Chapter 3.29, Verses 16–32

Yoga Vashishtha 3.29.16–32

(The world of names, forms, possessions, and relationships is a dream-like projection of the mind. True Realization comes from recognizing this illusion, and abiding in the formless Self)

लीलावाच् ।

इत्युक्त्वा संचरन्ती सा शिखरिग्रामकोटरे ।

संचरन्त्याः सरस्वत्या दर्शयामास सस्मयम् ॥ १६ ॥

इयं मे पाटलाखण्डमण्डिता पुष्पवाटिका ।

इयं मे पुष्पितोद्यानमण्डपाशोकवाटिका ॥ १७ ॥

इयं पुष्कीरणीतीरद्रुमाऽऽग्रन्थिततर्णका ।

इयं सा कर्णिकानाम्नी तर्णिका मुक्तपर्णिका ॥ १८ ॥

इयं सा मेऽलसाकीर्णा वराकी जलहारिका ।

अद्याष्टमं दिनं बाष्पक्लिन्नाक्षी परिरोदिति ॥ १९ ॥

इह देवि मया भुक्तमिहोषितमिह स्थितम् ।

इह सुप्तमिहापीतमिह दत्तमिहाहृतम् ॥ २० ॥

एष मे ज्येष्ठशर्माख्यः पुत्रो रोदिति मन्दिरे ।

एषा मे जङ्गले धेनुर्दोग्ध्री चरति शाद्वलम् ॥ २१ ॥

गृहे वसन्तदाहाय रूक्षक्षारविधूसरम्।

स्वदेहमिव पञ्चाक्षं पश्येमं प्रघणं मम ॥ २२ ॥

तुम्बीलताभिरुग्राभिः पुष्टाभिरिव वेष्टितम् ।

महानसस्थानमिदं मम देहमिवापरम् ॥ २३ ॥

एते रोदनताम्राक्षा बन्धवो भुवि बन्धनम् ।

अङ्गदार्पितरुद्राक्षा आहरन्त्यनलेन्धनम् ॥ २४ ॥

अनारतं शिलाकच्छे गुच्छाच्छोटनकारिभिः ।

तरङ्गैः स्थगिताकारं स्पृष्टतीरलतादलैः ॥ २५ ॥

सीकराकीर्णपर्यन्तशाद्वलस्थलसल्लतैः ।

शिलाफलहकास्फालफेनिलोत्पलसीकरैः ॥ २६ ॥

तुषारीकृतमध्याह्नदिवाकरकरोत्करैः ।

फुल्लपुष्पोत्करासारप्रणादोत्कतटद्रुमैः ॥ २७ ॥

विद्रुमैरिव संक्रान्तफुल्लकिंशुककान्तिभिः ।

व्याप्तया पुष्पराशीनां समुल्लासनकारिभिः ॥ २८ ॥

उह्यमानफलापूरसुव्यग्रग्रामबालया ।

महाकलकलावर्तमत्तया ग्रामकुल्यया ॥ २९ ॥

वेष्टितस्तरलास्फालजलधौततलोपलः ।

घनपत्रतरुच्छन्नच्छायासततशीतलः ॥ ३० ॥

अयमालक्ष्यते फुल्ललतावलनसुन्दरः ।

दलद्गुलुच्छकाच्छन्नगवाक्षो गृहमण्डपः ॥ ३१ ॥

अत्र मे संस्थितो भर्ता जीवाकाशतयाऽकृतिः ।

चतुःसमुद्रपर्यन्तमेखलाया भुवः पतिः ॥ ३२ ॥

Queen Lila continued:

3.29.16–20

> Having said this, Goddess Sarasvati, while moving around, showed with a smile in the valley of the mountain village.

> This is my garden of palash flowers decorated with blossoms. This is my blooming grove with ashoka trees and pavilions.

> This is the lake shore with trees tied with creepers. This is the boat named Karnika, with loose leaves.

> This is my poor water-carrying maid, full of laziness. Today is the eighth day she cries with tear-filled eyes.

> Here I have eaten, stayed, lived, slept, drunk, given, and taken.

3.29.21–26

> This is my eldest son Jyeshtha Sharma crying in the house. This is my cow in the forest grazing on green grass.

> Look at this rough, dry, ash-like body of mine in the house, like five elements burnt by the heat of spring.

> This kitchen area wrapped tightly by strong gourd creepers, like another body of mine.

> These relatives with red eyes from crying are bonds on earth. Wearing rudraksha on limbs, they bring fuel for the fire.

