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 3.55, Verses 44–60

Yoga Vashishtha 3.55.44·60

(These verses teach that the whole world we see is nothing but the Supreme Reality or Pure Consciousness appearing in different forms)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

आदिसर्गे यथा देवि भ्रम एष प्रवर्तते।

तथा कथय मे भूयः प्रसादाद्वोधवृद्धये ॥ ४४॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

परमार्थघनं शैलाः परमार्थघनं द्रुमाः।

परमार्थघनं पृथ्वी परमार्थघनं नभः ॥ ४५॥

सर्वात्मकत्वात्स यतो यथोदेति चिदीश्वरः।

परमाकाशशुद्धात्मा तत्र तत्र भवेत्तथा ॥ ४६॥

सर्गादौ स्वप्नपुरुषन्यायेनादिप्रजापतिः।

यथा स्फुटं प्रकचितस्तथाद्यापि स्थिता स्थितिः ॥ ४७॥

प्रथमोऽसौ प्रतिस्पन्दः पदार्थानां हि बिम्बकम्।

प्रतिबिम्बितमेतस्माद्यत्तदद्यापि संस्थितम् ॥ ४८॥

यन्नाम सुषिरं स्थानं देहानां तद्गतोऽनिलः।

करोत्यङ्गपरिस्पन्दं जीवतीत्युच्यते ततः ॥ ४९॥

सर्गादावेवमेवैषा जङ्गमेषु स्थिता स्थितिः।

चेतना अपि निःस्पन्दास्तेनैते पादपादयः ॥ ५०॥

चिदाकाशोऽयमेवांशं कुरुते चेतनोदितम्।

स एव संविद्भवति शेषं भवति नैव तत् ॥ ५१॥

नरोपाधिपुरं प्राप्तं चेतत्यक्षिपुटं नयत्।

तत्तस्या नाक्षिचिज्जीवं नो जीवत्येव सर्गतः ॥ ५२॥

तथा खं खं तथा भूमिर्भूमित्वेनाप्त्ववज्जलम्।

यद्यथा चेतति स्वैरं तद्वेत्त्येव तथा वपुः ॥ ५३॥

इति सर्वशरीरेण जंगमत्वेन जंगमम्।

स्थावरं स्थावरत्वेन सर्वात्मा भावयन् स्थितः ॥ ५४॥

तस्माद्यज्जङ्गमं नाम तत्स्वबोधनरूपवत्।

तेन बुद्धं ततस्तद्बत्तदेवाद्यापि संस्थितम् ॥ ५५॥

यद्वृक्षाभिधमाबुद्धं स्थावरत्वेन वै पुनः।

जडमद्यापि संसिद्धं शिलातरुतृणादि च ॥ ५६॥

न तु जाड्यं पृथक्किंचिदस्ति नापि च चेतनम्।

नात्र भेदोऽस्ति सर्गादौ सत्तासामान्यकेन च ॥ ५७॥

वृक्षाणामुपलानां या नामान्तःस्थाः स्वसंविदः।

बुद्ध्यादिविहितान्येव तानि तेषामिति स्थितिः ॥ ५८॥

विदोन्तःस्थावरादेर्यास्तस्या बुद्ध्यास्तथा स्थितेः।

अन्याभिधानास्थानार्थाः संकेतैरपरैः स्थिताः ॥ ५९॥

कृमिकीटपतङ्गानां या नामान्तःस्वसंविदः।

तान्येव तेषां बुद्ध्यादीन्यभिधार्थानि कानिचित् ॥ ६०॥

The Awakened Lila said:

3.55.44

> O Goddess, just as this illusion begins to work in the first Creation, please explain it to me again by your Grace so that my knowledge may grow.

The Goddess said:

3.55.45–54

> The mountains are filled with Supreme Reality. The trees are filled with Supreme Reality. The earth is filled with Supreme Reality. The sky is filled with Supreme Reality.

> Because it is the Self of everything, wherever the Lord of Consciousness rises, the Pure Self of the Supreme Space appears in the same way there.

> At the start of Creation, the first Creator appeared clearly like a person in a dream. That same State still exists today.

> That first small movement is the image of all objects. Whatever is reflected from it still remains today.

> The air that enters the empty Space inside bodies makes the limbs move, and that is why it is called life.

> Right from the beginning of Creation, this same State is present in moving creatures. Even Conscious Beings are without movement, which is why plants and trees exist like this.

> This Consciousness-Space itself creates a small conscious part. It alone becomes Awareness, and nothing else turns into that.

> When it enters the human body as a limited form, it makes the eyes conscious. This is not a separate life in the eyes, nor does it live apart from the Creation.

> In the same way, the sky remains sky, the earth remains earth, and water remains water by its own nature. The body knows whatever it freely feels in that same way.

> Thus, the Supreme Self stays present in all bodies and thinks of moving things as moving and unmoving things as unmoving.

