Chapter 3.112, Verses 20–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.112.20–27

(The mind itself is both the trap and the only means of escape from the endless cycle of birth and death)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

तृष्णाग्राहगृहीतानां संसारार्णवरंहसि।

आवर्तैरुह्यमानानां दूरे स्वं मन एव नौः ॥ २०॥

मनसैव मनश्छित्त्वा पाशं परमबन्धनम्।

उन्मोचितो न येनात्मा नासावन्येन मोक्ष्यते ॥ २१॥

या योदेति मनोनाम्नी वासना वासितान्तरा।

तां तां परिहरेत्प्राज्ञस्ततोऽविद्याक्षयो भवेत् ॥ २२॥

भोगौघवासनां त्यक्त्वा त्यज त्वं भेदवासनाम्।

भावाभावौ ततस्त्यक्त्वा निर्विकल्पःसुखीभव ॥ २३॥

अभावनं भावनायास्त्वेतावान्वासनाक्षयः।

एष एव मनोनाशस्त्वविद्यानाश उच्यते ॥ २४॥

यद्यत्संवेद्यते किंचित्तत्रासंवेदनं परम्।

असंवित्तिस्तु निर्वाणं दुःखं संवेदनाद्भवेत् ॥ २५॥

स्वेनैव तत्प्रयत्नेन पुंसः संवेद्यते क्षणात्।

भावस्याभावनं भूत्यै तत्तस्मान्नित्यमाहरेत् ॥ २६॥

रागादयो ये मनसीप्सितास्ते बुद्ध्वेह तांस्तांस्त्वमवस्तुभूतान्।

त्यक्त्वा तदास्याङ्कुरमस्तबीजं मा हर्षशोकं समुपैहि तृप्तः ॥ २७॥

Sage Vashishta further said: 

3.112.20–27

> For those seized by the crocodiles of craving and swept by whirlpools in the rushing Ocean of Worldly existence, their own mind alone is the far-off boat that can save them.

> By cutting the mind’s own noose—the greatest bondage—with the mind itself, if the Self is not freed, nothing else can free it.

> Whatever subtle desire arises under the name of mind and colours the Inner Being, the wise person should abandon it at once; then ignorance is destroyed.

> Give up the desire for streams of enjoyment; give up the desire for differences. Then abandon both existence and non-existence and become free of all mental constructs and be happy.

> Simply not thinking of things is the full end of desires. This very end of the mind is called the end of ignorance.

> Whatever is perceived, non-perception of it is the highest. Non-awareness is liberation; sorrow comes from awareness.

> By one’s own effort a person Realizes this in a moment. Not thinking of “being” brings true welfare; therefore practise it always.

> Know that the likes and dislikes desired by the mind are without real substance. Leave them, so their sprout has no seed left, and do not fall into joy or sorrow; remain content.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings: 

These verses teach that the mind itself is both the trap and the only means of escape from the endless cycle of birth and death. Craving acts like a crocodile and the World like a stormy Ocean; only the mind, when turned inward and controlled by itself, becomes the boat that carries one to safety. No outer force, teacher or ritual can liberate the Self if the mind does not first cut its own bonds of desire and attachment.

The wise are told to watch every subtle tendency the moment it rises and to drop it at once. Desires for pleasure and for seeing differences between things keep ignorance alive. When both the sense of “this exists” and “this does not exist” are set aside, the mind becomes still and free of all restless thinking, and lasting happiness appears.

Simply stopping the habit of mentally creating and holding on to ideas is the complete destruction of latent desires. That same quieting of the mind is the destruction of ignorance itself. Whatever the senses or thoughts present, the highest state is not to grasp or dwell on it; non-awareness of objects is true liberation, while continual awareness of them produces sorrow.

A person can reach this insight by personal effort in a single moment. Therefore the practice of refusing to give mental form to any “thing” or “being” must be kept up constantly, because that refusal itself brings real spiritual growth and prosperity of the soul.

