Chapter 3.51, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.51.1–11

(These verses describe the sudden chaos that follows the death of a king in battle. They show how a strong kingdom can turn into a scene of fear and disorder in moments)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

हतो राजा हतो राजा प्रतिराजेन संयुगे।

इतिशब्दे समुद्भूते राष्ट्रमासीद्भयाकुलम्॥ १॥

भाण्डोपस्करभाराढ्यं विद्रवच्छकटव्रजम्।

साक्रन्दार्तकलत्राढ्यं द्रवन्नागरदुर्गमम् ॥ २॥

पलायमानसाक्रन्दं मार्गाहृतवधूगणम्।

अन्योन्यलुण्ठनव्यग्रलोकलग्नमहाभयम् ॥ ३॥

परराष्ट्रजनानीकताण्डवोल्लाससारवम्।

निरधिष्ठितमातङ्गहयवीरपतज्जनम् ॥ ४॥

कपाटपाटनोड्डीनकोशान्तरवघर्घरम्।

लुण्ठितासंख्यकौशेयप्रावृताभिभटोद्भटम् ॥ ५॥

क्षुरिकोत्पाटितार्द्रान्त्रमृतराजगृहाङ्गनम्।

राजान्तःपुरविश्रान्तचण्डालश्वपचोत्करम् ॥ ६॥

गृहापहृतभोज्यान्नभोजनोन्मुखपामरम्।

सहेमहारवीरौघपादाहतरुदच्छिशु ॥ ७॥

अपूर्वतरुणाक्रान्तकेशान्तःपुरिकाङ्गनम्।

चोरहस्तच्युतानर्घ्यरत्नदन्तुरमार्गगम् ॥ ८॥

हयेभरथसंघट्टव्यग्रसामन्तमण्डलम्।

अभिषेकोद्यमादेशपरमन्त्रिपुरःसरम् ॥ ९॥

राजधानीविनिर्माणसारम्भस्थपतीश्वरम्।

कृतवातायनश्वभ्रनिपतद्राजवल्लभम् ॥ १०॥

जयशब्दशतोद्धोषसिन्धुराजन्यनिर्भरम्।

असंख्यनिजराजौघधृतसिन्धुकृतास्थिति ॥ ११॥

Sage Vasishta said: 

3.51.1–5

> The King is killed! The King is killed by the enemy King in battle. When these words spread, the whole kingdom was filled with fear and panic.  

> Carts loaded with household goods and utensils were fleeing in large groups. The city fortress was being abandoned by people with crying and distressed wives and families.  

> People were running away while crying loudly, and groups of women were being dragged on the roads. Everyone was busy looting one another, and great terror had gripped the people.  

> The enemy army from another kingdom was dancing and shouting in victory. Riderless elephants, horses, and fallen warriors lay scattered everywhere.  

> The sounds of doors being smashed and treasuries being broken open echoed loudly. Bold enemy soldiers, wrapped in countless stolen silk clothes, were everywhere.  

3.51.6–11

> In the palace courtyards, the bodies of the dead had their wet intestines pulled out with knives. The King's inner quarters were filled with low-caste Chandala people and dog-eating scavengers resting there.  

> Common people were eagerly eating the food and grains looted from houses. Little children were crying as they were trampled under the feet of the hordes of great warriors in golden armor.  

> The women's apartments in the palace were being invaded by unfamiliar young men. The roads were scattered with priceless jewels that had fallen from the thieves' hands.  

> The group of ministers was in chaos from the crowding and collisions of horses, elephants, and chariots. The chief minister was leading them and giving orders for the new King's coronation.  

> The chief builder was starting the work of building a new capital city. The king's favorite companion was falling from the window into a dug pit.  

> The air was filled with hundreds of loud victory shouts from the Sindhu King's warriors. The new order was firmly established by the countless troops of the conquering king.

Summary of the Teachings: 

This section teaches that worldly power, wealth, and royal glory do not last forever. Even the mightiest ruler can fall, and everything he built can crumble quickly. The story reminds us that life is full of sudden changes, so we should not cling too tightly to position or possessions.

The pictures of fleeing people, looting, and suffering families highlight the pain caused by war and greed. When fear takes over, even good people start robbing each other. Women and children face the worst harm. These verses teach that attachment to material things and the illusion of safety in kingship only bring more sorrow. True peace comes when we learn to stay calm inside, no matter what happens outside.

The victory dance of the enemy army and the ruin of the palace show how power keeps shifting between winners and losers. 

No one stays on top forever. The old King is gone, and the new one takes his place, but the cycle of conquest and defeat goes on. Vasishta uses this scene to explain that the whole world is like a dream or a play. We should not get lost in its ups and downs but look for the unchanging truth within ourselves.

Even the new rulers are shown rushing to build a new capital and hold a coronation. Yet this too is part of the same short-lived drama. The fall of the King's favorite from the window reminds us that yesterday's glory can become today's ruin. The teaching is that all human efforts for fame, control, and comfort are temporary. Only Knowledge of the True Self can give lasting Freedom from this endless game.

In the end, these verses help us understand the nature of illusion, called Maya in the Yoga Vashishta. By seeing the full picture of destruction and new beginnings, we learn to give up the desire for worldly success. Sage Vasishta wants Rama, and all readers, to turn inward and find the Eternal Peace of the soul. This path of Self-Realization ends the cycle of birth, death, and suffering, leading to complete liberation.

Chapter 3.50, Verses 41–50

Yoga Vashishtha 3.50.41–50

(These verses portray the brutal reality of war and the fleeting nature of worldly power and glory. Even a mighty King like Viduratha, who fights bravely, suffers terrible injuries and defeat)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

हृदि स्फोटशिलापट्टदृढे पीवरमूर्धनि।

भित्त्वा वज्रसमैर्बाणैः पातयत्येव भूतले॥ ४१॥

अथान्यं रथमानीतं कृच्छ्रेण प्राप्य चेतनाम्।

खङ्गेनारोहतोऽस्यांसं छिन्नं भर्तुर्विलोकय॥ ४२॥

पद्मरागगिरिद्योतमिवर्द्धासृग्विमुञ्चति।

हा हा धिक्कष्टमेतेन सिन्धुना खड्गधारया॥ ४३॥

जङ्घयोर्मे पतिश्छिन्नः क्रकचेनेव पादपः।

हा हा हतास्मि दग्धास्मि मृतास्म्युपहतास्मि च॥ ४४॥

मृणाले इव पत्युर्मे लूने द्वे अपि जानुनी।

इत्युक्त्वा सा तदालोक्य भर्तुर्भावभयातुरा॥ ४५॥

लता परशुकृत्तेव मूर्च्छिता भुवि सापतत्।

विदूरथोऽपि निर्जानुः प्रहरन्नेव विद्विषि॥ ४६॥

पपात स्यन्दनस्याधश्छिन्नमूल इव द्रुमः।

पतन्नेवैष सूतेन रथेनैवापवाहितः॥ ४७॥

यदा तदाहतिं तस्य कण्ठेऽदात्सिन्धुरुद्धतः।

अर्धविच्छिन्नकण्ठोऽसावनुयातोऽथ सिन्धुना॥ ४८॥

स्यन्दनेनाविशत्सद्म पद्मं रविकरो यथा।

सरस्वत्याः प्रभावाढ्यं तत्प्रवेष्टुमसौ गृहम्।

नाशकन्मशको मत्तो महाज्वालोदरं यथा॥ ४९॥

खङ्गावकृत्तगलगर्तगलत्सवातरक्तच्छटाछुरितवस्त्रतनुत्रगात्रम्।

तत्याज तं भगवतीमभितो गृहान्तः सूतः प्रवेश्य मृतितल्पतले गतोऽरिः॥ ५०॥

Maharishi Vasishta said: 

3.50.41–45

> In his strong heart, like a firm slab of stone on his broad head, he breaks it with arrows strong as thunderbolts and throws him down to the ground. 

