॥ ४४॥

एतच्चाग्रे युक्तिशतैः कथयिष्याम एव ते।

एतदर्थं प्रयत्नोऽयं वर्तमानकथां श्रृणु ॥ ४५॥

एवं ददृशतुः प्राप्ते मन्दिरं सुन्दरोदरम्।

कीर्णं पुष्पोपहारेण वसन्तमिव शीतलम् ॥ ४६॥

प्रशान्ताचारसंरम्भराजधान्या समन्वितम्।

मन्दारकुन्दमाल्यादिशवं तत्र समं स्थितम् ॥ ४७॥

मन्दारकुन्दस्रग्दामवृताम्वरबृहच्छवम्।

शवशय्याशिरःस्थाग्र्यपूर्णकुम्भादिमङ्गलम् ॥ ४८॥

अनिवृत्तगृहद्वारगवाक्षकठिनार्गलम्।

प्रशाम्यद्दीपकालोकश्यामलामलभित्तिकम्।

गृहैकदेशसंसुप्तमुखश्वाससमीकृतम् ॥ ४९॥

संपूर्णचन्द्रसकलोदयकान्तिकान्तं सौन्दर्यनिर्जितपुरन्दरमन्दिरर्द्धि।

वैरिञ्चपद्ममुकुलान्तरचारुशोभं निःशब्दमन्दमिव निर्मलमिन्दुकान्तम् ॥ ५०॥

Sriram said: 

3.55.40–41

> O Brahman, if desires arise due to Time and place, then in the beginning of the great creation of the world, where were time and place? 

> This arises in the Cause along with those assisting factors. Without the assisting causes and the main Cause, how can there be any desire? 

Sage Vasishtha said: 

3.56.42–50

It is exactly so, O mighty-armed one, O Knower of Truth. Never at all, in the beginning of the Great Dissolution and Creation, were there any time or place. 

> When the assisting Causes are absent, the idea of the visible world does not exist, nor is it produced, nor does it appear at all. 

> Because the visible world cannot truly exist, whatever is seen here as something is indeed Brahm itself, existing in its own form of Pure Consciousness, remaining thus without any affliction. 

> I will explain this to you later with hundreds of arguments. For this purpose, listen now to the present story with effort. 

> Thus they both saw, upon reaching a beautiful and charming temple. It was filled with offerings of flowers, cool like the spring season. 

> It was endowed with the peaceful and noble conduct of the royal capital. There lay equally the corpse decorated with garlands of mandara and kunda flowers. 

> The large corpse was covered with garlands and strings of mandara and kunda flowers and fine clothes. At the head of the corpse's bed were excellent full pitchers and other auspicious items. 

> The house doors, windows, and strong bolts were not closed. The walls were dark yet clean with the dimming light of lamps. In one part of the house, it seemed as if someone was sleeping with gentle breathing. 

> It was beautiful like the rising of the full moon with its complete delightful radiance. Its beauty surpassed the splendor of Indra's palace. It was charming like the inner beauty of Brahma's lotus bud, silent, gentle, and pure like the cool rays of the moon. 

Summary of the Teachings:

Rama questions how desires can arise without prior time and place at the very beginning of Cosmic Creation. Vasishtha affirms that in the Ultimate Reality of Brahm, before any Creation or Dissolution, there are no such distinctions as Time or Place. This points to the illusory nature of the world, where apparent Causes and effects depend on conditions that themselves emerge from Brahm.

The teaching emphasizes that the visible world (drishya) cannot exist independently. 

Without supporting Causes and the fundamental Cause, no mental impressions or perceptions of the world can form or appear. What we perceive as the manifested Universe is not Real in itself but is Brahm appearing in the form of Pure Consciousness (chit). This Consciousness is unchanging, free from suffering, and the sole Reality behind all appearances.

The dialogue serves as a philosophical bridge, promising deeper explanations through logic while directing attention to a illustrative story. It teaches non-dual Vedanta: the world of names and forms is superimposed on Brahm, like a dream or illusion, and true understanding dissolves the vasanas that bind the mind to samsara.

The description of the temple and corpse scene illustrates the serene, dream-like quality of worldly Existence. Even in the presence of death and apparent forms, the underlying reality is peaceful and auspicious, filled with symbolic beauty that reflects divine order. It shows how the mind constructs vivid scenes from subtle impressions, yet all is rooted in the same Pure Awareness.

Ultimately, these verses guide the seeker toward Realizing the Self as Brahm. By inquiring into the origins of desires and perceptions, one recognizes their dependence on illusory conditions. This leads to liberation through Knowledge that the world is non-different from the self-luminous Consciousness, promoting detachment, inquiry, and meditation on the Unchanging Reality.

