Chapter 3.96, Verses 16–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.96.16–25

(The many mental functions)

श्रीराम उवाच।

परायाः संविदो ब्रह्मन्नेताः पर्यायवृत्तयः।

कल्प्यमानविचित्रार्थाः कथं रूढिमुपागताः ॥ १६॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

गतेव सकलङ्कत्वं कदाचित्कल्पनात्मकम्।

उन्मेषरूपिणी नाना तदैव हि मनःस्थिता ॥ १७॥

भावनामनुसंधानं यदा निश्चित्य संस्थिता।

तदैषा प्रोच्यते बुद्धिरियत्ताग्रहणक्षमा ॥ १८॥

यदा मिथ्याभिमानेन सत्तां कल्पयति स्वयम्।

अहंकाराभिमानेन प्रोच्यते भवबन्धनी ॥ १९॥

इदं त्यक्त्वेदमायाति बालवत्पेलवा यदा।

विचारं संपरित्यज्य तदा सा चित्तमुच्यते ॥ २०॥

यदा स्पन्दैकधर्मत्वात्कर्तुर्या शून्यशंसिनी।

आधावति स्पन्दफलं तदा कर्मेत्युदाहृता ॥ २१॥

काकतालीययोगेन त्यक्त्वैकघननिश्चयम्।

यदेहितं कल्पयति भावं तेनेह कल्पना ॥ २२॥

पूर्वदृष्टमदृष्टं वा प्राग्दृष्टमिति निश्चयैः।

यदैवेहां विधत्तेऽन्तस्तदा स्मृतिरुदाहृता ॥ २३॥

यदा पदार्थशक्तीनां संभुक्तानामिवाम्बरे।

वसत्यस्तमितान्येहा वासनेति तदोच्यते ॥ २४॥

अस्त्यात्मतत्त्वं विमलं द्वितीया दृष्टिरङ्किता।

जाता ह्यविद्यमानैव तदा विद्येति कथ्यते ॥ २५॥

Sriram asked:

3.96.16

> O Brahmin, how did these successive changes of the Supreme Consciousness, imagined with many different meanings, come to take firm, fixed forms?

Sage Vashishta answered: 

3.96.17–25

> Sometimes Pure Consciousness seems to take on the nature of imagination and become stained. At that very moment, appearing in many forms, it settles as the mind.

> When it firmly settles after carefully examining a thought or idea, it is called the intellect. This intellect can grasp clear limits and measures of things.

> When, through false pride, it invents its own existence as Real, then by the sense of “I” it is called the ego that binds one to the World.

> When, like a tender child, it leaves one thing and runs to another without any proper thinking, it is called the mind-stuff.

> When, by its very nature of movement alone and showing no solid doer, it runs after the fruit of that movement, it is called action or karma.

> When, by chance like a crow landing on a palm tree, it drops its single firm decision and invents a desired idea, that is called imagination.

> When inside itself, with the firm belief “this was seen before,” it makes an effort about something once seen or not now seen, it is called memory.

> When the powers of objects, as if already enjoyed, rest quietly within like in open space, and other desires have set, that is called latent tendency or vasana.

> The Pure Essence of the Self truly exists. A second, stained view that arises even though it is not real is then called Knowledge (or rather ignorance appearing as knowledge).

Summary of the teachings:

These verses explain that the many names we give to mental functions—mind, intellect, ego, thought, action, imagination, memory, tendency, and so on—are not separate real things. They are only different appearances or stages of one Pure Consciousness when it seems to forget its own Pure Nature and starts imagining.

The Pure Self is ever free and stainless. Yet by a kind of accidental self-forgetfulness it begins to move and imagine. That first movement is called the mind. When the same power looks carefully and decides limits, it is called intellect. When it claims “I exist separately,” it becomes the ego that ties us to repeated birth and suffering.

When the same power jumps restlessly from one object to another without deep thought, it is mind-stuff. When it simply moves toward results, it is called karma. When it invents pictures of what it wants, it is imagination. When it holds past pictures as real, it is memory. When subtle impressions of past experiences stay hidden, they are vasanas. Even the sense of “knowing” objects is only a second, unreal view covering the Pure Self.

The teaching is that none of these States is ultimately Real. They arise only when Pure Consciousness seems to become limited and active. By clear understanding that all these are only names of One Consciousness in different moods, the restless movements quiet down. Then the Pure, Stainless Self shines by itself, free from every name and form.

The practical point is simple: do not take the changing mental states as the True Self. See them as temporary waves on the Ocean of Consciousness. When this clear seeing becomes firm, the waves settle and the boundless Pure Awareness remains.

Chapter 3.95, Verses 28–38

Yoga Vashishtha 3.95.28–38

(These verses teach that the mind and action are inseparable from the very beginning)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

साधु राघव पृष्टोऽस्मि त्वया प्रश्नमिमं शुभम्।

शृणु वक्ष्यामि ते येन भृशं ज्ञानोदयो भवेत् ॥ २८॥

मानसोऽयं समुन्मेषः कलाकलनरूपतः।

एतत्तत्कर्मणां बीजं फलमस्यैव विद्यते ॥ २९॥

यदैव हि मनस्तत्त्वमुत्थितं ब्रह्मणः पदात्।

तदैव कर्म जन्तूनां जीवो देहतया स्थितः ॥ ३०॥

कुसुमाशययोर्भेदो न यथा भिन्नयोरिह।

तथैव कर्ममनसोर्भेदो नास्त्यविभिन्नयोः ॥ ३१॥

क्रियास्पन्दो जगत्यस्मिन्कर्मेति कथितो बुधैः।

पूर्वं तस्य मनो देहं कर्मातश्चित्तमेव हि ॥ ३२॥

न स शैलो न तद्व्योम न सोऽब्धिश्च न विष्टपम्।

अस्ति यत्र फलं नास्ति कृतानामात्मकर्मणाम् ॥ ३३॥

ऐहिकं प्राक्तनं वापि कर्म यद्रचितं स्फुरत्।

पौरुषोऽसौ परो यत्नो न कदाचन निष्फलः ॥ ३४॥

कृष्णतासंक्षये यद्वत्क्षीयते कज्जलं स्वयम्।

स्पन्दात्मकर्मविगमे तद्वत्प्रक्षीयते मनः ॥ ३५॥

कर्मनाशे मनोनाशो मनोनाशो ह्यकर्मता।

मुक्तस्यैव भवत्येव नामुक्तस्य कदाचन ॥ ३६॥

वह्न्यौष्णयोरिव सदा श्लिष्टयोश्चित्तकर्मणोः।

द्वयोरेकतराभावे द्वयमेव विलीयते ॥ ३७॥

चित्तं सदा स्पन्दविलासमेत्य स्पन्दैकरूपं ननु कर्मविद्धि।

कर्माथ चित्तं किल धर्मकर्मपदं गते राम परस्परेण ॥ ३८॥

Sage Vashishta replied:

3.95.28–38

> O good Rama, you have asked me this auspicious question well. Listen, I shall tell you that by which a great rise of Knowledge will take place.

> This arising of the mind is of the nature of conceptualization and calculation. This itself is the seed of actions, and its fruit also exists from this alone.

> The very moment the principle of mind arose from the State of Brahm, at that very time the actions of living Beings came about, and the individual soul became established in the form of a body.

> Just as there is no difference between a flower and its fragrance even when they are thought of as separate, in the same way there is no difference between action and mind, which are not separate from each other.

> The vibration of activity in this world is called action by the wise. First there is the mind as the body of that action, and from action arises the mind itself.

> There is no mountain, no sky, no ocean, and no heaven where the fruit of the actions performed by oneself does not exist.

> Whether belonging to this life or to a previous one, the action that has been created and is now appearing is the supreme human effort, and it is never without fruit.

> Just as lampblack disappears by itself when blackness is destroyed, in the same way the mind is destroyed when the vibrating action comes to an end.

> With the destruction of action comes the destruction of the mind, and with the destruction of the mind comes the absence of action. This happens only for the liberated one, and never for one who is not liberated.

> Just as fire and heat are always joined together, so are the mind and action. When either one of the two is absent, both dissolve away.

> Know the mind, which always takes on the play of vibration, to be of the form of vibration alone, and that is action. And O Rama, action and mind mutually enter into the state of their own nature and activity.

Summary of the teachings:

The moment the Principle of mind arises from Brahm, actions of living Beings and the individual soul in bodily form also appear together. The mind’s arising in the form of conceptualization is itself the seed of all actions, and the results of those actions also come from the same source. There is no real distinction between them, just as there is none between a flower and its fragrance.

Action is described as the vibration or movement that the wise call karma in the World. The mind is the prior form or body of that action, and the mind itself arises from action. Thus the two continually support and produce each other. No deliberate human effort, whether of the present life or of past lives, is ever without result. There is no place in the entire universe—mountain, sky, ocean, or heaven—where the fruits of one’s own actions do not exist and operate.

The mind continues only as long as vibrating action continues. When the vibrating activity of the mind ceases, the mind itself dissolves, just as lampblack disappears when its blackness is removed. Conversely, when action is destroyed the mind is destroyed, and when the mind is destroyed actionlessness follows. This complete ending of both occurs only for the liberated person and never for one who remains bound.

Mind and action are as inseparably united as fire and its heat. The absence of either one necessarily brings the disappearance of both. The mind is always of the nature of playful vibration, and that very vibration is action. Action and mind therefore pass into each other’s essential nature and activity, continually conditioning and reinforcing one another.

The overall teaching is that liberation consists in the simultaneous cessation of both mind and action. As long as the mind vibrates in the form of thoughts and desires, actions and their results continue to bind the individual. Only when this mutual dependence is completely ended does the State of Freedom arise, and that State belongs solely to the one who has become free.