> Then another chariot is brought with difficulty and he regains Consciousness. See his master's shoulder cut by the sword as he tries to climb onto it. 

> It shines like a ruby mountain and pours streams of blood. Alas, alas, what misfortune—this sword of Sindhu with its sharp edge! 

> My husband's thighs are cut like a tree sawn by a saw. Alas, alas, I am killed, I am burnt, I am dead and destroyed! 

> Both my husband's knees are cut like lotus stalks. Saying this, she looks at her husband, filled with fear and sorrow for his life. 

3.50.46–50

> Like a creeper cut by an axe, she faints and falls to the ground. Even without knees, Viduratha keeps fighting the enemy. 

> He falls under the chariot like a tree with cut roots. While falling, the charioteer carries him away in the chariot itself. 

> When Sindhu, full of rage, strikes a blow on his neck, his neck is half-cut and Sindhu follows him. 

> He enters the house in the chariot like a sun-ray entering a lotus. But he could not enter the powerful house of Saraswati, like a drunk mosquito cannot enter a great flaming fire. 

> With his neck cut by the sword, blood flowing with force from the wound, clothes and armour soaked in blood, the charioteer leaves him near the Goddess inside the house and places the enemy on the bed of death. 

Summary of the teachings:

The description shows how physical strength, chariots, and weapons ultimately fail against fate and a stronger opponent. It teaches that no matter how firm one's resolve or how powerful one's body and armour, everything in the material world is temporary and subject to destruction. The body, which seems solid like stone or a mountain, can be broken in moments.

The verses highlight the intense suffering and attachment in human relationships. The queen's cries of despair, seeing her husband's limbs severed, reveal deep emotional pain caused by identification with the physical form and worldly bonds. Her fainting like a cut creeper shows how grief overwhelms the mind when loved ones face destruction. This illustrates the illusion of Maya, where attachment to body and family creates sorrow, even though the true self is beyond such pain. It reminds us that clinging to transient relationships leads to agony when change occurs.

The scene underscores the inevitability of death and the helplessness of even great warriors. Viduratha continues fighting despite losing limbs and being half-decapitated, yet he falls like a uprooted tree. The charioteer carries his dying body away, and Sindhu pursues relentlessly. This teaches that death comes to all, regardless of courage or status. The half-cut neck and flowing blood symbolize how life force drains away, showing the fragility of the body and the certainty of mortality in the cycle of existence.

These verses point to the illusory nature of the world and victory. Sindhu cannot enter the Divine presence of Saraswati easily, like a mosquito failing to enter fire, while the wounded king is brought before her. It suggests that worldly conquests are limited and cannot penetrate the realm of Higher Consciousness or Divine Grace. The battlefield drama serves as a metaphor for the mind's battles, where ego-driven conflicts end in ruin, and only surrender or Wisdom allows approach to Truth.

Ultimately, the teachings encourage detachment and Self-Realization. By vividly showing the horror of war, loss of limbs, and final placement on the deathbed, the text urges the seeker to look beyond physical existence. The story of Viduratha reminds that all appearances—kings, battles, bodies—are creations of the mind or Consciousness. True Peace comes from recognizing the Unchanging Reality behind these changing scenes, rising above grief, attachment, and the fear of death through spiritual understanding.

Chapter 3.49, Verses 31–41

Yoga Vashishtha 3.49.31–41

(These verses show how Kings use magic and illusion to create huge scary armies of ghosts and demons)

श्रीवसिष्ठं उवाच ।

निष्कासितमहाजिह्व नानामुखविकारदम्।

शरभाराढ्यमन्योन्यं ह्रियमाणशवाङ्गकम् ॥ ३१॥

रुधिराम्भसि मज्जं तदुन्मज्जद्धृल्लसत्तनु।

लम्बोदरं लम्बभुजं लम्बकर्णोष्ठनासिकम् ॥ ३२॥

रक्तमांसमहापङ्केष्वन्योन्यं वेल्लनाभ्यसत्।

मन्दरोद्धूतदुग्धाब्धिलसत्कलकलाकुलम् ॥ ३३॥

यथैव मायासंचारस्तेन तस्य कृतः पुरा।

तेनापि तस्याशु तथा कृतो बुद्ध्वा स लाघवात् ॥ ३४॥

वेतालास्त्रं ततो दत्ते तेनोत्तस्थुः शवव्रजाः।

अमूर्धानः समूर्धानो वेताला वेशवल्लिताः ॥ ३५॥

ततः पिशाचवेतालरूपिकोग्रकबन्धवत्।

तद्बभूव बलं भीममुर्वीनिगरणक्षमम् ॥ ३६॥

अथेतरोऽपि भूपालो मायां संचार्य तां गुरौ।

राक्षसास्त्रं ससर्जाथ त्रैलोक्यग्रहणोन्मुखम् ॥ ३७॥

उदगुः पर्वताकाराः सर्वतः स्थूलराक्षसाः।

देहमाश्रित्य निष्क्रान्ताः पातालान्नरका इव ॥ ३८॥

अथोदभूद्बलं भीमं ससुरासुरभीतिदम्।

गर्जद्रक्षोमहानादवाद्यनृत्यत्कबन्धकम् ॥ ३९॥

मेदोमांसोपदंशाढ्यं रुधिरासवसुन्दरम्।

क्षीबकूश्माण्डवेतालयक्षताण्डवसुन्दरम् ॥ ४०॥

कूश्माण्डकोत्ताण्डवदण्डपादक्षुब्धासृगुत्क्षिप्ततरङ्गसिक्तैः।

संध्याभ्ररागोत्करकोटिकान्ति भूतैरसृक्स्रोतसि दत्तसेतु ॥ ४१॥

Maharishi Vashishtha continued:

3.49.31–35

> A huge tongue sticks out and twists many faces in strange ways. The scene is full of arrows and bodies of the dead being pulled by each other.

> They sink in the sea of blood and rise again with shining bodies. These creatures have big hanging bellies, long hanging arms, and drooping ears, lips and noses.

> They roll around together in thick mud made of blood and flesh. The noise is loud like the milky ocean being churned by Mount Mandara with clashing sounds.