> Constantly in the rocky cave, with waves splashing clusters, blocking the form, touching shore creepers and leaves.

> With edges full of mist, green grassy places with vines, rocky slabs splashing foam-like lotus drops.

3.29.27–32

> Noon sun rays made cool by frost, trees on banks roaring with clusters of blooming flowers.

> Spread with coral-like shining full kimshuka flowers, covered by heaps of flowers causing delight.

> Carried by village girls busy with overflowing fruits, the village stream wild with great noise and whirlpools.

> Surrounded by rippling water washing the stones below, dense leaves and trees giving constant cool shade.

> This beautiful house pavilion covered with blooming creepers, windows hidden by clusters of leaves.

> Here resides my husband, formless like living space, lord of the earth bounded by four oceans.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses form part of Goddess Sarasvati's description of her earthly home and life, as she guides someone (likely Leela or a seeker) through a vision of her past worldly existence. The narrative highlights the illusory nature of worldly attachments. Sarasvati points to gardens, lakes, boats, servants, family members, animals, and her own body as "mine," emphasizing personal possession and daily routines of eating, sleeping, giving, and taking. This showcases how the ego creates a sense of ownership over transient objects and relationships, binding the soul to samsara (the cycle of birth and death).

The portrayal of sorrow—such as the crying maid on the eighth day, the weeping son, and relatives with tear-reddened eyes—illustrates the inherent suffering (duhkha) in worldly life. Even cherished family ties become chains, as relatives are described as "bonds on earth" who fuel funeral pyres. The body itself is depicted as rough, burnt, and temporary, like the five elements scorched by time, underscoring impermanence and the futility of clinging to physical forms.

Nature's beauty around the home—blooming flowers, rippling waters, shady trees, and frothy waves—contrasts with the inner emptiness it conceals. Sarasvati's affectionate pointing ("this is mine") reveals how the mind projects charm onto the external world, yet all is conditioned by change, noise, and eventual decay. The village stream's wild energy and the cool shade symbolize fleeting pleasures that mask the underlying restlessness of conditioned existence.

The verses teach detachment by showing that what seems real and personal is merely a play of perception. Sarasvati's husband, described as formless "living space" and lord of the earth up to the four oceans, points to the Ultimate Truth: the True Self transcends the limited body and home, merging into boundless Consciousness. This hints at the non-dual reality where the individual soul realizes its identity with the infinite.

Overall, these verses impart Advaita Vedanta's core insight: the world of names, forms, possessions, and relationships is a dream-like projection of the mind. True Realization comes from recognizing this illusion, letting go of "mine" and "I," and abiding in the formless Self. Sarasvati's tour serves as a mirror for the seeker to see their own attachments, urging renunciation of ego-driven identifications for Realization of Eternal Peace.

Chapter 3.20, Verses 31–41

Yoga Vashishtha 3.20.31–41

(The dreamer and the dreamed world are both Consciousness alone)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

अनुभूय क्षणं जीवो मिथ्यामरणमूर्च्छनम् ।

विस्मृत्य प्राक्तनं भावमन्यं पश्यति सुव्रते ॥ ३१ ॥

तदेवोन्मेषमात्रेण व्योम्न्येव व्योमरूप्यपि ।

आधेयोऽयमिहाधारे स्थितोऽहमिति चेतति ॥ ३२ ॥

हस्तपादादिमान्देहो ममायमिति पश्यति ।

यदेव चेतति वपुस्तदेवेदं स पश्यति ॥ ३३ ॥

एतस्याहं पितुः पुत्रो वर्षाण्येतानि सन्ति मे ।

इमे मे बान्धवा रम्या ममेदं रम्यमास्पदम् ॥ ३४ ॥

जातोऽहमभवं बालो वृद्धिं यातोऽहमीदृशः ।

बान्धवाश्चास्य मे सर्वे तथैव विचरन्त्यमी ॥ ३५ ॥

चित्ताकाशघनैकत्वात्स्वेऽप्यन्येऽपि भवन्ति ते ।

एवं नामोदितेऽप्यस्य चित्ते संसारखण्डके ॥ ३६ ॥

न किंचिदप्यभ्युदितं स्थितं व्योमैव निर्मलम् ।

स्वप्ने द्रष्टरि यद्वच्चित्तद्वद्दृश्ये चिदेव सा ॥ ३७ ॥

सर्वगैकतया यस्मात्सा स्वप्ने दृष्टदर्शना ।

यथा स्वप्ने तथोदेति परलोकदृगादिभिः ॥ ३८ ॥

परलोके यथोदेति तथैवेहाभ्युदेति सा ।

तत्स्वप्नपरलोकेह लोकानामसतां सताम् ॥ ३९ ॥

न मनागपि भेदोऽस्ति वीचीनामिव वारिणि ।

अतो जातमिदं विश्वमजातत्वादनाशि च ॥ ४० ॥

स्वरूपत्वात्तु नास्त्येव यच्च भाति चिदेव सा ।

यथैव चेत्यनिर्हीणा परमव्योमरूपिणी ॥ ४१ ॥

Goddess Saraswati continued:

3.20.31: The living being experiences for a moment the false death and fainting, forgets the previous State, and sees another one, O good-vowed one.

3.20.32: With just that slight awakening, like space appearing in space, it thinks: "I am this content placed here in the container."

3.20.33: It sees the body with hands, feet, and so on as "this is mine," and whatever body it imagines, that very one it perceives.

3.20.34: "I am the son of this father, these many years are mine, these are my pleasant relatives, this pleasant abode is mine."

3.20.35: "I was born, I became a child, I grew up in this way, and all my relatives behave in the same manner."

3.20.36: Because of Oneness with the dense mind-space, others also become the same for oneself. Even when the mind, this fragment of the world, arises in this way,

3.20.37: Nothing at all has arisen; it remains Pure Space alone. Just as in a dream for the dreamer, so in the seen object, it is Consciousness alone.

3.20.38: Because it is all-pervading oneness, it is the Seer of what is seen in the dream. It arises in the same way with visions of the other world and so on.

3.20.39-41: It arises in the other world just as it arises here in this world. Therefore, in dream, other world, and this world, for the worlds that are unreal and Real, there is not even the slightest difference, like waves in water. Therefore, this Universe, because it is unborn, is indestructible. But because of its True Nature, it does not exist at all, yet what appears is Consciousness alone, just as it is the Supreme Space devoid of thoughts.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses from the Yoga Vasishta, spoken by Goddess Saraswati, explain the illusory nature of rebirth and the world, emphasizing that everything arises from Pure Consciousness, similar to a dream.

In the first part, the jiva (individual soul) experiences a momentary false death, forgets its prior existence, and immediately identifies with a new body and life. It perceives hands, feet, family, age, and possessions as its own, creating a sense of personal history and relationships that feel Real but are newly imagined each time.

This identification happens instantly upon "awakening" in the new state, like forms appearing in empty space. The mind projects relatives and the world as extensions of itself due to its dense, condensed nature, but in Reality, nothing new truly arises—the underlying Space (Consciousness) remains Pure and unchanged.

The verses compare this to a dream: the dreamer and the dreamed world are both Consciousness alone. There is no fundamental difference between experiences in dreams, the afterlife, and this waking life—all are appearances in the same undivided Consciousness.

Ultimately, the world has no Real birth, hence no destruction; it seems to exist but does not, as its Essence is only the thought-free, Infinite Consciousness. This teaches non-dual reality where apparent multiplicity is illusion. True Freedom comes from recognizing this: the seeming individual life cycle is false projection, and resting in Pure Awareness ends the cycle of illusion.

Chapter 3.20, Verses 1–12

Yoga Vashishtha 3.20.1–12

(Creation itself is only “bhranti-maya” – made of illusion alone)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

स ते भर्ताद्य संपन्नो द्विजो भूपत्वमागतः ।

या सावरुन्धती नाम ब्राह्मणी सा त्वमङ्गने ॥ १ ॥

इहेमौ कुरुतो राज्यं तौ भवन्तौ सुदम्पती ।

चक्रवाकाविव नवौ भुवि जातौ शिवाविव ॥ २ ॥

एष ते कथितः सर्वः प्राक्तनः संसृतिक्रमः ।

भ्रान्तिमात्रकमाकाशमेवं जीवस्वरूपधृक् ॥ ३ ॥

भ्रमादस्माच्चिदाकाशे भ्रमोऽयं प्रतिबिम्बितः ।

असत्य एव वा सत्यो भवतोर्भवभङ्गदः ॥ ४ ॥

तस्माद्भान्तिमयः कः स्यात्कोवा भ्रान्त्युज्झितो भवेत् सर्गो निरर्गलानर्थबोधान्नान्यो विजृम्भते ॥ ५॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

इत्याकर्ण्य चिरं चारु विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचना ।