3.55.55–60 

> So whatever is called moving is like its own form of Knowledge. Because of that Knowledge it is understood, and the same thing still exists today.

> Whatever is called a tree is again fixed as unmoving. Inert things like stones, trees, grass and others are still fixed like this today.

> There is no separate inertness at all, and there is no separate Consciousness either. From the beginning of Creation there is no difference at all in the general Existence.

> The Inner Self-Knowledge inside trees and stones, which are formed by intellect and such things, are simply their own State.

> The Inner Knowledge of unmoving things and others stay with different names and meanings according to other agreements.

> The Inner Self-Knowledge of worms, insects and birds are their own Knowledge forms given some meanings.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything around us — mountains, trees, earth and sky — is completely filled with this One Ultimate Truth. The illusion of Creation starts right at the beginning, and the Goddess is asked to explain it once more so that Knowledge can grow. There is no real separation between things; all is One Single Consciousness.

The Creation is compared to a dream. Just as the first Creator appeared clearly in the beginning like a dreamer seeing himself, the same dream-like State continues even today. The very first small vibration in Consciousness created the images of all objects, and everything we experience now is only a reflection of that original movement. Life itself comes when air enters the empty spaces in bodies and makes limbs move; that is why we call it living.

Consciousness-Space creates small Conscious parts in every Being. The body feels and knows things exactly according to its own nature — sky stays sky, earth stays earth, water stays water. The Supreme Self is present in all bodies at once. It thinks of moving creatures as moving and still things as still, so the world appears divided into moving and unmoving beings. Yet in truth everything is the same Consciousness working in different ways.

There is actually no real difference between what we call conscious and inert, or moving and unmoving. All these are just appearances. From the very start of Creation, everything shares the same general Existence. Stones, trees, grass and all inert objects are simply fixed in their unmoving form by the same Supreme Self. Their Inner Knowledge is Real, but it looks different only because of how Consciousness expresses itself in them.

Finally, the Inner Awareness found in trees, stones, worms, insects and birds is also part of the One Consciousness. These are just different names and meanings given by convention or agreement. No separate inertness or Consciousness exists apart from the Supreme Reality. Everything we see is the same Pure Self appearing in countless ways, and this Truth has remained unchanged since the beginning of Creation.

Chapter 2.10, Verses 25–36

Yoga Vashishtha 2.10.24–36

(The origin of Existence, the fall into Ignorance)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

इति संचिन्त्य भगवान्ब्रह्मा कमलसंस्थितः ।

मनसा परिसंकल्प्य मामुत्पादितवानिमम् ॥ २४ ॥

कुतोऽप्युत्पन्न एवाशु ततोऽहं समुपस्थितः ।

पितुस्तस्य पुनः शीघ्रमूर्मिरूर्मेरिवानघ ॥ २५ ॥

कमण्डलुधरो नाथः सकमण्डलुना मया ।

साक्षमालः साक्षमालं स प्रणम्याभिवादितः ॥ २६ ॥

एहि पुत्रेति मामुक्त्वा स स्वाब्जस्योत्तरे दले ।

शुक्लाश्च इव शीतांशु योजयामास पाणिना ॥ २७ ॥

मृगकृत्तिपरीधानो मृगकृत्तिनिजाम्बरम्।

मामुवाच पिता ब्रह्मा सुहंसः सारसं यथा ॥ २८ ॥

मुहूर्तमात्रं ते पुत्र चेतो वानरचञ्चलम्।

अज्ञानमभ्यास्रशतु शशः शशधरं यथा ॥ २९ ॥

इति तेनाशु शप्तः सन्विचारसमनन्तरम्।

अहं विस्मृतवान्सर्वे स्वरूपममलं किल ॥ ३० ॥

अथाहं दीनता यातः स्थितोऽसंबुद्धया धिया ।

दुःखशोकाभिसंतप्तो जातो जन इवाधनः ॥ ३१ ॥

कष्टं संसारनामायं दोषः कथमिहागतः ।

इति चिन्तितवानन्तस्तूष्णीमेव व्यवस्थितः ॥ ३२ ॥

अथाभ्यधात्स मां तातः पुत्र किं दुःखवानसि ।

दुःखोपघातं मां पृच्छ सुखी नित्यं भविष्यसि ॥ ३३ ॥

ततः पृष्टः स भगवान्मया सकललोककृत् ।

हेमपद्मदलस्थेन संसारव्याधिभेषजम् ॥ ३४ ॥

कथं नाथ महादुःखमयः संसार आगतः ।

कथं च क्षीयते जन्तोरिति पृष्टेन तेन मे ॥ ३५ ॥

तज्ज्ञानं सुबहु प्रोक्तं यज्ज्ञात्वा पावनं परम् ।

अहं पितुरभिप्रायः किलाधिक इव स्थितः ॥ ३६ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

2.10.24: Thus reflecting, Lord Brahma, seated on the lotus, mentally conceived and created me.