Chapter 3.54, Verses 61–74

Yoga Vashishtha 3.54.61–74

(These verses teach that physical death is simply when the breath stops flowing in and out due to problems in the body's energy channels. However, this is not the end of the Real Self)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

न विशत्येव वातो न निर्याति पवनो यदा।

शरीरनाडीवैधुर्यान्मृत इत्युच्यते तदा ॥ ६१॥

आगन्तव्यो मया नाशः कालेनैतावतेति या।

पूर्वसंविदिता संविद्याति तच्चोदिता मृतिम् ॥ ६२॥

ईदृशेन मयेहेत्थं भाव्यमित्यादि सर्गजा।

संविद्वीजकला नाशं न कदाचन गच्छति ॥ ६३॥

संविदो वेदनं नाम स्वभावोऽव्यतिरेकवान्।

तस्मात्स्वभावसंवित्तेर्नान्ये मरणजन्मनी ॥ ६४॥

क्वचिदावृतिमत्सौम्यं क्वचिन्नद्यां जलं यथा।

क्वचित्सौम्यं क्वचिज्जीवधर्मेदं चेतनं तथा ॥ ६५॥

यथा लतायाः पर्वाणि दीर्घाया मध्यमध्यतः।

तथा चेतनसत्ताया जन्मानि मरणानि च ॥ ६६॥

न जायते न म्रियते चेतनः पुरुषः क्वचित्।

स्वप्नसंभ्रमवद्भ्रान्तमेतत्पश्यति केवलम् ॥ ६७॥

पुरुषश्चेतनामात्रं स कदा क्वेव नश्यति।

चेतनव्यतिरिक्तत्वे वदान्यत्किं पुमान्भवेत् ॥ ६८॥

कोऽद्ययावन्मृतं ब्रूहि चेतनं कस्य किं कथम्।

म्रियन्ते देहलक्षाणि चेतनं स्थितमक्षयम् ॥ ६९॥

अमरिष्यन्न वै चित्तमेकस्मिन्नेव तन्मृते।

अभविष्यत्सर्वभावमृतिरेकमृताविह ॥ ७०॥

वासनामात्रवैचित्र्यं यज्जीवोऽनुभवेत्स्वयम्।

तस्यैव जीवमरणे नामनी परिकल्पिते ॥ ७१॥

एवं न कश्चिन्म्रियते जायते न च कश्चन।

वासनावर्तगर्तेषु जीवो लुठति केवलम् ॥ ७२॥

अत्यन्तासंभवादेव दृश्यस्यासौ च वासना।

नास्त्येवेति विचारेण दृढज्ञातैव नश्यति ॥ ७३॥

अनुदितमुदितं जगत्प्रबन्धं भवभयतोऽभ्यसनैर्विलोक्य सम्यक्।

अलमनुदितवासनो हि जीवो भवति विमुक्त इतीह सत्यवस्तु ॥ ७४॥

The Goddess continued: 

3.54.61–63

> When the air neither enters nor exits the body due to disorder in its channels, it is then said to be dead.

> The destruction that was bound to come to me at this time by fate was already known beforehand by the intellect. That intellect then declares it as death.

> With ideas like "this is how I must experience it" and so on, the creative seed born from Consciousness never goes to destruction at any time.

3.54.64–68

> The Nature of Consciousness is Knowing, and it is inseparable. Therefore, apart from this inherent Nature of Consciousness, there are no birth or death.

> Sometimes it is veiled like the moon, sometimes like water in a river. Sometimes gentle, sometimes this Consciousness assumes the qualities of a living Being.

> Just as the nodes in a long creeper appear one after another in its middle sections, so too births and deaths appear in the existence of Consciousness.

> Consciousness, the True Self, is never born nor does it die anywhere. It merely sees this as a delusion, like the confusion in a dream.

> The person is Pure Consciousness alone. When and where does it ever perish? If separated from Consciousness, what else could the person possibly be?

3.54.69–74

> Tell me, who has died today? How and in what way can Consciousness die? Thousands of bodies die, but Consciousness remains Eternal and Imperishable.

> If the mind did not die even when one dies, then the death of all Beings would not happen with just one death here.

> The variety of experiences that the soul undergoes is only due to its mental impressions. Birth and death of the soul are merely names imagined for this.

> In this way, no one dies and no one is born. The soul only tumbles in the whirlpools of its mental impressions.

> Because of its complete impossibility, the impression of the visible world does not exist at all. By firm Realization through inquiry that it does not exist, it is destroyed.

> Having clearly observed the unbroken stream of the world as un-arisen though appearing arisen, through repeated practice due to fear of worldly life, the soul without any arising impressions becomes liberated. This is the True Essence here.

Summary of the Teachings:

The mind already knows about the coming end and labels it as death based on its prior understanding. Consciousness is the core of everything and its basic nature is to Know and be Aware. This Nature cannot be separated from it, so birth and death do not truly apply to Consciousness. It may appear in different forms at different times, like the moon sometimes hidden or water flowing in a river, or sometimes taking on the qualities of life.

The True Person or Self is only Consciousness and never actually born or dies. What we see as birth and death is just an illusion, like getting confused in a dream. Even though many bodies die every day, Consciousness stays forever the same and unchanging.

All the different things the soul experiences come only from its stored mental impressions called vasanas. The ideas of the soul being born or dying are just names we give to these changing experiences. In Reality, no one is truly born and no one dies; the soul just keeps moving through cycles created by these impressions.