भूत्वोवाच वचो लीला लीलालसपदाक्षरम् ॥ ६ ॥

लीलोवाच ।

देवि भोस्त्वद्वचो मिथ्या कथं संपन्नमीदृशम् ।

क्व विप्रजीवः स्वगृहे क्वेमे वयमिह स्थिताः ॥ ७ ॥

तादृग्लोकान्तरं सा भूस्ते शैलास्ता दिशो दश ।

कथं भान्ति गृहस्यान्तर्मद्भर्ता येष्ववस्थितः ॥ ८ ॥

मत्त ऐरावतो बद्धः सर्षपस्येव कोटरे।

मशकेन कृतं युद्धं सिंहौघैरणुकोटरे ॥ ९॥

पद्माक्षे स्थापितो मेरुर्निगीर्णो भृङ्गसूनुना ।

स्वप्नाब्दगर्जितं श्रुत्वा चित्रं नृत्यन्ति बर्हिणः ॥ १० ॥

असमंजसमेवैतद्यथा सर्वेश्वरेश्वरि।

तथा गृहान्तः पृथिवी शैलाश्चेत्यसमञ्जसम् ॥ ११ ॥

यथावदेतद्देवेशि कथयामलया धिया ।

प्रसादानुगृहीते हि नोद्विजन्ते महौजसः ॥ १२ ॥

3.20.1  

Goddess Saraswati said: O beautiful one, your husband who was a brahmin has now become a King. That brahmani woman named Arundhati in the past life – that is you now, dear lady.

3.20.2  

Both of you are ruling this kingdom together as a happy couple, just like a fresh pair of chakravaka birds on earth or like Shiva and Parvati.

3.20.3  

I have told you the whole sequence of your previous births. This individual soul (jiva) is nothing but Pure Space of Consciousness covered by mere illusion.

3.20.4  

Because of delusion in the Space of Consciousness, this world-appearance is reflected. Whether you call it unreal or Real, it is the cause of repeated birth and death for both of you.

3.20.5  

Therefore, who can truly say this creation is Real with illusion, and who can say it is completely given up? Nothing else ever really expands except the endless awareness of meaningless things born of pure illusion.

3.20.6  

Sage Vasishta said: Hearing these words for a long time, Leela’s eyes widened in wonder and bloom, and she spoke these playful and charming words.

3.20.7  

Queen Leela said: O Goddess, how can your words be true? Where is that brahmin’s life in his small house, and where are we standing here now?

3.20.8  

How can those other worlds, that earth, those mountains, and all ten directions appear inside this small house where my husband is lying?

3.20.9  

It is like tying an Airavata elephant inside a mustard seed, or a mosquito fighting a horde of lions inside an atom!

3.20.10  

It is like placing Mount Meru inside a lotus petal, or a tiny worm swallowing it, or peacocks dancing in joy hearing thunder in a dream!

3.20.11  

O Queen of all, this whole thing is completely impossible and illogical – just like having an entire earth and mountains inside one small house.

3.20.12  

O Goddess of gods, please explain this properly with your Pure and Spotless Mind, because great souls who have received your Grace never feel agitated or confused.

Summary of the Teachings:

The Goddess reveals to Leela the astonishing truth of her and her husband’s past lives: they were once a simple brahmin couple (the husband being the present king and Leela being Arundhati), and through the play of Consciousness they have now become royal. This shows that all identities – brahmin or king, poor or wealthy – are temporary appearances within the same unchanging Consciousness.

The entire world that Leela sees – kingdoms, mountains, vast space, and countless lives – is nothing but an illusion (bhranti) appearing in the Infinite Space of Pure Consciousness (chidakasha). Whether we call the world Real or unreal, it is still the cause of endless birth and death as long as the delusion lasts.

Leela is stunned and gives humorous examples of impossibility: an elephant inside a mustard seed, Meru mountain inside a lotus petal, peacocks dancing to dream-thunder. These examples beautifully illustrate that, from the standpoint of ordinary logic and waking-state experience, it is absolutely impossible for whole Universes to exist inside a tiny room. Yet the teaching is that Consciousness is Limitless and can contain anything.

The core message is that creation itself is only “bhranti-maya” – made of illusion alone. Nothing truly comes into existence apart from the meaningless play of delusion in Pure Awareness. When this is clearly understood through the Grace of the Goddess (or the Guru), even the greatest wonders no longer disturb the mind.

Finally, Leela humbly requests a clear and pure explanation, showing the right attitude of a seeker: instead of rejecting the teaching as impossible, she admits her confusion and asks for clarification with full faith. This teaches that True Knowledge dawns only when the mind is open, surrendered, and free from agitation.