Finally, all likes, dislikes and other mental longings must be seen as empty of substance. Once they are abandoned, the seed of further desire is burned and no new sprout can arise. One then remains calmly content, untouched by the swings of joy and grief that once ruled the mind.

Chapter 3.111, Verses 30–38

Yoga Vashishtha 3.111.30–38

(No teaching, scripture or external method can bring lasting peace or liberation unless the mind itself is first quieted)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

सति पथ्ये तते शुभ्रे चित्तोपशमनादृते।

तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्ताच्च भूयोभूयो विचारितम् ॥ ३०॥

यावन्नास्ति किलोपायश्चित्तोपशमनादृते।

ऋते तथ्ये तते शुभ्रे बोधे हृद्युदिते सति ॥ ३१॥

मनोविलयमात्रेण विश्रान्तिरुपजायते।

व्यायते हृदयाकाशे चिति चिच्चक्रधारया ॥ ३२॥

मनो मारय निःशङ्कं त्वां प्रबध्नन्ति नाधयः।

यदि रम्यमरम्यत्वे त्वया संविदितं विदा ॥ ३३॥

छिन्नान्येव तदाङ्गानि चित्तस्येति मतिर्मम।

अयं सोऽहमिदं तन्म एतावन्मात्रकं मनः ॥ ३४॥

तदभावनमात्रेण दात्रेणेव विलूयते।

छिन्नाभ्रमण्डलं व्योम्नि यथा शरदि धूयते ॥ ३५॥

वातेनाकल्पनेनैवं तथा तद्धूयते मनः।

भवन्ति यत्र शस्त्राग्निपवनास्तत्र भीर्भवेत् ॥ ३६॥

स्वायते मृदुनि स्वच्छे किमसंकल्पने भयम्।

इदं श्रेय इद नेति सिद्धमाबालमक्षतम् ॥ ३७॥

बालं पुत्रमिवोदारे मनः श्रेयसि योजयेत् ।

अक्षयं चानवं चेतःसिंहं संसृतिबृंहणम्।

घ्नन्ति ये ते जयन्तीह निर्वाणपददायिनः ॥ ३८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.111.30–38

> Even when a proper, broad and pure path is present, nothing is of use without quieting the mind. This has been examined again and again from every side, above and below.  

> There is truly no other means except the quieting of the mind, once the true, broad and Pure Knowledge has arisen in the heart.  

> By the mere dissolving of the mind, rest arises. It spreads in the Space of the heart through the continuous flow of Pure Consciousness.  

> Kill the mind without any fear. Then the mental afflictions will not bind you, if you, the Knower, have truly understood the pleasant nature even within what seems unpleasant.  

> In my view, the limbs of the mind are then cut off. Thoughts such as “this is that,” “I am this,” “this is mine” — the mind is only this much.  

> By the mere non-thinking of them it is cut away as if by a sickle, just as a mass of torn clouds is scattered in the autumn sky.  

> In the same way the mind is scattered by the wind of non-imagining. Fear arises only where weapons, fire and storms are present.  

> When the mind settles in what is soft and clear, what fear can there be in the absence of mental imagining? The habit of judging “this is good, this is not” has been fixed unbroken since childhood.  

> One should gently turn the mind toward the good, just as one guides a child or a son. Those who destroy the undying, young mind-lion that expands the cycle of birth and death conquer here and bestow the state of nirvana.  

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses stress that no teaching, scripture or external method can bring lasting peace or liberation unless the mind itself is first quieted. All other paths remain useless until the restless activity of the mind is brought under control through clear understanding that arises within the heart.  

True rest and freedom appear the moment the mind dissolves. When mental activity ceases, Pure Awareness spreads naturally through the inner space of the heart, revealing an undisturbed state of Consciousness that needs no further effort.  

The mind must be decisively overcome without hesitation. Once a person clearly sees that even unpleasant situations contain an inherent pleasantness when viewed from Pure Knowledge, the usual torments of the mind lose their power to bind.  

