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Yoga Vashishtha 3.24.22–34
(Description of the aerial or subtle realms encountered in advanced yogic vision or the mind's projection during deep meditation)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
स्वस्वर्गाहूतदेवस्त्रीस्वाङ्गविभ्रष्टभूषणम् ।
सामान्यसिद्धसङ्घोग्रतेजःपुञ्जतमोबलम् ॥ २२ ॥
वलवत्सिद्धसंघट्टगमागमविघट्टितैः ।
घनैः सांशुकपार्श्वस्थहिमवन्मेरुमन्दरम् ॥ २३ ॥
काकोलूकैर्गृध्रभासै राशिभूतैश्चलैर्वृतम्।
नृत्यद्भिर्डाकिनीसङ्घैस्तरङ्गैरिव वारिधिम् ॥ २४ ॥
प्रवृत्तैर्योगिनीसङ्घैः श्वकाकोष्ट्रखराननैः ।
निरर्थं योजनशतं गत्वागच्छद्भिरावृतम् ॥ २५ ॥
लोकपालपुरोध्वान्तधूमधूम्रेऽभ्रमन्दिरे ।
सिद्धगन्धर्वमिथुनप्रारब्धसुरतोत्सवम् ॥ २६ ॥
स्वर्गगीतस्तवोन्मत्तमदनाक्रान्तमार्गगम् ।
अनारतवहद्धिष्ण्यचक्रलक्षितपक्षकम् ॥ २७ ॥
वातस्कन्धनिखातोन्तर्वहत्त्रिपथगाजलम् ।
आश्चर्यालोकनव्यग्रसंचरत्त्रिदशार्भकम् ॥ २८ ॥
सदेहसंचरद्वज्रचक्रशूलासिशक्तिमत् ।
क्वचिन्निर्भित्ति भवनं गायन्नारदतुम्बुरु ॥ २९ ॥
मेघमार्गमहामेघमहारम्भाकुलं क्वचित्।
चित्रन्यस्तसमाकारमूककल्पान्तवारिदम् ॥ ३० ॥
उत्पतत्कज्जलाद्रीन्द्रसुन्दराम्भोधरं क्वचित् ।
क्वचित्कनकनिष्पन्दकान्ततापान्तवारिदम् ॥ ३१ ॥
क्वचिद्दिग्दाहतापाढ्यमृष्यमूकाम्बुदांशुकम् ।
क्वचिन्निष्पवनाम्भोधिसंरम्भं शून्यताजलम् ॥ ३२ ॥
क्वचिद्वातनदीप्रौढविमानतृणपल्लवम् ।
क्वचिच्चलदलिव्रातपृष्ठत्वक्कान्तिनिर्मलम् ॥ ३३ ॥
क्वचिन्मेरुनदीकल्पवातधूलिविधूसरम् ।
क्वचिद्विमानगीर्वाणप्रभाचित्रबलाङ्गकम् ॥ ३४ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta continued:
3.24.22
Filled with the darkness of intense masses of light from groups of ordinary accomplished Beings, and ornaments falling from the bodies of heavenly nymphs called from their own paradises.
3.24.23
Shaken and rattled by the coming and going from clashes of powerful groups of siddhas (perfected Beings), like dense clouds beside the snowy Meru and Mandara mountains.
3.24.24
Surrounded by moving heaps of crows, owls, vultures, and bhasa birds, like the ocean with dancing groups of dakini spirits as its waves.
3.24.25
Filled with groups of yoginis in motion, with faces like dogs, crows, camels, and donkeys, pointlessly traveling and returning hundreds of miles.
3.24.26
In a cloudy palace smoky with the darkness over the cities of guardian deities, where siddha and gandharva couples begin their love festivals.
3.24.27
A path invaded by the madness of heavenly songs and chants, continuously marked by the wheels of moving fire altars on wings.
3.24.28
Carrying inside the water of the three paths (Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati) supported on wind shoulders, with Divine children busy watching wonders.
3.24.29
With moving vajra (thunderbolt), chakra (disc), shula (trident), asi (sword), and shakti weapons along with bodies; somewhere Narada and Tumburu singing, without walls in the mansion.
3.24.30
Somewhere a great cloud on the path of clouds, chaotic with grand beginnings, like a silent doomsday cloud with picturesquely arranged forms.
3.24.31
Somewhere a beautiful cloud rising like black mountain rain; somewhere a rain cloud calming the heat with unmoving golden beauty.
3.24.32
Somewhere a cloud garment burning the directions with intense heat, like a Sage's; somewhere the raging empty ocean without wind, with water of voidness.
3.24.33
Somewhere the tender leaves and grass of wind-river-powered aerial vehicles; somewhere pure with the shine of backs of swarms of moving bees.
3.24.34
Somewhere gray with wind dust like Meru mountain rivers; somewhere the body painted with the splendor of divine aerial vehicles.
Summary of the Teachings of These Verses:
These verses from the Yoga Vasistha, spoken by Sage Vasistha, form part of a vivid description of the aerial or subtle realms encountered in advanced yogic vision or the mind's projection during deep meditation. They illustrate the illusory and dream-like nature of all phenomena, emphasizing Advaita Vedanta principles.
The imagery portrays the sky and higher planes as filled with bizarre, contradictory, and fantastical elements—mixing Divine Beings, demonic figures, weapons, clouds, mountains, and celestial activities. This chaos highlights how perceived Reality is a mental construct, full of opposites (light and darkness, beauty and terror, motion and stillness) that lack inherent existence.
By presenting the heavens not as Pure Bliss but as turbulent and meaningless (e.g., pointless travels, smoky darkness, raging voids), the verses teach that even exalted spiritual realms or siddhis (powers) are transient illusions, no different from dreams or hallucinations. True liberation lies beyond attachment to any vision, high or low.
The description serves as a metaphor for the mind itself: vast like the sky, crowded with projections of desires, fears, and imaginations. Siddhas, yoginis, and gods represent archetypal forces within consciousness, clashing and merging without purpose, underscoring the futility of seeking permanence in experiences.
Ultimately, these verses guide the seeker (like Rama) to detach from all perceptions, recognizing the empty, boundless nature of Pure Consciousness (Brahm) as the Only Reality, free from the mind's colorful but deceptive display.