> Just as one ki6ng had earlier used magic to create this scene for the other, the second King quickly did the same back to him, knowing how easy it was.

> Then the Vetala weapon was used. Crowds of dead bodies rose up. Some had no heads, some had heads. The Vetalas twisted around like creeping vines.

3.49.36–41

> The army now became a huge terrifying force like fierce Pishachas, Vetalas and headless Kabandhas. It was strong enough to swallow the whole earth.

> The other kin6g also sent an illusion to his teacher and released the Rakshasa weapon that was ready to grab the three worlds.

> Mountain-sized thick Rakshasas rose up everywhere. They took bodies and came out from the lower world like demons escaping from hell.

> A terrible army appeared that frightened both gods and demons. It roared with Rakshasa cries, loud music and dancing headless bodies.

> It was full of fat and flesh as food and looked lovely with blood as wine. The wild dance of drunk Kushmandas, Vetalas and Yakshas made it beautiful.

> The dancing Kushmandas stirred the blood with their leg-like sticks, throwing up waves that soaked everything. Ghosts with the glow of millions of sunset clouds built a bridge across the river of blood.

Summary of the teachings:

The grotesque pictures of tongues, blood and rolling bodies teach that the mind has the power to make anything appear real. In Yoga Vasistha, this story reminds us that what we see in the world is only a creation of thought, not solid truth.

The rolling in blood and loud noises of the ocean being churned point to the fearful side of life that fear and attachment bring. The teachings say the whole Universe is like a dream or magic show. When we believe in these scary scenes, we suffer; when we see them as unreal, we become free.

Both kings use the same kind of weapons – Vetala and Rakshasa – one after the other. This teaches that illusion works both ways and nothing lasts. The verses explain that good and bad, victory and defeat are all part of the same mind game. True Wisdom is to stay beyond these changes.

The huge Rakshasas and dancing ghosts with blood rivers stand for the endless cycle of violence and rebirth in the world. Yoga Vasistha uses this picture to warn that without Knowledge we stay trapped in horror. The Real path is to wake up and see everything as One Peaceful Brahm.

Finally, these verses guide us to Realize our True Self is untouched by any battle or magic. The armies rise and fall in a moment, just like dreams at night. By understanding this, we drop all fear and live in Pure Peace, knowing the whole world is only an appearance in the One Infinite Consciousness.

Chapter 3.49, Verses 15–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.49.15–30

(These verses paint a vivid picture of an army made purely from maya or illusion)

श्रीवसिष्ठं उवाच ।

ऊर्ध्वकेशाः कृशाङ्गाश्च केचिच्च श्मश्रुला अपि।

कृष्णाङ्गा मलिनाङ्गाश्च ग्राम्या इव नभश्चराः ॥ १५॥

सभया मूढदृष्टाश्च यत्किंचनकराश्चलाः।

दीना वज्रासिनः क्रूरा दीना ग्राम्यजना इव ॥ १६॥

तरुकर्दमरथ्यान्तः शून्यगेहगृहाश्चलाः।

लेलिहानाः प्रेतरूपा कृष्णाङ्गाश्चपला इव ॥ १७॥

जगृहुस्ते तदा मत्ता हतशिष्टमरेर्बलम्।

आसंस्तत्सैनिकास्तत्र भिन्नास्त्रक्षुब्धचेतनाः ॥ १८॥

त्यक्तायुधतनुत्राणास्त्रस्तप्राणाः स्खलद्गमाः।

नेत्रैरङ्गेर्मुखैः पादैर्विकारभरकारिणः ॥ १९॥

त्यक्तकौपीनवसना निमग्नावसनोत्तराः।

विष्ठां मूत्रं च कुर्वन्तः स्थिरमारब्धनर्तनाः ॥ २०॥

पिशाचराजी राजानं तस्य यावद्विदूरथम्।

समाक्रामति तावत्तां मायां स बुबुधे बुधः ॥ २१॥

पिशाचसंग्रामकरीं मायां वेत्ति स भूमिपः।

तया पिशाचसैन्यं तत्परसैन्ये न्ययोजयत् ॥ २२॥

ततः स्वसैनिकाः स्वस्थाः परयोधाः पिशाचिनः।

तस्याशु रूपिकास्त्रं च ददावन्यदसौ रुषा ॥ २३॥

उदगुर्भूतलाद्व्योम्नो रूपिका ऊर्ध्वमूर्धजाः।

निर्मग्नविकरालाक्ष्यश्चलच्छ्रोणिपयोधराः ॥ २४॥

उद्भिन्नयौवना वृद्धाः पीवराङ्ग्योऽथ जर्जराः।

स्वरूपारूपजघना दुर्नाभ्यो विकसद्भगाः ॥ २५॥

नररक्तशिरोहस्ताः संध्याभ्रारुणगात्रिकाः।

अर्धचर्वितमांसासृक्स्रवत्सृक्क्याकुलाननाः ॥ २६॥

नानाङ्गवलना नानानमन्नमनसत्तमाः।

शिलाभुजगवक्रोरुकटिपार्श्वकराङ्गिकाः ॥ २७॥

नारीकृतार्भकशवा हस्ताकृष्टान्त्ररज्जवः।

श्वकाकोलूकवदना निम्नवक्त्रहनूदराः ॥ २८॥

जगृहुस्तान्पिशाचांस्ता दुर्बलान्दुःशिशूनिव।

पिशाचरूपिकासैन्यं तदासीदेकतां गतम् ॥ २९॥

निर्मग्ननर्तनोत्तानवदनाङ्गविलोचनम।

परस्पराक्रान्तिकरं प्रधावच्च परस्परम् ॥ ३०॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.49.15–23

> Some had hair standing straight up and thin bodies; some also had beards. They had black bodies and dirty bodies, like ordinary village people flying through the sky.

> They looked fearful with foolish eyes, ready to do anything, and kept moving unsteadily. They were poor, holding vajra swords, cruel, and poor like simple village people.

> They moved through the ends of muddy streets lined with trees and inside empty houses. They licked things like ghosts, with black bodies and unsteady movements.

> Then, in a drunken state, they seized whatever remained of the enemy’s killed army. They became soldiers in that army there, with broken weapons and minds full of worry.

> They had thrown away their weapons and body armor. Their lives were full of fear, their steps unsteady. Their eyes, limbs, faces, and feet created all kinds of strange distortions.

> They had given up their loincloths and clothes, with upper bodies exposed or messy. They passed stool and urine while starting a steady, strange dance.

> The line of pisachas advanced right up to King Viduratha. As soon as it came close, the wise King understood it was only maya, an illusion.

> The king recognized the maya that creates a battle of pisachas. Using that same power, he sent the pisacha army against the enemy forces.

> Then his own soldiers became calm and steady, while the enemy warriors turned into pisachas. In anger he quickly gave them special form-making weapons and another powerful one.

3.49.24–30

> Strange forms rose from the ground up into the sky, with hair standing straight up. They were naked, with terrible eyes, and their hips and breasts kept moving.

> Some were young girls in full bloom, some old and worn out; some had fat bodies. Their hips were sometimes formed and sometimes formless, with ugly navels and blooming private parts.