To become free, one must inquire deeply and Realize that the seen world and its impressions have no real Existence at all. When this understanding becomes firm, the impressions vanish. By looking at the world properly with practices inspired by the fear of suffering in life, the soul stops creating new impressions and achieves complete liberation. This is the Real Truth.

Chapter 3.54, Verses 31–45

Yoga Vashishtha 3.54.31–45

(These verses teach that death comes to everyone according to their past actions or karma)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

बालमृत्युप्रदैर्बालो युवा यौवनमृत्युदैः।

वृद्धमृत्युप्रदैर्वृद्धः कर्मभिर्मृतिमृच्छति ॥ ३१॥

यो यथाशास्त्रमारब्धं स्वधर्मनुमतिष्ठति।

भाजनं भवति श्रीमान्स यथाशास्त्रमायुषः ॥ ३२॥

एवं कर्मानुसारेण जन्तुरन्त्यां दशामितः।

भवन्त्यन्तं गतवतो दृङ्मर्मच्छेदवेदनाः ॥ ३३॥

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

मरणं मे समासेन कथयेन्दुसमानने।

किं सुखं मरणं किं वा दुःखं मृत्वा च किं भवेत् ॥ ३४॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

त्रिविधाः पुरुषाः सन्ति देहस्यान्ते मुमूर्षवः।

मूर्खोऽथ धारणाभ्यासी युक्तिमान्पुरुषस्तथा ॥ ३५॥

अभ्यस्य धारणानिष्ठो देहं त्यक्त्वा यथासुखम्।

प्रयाति धारणाभ्यासी युक्तियुक्तस्तथैव च ॥ ३६॥

धारणा यस्य नाभ्यासं प्राप्ता नैव च युक्तिमान्।

मूर्खः स्वमृतिकालेऽसौ दुःखमेत्यवशाशयः ॥ ३७॥

वासनावेशवैवश्यं भावयन्विषयाशयः।

दीनतां परमामेति परिलूनमिवाम्बुजम् ॥ ३८॥

अशास्त्रसंस्कृतमतिरसज्जनपरायणः।

मृतावनुभवत्यन्तर्दाहमग्नाविव च्युतः ॥ ३९॥

यदा घर्घरकण्ठत्वं वैरूप्यं दृष्टिवर्णजम्।

गच्छत्येषोऽविवेकात्मा तदा भवति दीनधीः ॥ ४०॥

परमान्ध्यमनालोको दिवाप्युदिततारकः।

साभ्रदिग्मण्डलाभोगो घनमेचकिताम्बरः ॥ ४१॥

मर्मव्यथाविच्छुरितः प्रभ्रमदृष्टिमण्डलः।

आकाशीभूतवसुधो वसुधाभूतखान्तरः ॥ ४२॥

परिवृत्तककुप्चक्र उह्यमान इवार्णवे।

नीयमान इवाकाशे घननिद्रोन्मुखाशयः ॥ ४३॥

अन्धकूप इवापन्नः शिलान्तरिव योजितः।

स्वयं जडीभवद्वर्णो विनिकृत्त इवाशये ॥ ४४॥

पततीव नभोमार्गात्तृणावर्त इवार्पितः।

रथे द्रुत इवारूढो हिँमवद्गलनोन्मुखः ॥ ४५॥

Goddess Saraswati continued:

3.54.31–33

> A child dies from actions that cause childhood diseases and early death. A young person dies from actions leading to youthful death. An old person dies from actions causing old-age death. People meet death according to their past deeds.

> One who follows their duties as prescribed in the scriptures and lives according to righteous conduct becomes prosperous and enjoys a full life as per the scriptures.

> In this way, according to their karma, Beings reach their Final State at the end. Those who have gone to the end experience piercing pains that cut through vital points.

Awakened Lila said: 

3.54.34

> O moon-faced one, tell me briefly about death. What is pleasant death and what is painful? And what happens after dying?

The Goddess said: 

3.54.35–39

> There are three kinds of people at the time of death when the body is about to perish: the foolish one, the one who practices concentration, and the wise yogi.

> The one who has practiced steady concentration leaves the body happily and goes forth. The wise yogi also departs in the same pleasant way.

> One who has neither practiced concentration nor become wise is a fool. At the time of death, this helpless person experiences great suffering.

> Caught in the grip of latent desires and impressions, thinking only of worldly objects, he reaches extreme misery, like a lotus flower that has been cut and withered.

> One whose mind is not refined by scriptures and who is not devoted to good people experiences intense inner burning at death, like falling into fire.

3.54.40–45 

> When the throat makes rattling sounds, the eyes and complexion change in ugly ways, this undiscriminating soul becomes very distressed.

> Deep blindness and darkness cover everything even in daylight, with stars appearing to twinkle. The sky looks cloudy and the directions seem vast and dark like a blackish cloudy expanse.

> Pierced by pains in vital organs, with confused and unsteady vision, the earth seems to become sky and the sky seems to become earth.