The mind consists only of limited thoughts of identity and possession such as “I am this” and “this is mine.” Simply refusing to dwell on these thoughts causes the mind to dissolve completely, just as autumn winds scatter clouds that have already been torn apart.  

There is no danger in this process of non-imagining; fear belongs only to situations of external violence or upheaval. The mind should therefore be gently guided toward what is truly beneficial, like a child being led by a caring parent. Those who succeed in destroying this ever-young, expanding “lion” of the mind attain victory in this life and reach the State of final liberation.  

Chapter 3.111, Verses 21–29

Yoga Vashishtha 3.111.21–29

(The restless mind, though it appears unmoving because of confused perception, can be brought under control solely through personal effort and determination)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

संवेदनविपर्यासरूपिणी धीरिवाचला।

जेतुमाशु मनो राम पौरुषेणैव शक्यते ॥ २१॥

अनुद्वेगः श्रियो मूलमनुद्वेगात्प्रवर्तते।

जन्तोर्मनोजयो येन त्रिलोकीविजयस्तृणम् ॥ २२॥

न शस्त्रदलनोत्पातपाता यस्यां मनागपि।

स्वभावमात्रव्यावृत्तौ तस्यां कैव कदर्थना ॥ २३॥

अपि स्ववेदनाक्रान्तौ न शक्ता ये नराधमाः।

कथं व्यवहरिष्यन्ति व्यवहारदशासु ते ॥ २४॥

पुमान्मृतोऽस्मि जातोऽस्मि जीवामीति कुदृष्टयः।

चेतसो वृत्तयो भान्ति चपलस्यासदुत्थिताः ॥ २५॥

न कश्चनेह म्रियते जायते न च कश्चन।

स्वयं वेत्ति मृतं स्वस्य लोकमन्यं स्वकं मनः ॥ २६॥

इतो याति परं लोकं स्फुरत्यन्यतया मनः।

तत्तस्यैत्येतदामोक्षमतो मृतिभयं कुतः ॥ २७॥

इहलोकेन विचरत्विहलोके परत्र च।

चित्तमामोक्षमास्तेऽस्य रूपमन्यन्न विद्यते ॥ २८॥

मृते भ्रातरि भृत्यादौ क्लेश आक्रियतेऽनृतः।

तत्स्वचित्तं स्वचैतन्यव्यावृत्तात्मेति मे मतिः ॥ २९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.111.21–24

> O Rama, the mind, which appears fixed like the intellect due to reversed perception, can be conquered quickly only through one’s own effort.

> Freedom from agitation is the root of all prosperity; everything proceeds from it. For one who has conquered the mind, victory over the three worlds is as insignificant as a blade of grass.

> In a State where there is not even the slightest cutting by weapons, rising, or falling, and which comes about merely by turning away from one’s natural tendencies, what possible trouble can there be?

> Those lowest of men who cannot even manage themselves when overtaken by their own feelings—how will they ever conduct themselves properly in worldly affairs?

3.111.25–29

> The false notions “I am dead,” “I am born,” and “I am alive” are merely the restless movements of a fickle mind arising from unreality.

> No one dies here, and no one is born. The mind itself imagines its own death and another World as belonging to itself.

> From here the mind goes to another World and appears in a different form. That very arrival is its liberation—so why fear death?

> Let the mind wander with this World, whether here or in the beyond. Until liberation is attained, it has no other form.

> The sorrow felt at the death of a brother, servant, or the like is unreal. In my view, that is only one’s own mind turned away from its Pure Consciousness.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the restless mind, though it appears unmoving because of confused perception, can be brought under control solely through personal effort and determination. No external force or ritual is required; sincere human striving is enough to master it quickly. Once the mind is conquered, freedom from inner disturbance becomes the true foundation of lasting well-being, and even the greatest worldly or cosmic victories become trivial.