2.10.25: Arising instantly from somewhere, I appeared before him, like a wave rising from a wave, pure and sinless.

2.10.26: Holding a water pot, I, also with a water pot, and bearing a rosary, saluted and bowed to him who held a rosary.

2.10.27: Saying, “Come, my son,” he placed me on the northern petal of his lotus, like the cool-rayed moon on a white cloud, with his hand.

2.10.28: Clad in deerskin, Brahma, my father, spoke to me, who was also dressed in deerskin, as a swan speaks to another swan.

2.10.29: “Your mind, O son, is restless like a monkey for just a moment. Due to ignorance, it has fallen like a rabbit into the moon.”

2.10.30: Cursed thus by him, immediately after reflection, I forgot my pure, pristine nature entirely.

2.10.31: Then, fallen into misery, I stood with an unawakened intellect, afflicted by sorrow and grief, like a poor person born in distress.

2.10.32: “Alas, how has this flaw called samsara come here?” Thinking thus inwardly, I remained silent and still.

2.10.33: Then my father spoke to me, “Son, why are you sorrowful? Ask me about the remedy for sorrow, and you will always be happy.”

2.10.34: Questioned by me, the creator of all worlds, seated on the golden lotus petal, I asked for the cure to the disease of samsara.

2.10.35: “Lord, how has this greatly sorrowful samsara arisen, and how can it be eradicated for a being?” Thus asked, he replied to me.

2.10.36: He imparted abundant Knowledge, Pure and Supreme, through which I understood his intent and felt as if I surpassed him.

Summary of Teachings:

The verses from Yoga Vasishta 2.10.24–2.10.36 narrate a dialogue between Brahma, the creator, and his son, Vasishta, illustrating the origin of Existence, the fall into Ignorance, and the path to liberation. The passage begins with Brahma’s act of creation, where he mentally conceives Vasishta, who appears instantly as a Pure Being, symbolizing the effortless manifestation of Consciousness. This creation reflects the Vedantic idea that the Universe and Beings arise from the Divine mind, emphasizing the interconnectedness of creator and creation, likened to waves emerging from the ocean. The imagery of Brahma on a lotus and Vasishta’s immediate appearance underscores the instantaneous and spontaneous nature of Divine will in manifesting Existence.

The interaction between Brahma and Vasishta, marked by reverence and symbolic gestures like holding water pots and rosaries, signifies a relationship of guidance and spiritual lineage. Brahma places Vasishta on the northern petal of his lotus, an act symbolizing initiation into Wisdom, with the northern direction often associated with knowledge in Indian cosmology. However, Brahma’s observation about Vasishta’s restless mind, comparing it to a monkey and likening its fall to a rabbit in the moon, introduces the theme of Ignorance. This metaphor highlights how the mind, when swayed by fleeting distractions, loses its inherent purity, leading to a state of delusion. The subsequent curse represents the inevitable entanglement of Consciousness in Ignorance when it identifies with the transient world.

Vasishta’s descent into misery and sorrow reflects the human condition within samsara, the cycle of birth and death driven by Ignorance. His unawakened intellect and distress mirror the plight of beings trapped in worldly suffering, unaware of their True na6ture. His introspective questioning—“How has this flaw called samsara come here?”—marks the beginning of self-inquiry, a central practice in Advaita Vedanta. This moment of reflection signifies the potential for liberation, as it prompts Vasishta to seek answers, demonstrating that suffering can be a catalyst for Spiritual Awakening when one turns inward.

Brahma’s response to Vasishta’s sorrow, encouraging him to ask about the remedy for suffering, underscores the role of a Guru in guiding the disciple toward liberation. By questioning Brahma, Vasishta seeks the “cure” for samsara, revealing that the path to freedom lies in Knowledge. Brahma’s imparting of “abundant Knowledge, Pure and Supreme” signifies the transmission of non-dual Wisdom, which dissolves the illusion of samsara by revealing the Self’s unity with the Ultimate Reality. Vasishta’s feeling of surpassing Brahma suggests the Realization that the disciple, upon attaining Knowledge, recognizes no distinction between Self and the Divine, embodying the Advaitic principle of Oneness.

Overall, these verses encapsulate the journey from Creation to Ignorance and back to liberation through Self-Inquiry and Divine guidance. They teach that samsara arises from the mind’s ignorance of its True Nature, but through introspection and the Guru’s Wisdom, one can attain Supreme Knowledge, transcending suffering. The narrative emphasizes the transformative power of Self-Realization, where the individual Self merges with the Universal Consciousness, Realizing its Eternal, Blissful Essence. This teaching aligns with the core of Yoga Vasishta, which advocates for liberation through understanding the illusory nature of the world and recognizing the Self as Brahm.