> The directions seem to turn around like a wheel. He feels as if being carried in an ocean or being led through the sky, with a heavy sleepy feeling rising.

> He feels fallen into a dark well or trapped between rocks. His own color fades and he feels cut off within himself.

> He feels as if falling from the path of the sky like a bundle of grass whirled around, or riding fast in a chariot, or melting away like snow on the Himalayas.

Summary of the Teachings:

Children, youth, and the elderly all face death based on the kind of deeds they performed earlier in life or in previous births. Righteous living according to scriptures extends life and brings prosperity, while wrong actions shorten it. This shows the law of cause and effect governing human existence and the importance of good conduct from a young age.

The conversation between Lila and the Goddess explains the process of dying and what makes it easy or difficult. There are three types of people at death: the ignorant, those trained in mental concentration, and the wise. The trained and wise leave the body peacefully and happily, while the ignorant suffer greatly. This highlights the value of spiritual practices like dharana (concentration) during life to prepare for a good death.

For the unprepared fool attached to worldly desires, death brings intense suffering. 

Their mind is filled with vasanas (latent impressions) of sense objects, leading to helplessness, inner burning, and extreme distress. Physical signs like rattling breath, distorted vision, and changing complexion add to the misery. The teachings urge people to purify the mind through scriptures and good company to avoid this painful end.

The verses describe in detail the terrifying experiences during the final moments for the unwise. The world appears inverted, with darkness, confusion, spinning directions, and feelings of falling or being trapped. These are vivid images of the mental and physical agony that comes from not having cultivated inner strength or detachment. It serves as a warning to live mindfully.

Overall, the teachings encourage yogic practices, ethical living, and detachment from worldly attachments to face death calmly. Death is not the end but a transition shaped by one's life. By following dharma and training the mind, one can achieve a peaceful passage, emphasizing self-effort and spiritual discipline as keys to a meaningful life and smooth departure from the body.

Chapter 3.54, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.54.1–14

(Here the Goddess is teaching that only people who truly know the Real Nature of things or who follow the Highest dharma can reach Higher, transcendental worlds even while living in this world)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

तस्माद्ये वेद्यवेत्तारो ये वा धर्मं परं श्रिताः।

आतिवाहिकलोकांस्ते प्राप्नुवन्तीह नेतरे ॥ १॥

आधिभौतिकदेहत्वं मिथ्याभ्रममयात्मकम्।

कथं सत्ये स्थितिं याति च्छायास्ते कथमातपे ॥ २॥

लीला विदितवेद्या नो परमं धर्ममाश्रिता।

केवलं तेन सा भर्तुः कल्पितं नगरं गता ॥ ३॥

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

एवमेषा प्रयाताऽस्तु भर्ता पश्य ममाम्बिके।

प्रवृत्तः प्राणसंत्यागे कर्तव्यं किमिहाधुना ॥ ४॥

भावाभावेषु भावानां कथं नियतिरागता।

कथं भूयोऽप्यनियतिर्मृतिजन्मादिसूचिता ॥ ५॥

कथं स्वभावसंसिद्धिः कथं सत्ता पदार्थगा।

कथमग्न्यादिपूष्णत्वं पृथ्व्यादौ स्थिरता कथम् ॥ ६॥

हिमादिषु कथं शैत्यं का सत्ता कालखादिषु।

भावाभावग्रहोत्सर्गस्थूलसूक्ष्मदृशः कथम् ॥ ७॥

कथमत्यन्तमुच्छ्रायं तृणगुल्मनरादिकम्।

वस्तु नायात्यनिष्टेऽपि स्थिते स्वोच्छ्रायकारणे ॥ ८॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

महाप्रलयसंपत्तौ सर्वार्थास्तमये सति।

अनन्ताकाशमाशान्तं सद्ब्रह्मैवावतिष्ठते ॥ ९॥

तच्चिद्रूपतया तेजःकणोऽहमिति चेतति।

स्वप्ने संविद्यथा हि त्वमाकाशगमनादि च ॥ १०॥

तेजःकणोऽसौ स्थूलत्वमात्मनात्मनि विन्दति।

असत्यमेव सत्याभं ब्रह्माण्डं तदिदं स्मृतम् ॥ ११॥

तत्रान्तर्ब्रह्म तद्वेत्ति ब्रह्मायमहमित्यथ।

मनोराज्यं स कुरुते स्वात्मैवं तदिदं जगत् ॥ १२॥

तस्मिन्प्रथमतः सर्गे या यथा यत्र संविदः।

कचितास्तास्तथा तत्र स्थिता अद्यापि निश्चलाः ॥ १३॥

यद्यथा स्फुरितं चित्तं तत्तथा ह्यात्मचिद्भवेत्।

स्वयमेवानियमतस्तत्तत्स्यान्नेह किंचन ॥ १४॥

The Goddess said:

3.54.1–3

> Therefore, those who know what is to be known or those who have taken refuge in the Supreme dharma attain the transcendental worlds right here, and not others.

> The physical body is made of false illusion and delusion. How can it attain a stable place in Truth? How can a shadow stand in the sunlight?