> They held heads and hands dripping with human blood; their bodies were red like evening clouds. Half-chewed meat and blood flowed from their mouths, making their faces look wild.

> Their limbs twisted in many ways; their minds bent strangely. Their bodies had stone-like arms, snake-like crooked thighs, sides, and hands.

> They had turned child corpses into women; their hands pulled ropes made of intestines. Their faces looked like dogs, crows, or owls, with low mouths, jaws, and bellies.

> They seized those weak pisachas just like bad children. That whole army of pisacha forms then became united as one.

> Naked and dancing, with faces, limbs, and eyes turned upward, they attacked each other and ran wildly towards one another.

Summary of the teachings:

The grotesque beings with standing hair, thin dirty bodies, and cruel looks appear scary and real, yet they are nothing but mental creations. This teaches that the world we see, including enemies and battles, is often just a projection of the mind that looks solid but has no true substance. The comparison to ordinary village people in the sky shows how even everyday things can be twisted into terrifying illusions when the mind is not awake.

The pisachas take over the leftover enemy soldiers in a drunken, chaotic way, turning them into part of their own force with broken weapons and fearful minds. This part shows how illusion can easily overpower those who lack awareness. Without wisdom, people become slaves to fear, distortion, and impurity, losing their strength and dignity. The verses warn that when we do not recognize maya, it spreads and controls us completely.

King Viduratha, being wise, instantly sees through the advancing line of pisachas and understands it as mere maya. This is the key teaching: true knowledge allows a person to stay calm and see the illusion for what it is instead of panicking. The king does not run or fight blindly; his understanding becomes his real power. It reminds us that awareness of the dream-like nature of life is the first step to freedom.

Using the same maya power, the king turns the situation around — his soldiers relax while the enemies become pisachas, and he creates new forms and weapons. This illustrates that an enlightened mind can actually use illusion cleverly for protection or to restore balance, without getting trapped in it. Maya is not always evil; when guided by wisdom, it can be turned into a tool rather than a trap.

Finally, the two illusory armies merge, dance wildly, and destroy each other in mutual attacks. This shows the Ultimate Truth that all opposites and conflicts created by maya cancel themselves out in the end. Nothing Real is destroyed because nothing real was ever there. The verses teach complete detachment: when we see that wars, forms, and fears are only self-made illusions fighting illusions, we rise beyond them to the Peaceful, Unchanging Reality.

Chapter 3.49, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.49.1–14

(These verses describe a fierce Cosmic battle involving powerful Divine weapons, symbolizing the chaotic and destructive forces within the mind and the Universe)

श्रीवसिष्ठं उवाच ।

ववुर्वलितनीहारा विकीर्णवनपल्लवाः।

वायवो धूतवृक्षौघाः सल्लीलापीडपांसवः ॥ १॥

पक्षिवद्भ्रान्तवृक्षौघाः पतनोत्पातनोद्भटाः।

विकुट्टिताट्टालखण्डाश्चाभ्रभित्तिविभेदिनः ॥ २॥

तेनातिभीमवातेन विदूरथरथोऽप्यथ।

उह्यमानोऽभवन्नद्या यथा जर्जरपल्लवः ॥ ३॥

विदूरथोऽथ तत्याज पार्वतास्त्रं महास्त्रवित्।

व्योमापि घनतोयेन समादातुमिवोद्यतम् ॥ ४॥

तेन शैलास्त्रघातेन विराट् प्राणसमीरणः।

शमं चैतन्यशान्त्येव प्रययौ वायुराततः ॥ ५॥

अन्तरिक्षगता वृक्षपङ्क्तयः पतिता भुवि।

नानाजनशवव्यूहे काकानामिव कोटयः ॥ ६॥

शेमुः सूत्त्कारडान्कारभांकारोत्कारका दिशाम्।

प्रलापा इव विध्वस्ताः पूर्ग्रामवनवीरुधाम् ॥ ७॥

गिरीनपश्यन्नभसः पततः पत्रवर्णवत्।

सिन्धुः सिन्धुरिवोत्पक्षान्मैनाकादीनितस्ततः ॥ ८॥

वज्रास्त्रमसृजद्दीप्तं चेरुर्वज्रगणास्ततः।

पिबन्तोऽद्रीन्द्रतिमिरमग्निदाहमिवाग्नयः ॥ ९॥

ते गिरीणां तथा क्षिप्ताः कोटितुण्डावखण्डनैः।

शिरांसि पातयामासुः फलानीवोल्बणानिलाः ॥ १०॥

विदूरथोऽथ वज्रास्त्रशान्त्यै ब्रह्मास्त्रमत्यगात्।

ततो ब्रह्मास्त्रवज्रास्त्रे समं प्रशममागते ॥ ११॥

श्यामाश्यामं पिशाचास्त्रमथ सिन्धुरचोदयत्।

तेनोदगुः पिशाचानां पङ्क्तयोऽत्यन्तभीतिदाः ॥ १२॥

संध्यायामथ भीत्येव दिवसः श्यामतां ययौ।

पिशाचा भुवनं जग्मुरन्धकारभरा इव ॥ १३॥

भस्मनः स्तम्भसदृशास्तालोत्तालविलासिनः।

दृश्यमानमहाकारा मुष्टिग्राह्या न किंचन ॥ १४॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.49.1–7

> Winds blew fiercely, carrying swirling mists, scattering leaves from forests, shaking crowds of trees, and raising dust from the ground playfully.

> The winds moved like birds, whirling groups of trees violently, causing them to fall and rise again, breaking towers and shattering mountain walls like clouds.

> By that extremely terrible wind, even Viduratha's chariot was carried away, like a withered leaf floating in a river.

> Then Viduratha, the great knower of weapons, released the mountain weapon (Parvatastra). The sky seemed ready to drink dense water (clouds).

> By the blow of that mountain weapon, the great vital air (prana) of Virat became calm, just as Consciousness becomes peaceful, and the widespread wind subsided.

> Rows of trees hanging in the sky fell to the ground, like millions of crows in heaps of corpses of various people.

> Directions resounded with cries, roars, howls, and shrieks, like the lamentations of destroyed cities, villages, forests, and creepers.

3.49.8–14

> Not seeing the mountains, the sky appeared falling like leaves in color; the ocean rose with wings (waves) from all sides like Mainaka and other mountains.

> He released the shining Vajrastra (thunderbolt weapon), and groups of thunderbolts moved, drinking the darkness of mountains like fires consuming forest blaze.

> Those (thunderbolts) struck the mountains with millions of beak-like cuts, causing heads (peaks) to fall like fruits shaken by fierce winds.

> Then Viduratha, to pacify the Vajrastra, resorted to the Brahmastra. Thereafter, both the Brahmastra and Vajrastra subsided equally.

> Then Sindhu invoked the dark-blue Pisachastra (demon weapon). From it arose rows of demons that were extremely terrifying.

> In the evening, as if from fear, the day turned dark; the demons went to the world, filling it with darkness like heavy clouds.