Chapter 3.92, Verses 13–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.13–25

(The power of mind-body)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

मनोनाम द्वितीयोऽयं कायः कायवतामिह।

स आयत्तोऽपि नायत्तो भूतानां भुवनत्रये ॥ १३॥

पौरुषं स्वमवष्टभ्य धैर्यमालम्ब्य शाश्वतम्।

यदि तिष्ठत्यगम्योऽसौ दुःखानां तदनिन्दितः ॥ १४॥

यथा यथासौ यतते मनोदेहो हि देहिनाम्।

तथा तथासौ भवति स्वनिश्चयफलैकभाक् ॥ १५॥

सफलो मांसदेहस्य न कश्चित्पौरुषक्रमः।

मनोदेहस्य सफलं सर्वमेव स्वचेष्टितम् ॥ १६॥

पवित्रमनुसंधानं चेतः स्मरति सर्वदा।

निष्फलास्तत्र शापाद्याः शिलायामिव सायकाः ॥ १७॥

पतत्वम्भसि वह्नौ वा कर्दमे वा शरीरकम्।

मनो यदनुसंधत्ते तदेवाप्नोति तत्क्षणात् ॥ १८॥

पुरुषातिशयः सर्वः सर्वभावोपमर्दने।

ददात्यविघ्नेन फलं मनो हि मनसो मुने ॥ १९॥

पौरुषेण बलेनान्तश्चित्तं कृत्वा प्रियामयम्।

कृत्रिमेन्द्रेण दुःखार्तिर्न दृष्टा सा मनागपि ॥ २०॥

पौरुषेण मनः कृत्वा नीरागं विगतज्वरम्।

माण्डव्येन जिताः क्लेशाः शूलप्रान्तेऽपितिष्ठता ॥ २१॥

अन्धकूपस्थितेनापि मानसैर्यज्ञसंचयैः।

ऋषिणा दीर्घतपसा संप्राप्तं वैबुधं पदम् ॥ २२॥

इन्दुपुत्रैर्नरैरेव पुरुषाध्यवसायतः।

ध्यानेन ब्रह्मता प्राप्ता सा मयापि न खण्ड्यते ॥ २३॥

अन्येऽपि सावधाना ये धीराः सुरमहर्षयः।

चित्तात्स्वमनुसंधानं न त्यजन्ति मनागपि ॥ २४॥

आधयो व्याधयश्चैव शापाः पापदृशस्तथा।

न खण्डयन्ति तच्चित्तं पद्मघाताः शिलामिव ॥ २५॥

Brahmdev continued: 

3.92.13–18

> Among embodied Beings here, this second body is called the mind. Though dependent, it is not truly controlled by other Beings in the three Worlds.

> If a person relies on their own effort and holds firmly to everlasting courage, remaining unreachable by sorrows, then that person is free from blame.

> Just as the mind-body of living Beings strives, so does that person alone enjoy the full fruit of their own firm resolve.

> No effort of the flesh-body ever truly succeeds. All effort of the mind-body alone bears full fruit.

> When the Pure mind constantly holds to Pure contemplation, curses and the like become fruitless against it, just as arrows fail against a rock.

  

> Let the body fall into water, fire or mud; whatever the mind steadily contemplates, that it attains at once.

3.92.19–25

> O Sage, the highest human power that overcomes every condition gives its result without obstacle; for the mind alone acts upon the mind.

> By firm effort making the inner mind filled with the beloved, the artificial Indra felt not even a trace of pain or suffering.

> By firm effort making the mind free of desire and fever, Mandavya conquered all afflictions even while fixed on the tip of a stake.

> Even while trapped in a dark well, the long-austerity Sage attained the State of the Gods through many mental sacrificial rites.

> Even ordinary men, the sons of Indu, attained Brahmanhood through determined human effort and meditation; that State even I cannot revoke.

> Other careful, steadfast Gods and great Sages likewise never abandon even slightly the pure contemplation of their own minds.

> Mental distresses, diseases, curses and evil glances cannot break that mind, any more than blows of lotus leaves can split a rock.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that every living Being possesses two bodies: the physical body of flesh and the far more powerful mental body. The physical body is weak, short-lived and easily affected by external forces such as curses, mantras or physical hardship. In contrast, the mind remains essentially free and cannot be truly subdued by outside agencies so long as a person exercises deliberate personal effort and steady courage. Success in any endeavour depends almost entirely on the focused activity of the mind rather than on muscular or material exertion.

When the mind is firmly fixed on a pure and steady purpose, external threats lose their power. Curses fall away like arrows striking stone; physical suffering—whether immersion in water or fire, impalement, or confinement in a dark well—cannot disturb a resolute mind. Historical and legendary examples illustrate this truth: the artificial Indra who filled his mind with the thought of his beloved felt no pain; Mandavya remained calm while fixed on a stake; a Sage in a dark well still performed mental sacrifices and rose to the Divine State; and the ordinary human sons of Indu attained the status of Brahma through determined meditation that even Brahma himself could not reverse.

The verses emphasise that the mind alone shapes and Realizes its own destiny. Whatever the mind steadily contemplates, it obtains at once. Pure, uninterrupted contemplation renders the mind invulnerable, while scattered or impure mental activity leaves a person open to every form of suffering. Therefore the highest human power lies in the deliberate direction of one’s own mind.

A person who continually guards mental focus, never abandoning pure contemplation even for a moment, stands beyond the reach of mental anguish, disease, curses or hostile influences. Such a mind is as unbreakable as rock struck by soft lotus leaves. The practical instruction is clear: rely on personal effort, cultivate unwavering mental steadiness, and keep the mind fixed on pure resolve; then every obstacle dissolves and the desired result is attained without hindrance.

In short, these teachings place complete responsibility and complete power in the individual’s own mental discipline. Mastery of the mind is the single most effective means of overcoming suffering and achieving the Highest Goals, whether Worldly or Spiritual.

Chapter 3.92, Verses 1–12

Yoga Vashishtha 3.92.1–12

(The Mind-Body connection)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

इत्युक्तवान्स भगवान्मया कमलसंभवः।

रघूद्वह पुनः पृष्टो वाक्यमाक्षिप्य भूतपः ॥ १ ॥

त्वयैव भगवन्प्रोक्ताः शापमन्त्रादिशक्तयः ।

अमोघा इति ता एव कथं मोघाः कृताः पुनः ॥ २ ॥

शापेन मन्त्रवीर्येण मनोबुद्धीन्द्रियाण्यपि ।

सर्वाण्येव विमूढानि दृष्टानि किल जन्तुषु ॥ ३ ॥

यथैतौ पवनस्पन्दौ यथा स्नेहतिलौ यथा ।

अभिन्नौ तद्वदेवैतौ मनोदेहौ स एव तत् ॥ ४ ॥

अथ नास्तीह वा देहः केवलं चेतसैव सः।

मुधानुभूयते स्वप्नमृगतृष्णाद्विचन्द्रवत् ॥ ५ ॥

एकनाशे द्वयोरेव नाशोऽत्राभ्युपपद्यते ।

अवश्यं भवितुं मनोनाशे देहपरिक्षयः ॥ ६ ॥

मनः शापादिभिर्दोषैः कथं नाक्रम्यते प्रभो ।

कथमाक्रम्यते वापि ब्रूहि मे परमेश्वर ॥ ७ ॥

ब्रह्मोवाच।

न तदस्तिजगत्कोशे शुभकर्मानुपातिना।

यत्पौरुषेण शुद्धेन न समासाद्यते जनैः ॥ ८ ॥

आब्रह्म स्थावरान्तं च सर्वदा सर्वजातयः ।

सर्व एव जगत्यस्मिन्द्विशरीराः शरीरिणः ॥ ९ ॥

एकं मनःशरीरं तु क्षिप्रकारि सदा चलम्।

अकिंचित्करमन्यत्तु शरीरं मांसनिर्मितम् ॥ १० ॥

तत्र मांसमयः कायः सर्वस्यैव च संगतः।

सर्वैराक्रम्यते शापैस्तथा विद्यादिसंचयैः ॥ ११ ॥

मूकप्रायो ह्यशक्तोऽसौ दीनः क्षणविनश्वरः ।

पद्मपत्राम्बुचपलो दैवादिविवशस्थितिः ॥ १२ ॥

Maharishi Vasishta said: 

3.92.1–7

> After the lotus-born Lord had spoken thus to me, O scion of the Raghu race, I questioned him again, interrupting his words, O Lord of Beings.

> Lord, you yourself had declared that the powers of curses, mantras and the like are unfailing. How then can those very powers be made fruitless again?

> By the force of curses and the power of mantras, the mind, intellect and senses of creatures are all seen to be completely bewildered.

> Just as wind and its motion, or oil and the sesame seed, are inseparable, so also are the mind and the body; they are one and the same.

> Or else, there is no body here at all; it is experienced only through the mind, like a dream, a mirage, or the illusion of two moons.

> Therefore the destruction of one necessarily brings the destruction of both. When the mind is destroyed, the decay of the body must certainly follow.

> How is it, O Lord, that the mind is not overcome by the faults of curses and the like? Or how is it overcome? Please tell me, O Supreme Lord.

Lord Brahmdev said: 

3.92.8–12

> There is nothing in the entire storehouse of the World that cannot be attained by people who follow pure effort and good actions.

> From Brahma down to the immobile Beings, all species of creatures in this world always possess two bodies.

> One is the mind-body, which is ever active and always moving. The other is the body made of flesh, which is powerless and does nothing.

> Of these, the body of flesh is joined to every Being and is overcome by all curses as well as by the accumulation of knowledge and similar powers.

> That body of flesh is almost mute, powerless, miserable, perishing in a moment, unsteady like water on a lotus leaf, and completely subject to fate and the like.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses begin with Vasishta recalling a conversation with Brahma in which he raises a doubt about the claimed infallibility of curses and mantras. He points out that such powers are said to be unfailing, yet they appear to fail in some cases, and he seeks clarification on how the mind can remain unaffected while the body and senses are disturbed.

The discussion establishes the intimate connection between mind and body, comparing them to wind and its movement or oil and sesame. At the same time, it suggests that the body may ultimately be only a mental construct, like a dream or mirage, so that the destruction of the mind would necessarily bring the end of the body.

Brahma responds by affirming the power of pure human effort, stating that nothing in the world is beyond the reach of those who act with sincerity and righteousness. He then explains that every living Being, from the highest to the lowest, has two distinct bodies: a subtle, ever-active mental body and a gross, inert physical body of flesh.