> Lila knew what is to be known but did not take refuge in the Supreme dharma. Only because of that did she go to the city imagined by her husband.

The Awakened Lila said: 

3.54.4–8

> Thus she has gone, but O my mother, look at my husband. He has begun to give up his life. What is to be done here now?

> How has the fixed order come about in the existence and non-existence of things? How is there again lack of order shown by birth, death and the like?

> How is the self-nature perfectly established? How does the existence of objects come about? How is the nourishing power of fire and so on? How is the stability in earth and the like?

> How is coldness in snow and the like? What is the existence in Time, Space and the like? How is the perception of gross and subtle in grasping and rejecting Existence and non-existence?

> How do grass, shrubs, humans and the like attain extreme height? The object does not attain it even when the cause of its own height is present but not desired.

The Goddess said: 

3.54.9–14

> In the Great Dissolution, when all things have come to an end, the Infinite Space remains calm and only the True Brahm exists.

> And that, in the form of Consciousness, thinks of itself as a particle of light, “I am.” Just as in a dream you perceive moving through Space and other things.

> That particle of light finds grossness in itself by itself. This Universe is remembered as appearing Real but is actually unreal, like Brahm.

> There, the Inner Brahm knows “I am this Brahm.” It creates its own mental kingdom; thus this world is formed.

> In that first Creation, whatever Consciousness es appeared in whatever way and wherever, they remain fixed there even today, unmoving.

> In whatever way the mind has vibrated, in that very way it becomes the Self-Consciousness. By its own freedom from rules, it becomes that and that; there is nothing else here.

Summary of the teachings of these verses:

The ordinary physical body is nothing but illusion and delusion, so it can never find a real, stable place in Truth. It is compared to a shadow that simply cannot stand in bright sunlight. This shows that the material world we see is not the final Reality and that True Knowledge or dharma is the only way to go beyond it.

The example of Queen Lila is given to explain the point further. She had some knowledge but did not fully follow the Supreme dharma, so she ended up in a city created only by her husband’s mind. Then the Awakened Lila asks many deep questions. She wants to know how fixed order and sudden disorder both appear in life, why birth and death keep happening, and how the natural qualities of things like fire’s heat, earth’s firmness or snow’s coldness stay the same. She is trying to understand the rules that seem to govern the world around us.

She also asks how grass, plants and humans grow to their exact heights and how we see things as gross or subtle when we accept or reject the ideas of Existence and non-existence. 

These questions point to the mystery of why the world appears so solid and orderly even though it is all mind-made. The Awakened Lila is searching for the root cause behind every natural and mental event we experience.

The Goddess answers by describing the moment of Great Cosmic Dissolution. At that time everything disappears and only Infinite, Peaceful Space and Pure Brahm remain. From this Brahm, Consciousness arises and begins to think of itself as a tiny particle of light saying “I am.” This is compared to a dream in which we see ourselves flying through Space or doing many things that feel completely real while we sleep. In the same way the whole Universe starts as a thought inside Consciousness.

Finally the Goddess explains that this Consciousness creates the entire world as its own mental kingdom. Whatever forms of Consciousness appeared in the very first Creation stay exactly the same and unmoving even today. There are no outside rules; the mind vibrates freely and becomes whatever it imagines. Thus the whole Universe is nothing but the play of Consciousness with no other independent Reality. The teaching is that by understanding this Truth one can rise above illusion and reach Freedom.

Chapter 3.53, Verses 28–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.53.28–40

(These verses teach that the ordinary mind, trapped in ignorance, cannot travel to higher spiritual worlds while still in the physical body)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

अमुनैव शरीरेण किमर्थं न गता पतिम्।

एषा वरेण संप्राप्ता लीला ललितवादिनी ॥ २८॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