> They appeared like pillars of ash, tall and dancing playfully, visible in huge forms, yet nothing could be grasped by the fist.

Summary of the Teachings:

The raging winds, falling trees, and uprooted mountains illustrate how uncontrolled thoughts and desires (represented by the storm) can devastate the inner and outer worlds, carrying away even strong entities like Viduratha's chariot. This highlights the impermanence and fragility of material existence when confronted by overwhelming primal energies.

The release of astras like Parvatastra, Vajrastra, and Brahmastra shows a progression of countermeasures to escalating destruction. Each weapon counters the previous one, leading to temporary calm, teaching that conflicts—whether external wars or internal struggles—require increasingly refined responses. The final subsidence of opposing forces (Vajra and Brahma astras) points to a balance achieved through Higher Knowledge or Divine intervention, but the cycle continues with new threats like the Pisachastra.

The emergence of terrifying demons and enveloping darkness signifies deeper layers of illusion and fear that arise when grosser forces are subdued. The world becomes shrouded in ignorance (tamas), where visible forms appear Real yet are ungraspable, emphasizing the illusory nature of phenomena. This reflects how the mind, after overcoming physical distractions, faces subtler delusions that obscure True Reality.

The imagery of ash-like pillars, tall dancing ghosts, and intangible huge shapes underscores the transient and dream-like quality of the perceived world. Nothing substantial can be held onto, teaching detachment from sensory experiences that seem solid but dissolve upon closer inspection.

Overall, these verses teach the Advaita Truth that all apparent battles, creations, and destructions occur within Consciousness. The Cosmic turmoil is a metaphor for the mind's projections; true peace comes not from winning fights with weapons (efforts of ego), but from Realizing the substratum of Pure Awareness beyond Seer-seen duality. The narrative urges turning inward to transcend the cycle of agitation and calm.

Chapter 3.48, Verses 15–29

Yoga Vashishtha 3.48.15–29

(These verses describe a fierce battle full of magical weapons and counter weapons, but the deeper teaching in Yoga Vasistha is that everything happening here is only a play of the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तेन बाणसमूहेन जयमाशङ्क्य भर्तरि ।

उवाच वाक्यमानन्दविकसन्मुखपङ्कजा ॥ १५ ॥

जय देवि जयत्येष नाथोऽस्माकं विलोकय ।

किंचानेन शरौघेण मेरुरप्येति चूर्णताम् ॥ १६ ॥

तस्यामेव वदन्त्या तु घनस्नेहरवाकुलम्।

प्रेक्षणव्यग्रयोर्देव्योर्हसन्त्योर्मानुषीं हृदा ॥ १७ ॥

तच्छरार्णवमामत्तमपिबत्सिन्धुवाडवः ।

शरोष्मणा ह्यगस्त्येन जह्नुर्मन्दाकिनीमिव ॥ १८ ॥

बाणवर्षेण कणशस्तं सायकमहाघनम्।

छित्त्वा तनुरजः कृत्वा चिक्षेप गगनार्णवे ॥ १९ ॥

यथा दीपस्य शान्तस्य न परिज्ञायते गतिः ।

तस्य सायकसङ्घस्य न विज्ञाता तथा गतिः ॥ २० ॥

तं छित्त्वा सायकासारं शरीराम्बुधरं घनम् ।

व्योम्नि प्रसारयामास रसाच्छवशतान्वितम् ॥ २१ ॥

विदूरथस्तमप्याशु व्यधमत्सायकोत्तमैः।

सामान्यजलदं मत्तं कल्पान्तपवनो यथा ॥ २२ ॥

कृतप्रतिकृतैरेवं बाणवर्षैर्महीपती ।

व्यर्थीकृतैरनयतां प्रहारमविचारणैः ॥ २३ ॥

अथादधे मोहनास्त्रं सिन्धुर्गन्धर्वसौहृदात् ।

प्राप्तं तेन ययुर्लोका विना मोहं विदूरथात् ॥ २४ ॥

व्यस्तशस्त्राम्बरा मूका विषण्णवदनेक्षणाः ।

मृता इवाभवन्योधाश्चित्रन्यस्ता इवाथवा ॥ २५ ॥

यावद्विदूरथादन्यं मोहो नयति मन्दताम्।

तावद्विदूरथो राजा प्रबोधास्त्रमथाददे ॥ २६ ॥

ततः प्रबोधमापन्नाः प्रजाः प्रातरिवाब्जिनी ।

विदूरथे भवत्सिन्धुः कुद्धोऽर्क इव राक्षसे ॥ २७ ॥

नागास्त्रमाददे भीमं पाशबन्धनखेददम्।

तेनाभवन्नभो व्याप्तं भोगिभिः पर्वतोपमैः ॥ २८ ॥

सर्पैर्विलसिता भूमिर्मृणालैः सरसी यथा।

संपन्ना गिरयः सर्वे कृष्णपन्नगकम्बलाः ॥ २९ ॥

Maharishi Vasistha said:

3.48.15–22

> Thinking her husband would win because of that huge group of arrows, she spoke words with her lotus face blooming with joy.

> Victory, O Goddess! Our lord is victorious, look! With this flood of arrows even Mount Meru turns to powder.

> While she was speaking this way, the two Goddesses, filled with deep affection, with eyes eagerly watching, laughed heartily at the human lady.

> That wild ocean of arrows was drunk by Sindhu’s submarine fire, just as Agastya drank the ocean with the heat of his arrows or Jahnu drank the Ganges.

> With a shower of arrows he cut that great dense mass of arrows into tiny pieces, turned it into fine dust and scattered it into the ocean of the sky.

> Just as the path of an extinguished lamp is not known, the path of that group of arrows was also not known.

> Cutting that stream of arrows, the dense cloud-like body, he spread it in the sky along with hundreds of clear essences.

> Viduratha quickly destroyed even that with his best arrows, like the wind at the end of the world age destroys an ordinary mad cloud.

3.48.23–29

> In this way the two kings made each other’s arrow showers useless with counter actions and carried on the fight with thoughtless strikes.

> Then Sindhu took the deluding weapon because of his friendship with the Gandharvas. With it the armies became deluded except Viduratha himself.

> The warriors had scattered weapons and clothes, became silent, with sad faces and eyes, like dead bodies or like pictures fixed in a painting.

> While the delusion made others slow and dull, King Viduratha then took the awakening weapon.

> Then the people woke up like lotus flowers at dawn. Sindhu became furious at Viduratha like an angry sun towards a demon.

> He took the terrible serpent weapon that causes painful bondage with nooses. With it the sky filled with huge serpents like mountains.

> The earth shone with serpents like a lake with lotus stalks. All mountains were covered as if with black serpent blankets.

Summary of the teachings:

Arrows fly, get cut and disappear like dust in the sky, showing that all forms in the world are created by thought and can vanish in a moment. 

There is no real solid world outside our Consciousness; the battle teaches us to see life as a dream where one illusion quickly cancels another.