The physical body alone is vulnerable to curses, mantras, and other external influences, while remaining weak, fleeting, and subject to destiny. The mental body, by contrast, is the seat of true agency and can remain free when properly directed. The teaching therefore points to the primacy of the mind and the possibility of rising above external forces through purified effort and self-mastery.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 43–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.43–54

(These verses teach that the Pure Self, or Pure Consciousness, is completely free of ego-sense, individuality, and all dualistic notions)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

अहंतादिपरे तत्त्वे मनागपि न विद्यते।

ऊर्म्यादीव पृथक्तोये संवित्सारं हि तद्यतः ॥ ४३॥

अहंप्रत्ययसंदृश्यं चेत्यं विद्धि समुत्थितम्।

मृगतृष्णाम्ब्विवान्तस्थं नूनं विद्यत एव नो ॥ ४४॥

अहंतापदमन्तात्मपदं विद्धि निरामयम्।

विदं विदुरहंतादि शैत्यमेव यथा हिमम् ॥ ४५॥

चित्तेव चेत्यते जाड्यं स्वप्ने स्वमरणोपमम्।

सर्वात्मत्वात्सर्वशक्तीः कुर्वती नैति साम्यताम् ॥ ४६॥

मनः पदार्थादितया सर्वरूपं विजृम्भते।

नानात्माचित्तदेहोऽयमाकाशविशदाकृतिः ॥ ४७॥

देहादिदेहप्रतिभारूपात्म्यं त्यजता सता।

विचार्यं प्रतिभासात्म चित्तं चित्तेन वै स्वयम् ॥ ४८॥

चित्तताम्रे शोधिते हि परमार्थसुवर्णताम्।

गतेऽकृत्रिम आनन्दः किं देहोपलखण्डकैः ॥ ४९॥

यद्विद्यते शोध्यते तद्बोधः के च खपादपाः।

देहाद्यविद्या सत्या चेद्युक्त एतां प्रति ग्रहः ॥ ५०॥

असत्यविनिविष्टानां देहवाचितया त्विह।

ये नामोपदिशन्त्यज्ञाः किंचित्ते पुरुषैडकाः ॥ ५१॥

यथैतद्भावयेत्स्वान्तं तथैव भवति क्षणात्।

दृष्टान्तोऽत्रैन्दवाहल्याकृत्रिमेन्द्रादिनिश्चयाः ॥ ५२॥

यद्यद्यथा स्फुरति सुप्रतिभात्मचित्तं तत्तत्तथा भवति देहतयोदितात्म।

देहोऽयमस्ति न न चाहमिति स्वरूपं विज्ञानमेकमवगम्य निरिच्छमास्स्व ॥ ५३॥

देहोऽयमेष च किलायमिति स्वभावाद्देहोऽयमेतदखिलं तत एति नाशम्।

यक्षादिकल्पनवशाद्भयमेति बालो निर्यक्षदेहगत एव कयापि युक्त्या ॥ ५४॥

Brahmadev continued:

3.91.43–48

> In the Highest Reality there is not even the slightest trace of ego-sense or related notions. That Reality is Pure Consciousness itself, just as waves are not separate from the water.

> Know that whatever appears as an object through the idea of “I” is only a rising appearance. It does not really exist within, any more than water exists in a mirage.

> Know the State of egoism to be the impure self, while the Pure Self is free from all affliction. The wise understand ego-sense and the like to be nothing other than the coldness that belongs to ice.

> Consciousness alone imagines inertness, just as one dreams of one’s own death. Being the Self of all, it exercises every power yet never becomes identical with those powers.

> The mind spreads out in every form as though those forms were Real objects. This body made of mind and Consciousness is of the Nature of clear Space and takes on many shapes.

> A wise person should give up identification with the body and the like, and should examine, with the mind itself, the mind that is only an appearance.

3.91.49–54

> When the copper of the mind is purified it becomes the Pure Gold of the Supreme Reality. Then Natural Bliss arises; of what use are the stone fragments of the body?

> Whatever truly exists is purified by Knowledge. What are these trees growing in the sky? If the ignorance that takes the body and the like as Real were itself real, then attachment to them would be justified.

> Those ignorant people who teach others who are attached to the unreal body as the Self are themselves only sheep among men.

> Whatever one contemplates within oneself, that one becomes in an instant. Clear examples are the firm convictions of the sons of Indu, of Ahalya, of the artificial Indra, and so on.

> Whatever form the firmly established mind of appearance takes, that very form becomes the body that rises as the Self. This body does not exist, nor does the “I.” Knowing the single Knowledge that is one’s True Nature, remain free from desire.

> By Nature a person thinks “this body is I” and “this is mine”; from that the entire body comes to destruction. A child feels fear because of the imagined yaksha and the like; by some sound reasoning he becomes free of that imagined yaksha-body.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the Pure Self, or pure Consciousness, is completely free of ego-sense, individuality, and all dualistic notions. Ego and the sense of “I” and “mine” are only fleeting appearances that arise within Consciousness, just as waves arise in water or water seems to exist in a mirage. They have no independent Reality. The mind itself is nothing but Consciousness appearing in limited forms; it projects the body and the world, yet remains of the nature of clear, open Space.

Because the mind creates whatever it firmly contemplates, identification with the body and its limitations is only a temporary, dream-like belief. When this belief is examined carefully with the mind itself, the mind is purified. Like copper refined into Pure Gold, the mind reveals its true nature as the Supreme Reality, and natural, uncreated Bliss arises. Attachment to the perishable body then loses all meaning.

The verses stress that only what truly exists can be purified by Knowledge. The body and the ego are like trees growing in the sky—mere empty imaginations. Those who teach others to cling to the body as the Self are themselves deluded. Instantaneous transformation is possible: as one thinks, so one becomes, illustrated by well-known stories of beings who became what they intensely imagined.

Finally, the teaching is practical. The belief “I am this body” and “this is mine” is the root of fear, limitation, and eventual destruction of the body-idea. Just as a child is freed from the fear of an imaginary demon by clear reasoning, so a person is freed from the imagined body by understanding that only Pure Consciousness is Real. Remaining established in that single, desire-free Knowledge is the Natural State.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 36–42

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.36–42

(These verses teach that the common distinction between the inert - jada - and the Conscious - cetana - has no  substance)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

जडचेतनभावादिशब्दार्थश्रीर्न विद्यते।

अनिर्देश्यपदे पत्रलतादीव महामरौ ॥ ३६॥

चितो यच्चेत्यकलनं तन्मनस्त्वमुदाहृतम्।

चिद्भागोऽत्राजडो भागो जाड्यमत्र हि चेत्यता ॥ ३७॥

चिद्भागोऽत्रावबोधांशो जडं चेत्यं हि दृश्यते।

इति जीवो जगद्भान्तिं पश्यन्गच्छति लोलताम् ॥ ३८॥

चित्तस्य एव भावोऽसौ शुद्ध एव द्विधा कृतः।

अतः सर्वं जगत्सैव द्वैतलब्धं च सैव तत् ॥ ३९॥

स्वमेवान्यतया दृष्ट्वा चितिर्दृश्यतया वपुः।

निर्भागाप्येकभागाभं भ्रमतीव भ्रमातुरा ॥ ४०॥

न भ्रान्तिरस्ति भ्रमभाङ्गा नैवेतीह निश्चयः।

परिपूर्णार्णवप्रख्यावेतीत्थं संस्थिता चितिः ॥ ४१॥

सर्वं स्याज्जाड्यमप्यस्याश्चितिश्चित्त्वं च वेत्सि तत्।

चिद्भागोंशोऽवबोधस्य त्वहंताजडतोदयः ॥ ४२॥

Brahmadev continued:

3.91.36–42

> There is no real glory or meaning in words like inert and Conscious. In the indescribable State they are like leaves and creepers imagined in a great desert.

> The mindedness of Consciousness is said to be its reckoning of the Knowable. Here the Conscious part is the non-inert part, and inertness is simply the State of being Knowable.

> Here the Conscious part is the aspect of understanding, while the inert is seen as the Knowable. Thus the living Being, seeing the illusion of the World, becomes restless.

> This very State of the mind, pure in itself, is made into two. Therefore the whole World is that alone, and duality is also attained only by that.

> Seeing its own Self as other, Consciousness takes on a body as the seen. Though without parts, it appears as if having one part and wanders as if afflicted by delusion.

> There is no delusion, nor is there one who is deluded—this is the certainty here. Consciousness remains established in this way, like a perfectly full Ocean.

> Even if everything of this Consciousness were inert, you still know its Consciousness-Nature. The Conscious part is a share of understanding, while the rise of “I-ness” is the rise of inertness.

Summary of the teachings:

Words and concepts that divide Reality into living and non-living, subject and object, are only provisional labels. In the highest, indescribable Reality they dissolve, just as imaginary plants vanish when one Realizes there is only desert sand. Consciousness alone is Real; every appearance arises within it.

The mind itself is nothing other than Consciousness turning toward an object of Knowledge. When Pure Awareness seems to measure or cognize something, that activity is called mind. Within this process the Knowing aspect remains Conscious and non-inert, while the known aspect appears inert. The living Being (jiva) is simply this mixed appearance: Awareness identifying with the seen and therefore becoming restless amid the world’s illusory display.

Yet the Pure Nature of mind is never truly divided. The same undivided Consciousness is artificially split into Seer and seen, subject and object. The entire Universe and the sense of duality both arise solely from this apparent division of what is essentially One. Duality is not an independent Reality; it is only the pure mind appearing as two.

Consciousness, though partless, seems to regard itself as other and thereby assumes the form of a body or object. This creates the appearance of a fragmented, deluded wanderer. In truth there is neither real delusion nor a real deluded entity. Consciousness stands complete and undisturbed, like an ocean that is already full and needs nothing added or removed.