अप्रबुद्धधियः सिद्धलोकान्पुण्यवशोदितान्।

न समर्थाः स्वदेहेन प्राप्तुं छाया इवातपान् ॥ २९॥

आदिसर्गे च नियतिः स्थापितेति प्रबोधिभिः।

यथा सत्यमलीकेन न मिलत्येव किंचन ॥ ३०॥

यावद्वेतालसंकल्पो बालस्य किल विद्यते।

निर्वेतालधियस्तावदुदयस्तस्य कः कथम् ॥ ३१॥

अविवेकज्वरोष्णत्वं विद्यते यावदात्मनि।

तावद्विवेकशीतांशुशैत्यं कुत उदेत्यलम् ॥ ३२॥

अहं पृथ्व्यादिदेहः खे गतिर्नास्ति ममोत्तमा।

इतिनिश्चयवान्योऽन्तः कथं स्यात्सोऽन्यनिश्चयः ॥ ३३॥

अतो ज्ञानविवेकेन पुण्येनाथ वरेण च।

पुण्यदेहेन गच्छन्ति परं लोकमनेन तु॥ ३४॥

शुष्कपर्णं किलाङ्गारे एतदेवाशु दह्यते।

अयं देहमहंदेहः प्राप्त एव विशीर्यते॥ ३५॥

एतावदेव भवति वरशापविजृम्भितैः।

यथा संचिन्त्य एवाहं तथा स्मृत इति स्मृतिः ॥ ३६॥

यः सर्पप्रत्ययो रज्ज्वां स कथं सर्पकार्यकृत्।

आत्मन्येव हि यो नास्ति तस्य का कार्यकारिता ॥ ३७॥

यस्त्वेतन्मृत इत्येव मिथ्या समनुभूयते।

प्रागभ्यासस्य पुष्टस्य नामैतत्प्रविजृम्भते ॥ ३८॥

स्वानुभूते जगज्जाले सुगमा संस्मृतिभ्रमाः।

नान्यसंकल्पितो नाम सर्गाद्यभ्यास ईदृशः ॥ ३९॥

अन्तरनुभूयमानाः संसृतयो बाह्यभूतजालानाम्।

अविदितवेद्यदृशामपि दूरे पुंसामिवैन्दवं बिम्बम् ॥ ४०॥

The Awakened Leela said:

3.53.28

> “Why did she not go to her husband with this very body? This Leela, who speaks sweetly, has been received through a boon.”

The Goddess said:

 3.53.29–33

> “People with unawakened minds cannot reach the perfect worlds born from merit with their own bodies. It is like shadows that cannot reach the sun.”

> “From the very start of Creation the wise fixed this law: Truth never mixes with falsehood in any way.”

> “As long as a child holds the idea of a ghost in his mind, how and when can a mind free from ghosts ever rise in him?”

> “As long as the burning fever of ignorance stays in the Self, how can the cool light of clear understanding ever rise fully?”

> “Whoever is firmly convinced inside that ‘I am only this body of earth and so on and I have no higher path in the sky’, how can he ever hold a different belief?”

3.53.34–40 

“Therefore, through Knowledge and clear thinking, or through merit, or through a boon, people reach the higher world with this very meritorious body.”

> “Just as a dry leaf burns quickly in fire, this ‘I am the body’ feeling, once it comes, soon falls apart and is destroyed.”

> “This is all that happens through the power of boons and curses: ‘As I think deeply, so I remember.’ That is what we call memory.”

> “How can someone who sees a snake in a rope ever do the work of a real snake? Whatever does not exist at all in the Self cannot perform any action.”

> “The false feeling that ‘this person is dead’ comes only from old habits that have grown strong. That is what now shows itself.”

> “In the web of the world that we experience ourselves, the mix-ups of memory are very easy. The whole play of Creation and so on is not imagined by anyone else; it is our own repeated practice.”

> “The flows of life felt inside are far away from the outer net of Beings for those who do not know the True Knowable, just as the moon’s reflection seems distant to men.”

Summary of the teachings: 

Just as a shadow can never touch the sun, an unawakened person stays stuck in the limits of the material world. The law of Creation itself keeps truth and illusion apart, so only those who have earned merit or received a special boon can cross over with the same body.

The verses explain that body identification and lack of clear thinking act like a fever. Until this fever cools, True Wisdom cannot dawn, just as a frightened child cannot stop seeing ghosts until the false idea leaves his mind. Strong inner belief in “I am only this body” blocks any higher understanding and keeps a person from changing his view.

True progress comes only through Knowledge, sharp discrimination, good deeds, or Divine Grace. These forces allow the soul to reach higher realms while still using the body that has earned merit. Without them, the limited “I am the body” feeling remains and prevents any real rise.

The teachings compare the “I am the body” sense to a dry leaf that burns up quickly in fire. Once the false idea of death or separate Self appears, it is already beginning to dissolve. Memory and the feeling of life and death are not real events but only the result of deep, repeated thoughts and old habits, like mistaking a rope for a snake.

Finally, the verses remind us that the entire world we feel is created inside our own mind through our own repeated practice. These inner experiences stay far from the true outer Reality for those who have not yet known The Knowable. The confusion of memory is easy in our personal world, but it has no power over what truly exists beyond it.

Chapter 3.53, Verses 15–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.53.15–27

(These verses teach that the physical world and different realms of Existence are not solid barriers but open to Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तत्रैकस्मिन्पुरःसंस्थे विततावरणान्विते।

वेधयित्वा विवेशान्तर्बदरं कृमिको यथा ॥ १५॥

पुनर्ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्ण्वादिलोकानुल्लङ्घ्य भास्वरान्।