The queen feels joy thinking her husband is winning, and the Goddesses' smile at her human emotions. This teaches detachment. From the higher view of awakened Beings, our small victories and worries look funny and unimportant. We are asked to watch our own desires and fears without getting lost in them, just as the Goddesses' watch the fight with light laughter.

The deluding weapon puts the whole army into stupor and silence, but the awakening weapon brings them back to life like lotuses opening at sunrise. This is the central spiritual lesson: ignorance can bind even strong people in dullness, yet one touch of true Knowledge removes the veil instantly. The verses remind us that the path from confusion to clarity is always open through Inner Wisdom.

Huge clouds of arrows turn to nothing and giant serpents suddenly cover the earth and sky. These images show the changing and unreal nature of everything. Nothing stays, nothing has a lasting path or substance; all is like a lamp that goes out or a cloud blown away. The teaching is to stop clinging to temporary things and realise their empty, dream-like quality.

Finally, the verses drive home the non-dual truth of Yoga Vasistha. Kings, weapons, victory, defeat and even the entire battlefield exist only within one Consciousness. There is no Real “other” or real fight; it is all the same Self playing different roles. The seeker is guided to wake up from this dream, stop taking sides in illusory battles and rest in the peaceful Oneness beyond all appearances.

Chapter 3.48, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.48.1–14

(These verses paint a vivid picture of a fierce battle to show how even a small action can grow into something enormous)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

प्राप्य राजा पुरः प्राप्तं सिन्धुमुद्धुरकन्धरम् ।

मध्याह्नतपनान्तेन कोपेन विततोऽभवत् ॥ १ ॥

धनुरास्फालयामास चिरारावितदिङ्मुखम् ।

कल्पान्तपवनास्फोट इव मेरुगिरेस्तटम् ॥ २ ॥

विससर्जोर्जितो राजा प्रलयार्कः करानिव ।

तूणीररजनीबद्धाः शिलीमुखपरम्पराः ॥ ३ ॥

एक एव विनिर्याति गुणात्तस्य शिलीमुखः ।

सहस्रं भवति व्योम्नि गच्छन्पतति लक्षशः ॥ ४ ॥

सिन्धोरपि तथैवासीच्छक्तिर्लाघवमेव च ।

वरेण वरदस्यैवं विष्णोर्धानुष्कता तयोः ॥ ५ ॥

मुसला नाम ते बाणा मुसलाकृतयोऽम्बरम् ।

छादयामासुरुन्नादाः कल्पान्ताशनयो यथा ॥ ६ ॥

रेजुः कनकनाराचराजयो व्योम्नि सस्वनाः ।

रसन्त्यः कल्पवातार्ताः पतन्त्य इव तारकाः ॥ ७ ॥

विदूरथाच्छरासारा अजस्रमभिनिर्ययुः ।

अब्धेरिव पयःपूराः सूर्यादिव मरीचयः ॥ ८ ॥

प्रचण्डपवनोद्धूतात्पुष्पाणीव महातरोः ।

अयःपिण्डादिवोत्तप्तात्ताडितात्कणपङ्कयः ॥ ९ ॥

धारा वर्षमुच इव सीकरा इव निर्झरात्।

तत्पुराग्निमहादाहात्स्फुलिङ्गा इव भासुराः ॥ १० ॥

तयोश्चटचटास्फोटं शृण्वत्कोदण्डयोर्द्वयोः ।

बलद्वयमभूत्प्रेक्षामूकं शान्त इवाम्बुधिः ॥ ११ ॥

वहन्ति स्म शरापूरा गङ्गापूरा इवाम्बरे ।

सिन्धोरभिमुखं युद्धे घर्घरारावरंहसः ॥ १२ ॥

कचत्कनकनाराचशरवर्षा अनारतम्।

वहच्छवशवाशब्द निर्ययुर्धनुरम्बुदात् ॥ १३ ॥

बाणमन्दाकिनीपूरं व्रजन्तं सिन्धुपूरणे ।

वातायनात्तमालोक्य लीला तत्पुरवासिनी ॥ १४ ॥

Maharishi Vasistha said: 

3.48.1–6

> The king reached before the proud Sindhu king with his neck held high. At the end of the midday sun's heat, he swelled with great anger.

> He twanged his bow loudly so that all directions echoed for a long time. It was like the wind of world-ending explosion hitting the slope of Mount Meru.

> The mighty king released streams of arrows tied in his dark quiver, just like the rays of the sun at the time of world dissolution.

> Only one arrow comes out from his bowstring, but in the sky it turns into a thousand, and as it flies it falls in lakhs.

> The Sindhu king too had the same power and quickness. By the boon given by Vishnu the boon-granter, both had such great skill in archery.

> Those pestle-shaped arrows called musala covered the sky with loud noise, like thunderbolts at the end of the world.

3.48.7–14

> The golden arrows shone and hummed in the sky, like stars falling while tormented by the winds of cosmic dissolution.

> Endless streams of arrows poured out from Viduratha, like floods of water from the ocean or rays coming from the sun.

> Like flowers shaken from a huge tree by a fierce wind, or like sparks flying from a hot iron ball when struck.

> Like rain showers from clouds, like spray from a waterfall, or like bright sparks from the huge fire burning that city.

> Hearing the loud clashing of both bows, the two armies became silent watchers, still and quiet like a calm ocean.

> The floods of arrows flowed in the sky like the Ganga river, rushing towards Sindhu with roaring speed in the battle.

> The continuous shower of golden arrows, making shava-shava sounds, poured out from the bow like clouds.

> The lady living in that city playfully watched from the window and saw the river-like flood of arrows going to fill the Sindhu river.

Summary of the teachings:

The king's anger and the release of arrows teach that the mind can create huge events from one single thought. In the Yoga Vasistha, this battle scene reminds us that the world we see is like a dream created by Consciousness. Nothing is solid; everything expands from the one mind, just as one arrow becomes thousands.

The way one arrow multiplies into lakhs in the sky explains the illusion of maya. It teaches that the whole universe appears from a single reality but looks like many separate things. The comparisons to the end of the world show that creation and destruction are two sides of the same play. We learn not to fear or get excited by big events because they are temporary and part of the cosmic drama.

When the armies fall silent while watching the bows clash, it points to the power of true seeing. Instead of fighting blindly, one should observe quietly like the calm ocean. This teaches inner peace and humility. Even the strongest forces stop when faced with higher energy, showing that real strength lies in stillness and understanding rather than action.

The arrows flowing like rivers and the queen's happy face highlight how people get caught in the drama of life. She feels joy thinking her husband will win, but this shows attachment to winning in an unreal world. The verses gently teach that all hopes and fears are part of the dream. True Wisdom comes when we see beyond these feelings to the Peaceful Self inside.

Finally, these verses use the battle as a metaphor for the entire Universe. Just as one arrow creates a flood of arrows, one thought creates the whole world. The teaching is to wake up from this dream, drop all attachment, and Realize the non-dual Truth. When Rama hears this story, he is guided towards freedom through Knowledge that everything is Brahm and nothing else is Real.

