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Yoga Vashishtha 1.14.13–23
(ShriRamji continues on Human Life)
भारोऽविवेकिनः शास्त्रं भारो ज्ञानं च रागिणः ।
अशान्तस्य मनो भारो भारोऽनात्मविदो वपुः ॥ १३ ॥
रूपमायुर्मनो बुद्धिरहंकारस्तथेहितम् ।
भारो भारधरस्येव सर्वं दुःखाय दुर्धियः ॥ १४ ॥
अविश्रान्तमनापूर्णमापदां परमास्पदम् ।
नीडं रोगविहङ्गानामायुरायासनं दृढम् ॥ १५ ॥
प्रत्यहं खेदमुत्सृज्य शनैरलमनारतम्।
आखुनेव जरच्छुभ्रं कालेन विनिहन्यते ॥ १६ ॥
शरीरबिलविश्रान्तैर्विषदाहप्रदायिभिः ।
रोगैरापीयते रौद्रैर्व्यालैरिव वनानिलः ॥ १७ ॥
प्रस्नुवानैरविच्छेदं तुच्छैरन्तरवासिभिः।
दुःखैरावृश्च्यते क्रूरैर्घुणैरिव जरद्द्रुमः ॥ १८ ॥
नूनं निगरणायाशु घनगर्धमनारतम् ।
आखुर्मार्जारकेणेव मरणेनावलोक्यते ॥ १९ ॥
गन्धादिगुणगर्भिण्या शून्ययाऽशक्तिवेश्यया ।
अन्नं महाशनेनेव जरया परिजीर्यते ॥ २० ॥
दिनैः कतिपयैरेव परिज्ञाय गतादरम् ।
दुर्जनः सुजनेनेव यौवनेनावमुच्यते ॥ २१॥
विनाशसुहृदा नित्यं जरामरणबन्धुना।
रूपं खिङ्गवरेणेव कृतान्तेनाभिलष्यते ॥ २२ ॥
स्थिरतया सुखभासितया तया सततमुज्ज्ञितमुत्तमफल्गु च ।
जगति नास्ति तथा गुणवर्जितं मरणभाजनमायुरिदं यथा ॥ २३ ॥
Shriram continues:
Verse 13: "Scriptures are a burden to one without discernment; Knowledge is a burden to the one attached to desire. The mind is a burden to the restless; and the body is a burden to one who has not Realized the Self."
Verse 14: "For the foolish person, all things—form, lifespan, mind, intellect, ego, and purposeful actions—are heavy burdens, just as the load is a burden to the bearer."
Verse 15: "This human life is ceaselessly fatigued, never fulfilled, the very abode of all afflictions—a nest for the birds of disease, a firm seat of endless striving."
Verse 16: "Letting go of joy each day, slowly and relentlessly, like a white-furred old rat, time devours it all."
Verse 17: "The body, resting like a burrow, is consumed by fierce, poison-giving diseases, just as a forest is consumed by wild serpents driven by the wind."
Verse 18: "The body is hollowed out by ceaseless and petty internal afflictions, pierced by cruel pains, like an old tree eaten by worms."
Verse 19: "Surely, death watches life continuously and hungrily, like a cat waiting to devour a rat."
Verse 20: "Infused with the illusions of sense pleasures and powerlessness, this body is consumed by age, like food by a great devourer."
Verse 21: "Within just a few days of recognition, youth is abandoned, like a noble soul shunned by the wicked."
Verse 22: "Beauty is constantly sought by its ever-present companions—decay and death—as if pursued by a dear friend wielding a shining sword."
Verse 23: "In this world, there is nothing so constantly cherished, yet so utterly lacking in value, as this life—a vessel for death, deceivingly stable and pleasurable, yet devoid of real qualities."
Teachings of These Verses:
These verses from the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha offer a deep and poetic reflection on the transient, burdensome nature of worldly existence and the human body. The teachings emphasize:
1. False Value of External Knowledge and Possessions:
Without discernment or dispassion, even sacred texts and knowledge become burdensome.
2. Suffering in Ignorance:
For one lacking wisdom, every aspect of life—including form, actions, and thoughts—is heavy and painful.
3. The Body as a Source of Suffering:
The human body is portrayed as a nest for diseases, worn down by time, and constantly under threat from decay and death.
4. Inevitability of Death:
Life is shown as a temporary state constantly stalked by death, which consumes it bit by bit.
5. Illusory Pleasures:
What appears as pleasurable (like youth, beauty, and vitality) is fleeting and deceptive, ultimately consumed by time and age.
6. Call to Inner Realization:
These verses subtly urge the seeker to turn inward, recognize the ephemeral nature of the physical world, and pursue Knowledge of the Self, which alone leads to liberation from suffering.