तन्महीमण्डलं श्रीमत्प्राप तारापथादधः ॥ १६॥

तत्र तन्मण्डलं प्राप्य तत्पुरं तच्च मण्डपम्।

प्रविश्य पुष्पगुप्तस्य शवस्य निकटे स्थिता ॥ १७॥

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे सा च न ददर्श कुमारिकाम्।

मायामिव परिज्ञाता क्वापि यातां वरानना ॥ १८॥

मुखमालोक्य सा तस्य स्वभर्तुः शवरूपिणः।

इदं बुद्धवती सत्यं प्रतिभावशतः स्वतः ॥ १९॥

अयं स भर्ता संग्रामे निहतो मम सिन्धुना।

वीरलोकानिमान्प्राप्य क्षणं शेते यथासुखम् ॥ २०॥

अहं देव्याः प्रसादेन सशरीरैवमीदृशम्।

इह प्राप्तवती धन्या मत्समा नास्ति काचन ॥ २१॥

इति संचिन्त्य सा हस्ते गृहीत्वा चारु चामरम्।

वीजयामास चन्द्रेण द्यीरिवावनिमण्डलम् ॥ २२॥

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

ते भृत्यास्ताश्च वै दास्यः स राजा च प्रबुद्धवान्।

वक्ष्यन्ति वदतां देवि किं कयैव कथं धिया ॥ २३॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

स राजा सा च ते भृत्याः सर्व एव परस्परम्।

चिदाकाशैकतावेशादावयोश्च प्रभावतः ॥ २४॥

महाचित्प्रतिभासत्वान्महानियतिनिश्चयात्।

अन्योन्यमेवपश्यन्ति मिथः संप्रतिबिम्बितात् ॥ २५॥

इयं मे सहजा भार्या ममेयं सहजा सखी।

ममेयं सहजा राज्ञी भृत्योऽयं सहजो मम ॥ २६॥

केवलं त्वमहं सा च यथावृत्तमखण्डितम्।

ज्ञास्याम इदमाश्चर्यं नतु कश्चिदपीतरः ॥ २७॥

Sage Vasistha continued:  

3.53.15–22

> In one city standing ahead, surrounded by wide barriers, she pierced through and entered inside just like a worm enters a jujube fruit.  

> Then, crossing the bright worlds of Brahma, Indra, Vishnu and the other gods, she reached that glorious earthly circle below the path of stars.  

> Reaching that circle, she came to the city and the pavilion there, entered them, and stood near the corpse of Pushpagupta.  

> In that moment she did not see the young girl. The beautiful-faced one Realized the girl was like an illusion and had gone somewhere.  

> Looking at the face of her own husband in the form of a corpse, she understood this Truth through her own inner insight.  

> This is my husband who was killed in battle by Sindhu. Having reached these worlds of heroes, he rests happily for a moment as he pleases.  

> By the Grace of the Goddess I have reached this State here with my body intact. I am blessed; no one is equal to me.  

> Thinking this, she took a beautiful fly-whisk in her hand and fanned him with it, like the moon fanning the circle of the earth.  

The awakened Lila said: 

3.53.23 

> Those servants, those maids, that King and the awakened one will say, O Goddess, what will they say, by whom, and how with what mind?  

The Goddess said:  

3.53.24–27

> That King, she, and those servants—all of them see one another because of the Oneness in the Space of Pure Consciousness and by the power of the two.  

> Because of their appearance in the Great Consciousness and the great fixed law of fate, they see one another as mutual reflections.  

> This is my natural wife; this is my natural companion; this is my natural queen; this servant is naturally mine.  

> Only you, I and she will know this unbroken event exactly as it happened—this wonder; but no one else will know it.

Summary of the teachings:

A Being can move through cities, worlds and bodies as easily as a worm bores into fruit, showing that what we call “Reality” is actually a flexible appearance created within the mind or Consciousness. The journey from heavenly worlds to the earthly one reminds us that all planes of life are connected and illusory, not fixed or separate.

The story shows how even after death the husband’s body remains part of the same dream-like play. The queen sees the corpse, recognises the truth through her own insight, and feels blessed by the Goddess’s Grace. This teaches that death is only a temporary rest in the worlds of heroes; the soul continues, and one who is awake can still meet and serve the loved one with the body intact because everything exists inside One Consciousness.

The dialogue between the awakened Lila and the Goddess explains that Kings, servants, wives and friends are not truly separate persons. They appear related only because they are all reflections in the single Space of Pure Consciousness. Their “natural” bonds of wife, friend, queen or servant are created by the mind’s power and the cosmic law of fate, making the whole scene look real and personal while it is actually one unified Awareness playing many roles.

Because of the Great Consciousness and the unbreakable law of niyati, every character sees the others as Real and bound to each other. They mirror one another perfectly, so each thinks “this is my wife, my servant, my queen”. This mutual reflection is the reason the world feels solid and full of relationships, yet it is only a wonderful appearance inside the mind, not an independent outer Reality.

Finally, the verses reveal that only the truly awakened—here represented by “you, I and she”—can understand this marvellous play exactly as it is, without any break or division. Ordinary people stay lost in the dream and never grasp the secret. The teaching is that liberation comes when we Realize the entire Universe is an unbroken Wonder of One Consciousness, and only those who wake up to this Truth know the full mystery while others remain inside the illusion.