Chapter 3.47, Verses 17–35

Yoga Vashishtha 3.47.17–35

(These verses use a powerful battlefield picture to teach that the world we see is full of apparent glory and terror, yet it is only an illusion created by the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

हारैः ससर्पनिर्मोकं कटैरिद्धं सुसंकुलम्।

लसल्लतं पताकाभिरुरुभिः कृततोरणम् ॥ १७ ॥

हस्तैः पादैः पल्लवितं शरैः शरवणोपमम् ।

शस्त्रांशुशाद्वलश्यामं शस्त्रपूरैः सकैतकम् ॥ १८ ॥

कीर्णमायुधमालाभिरुन्मत्तमिव भैरवम् ।

फुल्लाशोकवनाकारं शस्त्रसंघट्टवह्निभिः ॥ १९ ॥

उदघुंघुमहाशब्दैर्विद्रवत्सिद्धनायकैः।

सौवर्णनगराकारं बालार्ककचितायुधैः ॥ २० ॥

प्रासासिशक्तिचक्रर्ष्टिमुद्गरारणिताम्बरम् ।

वहद्रक्तनदीरंहः प्रोह्यमानशवोत्करम् ॥ २१ ॥

भुशुण्डीशक्तिकुन्तासिशूलपाषाणसंकुलम् ।

शूलशस्त्राहतिच्छन्नकबन्धपतनान्वितम् ॥ २२ ॥

कालताण्डववेतालकुलारब्धहलारवम् ।

शून्ये रणाङ्गणे दीप्तौ पद्मसिन्ध्वो रथौ चलौ ॥ २३ ॥

अदृश्येतां नभश्चिह्नौ चन्द्रसूर्यौ दिवीव तौ ।

चक्रशूलभुशुण्ड्यृष्टिप्रासायुधसमाकुला ॥ २४ ॥

सहस्रेण सहस्रेण वीराणां परिवारितौ ।

विचरन्तौ यथाकामं मण्डलैर्विततारवैः ॥ २५ ॥

सचीत्कारमहाचक्रपिष्टानेकमृतामृतौ ।

तरन्तौ रक्तसरितौ मत्तवारणलीलया ॥ २६ ॥

केशशैवलसंपन्ने चक्रचक्रजलेन्दुके ।

वहच्चक्राहतिक्षोभपातिताकुलवारणौ ॥ २७ ॥

मणिमुक्ताझणत्काररणत्कूबरकारवौ ।

वाताहतपताकाग्रपटत्पटपटारवौ ॥ २८॥

अनुयातौ महावीरैर्भूरिमिर्भीरुसैनिकैः ।

धारा वमद्भिः कुन्तानां शराणां धनुषामपि ॥ २९ ॥

शक्तीनां प्रासशङ्कूनां चक्राणां कचतां रणे ।

तत्र तौ क्षणमावृत्ये मण्डले भूमिकुण्डले ॥ ३० ॥

उभौ व्यतिबभूवाते संमुखावायुधावुभौ।

नाराचधारानिकरविक्षेपकरकध्वनौ ॥ ३१ ॥

अन्योन्यमपि गर्जन्तौ मत्ताब्धिजलदाविव ।

तयोः प्रहरतोर्बाणा वसुधानरसिंहयोः ॥ ३२ ॥

पाषाणमुसलाकारा व्योमविस्तारिणोऽभवन् ।

करवालमुखाः केचिन्मुद्गराननकाः परे ॥ ३३ ॥

शितचक्रमुखाः केचित्केचित्परशुवक्त्रकाः ।

केचिच्छक्तिमुखाः केचित्केचिच्छूलशिलामुखाः ।

त्रिशूलवदनाः केचित्स्थूला इव महाशिलाः ॥ ३४ ॥

प्रलयपवनपातिताः शिलौघा इव निपतन्ति शिलीमुखास्तदा स्म ।

प्रमिलितमभवत्तयोस्तदानीं प्रलयविजृम्भितसिन्धुसंभ्रमेण ॥ ३५॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.47.17–22

> The scene was adorned with garlands like snake sloughs, crowded with belts, shining with flag creepers, and arched with large thighs.

> It sprouted with hands and feet, looked like an arrow forest, turned dark green with weapon rays like grass, and bloomed with weapon flowers like ketaka plants.

> Scattered with weapon garlands, it appeared like a mad Bhairava, resembled a forest full of blooming ashoka flowers, and burned with fires from clashing weapons.

> Filled with loud rumbling noises and fleeing siddha leaders, it looked like a golden city, its weapons shining bright like the rising sun.

> The air rang with spears, swords, shaktis, chakras and mudgaras, while blood rivers rushed along carrying heaps of floating corpses.

> Packed with bhusundis, shaktis, spears, swords, tridents and stones, it showed headless bodies falling from strikes of spears and weapons.

3.47.23–29

> With huge sounds of Kala’s dance and vetala groups starting the battle roar, the two shining chariots like a lotus and an ocean moved in the empty battlefield.

> The two looked invisible like sky marks, like the moon and sun in heaven. They were crowded with chakras, tridents, bhusundis, spears and prasa weapons.

> Surrounded by thousands and thousands of warriors, they moved freely in wide circles making great noise.

> With loud cries they crushed many dead and living with huge chakras and crossed blood rivers like playful intoxicated elephants.

> In water full of hair like moss and chakras like lotus buds, the elephants fell in shock from chakra strikes.

> Jewels and pearls tinkled from the chariots, and flags fluttered with pat-pat sounds in the wind.

> Followed by great heroes and many scared soldiers who poured streams of spears, arrows and bows.

3.47.30–35

> Streams of shaktis, prasas, spikes and shining chakras filled the battle. For a moment the two were circled on the earth like a ring.

> Facing each other with weapons, they made the sound of arrow showers like hail clouds.

> They roared at each other like angry ocean clouds. When the two earth-lion heroes struck, their arrows...

> ...became like stone pestles spreading across the sky. Some had sword tips, others mudgara tips.

> Some had sharp chakra tips, some axe tips, some shakti tips, some trident-stone tips, some trident faces, and some thick like huge rocks.

> Like stone heaps thrown down by the wind of destruction, the arrows fell then. At that time the two clashed with the wild confusion of an ocean in cosmic dissolution.

Summary of the teachings:

The garlands, flags, weapons and limbs turn the field into a strange garden of death, showing how our daily life mixes beauty with pain. 

Nothing here is solid or lasting; everything arises from thoughts and disappears like a dream.

The two mighty heroes fighting with thousands of warriors stand for the inner battles of ego and desire that every person faces. Their roaring, circling chariots and crushing blows look heroic, but the verses remind us that even the greatest fighters and grandest scenes exist only in the dreamer’s mind. Yoga Vasistha tells us to watch such dramas without getting trapped, because they have no real power over the true Self.

Blood rivers, falling heads and flying arrows teach the truth of impermanence. What seems strong and lasting—armies, weapons, victory—vanishes in a moment. The verses warn that attachment to these changing forms brings only suffering, and the wise seeker turns away from the outer show to find the peaceful inner light that never changes.