Even the so-called inert is only a mode of Consciousness. The rise of ego (“I-ness”) is precisely the apparent solidification of Awareness into the inert. Recognizing this, one understands that Consciousness never loses its own nature. All dualities— Conscious and inert, Self and other, Knowledge and ignorance—are provisional appearances within the single, undivided Reality of Pure Awareness.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 23–35

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.23–35

(The mind and its tendencies)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

कथ्यते जीवनाम्नैतच्चित्तं प्रतनुवासनम्।

शान्तदेहचमत्कारं जीवं विद्धि क्रमात्परम् ॥ २३॥

नाहं न चान्यदस्तीह चित्रं चित्तमिदं स्थितम्।

वसिष्ठैन्दवसंविद्वदसत्सत्तामिवागतम् ॥ २४॥

यथैन्दव मनो ब्रह्मा तथैवायमहं स्थितः।

तत्कृतं चाहमेवेदं संकल्पात्मैव भासते ॥ २५॥

कश्चिच्चित्तविलासोऽयं ब्रह्माहमिह संस्थितः।

स्वभाव एव देहादि विद्धि शून्यतरात्मखात् ॥ २६॥

शुद्धचित्परमार्थैकरूपिणीत्येव भावनात्।

जीवो भूयो मनो भूत्वा वेत्तीत्थं देहतां मुधा ॥ २७॥

सर्वमैन्दवसंसारवदिदं भाति चिद्वपुः।

संपन्नसंप्रबोधात्मा स्वप्नो दीर्घः स्वशक्तिजः ॥ २८॥

द्विचन्द्रविभ्रमाकारं तन्मात्राभासपूर्वकम्।

ऐन्दवाम्बरवद्रूढं चित्तादेवाखिलं भवेत् ॥ २९॥

न सन्नासदहंरूपं सत्तासत्ते तदेव च।

उपलम्भेन सद्रूपमसत्यं तद्विरोधतः ॥ ३०॥

जडाजडं मनो विद्धि संकल्पात्म बृहद्वपुः।

अजडं ब्रह्मरूपत्वाज्जडं दृश्यात्मतावशात् ॥ ३१॥

दृश्यानुभवसत्यात्म न सद्भावे विलासि तत्।

कटकत्वं यथा हेम्नि तथा ब्रह्मणि संस्थितम् ॥ ३२॥

सर्वत्वाद्ब्रह्मणः सर्वं जडं चिन्मयभेव च।

अस्मदादिशिलान्तात्म न जडं न च चेतनम् ॥ ३३॥

दार्वादीनामचित्त्वेन नोपलम्भस्य संभवः।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धादेव जायते ॥ ३४॥

उपलब्धेऽजडं विद्धि तेनेदं सर्वमेव हि।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धात्स्यात्समात्मनोः ॥ ३५॥

Brahmadev continued: 

3.91.23–28

> This mind with its subtle residual tendencies covers the individual living soul (jiva). Know that when the body’s wondrous display becomes calm, the jiva gradually becomes the Supreme.

> There is neither “I” nor any other thing here. Only this wondrous mind remains. Like the sons of Indu who imagined themselves as Brahma, the unreal appears to have taken on existence.

> Just as the mind of the sons of Indu became Brahma, so my mind makes me stand as Brahma. Whatever this mind has created appears through its own imagination.

> This is only a play of the mind in which I, Brahma, am situated here. Know that the body and all else arise from the empty nature of the Self and are more empty still.

> Through the constant feeling that Pure Consciousness alone is the Highest Reality, the jiva again becomes the mind and then uselessly regards the body as real.

> Just as the world of the sons of Indu appears, so this entire Universe appears as the body of Consciousness. It is a long dream born of its own power, arising when full awakening has not yet come.

3.91.29–35

> Like the illusion of two moons or the appearance of subtle elements, the whole World is firmly established like the sky of the sons of Indu and arises only from the mind.

> There is neither Real nor unreal in the form of “I.” Existence and non-existence are the same. By perception something seems Real; by contradiction it is known as unreal.

> Know the mind to be both inert and non-inert, a vast body made of imagination. It is non-inert because it is of the nature of Brahm; it is inert because it appears as the visible World.

> The experience of the visible World seems True, yet it dissolves when true existence is known. Just as “bracelet” is only a form in gold, so the world exists only in Brahm.

> Because Brahm is everything, all that appears inert is also Pure Consciousness. From us down to a stone, nothing is purely inert and nothing is purely Conscious.

> Things like wood have no Consciousness, so perception of them is impossible. Perception arises only from a relation of similarity.

> Therefore know that whatever is perceived is non-inert. All this exists only because perception arises from the similar relation of the Self with itself.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the individual living soul is covered with the mind when it is filled with subtle residual tendencies and desires. When those tendencies calm down and the restless display of the body ceases, the same jiva is gradually revealed as the Supreme Reality itself. There is no separate “I” or “other”; only pure mind exists, and whatever appears as a person or a world is only the mind’s own imagination, just as certain sons of Indu once imagined themselves to be creator-gods and thereby seemed to become them.

The mind creates everything through its own thought. Just as those imaginary creators produced whole Worlds by mental force, so every being appears as Brahma or as a limited person solely according to the idea it holds of itself. Bodies, objects and the entire universe are empty of independent Reality; they arise only from the empty, spacious Nature of Consciousness and have no substance of their own.

The pure mind that constantly contemplates Pure Consciousness draws near the Divine. But when that same mind becomes clouded by many desires it turns into the limited living soul, then into animal life, and finally appears as a physical body. The whole World is therefore a long dream projected by Consciousness through its own power. Like the illusion of seeing two moons or the imagined sky of those earlier creators, everything visible is only a reflection arising from the mind.

Nothing is ultimately Real or unreal in itself; both labels depend on mental conception. The mind is both conscious and inert: Conscious because its Essence is Brahm, inert because it appears as the changing visible World. The experience of the world seems solid only while the mind believes in it; when true understanding dawns, the appearance dissolves, just as the name “bracelet” disappears into the single reality of gold.

Because Brahm alone is everything, even what looks inert is actually Consciousness. From human beings down to stones there is neither pure inertness nor pure Consciousness as separate categories. Perception itself is possible only because of an underlying similarity or identity with the Self. Therefore whatever is perceived is non-inert, and the entire Universe exists solely as the Self relating to itself. Realisation consists in recognising this single, undivided Consciousness and letting the dream-like play of mind come to rest.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 9–22

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.9–22

(These verses present Brahmadev's response after hearing the Sun’s counsel about the expansive nature of Space, Mind, and Consciousness)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

मया संचिन्त्य सुचिरमिदमुक्तं महामुने।

युक्तमुक्तं त्वया भानो विततं हि किलाम्बरम् ॥ ९॥

मनश्च विततं वापि चिदाकाशश्च विस्तृतः।

तद्यथाभिमतं सर्गं नित्यकर्म करोम्यहम् ॥ १०॥

कल्पयामि बहून्याशु भूतजालानि भास्कर।

तत्त्वमेवाशु भगवन्प्रथमो मे मनुर्भव ॥ ११॥

कुरु सर्गं यथाकामं मया समभिचोदितः।

अथैतत्स महातेजा मम वाक्यं प्रभाकरः ॥ १२॥

अङ्गीकृत्य द्विधात्मानं चकार तपतांवर।

एकेन प्राक्तनेनास्मिन्वपुषा सूर्यतां गतः ॥ १३॥

व्योमाध्वगतया सर्गे ततान दिवसावलिम्।

मन्मनुत्वं द्वितीयेन कृत्वा स्ववपुषा क्षणात् ॥ १४॥

ससर्ज सकलां सृष्टिं तां तामभिमतां मम ॥ १५॥

एतत्ते कथितं सर्वं वसिष्ठमनसो मुने।

स्वरूपं सर्वकृत्त्वं च शक्तत्वं च महात्मनः ॥ १६॥

प्रतिभासमुपायाति यद्यदस्य हि चेतसः।

तत्तत्प्रकटतामेति स्थैर्यं सफलतामपि ॥ १७॥

सामान्यब्राह्मणा भूत्वा प्रतिभासवशात्किल ।

ऐन्दवा ब्रह्मतां याता मनसः पश्य शक्तताम् ॥ १८॥

यथा चैन्दवजीवास्ते चित्रत्वाद्ब्रह्मतां गताः।

वयं तथैव चिद्भावाच्चित्तत्वाद्ब्रह्मतां गताः ॥ १९॥

चित्तं हि प्रतिभासात्म यच्च तत्प्रतिभासनम्।

तदिदं भाति देहादि स्वान्तं नान्यास्ति देहदृक् ॥ २०॥

चित्तमात्मचमत्कारं तच्च तत्कुरुते स्वतः।

यथावत्संभवं स्वात्मन्येवान्तर्मरिचादिवत् ॥ २१॥

तदेतच्चित्तवद्भातमातिवाहिकनामकम्।

तदेवोदाहरन्त्येवं देहनाम्ना घनभ्रमम् ॥ २२॥

Brahmdev said:

3.91.9–15

> After long reflection, O great Sage, I said this: You have spoken rightly, O Sun, for the sky is indeed vast and expansive.

> The mind too is expansive, and the Space of Consciousness is also vast. Therefore I continually perform Creation according to my Will.

> O Sun, I quickly form many groups of Beings. Therefore, O Lord, become at once my first Manu.

> Create the World as you wish, being urged by me. Then that highly radiant Sun accepted my words.

> O foremost among the shining ones, having agreed, he divided his own self into two. With one former body he became the Sun in this Creation.

> Moving along the path of the sky in creation, he stretched out the succession of days. Instantly, with his second body, he assumed the role of my Manu.

> He created the entire Creation, each part according to my desire.

3.91.16–22

> O Sage of the mind of Vasistha, all this has been told to you: the True Nature, the all-creating power, and the potency of the Great Self.

> Whatever reflection arises in this mind becomes manifest, firm, and successful.

> Ordinary brahmins, under the power of mental reflection, became the Aindavas and attained the State of Brahma. Behold the power of the mind.

> Just as those Aindava Beings, through the vividness of their imagination, attained Brahma-hood, so we too, through our Nature as Consciousness and mind, have attained Brahma-hood.

> The mind is of the nature of reflection. Whatever that reflection is, that appears as this body and so on. There is no other perception of the body apart from one’s own inner Self.

> The mind is the wonder of the Self, and it produces that by itself. As far as possible, it does so within its own Self, like the pungency inherent in pepper.

> That which appears like the mind is called the subtle (ativahika) body. The same, under dense delusion, is spoken of by the name of the (gross) body.

Summary of the Teachings:

Brahmadev acknowledges the vastness of the sky, the mind, and the Space of Pure Awareness, and therefore resolves to continue his eternal work of Creation without hindrance. He appoints the Sun as his first Manu, empowering him to bring forth all Beings according to desire. The Sun divides himself into two aspects: one remains as the visible sun traversing the heavens and marking the succession of days, while the other instantly assumes the role of Manu and produces the entire manifold Creation exactly as Brahmadev wished. This narrative illustrates the seamless cooperation between Divine Will and its executive power in bringing Worlds into being.

The teaching then turns to the fundamental nature and power of the mind. Whatever image or idea arises as a reflection in the mind promptly becomes visible, stable, and effective in outward experience. The mind is shown to be the creative instrument through which the Infinite Self expresses itself. Ordinary human Beings, by the sheer force of sustained mental conception, can rise to the status of Brahma himself, as demonstrated by the Aindava brothers who, through intense imaginative identification, attained that exalted State. In the same way, all Beings who function through Consciousness and mind share in that same potential.

The verses emphasize that the mind is essentially of the nature of reflection or appearance. The body and the entire world of forms are nothing other than projections of this reflective mind; there is no independent material substance existing apart from it. The mind is described as the wondrous play or self-display of the Pure Self. Just as the sharp taste of pepper is inherent within the pepper itself and needs no external addition, so the creative power resides spontaneously within the mind and operates from within its own Being.