Chapter 3.52, Verses 42–52

Yoga Vashishtha 3.52.42–52

(The verses teach that Brahm, the Ultimate Reality, is all-pervasive and manifests instantly in any place or form according to the Power of Consciousness, much like how dreams create entire worlds in a moment)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

ब्रह्म सर्वगतं यस्माद्यथा यत्र यदोदितम्।

भवत्याशु तथा तत्र स्वप्नशक्त्यैव पश्यति ॥ ४२॥

सर्वत्र सर्वशक्तित्वाद्यत्र या शक्तिरुन्नयेत्।

आस्ते तत्र तथा भाति तीव्रसंवेगहेतुतः ॥ ४३॥

मृतिमोहक्षणेनैव यदैतौ दंपती स्थितौ।

तदैवाभ्यामिदं बुद्धं प्रतिभासवशाद्हृदि ॥ ४४॥

आवयोः पितरावेताविमे वै चापि मातरौ।

देश एष धनं चेदं कर्मेदं पूर्वमीदृशम् ॥ ४५॥

आवां विवाहितावेवमेवं नामैकतां गतौ।

एतयोः सापि जनता याता तत्रैव सत्यताम् ॥ ४६॥

तथैवात्रास्ति दृष्टान्तः प्रत्यक्षं स्वप्नवेदनम्।

इत्येवंभावया लीले लीलयाहमथार्चिता ॥ ४७॥

नाहं स्यां विधवेत्येवं वरो दत्तो मयाप्यसौ।

इत्यर्थेन मृता पूर्वमेवेह खलु बालिका ॥ ४८॥

भवतां चेतनांशानामहं चेतनधर्मिणी।

कुलदेवी सदा पूज्या स्वत एव करोम्यहम् ॥ ४९॥

अथास्या जीवको देहात्प्राणमारुतरूपधृक्।

मनसा चलतां प्राप्तो मुखाग्रत्यक्तदेहकः ॥ ५०॥

ततो मरणमूर्च्छान्ते गृहेऽस्मिन्नेव चैतया।

बुद्धौ भावित आकाशे दृष्टो जीवात्मना ततः ॥ ५१॥

संपन्नैषा हरिणनयना चन्द्रबिम्बाननश्रीर्मानोन्नद्धा दयितललिता कान्तमाभोक्तुकामा।

पूर्वस्मृत्या सरभसमुखी संयुता मण्डलान्तः स्वप्नान्ते वाऽप्रकृतिविभवा पद्मिनी चोदितेव ॥ ५२॥

The Goddess said: 

3.52.42–46

> Because Brahm is present everywhere, whatever arises anywhere appears there quickly, just as one sees things through the power of a dream. 

> Wherever any power arises due to its all-powerful nature everywhere, it stays and shines there strongly because of intense momentum. 

> The moment these two, the husband and wife, were overcome by the delusion of death, at that very instant this whole scene was understood in their hearts through appearance. 

> These are our parents and these are our mothers too. This is the place, this is the wealth, and this was our past action of such kind. 

> We two are married in this way and have become one in name. Even the people connected to them have become real in that very place. 

3.52.47–52

> In the same way, there is a clear example here of dream experience seen directly. Thinking in this manner, O Leela, I was worshipped playfully by you. 

> I said, “May I not become a widow,” and that boon was also given by me. For this reason, the girl had died here long before. 

> I am the Conscious Essence among the Conscious parts of you all. As the family Goddess, I am always to be worshipped, and I do everything by my own nature. 

> Then her life-force, taking the form of vital air from the body, moved with the mind and left the body through the mouth. 

> After that, at the end of the death faint in this very house, the living soul saw in the Space imagined in the intellect. 

> She has now become this doe-eyed one with the beauty of the moon’s orb on her face, proud with self-respect, playful and beloved, desiring to enjoy her lover. With previous memory, her face eager, united inside the circle, like a lotus woman with extraordinary powers awakened as if at the end of a dream. 

Summary of the teachings:

Whatever thought or power arises with strong intensity appears and stays as Real in that very spot. This shows the creative nature of the mind and Consciousness, where appearance becomes experience without any external material cause.

Death and life events are portrayed as sudden shifts in Consciousness rather than absolute endings. The husband and wife, caught in the illusion of death, immediately perceive a new reality in their hearts through mental projection. Family relations, places, wealth, and past actions all emerge as projections of the mind, illustrating how the world we experience is shaped by our inner beliefs and memories at every moment.

The story highlights the power of boons, wishes, and playful Divine interaction. The Goddess Leela grants a wish to avoid widowhood, which influences events even before they unfold in ordinary time. This reveals that Consciousness operates beyond linear time, and strong mental resolutions or Divine Grace can alter the course of perceived Reality, turning potential sorrow into continued union.

The family Goddess represents the Conscious Essence present within all Beings. She is eternally worthy of worship because she acts according to her inherent nature, guiding and sustaining life. The departure of the life-force as vital air from the body and its movement through the mind demonstrates how the subtle Self separates from the physical form yet continues to perceive and create new experiences in Inner Space.

Finally, the verses describe the rebirth or reappearance of the soul in a beautiful, youthful form filled with desire and memory. The awakened state at the “end of a dream” symbolizes liberation or heightened Awareness, where one recognizes the dream-like quality of existence. It teaches that previous impressions shape new forms, yet the Conscious Self can experience extraordinary beauty and joy when aligned with its True Nature.