Even the most frightening chaos is part of Maya, the Great Illusion. The verses paint the battle so vividly to prove that our whole universe is like this dream story: exciting, scary and completely unreal. When we understand this, fear and desire end, and we rest in the Knowledge that Brahm, the Pure Consciousness, is only Real.

Finally, these lines urge us to wake up from the dream of the world. By seeing the battlefield as empty appearance, we learn to live without clinging. The teaching is simple and hopeful: Realize your True Nature beyond birth and death, beyond victory and defeat, and you become free forever, like Vasistha guiding Rama toward lasting Peace.

Chapter 3.46, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.46.1–15

(These verses form part of the story of Queen Lila in the Utpatti Prakarana, where Vasishta narrates to Rama the dramatic events involving King Viduratha, the husband of one form of Lila)

श्रीराम उवाच ।

एवं संकथयन्तीषु तासु तस्मिन्गृहोदरे ।

विदूरथः किमकरोन्निर्गत्य कुपितो गृहात् ॥ १ ॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

विदूरथः स्वसदनान्निर्गतः परिवारितः ।

परिवारेण महता ऋक्षौघेणेव चन्द्रमाः ॥ २ ॥

सन्नद्धसर्वावयवो लग्नहारविभूषणः।

महाजयजयारावैः सुरेन्द्र इव निर्गतः ॥ ३ ॥

समादिशन्योधगणं शृण्वन्मण्डलसंस्थितिम् ।

आलोकयन्वीरगणानारुरोह नृपो रथम् ॥ ४ ॥

कूटाकारसमाकारं मुक्तामाणिक्यमण्डितम् ।

पताकापञ्चभिर्व्याप्तं द्युविमानमिवोत्तमम् ॥ ५ ॥

चक्रभित्तिपरिप्रोतप्रकचत्काञ्चनाङ्कुरम् ।

मुक्ताजालरणत्कारचारुविक्रमकूबरम् ॥ ६ ॥

सुग्रीवैर्लक्षणोपेतैः प्रशस्तैः प्रचलैः कृशैः।

जवोड्डयनवेगेन प्रवहद्भिः सुरानिव ॥ ७ ॥

वायुं जवेन सहसा असहद्भिर्गतिक्रमैः।

प्रोह्यद्भिरिव पश्चार्धमापिबद्भिरिवाम्बरम् ॥ ८॥

योजितैरिव संपूर्णैश्चन्द्रैश्चामरदीप्तिभिः ।

अश्वैरष्टभिराबद्धमाशापूरकहेषितैः ॥ ९ ॥

अथोदपतदुद्दामनागाभ्ररवनिर्भरः ।

शैलभित्तिप्रतिध्वानदारुणो दुन्दुभिध्वनिः ॥ १० ॥

मत्तसैनिकनिर्मुक्तैर्व्याप्तं कलकलारवैः।

किंकिणीजालनिर्ध्वानैर्हेतिसंघट्टघट्टितैः ॥ ११ ॥

धनुश्चटचटाशब्दैः शरसीत्कारगायनैः ।

परस्पराङ्गनिष्पिष्टकवचौघझणज्झणैः ॥ १२ ॥

ज्वलदग्निटणत्कारैरार्तिमत्क्रन्दनारवैः ।

परस्परभटाह्वानैर्बन्दिविक्षुब्धरोदनैः ॥ १३ ॥

शिलाघनीकृताशेषब्रह्माण्डकुहरो ध्वनिः ।

हस्तग्राह्योऽभवद्भीमो दशाशाकुञ्जपूरकः ॥ १४ ॥

अथोदपतदादित्यपथपीवररोधकम्।

रजोनिभेन भूपीठमम्बरोड्डयनोन्मुखम् ॥ १५ ॥

Sriram said: 

2.46.1

> While the women were talking like this inside the tent, what did the angry Viduratha do after leaving the house?

Maharishi Vasishta said: 

3.46.2–9

> Viduratha left his residence, surrounded by a large retinue, like the moon encircled by a mass of stars.

> His body fully armored, adorned with necklaces and jewels stuck to him, he emerged like Indra, the king of gods, amid loud cries of victory.

> He ordered his troops, listened to reports about the enemy's positions, observed his warriors, and then climbed onto his chariot.

> The chariot had a peaked shape, decorated with pearls and gems, covered by five flags, resembling a superb heavenly vehicle.

> Its walls were fitted with shining golden spikes, its yoke poles beautiful with the tinkling sound of pearl nets.

> It was yoked to excellent, swift, lean horses with good marks, moving with the speed of flight, carrying the gods as if.

> They rushed forward with such speed that they seemed to outpace the wind, dragging the rear part as if drinking up the sky.

> It was harnessed to eight horses, fully equipped, shining like moons with their white tails and manes, neighing to fill all directions.

3.46.10–15 

> Then arose a terrible sound of war drums, fierce like the roar of wild elephants and clouds, echoing off mountain walls.

> The air was filled with the clamor of excited soldiers, the jingling of small bells, and the clashing sounds of weapons striking each other.

> There were the snapping sounds of bows, the whistling of arrows, the jingling of armor crushed against one another.

> Crackling noises of blazing fires, cries of pain, mutual calls of warriors, and the agitated weeping of bards.

> The sound became so intense that it seemed to fill the entire cavity of the Universe, a terrifying roar spreading through the ten directions.

> Then rose a thick cloud of dust, like earth itself rising upward, blocking the path of the sun and covering the ground as it flew into the sky.

Summary of the Teachings:

The scene depicts Viduratha's furious departure from his camp to wage war, after a Divine intervention and conversation among women, including Goddesses and queens. The vivid description highlights the transient and illusory nature of worldly power, glory, and conflict.  

The king's grand exit, with his majestic chariot, armored body, victorious shouts, and massive army, symbolizes the ego's pomp and the mind's attachment to external strength and victory. Everything appears magnificent and invincible, yet it is all built on impermanence. The horses racing as if devouring the sky and the dust rising like the earth itself ascending illustrate how worldly pursuits create chaos and obscure true vision, much like dust clouds the sun.  

The overwhelming noise—from drums, weapons, cries, and armor—represents the constant turmoil and agitation of the mind caught in desire, anger, and battle. This cacophony fills all directions, showing how delusion spreads everywhere when one is driven by rajasic (passionate) impulses. In the Yoga Vasishta's philosophy, such scenes demonstrate that what seems real and powerful in the world is merely a projection of the mind, like a dream or mirage.  

The teaching subtly contrasts this display of royal might with the Higher Truth revealed in surrounding chapters: the world and its conflicts arise from ignorance of the Self. Viduratha's rage and march to war stem from attachment to his queen and kingdom, but the story ultimately points to Realization that all forms, relationships, and battles are appearances within Consciousness. True liberation comes from seeing beyond these illusions.  

Overall, these verses serve as a dramatic illustration of samsara (worldly existence)—full of splendor, noise, and motion on the surface, but empty and unreal at the core. They encourage the seeker to turn inward, discriminate between the Eternal Self and transient phenomena, and recognize that even the grandest worldly drama is a play of maya, leading to peace through Knowledge and detachment.