This creative appearance of the mind is first known as the subtle or astral body (ativahika). When the same subtle appearance becomes densified through ignorance and firm belief in solidity, it is conventionally called the gross physical body. Thus the distinction between subtle and gross is only a difference in the degree of densification of mental projection, not a difference in essential substance. The entire teaching points to the mind as the sole apparent creator and sustainer of all experience, while the underlying Reality remains the undivided Self whose power the mind merely reflects.

Taken together, these verses reveal that Creation is an unbroken expression of Consciousness through the instrument of mind. Individual identity, bodily form, and the multiplicity of Worlds are all mental constructions that appear Real only through sustained attention and belief. By recognizing the mind’s reflective and projective nature, one gains insight into the non-dual Truth that all apparent diversity is a play within the single expanse of Awareness.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 1–8

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.1–8

(These verses highlight the supreme and independent nature of the mind)

भानुरुवाच।

तेनैतद्वच्मि भवगन्यथाकालं मनो मुने।

अनिग्राह्यमभेद्यं च शापैरपि दुरासदैः ॥ १॥

ऐन्दवानामतः सृष्टिक्रमाणां प्रविनाशनम्।

युज्यते न च तद्ब्रह्मन्युक्तमेतन्महात्मनः ॥ २॥

किं तदस्ति जगत्यस्मिन्विविधेषु जगत्सु च।

तवापि नाथ नाथस्य यद्दैन्याय महात्मनः ॥ ३॥

मनो हि जगतां कर्तृ मनो हि पुरुषः स्मृतः।

यन्मनोनिश्चयकृतं तद्द्रव्यौषधिदण्डनैः ॥ ४॥

हन्तुं न शक्यते जन्तोः प्रतिबिम्बं मणेरिव।

तस्मादेतेऽत्र तिष्ठन्तु भासुरैः सर्गसंभ्रमैः ॥ ५॥

त्वं सृष्ट्वेह प्रजास्तिष्ठ बुद्ध्याकाशो ह्यनन्तकः।

चित्ताकाशश्चिदाकाश आकाशश्च तृतीयकः ॥ ६॥

अनन्तास्त्रय एवैते चिदाकाशप्रकाशिताः।

एकं द्वौ त्रीन्बहून्वापि कुरु सर्गाञ्जगत्पते ॥ ७॥

स्वेच्छयात्मनि तिष्ठ त्वं किं गृहीतं तवैन्दवैः।

ब्रह्मोवाच।

अथैन्दवजगज्जाले भानुनैवमुदाहृते ॥ ८॥

Suryadev said: 

3.91.1–8

> Therefore, O venerable Sage, I speak this at the right time. The mind is uncontrollable and unbreakable, even by the most severe curses.

> Therefore, O Brahman, the destruction of the successive creations of the Aindavas is not proper. Such an act is also not fitting for a great soul.

> O Lord of lords, what is there in this world or in the many other worlds that could cause any need or poverty to your great soul?

> The mind is truly the Creator of the worlds. The mind itself is known as the Cosmic person. Whatever is firmly decided by the mind cannot be undone by material things, medicines, or punishments.

> Just as the reflection of a gem cannot be destroyed, the mental image of a living Being cannot be killed. Therefore, let these remain here with their shining creative activities.

> Having created the Beings here, remain established. The Space of intellect is infinite. There is also the Space of mind, the space of Pure Consciousness, and ordinary Space as the third.

> These three Spaces are indeed Infinite and are revealed by the Space of Consciousness. O Lord of the Worlds, create one, two, three, or even many Creations as you wish.

> Remain in your own Self according to your free will. What have the Aindavas taken away from you? Brahma said: Then, when Bhanu had spoken in this way about the network of the Aindava worlds...

Summary of the teachings:

The mind cannot be controlled, broken, or destroyed by any external force, including the most powerful curses. It stands beyond the reach of ordinary means of restraint or harm.

The Creations arising from the firm resolve of the mind, such as those of the Aindavas, should not be interfered with or destroyed. Great Beings do not suppress the free expressions of others’ minds, as such interference goes against the dignity of an elevated soul.

Nothing in any World can create lack or limitation for the Supreme Self. The mind is the true maker of all Worlds and is itself regarded as the Cosmic person. Once the mind has firmly decided upon something, no material object, medicine, or punishment can reverse that determination.

Mental projections and reflections cannot be eliminated, just as the image of a gem in a mirror cannot be destroyed. Therefore, the shining creative activities of such minds should be allowed to continue freely.

The creator is advised to remain established in his own nature after producing Beings. There exist three Infinite Spaces—the Space of intellect, the Space of mind, and ordinary space—all illuminated by Pure Consciousness. Within this vast openness, one may create as many worlds as desired by free will, without any sense of loss, since nothing has been taken away by the Creations of others.

Chapter 3.90, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.90.1–14

(These verses teach that intense attachment and mutual love between two Beings create strong mental impressions that survive the death of the body)

भानुरुवाच।

अथेन्द्रेणैवमुक्तोऽसौ राजा राजीवलोचनः।

मुनिं भरतनामानं पार्श्वसंस्थमुवाच ह ॥ १॥

राजोवाच।

भगवन्सर्वधर्मज्ञ पश्यामि सुदुरात्मनः।

भृशमस्य मुखे स्फारं धार्ष्ट्यं मद्दारहारिणः ॥ २॥

पापानुरूपमस्याशु शापं देहि महामुने।

यदवध्यवधात्पापं वध्यत्यागात्तदेव हि ॥ ३॥

इत्युक्तो राजसिंहेन भरतो मुनिसत्तमः।

यथावत्प्रविचार्याशु पापं तस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ ४॥

सहानया दुष्कृतिन्या भर्तृद्रोहाभिभूतया।

विनाशं व्रज दुर्बुद्धे इति शापं विसृष्टवान् ॥ ५॥

ततस्तौ राजभरतौ प्रत्यूचतुरिदं वचः।

सुदुर्मती युवां याभ्यां क्षपितं दुश्चरं तपः ॥ ६॥

अनेन शापदानेन किंचिद्भवति नावयोः।

देहे नष्टे न नौ किंचिन्नश्यति स्वान्तरूपयोः ॥ ७॥

स्वान्तं हि नहि केनापि शक्यते नाशितुं क्वचित्।

सूक्ष्मत्वाच्चिन्मयत्वाच्च दुर्लक्ष्यत्वाच्च विद्धि नौ ॥ ८॥

श्रीभानुरुवाच।

सुघनस्नेहसंबद्धमनस्कावेव शापतः।

पतितौ भूतले वृक्षविच्युताविव पल्लवौ ॥ ९॥

अथ व्यसनसंसक्तौ मृगयोनिमुपागतौ।

ततो द्वावपि संसक्तौ भूयो जातौ विहंगमौ ॥ १०॥

अथास्माकं विभो सर्गे मिथःसंबन्धभावनौ।

तपःपरौ महापुण्यौ जातौ ब्राह्मणदम्पती ॥ ११॥

भारतोऽपि तयोः शापः स समर्थो बभूव ह।

शरीरमात्राक्रमणे न मनोनिग्रहे प्रभो ॥ १२॥

तावद्यापि हि तेनैव मोहसंस्कारहेतुना।

यत्र यत्र प्रजायेते भवतस्तत्र दम्पती ॥ १३॥

अकृत्रिमप्रेमरसानुविद्धं स्नेहं तयोस्ते प्रतिवीक्ष्य कान्तम्।

वृक्षा अपि प्रेमरसानुविद्धाः शृङ्गारचेष्टाकुलिता भवन्ति ॥ १४॥

Suryadev continued:

3.90.1–6

> Then the lotus-eyed King, having been thus addressed by Indra, spoke to the Sage named Bharata who stood beside him.

> The King said: O revered one, Knower of all dharma, I see great and open insolence on the face of this thoroughly wicked man who stole my wife.

> O great Sage, quickly give him a curse that fits his sin. The sin of killing one who should not be killed is the same as the sin of sparing one who should be killed.

> Thus spoken to by the best of Kings, Bharata, the foremost of Sages, quickly and carefully considered the sin of that wicked person.

> Together with this sinful woman overcome by betrayal of her husband, “Go to destruction, O dull-minded one!”—thus he uttered the curse.

> Then those two replied with these words: “O you of very evil minds, by whom hard-won austerity has been wasted!”

3.90.7–14

> By this giving of the curse nothing happens to us two. When the body is destroyed, nothing of our Inner True Nature is lost.

> Indeed, the Inner Self can never be destroyed by anyone anywhere. Know us to be such, because we are subtle, made of Pure Consciousness, and hard to perceive.

> Bound in mind by very dense affection, they fell to the ground because of the curse, just like two leaves fallen from a tree.

> Then, clinging to their attachment and suffering, they entered the womb of deer. After that both, still attached, were born again as birds.

> O Lord, in our cycle of Creation they were born as a Brahmin couple, devoted to austerity, of great merit, and still feeling mutual bond.

> O Lord, the curse of Bharata on them was effective only in attacking the body alone, not in restraining the mind.

> Even now, because of that very impression of delusion, wherever they are born they become a couple there.

> Seeing their charming affection filled with genuine feeling of love, even the trees, touched by that same feeling of love, become restless with gestures of romance.

Summary of the teachings:

A curse or any outer force may destroy the physical form, yet it cannot touch the subtle inner self, which is Pure Consciousness, extremely fine, and beyond ordinary perception. The pair therefore continue their bond through successive births.

The story shows the power of samskaras, the latent tendencies left by strong emotions. Because of their deep affection and the delusion it produces, the two Beings are reborn again and again as a pair—first as deer, then as birds, and later as a Brahmin husband and wife devoted to austerity. The outer circumstances change, but the inner connection remains.

Even when they are born as highly virtuous people engaged in spiritual practice, the old impression of attachment continues to operate. The curse of the Sage affected only their bodies; it had no power over their minds. This illustrates that true freedom requires the purification of the mind itself, not merely the suffering of physical consequences.

The verses underline the distinction between the perishable body and the imperishable Inner Nature. The Self cannot be destroyed by any external agency. Real Knowledge consists in recognising this subtle, Conscious Essence that remains untouched by birth, death, or curse.

Finally, the text points to the contagious strength of pure, spontaneous love: even trees are said to respond with signs of romance when they witness such genuine affection. The teaching is that attachment, whether pure or mixed with delusion, shapes destiny across lives, and only clear insight into the nature of the self can dissolve the cycle of repeated paired births.