The text emphasises that genuine transformation of one’s nature involves no struggle, conflict, or violence of any kind. When the mind simply turns away from its habitual patterns, all difficulties dissolve. Those who cannot govern their own feelings and reactions remain incapable of handling ordinary life situations effectively, showing that self-mastery is the first and essential skill.

False ideas of birth, death, and continued existence are exposed as mere products of a fluctuating, unreal mind. In truth, no one is born and no one dies. The mind alone invents the experience of dying and of moving to other realms. When the mind shifts to another appearance, that shift itself is liberation; therefore the fear of death has no real basis.

Wherever the mind wanders—whether in this World or another—it remains the same until liberation is reached. Grief over the death of relatives or dependents is likewise unreal, arising only because the mind has turned away from its own pure awareness. The verses repeatedly stress that no other method exists for attaining clear, true knowledge except the calming and subduing of the mind.

Ultimately, the teaching insists that pure, luminous understanding arises in the heart only when the mind is quieted. All other paths and examinations prove incomplete without this Inner Stillness. Mastery of the mind is therefore presented as the single indispensable means to freedom from fear, sorrow, and delusion.

Chapter 3.110, Verses 60–67

Yoga Vashishtha 3.110.60–67

(A person is not the body; excitement, joy, and restlessness are all movements of the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

प्रशाम्यत्युल्लसत्येति याति नन्दति वल्गति।

मनःशरीरसंकल्पे फलिते न शरीरकम् ॥ ६०॥

नानास्फारसमुल्लासैः स्वसंकल्पोपकल्पितैः।

मनो वल्गति देहेऽस्मिन्साध्वीवान्तःपुराजिरे ॥ ६१॥

चापले प्रसरस्तस्मादन्तर्येन नदीयते।

मनोविलयमादत्ते तस्यालान इव द्विपः ॥ ६२॥

न स्पन्दते मनो यस्य शस्त्रस्तम्भ इवोत्तमः।

सद्वस्तुतोऽसौ पुरुषः शिष्टाः कर्दमकीटकाः ॥ ६३॥

यस्याचपलतां यातं मन एकत्र संस्थितम्।

अनुत्तमपदेनासौ ध्यानेनानुगतोऽनघ ॥ ६४॥

संयमान्मनसः शान्तिमेति संसारविभ्रमः।

मन्दरेऽस्पन्दतां याते यथा क्षीरमहार्णवः ॥ ६५॥

मानस्यो वृत्तयो या या भोगसंकल्पविभ्रभैः।

संसारविषवृक्षस्य ता एवाङ्कुरयोनयः ॥ ६६॥

चित्तं चलत्कुवलयं वलयन्त एते मूढा महाजडजवे मदमोहमन्दाः।

आवर्तवर्तिनि विलूनविशीर्णचिन्ताचक्रभ्रमे पुरुषदुर्भ्रमराः पतन्ति ॥ ६७॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.110.60–67

> The mind grows quiet, then it rises again. It goes, it rejoices, and it leaps about. All of this happens when the mind’s idea of a body bears fruit. The body itself does none of it.

> With many wide bursts of excitement, all made by its own will, the mind dances inside this body, like a good woman moving in the inner courtyard of a palace.

> When the spread of that restlessness is not allowed inside, the mind settles and fades away, like an elephant held still by its tying-post.

> The person whose mind does not move, standing firm like a strong iron pillar, is truly a human Being. The rest are only worms in the mud.

> O faultless one, the person whose mind has stopped wandering and stays fixed in one place is carried, by that steady meditation, to the Highest State.

> When the mind is held in check, the whirl of Worldly life grows calm, just as the Ocean of milk grows still when Mount Mandara stops churning it.

> Whatever movements rise in the mind from the confusion of enjoyment and desire, those very movements are the seeds from which the poison-tree of worldly life sprouts.

> The mind is like a blue lotus tossing in a current. These fools, dull and slow with pride and delusion, circle around it. Like unlucky bees, they fall into the whirlpool where the broken, scattered wheel of thought keeps turning.