Chapter 3.88, Verses 12–21

Yoga Vashishtha 3.88.12–21

(These verses teach that truly wise people act without any personal desire or attachment, whether they are performing actions or withdrawing from them)

भानुरुवाच।

यथैव कर्मकरणे कामना नास्ति धीमताम्।

तथैव कर्मत्यागे कामना नास्ति धीमताम् ॥ १२॥

अतः सुषुप्तोपमया धिया निष्कामया तया।

सुषुप्तबुद्धसमया कुरु कार्यं यथागतम् ॥ १३॥

सर्गैरथेन्दुपुत्राणां तोषमेषि जगत्प्रभो।

तदेते तोषयिष्यन्ति तं त्वां सर्गात्सुरेश्वर ॥ १४॥

चित्तनेत्रैर्भवानेतान्सर्गानन्यस्य नो दृशा।

अवश्यं चक्षुषा सर्गं सृष्टमित्येव वेत्ति कः ॥ १५॥

येनैव मनसा सर्गो निर्मितः परमेश्वर।

स एव मांसनेत्रेण तं पश्यति हि नेतरः ॥ १६॥

न चैतान्दश संसारान्दश नीरजसंभवान्।

कश्चिन्नाशयितुं शक्तश्चित्तदार्ढ्याच्चिरस्थितान् ॥ १७॥

कर्मेन्द्रियैर्यत्क्रियते तद्रोद्धुं किल युज्यते।

न मनोनिश्चयकृतं कश्चिद्रोधयितुं क्षमः ॥ १८॥

यो बद्धपदतां यातो जन्तोर्मनसि निश्चयः।

स तेनैव विना ब्रह्मन्नान्येन विनिवार्यते ॥ १९॥

बहुकालं यदभ्यस्तं मनसा दृढनिश्चयम्।

शापेनापि न तस्यास्ति क्षयो नष्टेऽपि देहके ॥ २०॥

यद्बद्धपीठमभितो मनसि प्ररूढं तद्रूपमेव पुरुषो भवतीह नान्यत्।

तद्बोधनादितरमत्र किलाभ्युपायं शैलौघसेकमिव निष्फलमेव मन्ये ॥ २१॥

Suryadev continued: 

3.88.12–15

> Just as wise people have no desire while doing actions, they also have no desire while giving up actions.

> Therefore, with a calm mind like deep sleep, free from all desire, and with awareness like that of one who is awake even in sleep, do whatever work comes to you naturally.

> O Lord of the World, you find satisfaction in the Creations of the sons of the Moon. Therefore, O Chief of the Gods, these Creations will please you through further Creation.

 

> You see these Creations with the eyes of the mind, not with anyone else’s sight. Who can truly know a Creation as created merely by looking with the physical eyes?

3.88.16–21

> O Supreme Lord, the Creation that is made by a particular mind is seen only by that same mind through the physical eyes, and by no one else.

> No one has the power to destroy these ten long-standing worlds that arose from the lotus-born ones, because they are firmly fixed due to the firmness of the mind.

> What is done by the organs of action can indeed be stopped. But no one is able to stop what has been fixed by the resolve of the mind.

> O Brahman, once a firm decision has taken deep root in the mind of a living being, it cannot be removed by anyone else—only by that same person.

> Whatever has been practised for a long time by the mind with firm resolve cannot be destroyed even by a curse. It does not perish even when the body is destroyed.

> Whatever has become firmly rooted and established all around in the mind—that form alone does a person become in this world, nothing else. Any other method besides Realizing that, I consider completely useless here, like pouring water on a heap of rocks.

Summary of the teachings:

The mind of the wise remains calm and free, like the state of deep sleep, yet fully aware. They simply do whatever duty or work comes naturally, without craving results or resisting the flow of life.

Creation itself is presented as a spontaneous, desireless play. The one who creates sees the worlds through the power of the mind, not through ordinary physical sight. Only the mind that has projected a particular creation can truly perceive it; others cannot fully know or share that vision.

The verses strongly emphasise the power of the mind. Worlds and conditions that have become firmly fixed in the mind cannot be destroyed by outer force. Actions of the body can be controlled, but a deep mental resolve cannot be stopped by anyone else.

Once a firm conviction or habit takes root in a person’s mind, only that same person can change it. No outside power, not even a curse, can remove what the mind has long practised and made solid. Such mental patterns continue even beyond the destruction of the body.

Finally, a person becomes exactly what is deeply established in the mind. Real change comes only through understanding and transforming that inner root. All other efforts are as useless as trying to grow plants by watering a pile of stones. True Freedom and right action arise from a mind that is clear, desireless, and firmly established in Wisdom.

Chapter 3.84, Verses 29–37

Yoga Vashishtha 3.84.29–37

(The role of mind in Creation)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

महावाक्यार्थनिष्ठान्तां बुद्धिं कृत्वा रघूद्वह।

वचोभेदमनादृत्य यदिदं वच्मि ते श्रृणु ॥ २९॥

यतःकुतश्चिदुच्छ्रायं गन्धर्वपुरवन्मनः।

भ्रान्तिमात्रं तनोतीदं जगदाख्यं स्वजृम्भणम् ॥ ३०॥

यथा चेतस्तनोतीमां जगन्मायां तथानघ।

श्रृणु त्वं कथयामीदं दृष्टान्तं दृष्टिवेदनम् ॥ ३१॥

यं श्रुत्वा सर्वमेवेदं भ्रान्तिमात्रमिति स्वयम्।

राम निश्चयवान्भूत्वा दूरे त्यक्ष्यसि वासनाम् ॥ ३२॥

मनोमनननिर्माणमात्रमेव जगत्त्रयम्।

सर्वमुत्सृज्य शान्तात्मा स्वात्मन्येव निवत्स्यसि ॥ ३३॥

मद्वाक्यार्थावधानस्थो मनोव्याधिचिकित्सने।

विवेकौषधलेशेन प्रयत्नं च करिष्यसि ॥ ३४॥

एवं स्थिते जगद्रूपं चित्तमेवेह जृम्भते।

न विद्यते शरीरादि सिकतान्तरतैलवत् ॥ ३५॥

चित्तमेव हि संसारो रागादिक्लेशदूषितम्।

तदैव तैर्विनिर्मुक्तं भवान्त इति कथ्यते ॥ ३६॥

चित्तं साध्यं पालनीयं विचार्यं कार्यमार्यवत्।

आहार्यं व्यवहार्यं च संचार्यं धार्यमादरात् ॥ ३७॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.84.29–32

> O Rama, fix your understanding firmly on the Essence of the great teachings. Ignoring differences in wording, listen carefully to what I tell you now.

> The mind rises somehow and spreads like a magical city of Gandharvas. This entire World that we see is only an illusion created by its own expansion.

> Just as the mind creates this illusory World, O Pure One, listen to the example I will now give you about how perception works.

> Hearing this, you will yourself Realize that everything is mere delusion. O Rama, becoming firmly convinced, you will give up all mental tendencies from a distance.

3.84.33–37

> The three Worlds are nothing but the creation of the mind’s thinking. Giving up everything, with a peaceful soul, you will rest happily in your own True Self.

> Pay full attention to the meaning of my words. In treating the disease of the mind, you will make effort with even a little of the medicine of discrimination.

> When this is understood, the World-form is only the mind expanding here. There is no body or other objects, just as there is no oil inside sand.

> The mind itself is the cycle of Worldly Existence when polluted by desires and other afflictions. When freed from them, it is called liberation.

> The mind should be cultivated, protected, examined, and handled like a noble person. It should be guided, used in daily affairs, directed properly, and held with care and respect.

Summary of the Teachings:

Vasistha instructs Rama to focus deeply on the core meaning of the Highest Teachings rather than getting caught in words. The mind creates the appearance of the World like a dream city that seems Real but has no substance. This shows that the World is not independent but only a projection of the mind’s activity.  

The teaching uses the example of perception to help the seeker understand how the mind weaves illusions. By truly grasping this, one develops firm conviction that everything experienced is delusion. This Realization helps in letting go of deep-rooted mental habits and tendencies.  

The three Worlds exist only through the mind’s constant thinking. Once this is seen clearly, the seeker drops all attachments and rests peacefully in the True Self. Paying careful attention to these words acts as medicine to cure the mind’s illnesses through the power of discrimination.  

In this State, the World is recognized as nothing but the mind’s own expansion. There are no solid objects like bodies; they are as unreal as oil mixed in sand. The mind alone creates the sense of Worldly life when filled with desires and suffering.  

When the mind is purified of these impurities, it becomes liberation itself. The mind needs to be carefully trained, protected, reflected upon, and used wisely in daily life. It should be guided with respect so that it serves the path to freedom rather than bondage.

Chapter 3.67, Verses 37–51

Yoga Vashishtha 3.67.37–51

(These verses beautifully capture Rama’s wonder at the illusory yet vivid appearance of the World within Brahm)

श्रीराम उवाच।

अहो चित्रं जगदिदमसत्सदिव भासते।

अहो बृहदहो स्वस्थमहो स्फुटमहो तनु ॥ ३७॥

ब्रह्मणि प्रतिभासात्मा तन्मात्रगुणगोलकः।

अवश्यायकणाभासो यथा स्फुरति तच्छ्रुतम् ॥ ३८॥

यथाऽसौ याति वैपुल्यं यथा भवति चात्मभूः।

यथा स्वभावसिद्धार्थात्तथा कथय मे प्रभो ॥ ३९॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अत्यन्तासंभवद्रूपमनन्यत्स्वस्वभावतः।

अत्यन्ताननुभूतं सत्स्वानुभूतमिवाग्रतः ॥ ४०॥

उल्लासफुल्लो फुल्लाङ्ग इति बालहृदि स्फुटम्।

यथोदेति तथोदेति परे ब्रह्मणि जीवता ॥ ४१॥

मानमेयात्मिका शुद्धा सत्यैवासत्यवत्स्थिता।

भिन्नेव च न भिन्ना स्याद्ब्रह्मणो ब्रंह्मणात्मिका ॥ ४२॥

यथा ब्रह्म भवत्याशु जीवः कलनजीवितः।

तथा जीवो भवत्याशु मनो मननवेदनात् ॥ ४३॥

चित्तं तन्मात्रमननं पश्यत्याशु स्वरूपवत्।

एष सद्योऽनिललवप्रख्यः स्फुरति खान्तरे ॥ ४४॥

अस्तनिमेषोऽनुभवत्यवश्यायकणोपमम्।

संवेदनात्मकं कालकलितं कान्तमात्मनि ॥ ४५॥

अहं किमिति शब्दार्थवेदनाभोगसंविदम्।

संविदं तत्त्वशब्दार्थं जीवः पश्यति सार्थकम् ॥ ४६॥

तादृक्षवेदनात्सोऽथ रसशब्दार्थवेदनम्।

भाविजिह्वार्थनाम्नैकदेशेऽनुभवति क्षणात् ॥ ४७॥

तादृक्षवेदनात्तेजःशब्दार्थोन्मुखतां गतः।

भविष्यन्नेत्रनाम्नैकदेशे भवति भासनम् ॥ ४८॥

तादृक्षवेदनात्सोऽथ घ्राणं तद्दृष्टिवेदनात्।

स्थितो यस्मिन्भवतीति तावद्दृश्यादिता स्थिता ॥ ४९॥

एवंप्रायः स जीवात्मा काकतालीयवच्छनैः।

विशिष्टसंनिवेशत्वं भावितं पश्यति स्वतः ॥ ५०॥

स तस्य संनिवेशस्य त्वसतोऽपि सतः सतः।

शब्दभावैकदेशत्वं श्रवणार्थेन विन्दति ॥ ५१॥

Sriram asked: 

3.67.37–39

> Oh, how wonderful! This World, though unreal, shines as if it is Real. Oh, how vast it is! Oh, how stable! Oh, how clear! Oh, how subtle!

> In Brahm, it appears as the nature of reflection, a sphere made of subtle elements (tanmatras), shining like a drop of dew. This is what I have heard.

> How does it expand? How does it become self-born? How does the Reality arise from its own Nature? O Lord, please explain this to me.

Sage Vasistha answered: 

3.67.40–43

> It has a form that is extremely impossible and non-different from its own Nature. Though never experienced before, it appears right in front as if fully experienced.

> Just as a fully bloomed flower with expanded parts clearly arises in a child’s heart, in the same way the State of being a Jiva arises in the Supreme Brahm.

> The Pure Nature of Knower and Known, though truly Real, stands as if unreal. It appears different yet is not different — it is the Brahm-nature within Brahm.

> Just as Brahm quickly becomes the Jiva endowed with limiting activities, similarly the Jiva quickly becomes the mind through the process of thinking and perceiving.

3.67.44–51

> The mind, which is the thinking of subtle elements, quickly sees everything as if it is its own form. This instantly vibrates like a light gust of wind in inner space.

> Without blinking, it experiences within itself the delightful, time-bound Consciousness, like a dewdrop.

> The Jiva sees the meaningful Knowledge in the form of “What am I?” — the enjoyment of word-meaning Awareness, the Knowledge of the meaning of Reality (tattva).

> From such perception, it then instantly experiences the meaning of the word “taste” (rasa) in the future part that will become the tongue.

> From such perception, turning towards the meaning of “light/fire” (tejas), it becomes illumination in the part that will become the eye.

> From such perception, it then develops the nose. From the perception of that sight, it becomes situated in the place of seen objects. Thus the State of Being the Seer is established.

> In this manner, that Jiva-self, like a crow and palm fruit falling together by chance, slowly perceives by itself its own special placement that it has conceived.

> Through the meaning of hearing, it attains the word-form of that placement — even though it is unreal, yet it appears real and existent.

Summary of the Teachings:

The world, though unreal, shines like a dewdrop or reflection in Pure Consciousness. Vasistha explains that this appearance is spontaneous and self-born, arising directly from Brahm’s own Nature without any real transformation. It seems completely new and experienced, even though it has no independent existence. The Jiva (individual soul) emerges in Brahm in the same natural way a thought or image appears in a child’s mind.

The process of manifestation is described as a rapid, spontaneous evolution. Brahm assumes the form of Jiva through subtle limitations, and the Jiva in turn becomes the mind through thinking and sensing. The mind then projects the subtle elements (tanmatras) and begins to experience them as its own reality. This happens instantly, like a breeze arising in Space. The Jiva starts with a basic sense of “I am” and gradually develops the organs of perception — tongue for taste, eyes for light, nose for smell — through its own conceptual power. All this unfolds as if by coincidence, yet it is self-conceived.

The teaching highlights the mysterious power of Consciousness to create the appearance of duality and multiplicity while remaining unchanged. The World of objects and senses appears very Real and stable, yet it is only a reflection or vibration within Brahm. There is no actual difference between Brahm and the Jiva or the World; the seeming difference comes from the mind’s perception. Everything arises, expands, and takes form through the power of imagination and self-identification within Pure Consciousness.

The verses explain how the Jiva slowly builds its sense of individuality and the external World step by step, starting from a subtle thought and developing into full sensory experience. This Creation is compared to natural, effortless processes like a flower blooming or a drop of dew sparkling. Even though the entire structure is unreal from the absolute standpoint, it appears solid and meaningful to the Jiva due to its own self-hypnosis and identification.

Overall, these verses teach the core of non-dual philosophy: the world and the individual soul are apparent projections in the One Brahm. Realizing this illusory nature liberates one from suffering. The seeker is encouraged to wonder at the appearance, inquire into its Source, and ultimately rest in the Pure Consciousness from which everything arises and into which everything dissolves.

Chapter 3.67, Verses 15–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.67.15–24

(These verses teach that the world we experience is not ultimately Real but a projection of the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अहंममेत्यसद्रूपमेव चेतः प्रपश्यति।

अदृष्टपरमार्थत्वादाशाविवशसंस्थिति ॥ १५॥

मथुराधिपते राज्ञो यथा श्वपचसंभ्रमः।

आसीदेवं हि चित्तस्य स्फुरतीयं जगत्स्थितिः ॥ १६॥

सर्वमेव मनोमात्रभ्रान्त्युल्लासविजृम्भणम्।

इदं जगत्तया राम प्रस्फुरत्यम्बुभङ्गवत् ॥ १७॥

शिवात्प्राक्कारणात्पूर्वं चिच्चेत्यकलनोन्मुखी।

उदेति सौम्याज्जलधेः पयःस्पन्दो मनागिव ॥ १८॥

स्फुरणाज्जीवचक्रत्वमेति चित्तोर्मितां दधत्।

चिद्वारिब्रह्मजलधौ कुरुते सर्गबुद्बुदान् ॥ १९॥

स्वस्थः सौम्य समस्यैतद्यत्सिंहस्य विजृम्भणम्।

ब्रह्मणः संविदाभासस्तत्संचेत्यमिव स्वयम् ॥ २०॥

चित्संवित्त्योच्यते जीवः संकल्पात्स मनो भवेत्।

बुद्धिश्चित्तमहंकारो मायेत्याद्यभिधं ततः ॥ २१॥

तन्मात्रकल्पना पूर्वं तनोतीदं जगन्मनः।

असत्यं सत्यसंकाशं गन्धर्वनगरं यथा ॥ २२॥

यथा शून्ये दृशः स्फारान्मुक्तावल्यादिदर्शनम्।

यथा स्वप्ने भ्रमश्चैव तथा चित्तस्य संसृतिः ॥ २३॥

शुद्ध आत्मा नित्यतृप्त इव शान्तः समस्थितः।

अपश्यन्पश्यतीवेमं चित्ताख्यं स्वप्नविभ्रमम् ॥ २४॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.67.15–19

> The mind perceives only the unreal form of "I" and "mine." Because it has not seen the Ultimate Reality, it remains helplessly bound by desires.

> Just as the King of Mathura experiences the delusion of being a dog-eater, in the same way, this appearance of the world arises in the mind.

> O Rama, this entire world is nothing but the expansion and playful manifestation of illusion that exists only in the mind. It appears like ripples on water.

> Before the Primary Cause, from the auspicious Supreme Reality, Consciousness turns toward objects and arises gently, like a small ripple on a calm ocean.

> Through its vibration, Consciousness takes the form of mind-waves and becomes the cycle of individual souls. In the Ocean of Brahm filled with Consciousness-Water, it creates bubbles of Creation.

3.67.20–24

> O gentle one, this is like the yawning or display of a lion. It is the appearance of Consciousness in Brahm, which is self-established, impartial, and seems to cognize itself.

> Consciousness is called the individual soul (Jiva). From intention or volition, it becomes the mind. Then it is named intellect, mind-stuff, ego, Maya, and so on.

> The mind, by imagining the subtle elements, first expands this world. Though unreal, it appears real, like a city of Gandharvas (a celestial mirage).

> Just as in empty Space one sees a string of pearls due to some visual effect, and just as there is delusion in a dream, so is the worldly existence of the mind.

> The Pure Self, eternally satisfied, peaceful, and steady, though not really seeing, appears to see this dream-like delusion called the mind.

Summary of the Teachings:

The mind clings to the false sense of "I" and "mine," driven by unfulfilled desires because it has not Realized the Supreme Truth. This creates a helpless State where illusion dominates perception. The example of the King imagining himself as an outcaste illustrates how a single mind can fabricate an entire false reality.

The Universe appears as playful waves or ripples on the surface of Consciousness, emerging from Pure Awareness like small disturbances in a calm Ocean. 

Consciousness, through its initial vibration, gives rise to individual souls and the multiplicity of Creation, forming bubbles in the vast ocean of Brahm. Everything is a manifestation within the One Reality, not separate from it.

Names like Jiva, mind, intellect, ego, and Maya are just different labels for the same evolving Consciousness influenced by thought and volition. The mind constructs the world by imagining subtle elements, making the unreal seem solid and true, similar to a magical mirage city. This highlights the power of imagination in shaping apparent Existence.

Worldly life and transmigration are compared to optical illusions in empty Space or dreams—vivid but without substance. They exist only as long as the mind engages with them. The Pure Self remains untouched, eternally content and Peaceful, witnessing these appearances without true involvement or change.

Overall, these teachings point toward non-dual Realization: the world is mind-created illusion (Maya), and liberation comes from recognizing the Unchanging Pure Self behind all appearances. By inquiring into the nature of the mind and transcending its projections, one rests in the Blissful Awareness of Brahm.