Detailed summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that a person is not the body. Quiet, excitement, going, joy, and restlessness are all movements of the mind. The body only seems to do them because the mind has already pictured a body and then treated that picture as real. When that mental picture “bears fruit,” life appears to happen in the body, yet the body itself remains a lifeless thing. What people call their life is the mind playing inside an idea it has made.

The image of the woman in the inner courtyard makes this play look ordinary rather than mysterious. The mind does not need an outside stage. With ideas formed by its own will, it leaps about inside the body, inventing near and far, pleasure and pain, action and rest. Worldly life is therefore not something forced on the mind from outside. It is the mind amusing itself with its own creations, and then forgetting that it made them.

The way out is not more movement, but the stopping of restlessness at its source. If the spread of fickleness is not given room inside, the mind loosens its grip and settles, as an elephant is held by the post to which it is tied. The person whose mind no longer throbs, firm like an iron pillar, is called a real person. Others, however busy or learned they appear, are compared to worms in the mud, because they are carried along by every impulse. When the mind becomes steady and stays in one place, meditation naturally follows, and that steadiness leads to the Highest State.

Restraint of the mind brings peace to the whole confusion of Worldly life. The comparison is with the Ocean of milk: while Mount Mandara keeps turning, the ocean is thrown into waves; when the mountain stops, the Ocean is calm. In the same way, the World does not have to be destroyed piece by piece. When the mind that stirs it is restrained, the apparent turmoil subsides. The movements born of enjoyment and desire are the sprouts of a poison-tree. Cut off those movements, and the tree of repeated sorrow has nothing from which to grow.

The closing image is a warning. The restless mind is like a blue lotus spinning in a stream. People dulled by pride and delusion circle that lotus and, like bees caught in a bad whirl, fall into a wheel of torn and scattered thoughts. The teaching of these verses is therefore simple and strict: watch the mind’s movements, refuse to feed its restlessness, and let it stand still. From that Stillness the illusion of Worldly life loses its force.

Chapter 2.13, Verses 50–60

Yoga Vashishtha 2.13.50–60

(Tranquility is both a means and an end in the journey toward Realization)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

मोक्षद्वारे द्वारपालानिमाञ्छ्रणु यथाक्रमम्।

येषामेकतमासक्त्या मोक्षद्वारं प्रविश्यते ॥ ५० ॥

सुखदोषदशादीर्घा संसारमरुमण्डली।

जन्तोः शीतलतामेति शीतरश्मेः समप्रभा ॥ ५१ ॥

शमेनासाद्यते श्रेयः शमो हि परमं पदम् ।

शमः शिवः शमः शान्ति शमो भ्रान्तिनिवारणम् ॥ ५२ ॥

पुंसः प्रशमतृप्तस्य शीतलाच्छतरात्मनः ।

शमभूषितचित्तस्य शत्रुरप्येति मित्रताम् ॥ ५३ ॥

शमचन्द्रमसा येषामाशयः समलंकृतः।

क्षीरोदानामिवोदेति तेषां परमशुद्धता ॥ ५४ ॥

हृत्कुशेशयकोशेषु येषां शमकुशेशयम् ।

सतां विकसितं ते हि द्विहृत्पद्माः समा हरेः ॥ ५५ ॥

शमश्रीः शोभते येषां मुखेन्दावकलङ्किते ।

ते कुलीनेन्दवो वन्द्याः सौन्दर्यविजितेन्द्रियाः ॥ ५६ ॥

त्रैलोक्योदरवर्तिन्यो नानन्दाय तथा श्रियः ।

साम्राज्यसंपत्प्रतिमा यथा शमविभूतयः ॥ ५७ ॥

यानि दुःखानि या तृष्णा दुःसहा ये दुराधयः ।

तत्सर्वं शान्तचेतःसु तमोऽर्केष्विव नश्यति ॥ ५८ ॥

मनो हि सर्वभूतानां प्रसादमधिगच्छति ।

न तथेन्दोर्यथा शान्ते जने जनितकौतुकम् ॥ ५९ ॥

शमशालिनि सौहार्दवति सर्वेषु जन्तुषु ।

सुजने परमं तत्त्वं स्वयमेव प्रसीदति ॥ ६० ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

2.13.50: Listen to the gatekeepers of the door to Realization, in their proper order. By attachment to even one of them, one enters the gate of Realization.