Chapter 3.66, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.66.1–11

(These verses explain that the One Supreme Reality appears as many through the power of the mind, like one lamp producing many)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

एवमेकं परं वस्तु राम नानात्वमेत्यलम्।

नानात्वमिव संजातं दीपाद्दीपशतं यथा ॥ १॥

यथाभूतमसद्रूपमात्मानं यदि पश्यति।

विचार्यतेऽन्तस्तदनुभावहीनं न शोचति ॥ २॥

चित्तमात्रं नरस्तस्मिन्गते शान्तमिदं जगत्।

उपानद्गूढपादस्य ननु चर्मास्तृतैव भूः ॥ ३॥

पत्रमात्रादृते नान्यत्कदल्या विद्यते यथा।

भ्रममात्रादृते नान्यज्जगतो विद्यते तथा ॥ ४॥

जायते बालतामेति यौवनं वार्धकं ततः।

मृतिं स्वर्गं च नरकं भ्रमाच्चेतो हि नृत्यति ॥ ५॥

विचित्रबुद्बुदोल्लासे स्वात्मनो व्यतिरेकिणि।

यथा सुरायाः सामर्थ्यं तथा चित्तस्य संसृतौ ॥ ६॥

यथा द्वित्वं शशाङ्कादौ पश्यत्यक्षिमलाविलम्।

चिच्चेतनकलाक्रान्ता तथैव परमात्मनि ॥ ७॥

यथा मदवशाद्भ्रान्तान्क्षीबः पश्यति पादपान्।

तथा चेतनविक्षुब्धान्संसारांश्चित्प्रपश्यति ॥ ८॥

यथा लीलाभ्रमाद्बालाः कुम्भकृच्चक्रवज्जगत्।

भ्रान्तं पश्यन्ति चित्तात्तु विद्धि दृश्यं तथैव हि ॥ ९॥

यदा चिच्चेतति द्वित्वं तदा द्वैतैक्यविभ्रमः।

यदा न चेतति द्वैतं तदा द्वैतैक्ययोः क्षयः ॥ १०॥

यच्चेत्यते तदितरद्व्यतिरिक्तं चितोऽस्ति न।

किंचिन्नास्तीतिसंशान्त्या चितः शाम्यति चेतनं ॥ ११॥

Sage Vasistha continued: 

3.66.1–4

> In this way, O Rama, the One Supreme Reality becomes multiplicity. It appears as many, just like hundreds of lamps coming from one lamp. 

> If one sees the Self as it truly is, even though it appears in unreal form, and inquires within, then being free from that experience, one does not grieve. 

> The world becomes Peaceful when the mind alone subsides. For one whose feet are covered with shoes, the entire Earth is indeed covered with leather. 

> Just as in a plantain tree there is nothing other than leaves, similarly in the world there is nothing other than mere illusion. 

3.66.5–11

> One is born, becomes a child, attains youth, then old age, death, heaven and hell — the mind dances due to illusion. 

> In the diverse play of bubbles arising from the Self that is free from all differences, the power of the mind in the world is like the power of wine. 

> Just as one with diseased eyes sees duality in the moon and such things, similarly the Supreme Self appears affected by the play of Consciousness and mind. 

> Just as a drunk person sees trees as moving due to intoxication, so does Consciousness see the worlds as agitated due to the disturbance in mind. 

> Just as children see the world spinning like a potter’s wheel due to playful illusion, know that the seen world is exactly like that, arising from the mind. 

> When Consciousness perceives duality, then arises the illusion of duality and unity. When it does not perceive duality, then both duality and unity are destroyed. 

> Whatever is perceived as an object is nothing other than Consciousness. Through the complete Peace of the notion “nothing exists,” the Consciousness of the mind becomes Still. 

Summary of the Teachings:

The world has no independent existence apart from illusion, similar to a plantain tree made only of layers of leaves. When the mind subsides, the world becomes peaceful. Realizing the Self as it is through Inner inquiry frees one from grief. 

The entire life cycle — birth, childhood, youth, old age, death, heaven, and hell — is merely the mind dancing in illusion. The mind creates the appearance of the world like intoxication creates false perceptions, such as seeing moving trees or duality where none exists. The perceived multiplicity and changes are projections of the disturbed mind upon the Unchanging Self. 

True vision reveals there is nothing but Consciousness. 

Objects, duality, and the world are not separate from it. When Consciousness stops perceiving duality, the illusions of both duality and unity end. Complete understanding that “nothing exists” apart from Consciousness brings total Stillness to the mind. 

The teachings use everyday examples like shoes covering the earth, drunk vision, and a child’s spinning world to show how perception creates apparent reality. Liberation comes from seeing through the illusion and resting in the pure, non-dual Self. In essence, these verses guide the seeker to recognize the mind’s role in projecting the world, inquire into the True Nature of the Self, and achieve Peace by transcending mental disturbances and false perceptions.

Chapter 3.65, Verses 1–13

Yoga Vashishtha 3.65.1–13

(These verses teach the non-dual Reality where the mind emerges from the Supreme Brahm as the Primary Cause of all appearance)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

परस्मात्कारणादेव मनः प्रथममुत्थितम्।

मननात्मकमाभोगि तत्स्थमेव स्थितिं गतम् ॥ १॥

भावाभावलसद्दोलं तेनायमवलोक्यते।

सर्गः सदसदाभासः पूर्वगन्ध इवेच्छया ॥ २॥

न कश्चिद्विद्यते भेदो द्वैतैक्यकलनात्मकः।

ब्रह्मजीवमनोमायाकर्तृकर्मजगद्दृशाम् ॥ ३॥

अपारावारविस्तारसंवित्सलिलवल्गनैः।

चिदेकार्णव एवायं स्वयमात्मा विजृम्भते ॥ ४॥

असत्यमस्थैर्यवशात्सत्यं संप्रतिभासतः।

यथा स्वप्नस्तथा चित्तं जगत्सदसदात्मकम् ॥ ५॥

न सन्नासन्न संजातश्चेतसो जगतो भ्रमः।

अथ धीसमवायानामिन्द्रजालमिवोत्थितः ॥ ६॥

दीर्घः स्वप्नः स्थितिं यातः संसाराख्यो मनोबलात्।

असम्यग्दर्शनात्स्थाणाविव पुंस्प्रत्ययो मुधा ॥ ७॥

अनात्मालोकनाच्चित्तं चित्तत्वं नानुशोचति।

वेतालकल्पनाद्बाल इव संकल्पिते भये ॥ ८॥

अनाख्यस्य स्वरूपस्य सर्वाशातिगतात्मनः।

चेत्योन्मुखतया चित्तं चित्ताज्जीवत्वकल्पनम् ॥ ९॥

जीवत्वादप्यहंभावस्त्वहंभावाच्च चित्तता।

चित्तत्वादिन्द्रियादित्वं ततो देहादिविभ्रमाः ॥ १०॥

देहादिमोहतः स्वर्गनरकौ मोक्षबन्धने।

बीजाङ्कुरवदारम्भसंरूढे देहकर्मणोः ॥ ११॥

द्वैतं यथा नास्ति चिदात्मजीवयोस्तथैव भेदोऽस्ति न जीवचित्तयोः।

यथैव भेदोऽस्ति न जीवचित्तयोस्तथैव भेदोऽस्ति न देहकर्मणोः ॥ १२॥

कर्मैव देहो ननु देह एव चित्तं तदेवाहमितीह जीवः।

स जीव एवेश्वरचित्स आत्मा सर्वः शिवस्त्वेकपदोक्तमेतत् ॥ १३॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.65.1–6

> The mind first arose from the Supreme Cause. It is of the nature of thinking and enjoyment, and it remained established in that very State. 

> By this mind, which swings like a dolly between Existence and non-existence, this Creation is perceived. This world of Creation, appearing as Real and unreal, is like a previous scent arising by desire. 

> There is no difference at all in the dualistic and non-dual calculations among Brahm, the individual soul, mind, Maya, doer, action, and the world of perception. 

> This very Self, the single ocean of Consciousness, expands by itself through the waves of Boundless and Unlimited Awareness. 

> Because of instability, the unreal appears as Real. Just as in a dream, so is the mind and the world, which is of the nature of both Real and unreal. 

> The illusion of the world in the mind is neither fully Real nor unreal. It has arisen like a magic show from the combination of thoughts and intellect. 

3.65.7–13

> The long dream called worldly Existence has become stable due to the power of the mind. Due to incorrect vision, it is like mistakenly seeing a person in a pillar. 

> By not seeing the non-self, the mind does not grieve its own nature of mind, like a child who imagines a ghost and then fears the imagined thing. 

> From the mind turning towards objects, while the True Nature is indescribable and beyond all, arises the notion of individuality or soul from the mind. 

> From individuality comes the sense of 'I', from the sense of 'I' comes mind-ness, from mind-ness come the senses and so on, and from that arise delusions of body and the like. 

> From delusion of body and so on come heaven and hell, bondage and liberation. This is like the seed and sprout firmly rooted in the beginning of body and action. 

> Just as there is no difference between Consciousness and the individual soul, so there is no difference between the soul and the mind. Just as there is no difference between the soul and the mind, so there is no difference between the body and its actions. 

> Action itself is the body, and the body is indeed the mind; that itself is the 'I' here, the individual soul. That soul is itself the Lord, Pure Consciousness, the Self. All is Shiva; this is stated in one word. 

Summary of the Teachings:

The mind, characterized by thinking and seeking enjoyment, projects the entire Universe as a play of ideas swinging between Existence and non-existence. There is ultimately no real distinction between Brahm, the soul, mind, Maya, the doer, actions, or the perceived world. Everything is a seamless expression of One Consciousness, like waves in an Ocean of Awareness.

The world is likened to a long dream or illusion that gains apparent stability through the mind's power and wrong perception. It appears Real due to instability and desire, similar to seeing a person in a post or fearing an imagined ghost. The mind does not truly suffer from its own nature when it fails to recognize the non-self. This illusion arises from the mind's tendency to turn outward toward objects, leading to the false sense of individuality.

A step-by-step progression is described from Pure Consciousness to mind, then to ego ('I'-sense), senses, body, and further delusions like heaven, hell, bondage, and liberation. These are all interconnected without true differences, rooted like Seed and sprout in the cycle of body and karma. The teachings emphasize that duality is unreal; Consciousness and soul, soul and mind, body and actions are not separate. 

The ultimate teaching is the identity of all with Shiva or the Supreme Self. The individual soul is none other than the Lord, Pure Consciousness, and the Self. All phenomena resolve into one non-dual Reality. Realizing this ends the delusion of separation and the cycle of suffering. 

In essence, these verses guide the seeker to inquire into the mind's origin and nature, dissolve false identifications, and rest in the unchanging Awareness that is Brahm, freeing one from the dream-like bondage of samsara through correct vision and non-attachment.