2.13.51: The vast desert of samsara, with its prolonged states of pleasure and pain, becomes cool and serene for a Being, like moonlight radiating equal brilliance.

2.13.52: Through tranquility, the highest good is attained; tranquility is the Supreme State. Tranquility is auspicious, peaceful, and the remover of delusion.

2.13.53: For a person who is content with tranquility, with a cool and clear mind adorned with calmness, even an enemy becomes a friend.

2.13.54: Those whose hearts are adorned with the moon-like radiance of tranquility shine with Supreme Purity, like the ocean of milk.

2.13.55: Those whose hearts, like lotus buds, rest on the bed of tranquility, bloom as noble beings with hearts like lotuses, equal to Hari (Vishnu).

2.13.56: Those whose unblemished faces shine with the splendor of tranquility are revered like noble moons, their senses conquered by beauty.

2.13.57: The riches of tranquility surpass the joys of wealth or imperial prosperity found in the three worlds.

2.13.58: All sorrows, cravings, and unbearable afflictions vanish in those with tranquil minds, like darkness before the sun.

2.13.59: The mind of all beings finds serenity, but not as much as the calm person who sparks wonder, like the moon.

2.13.60: In a virtuous person endowed with tranquility and goodwill toward all beings, the Supreme Truth naturally reveals itself.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses from Yoga Vasishta 2.13.50 to 2.13.60 emphasize the paramount importance of shama (tranquility or mental calmness) as a key to spiritual Realization. Vasishta introduces tranquility as one of the essential "gatekeepers" guarding the path to Realization. By cultivating even one of these qualities, particularly tranquility, an individual can access the doorway to Ultimate Freedom. These verses present tranquility not merely as a state of mind but as a transformative force that cools the burning afflictions of samsara, likened to a scorching desert, bringing serenity akin to soothing moonlight.

Tranquility is extolled as the Supreme State, the highest good, and a source of profound peace that dispels delusion. It is described as auspicious and a remover of mental confusion, underscoring its spiritual potency. The verses suggest that a tranquil mind is not only a personal refuge but also a universal harmonizer, capable of transforming enmity into friendship. This quality of calmness purifies the heart, making it radiant and serene, comparable to the pristine ocean of milk, a symbol of Divine Purity in Indian scriptures.

The teachings further illustrate the aesthetic and spiritual beauty of tranquility, likening it to a moon that adorns the face of the virtuous and a bed of lotuses where noble hearts bloom. Those who embody tranquility are revered as Noble Beings, their senses mastered and their presence radiating a beauty that surpasses worldly allure. The verses elevate tranquility above material wealth or imperial power, asserting that its richness brings a joy unmatched by the pleasures of the three worlds (earth, heaven, and the netherworld).

Moreover, tranquility is portrayed as a destroyer of suffering, cravings, and mental afflictions, dissolving them like darkness before the sun. A tranquil person not only finds Inner Peace but also inspires wonder in others, their serene presence likened to the captivating glow of the moon. This state of calmness fosters goodwill toward all beings, creating a fertile ground for the spontaneous Realization of the Supreme Truth, the Ultimate Goal of Spiritual practice.

In essence, these verses teach that tranquility is both a means and an end in the journey toward Realization. It is a transformative quality that purifies, harmonizes, and elevates the individual, leading to the dissolution of worldly suffering and the revelation of Divine Truth. By cultivating shama, one aligns with the highest spiritual ideals, attaining a State of Inner Peace that radiates outward, benefiting both oneself and the world.