Chapter 3.107, Verses 1~24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.107.1–12

(Continuing the King’s account of his complete descent into the life of an outcaste)

राजोवाच।

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन सोत्सवावर्जिताशयः।

तदाप्रभृति तत्राहं संपन्नः पुष्टपुल्कसः ॥ १॥

सप्तरात्रोत्सवस्यान्ते क्रमान्मासाष्टके गते।

पुष्पिता सास्य संपन्ना स्थिता गर्भवती ततः ॥ २॥

प्रसूता दुःखदां कन्यां विपद्दुःखक्रियामिव।

सा कन्या ववृधे शीघ्रं मूर्खचिन्तेव पीवरी ॥ ३॥

पुनः प्रसूता सा वर्षैस्त्रिभिः पुत्रमशोभनम्।

अनर्थमिव दुर्बुद्धिराशापाशविधायकम् ॥ ४॥

(३.१०७.५–२०)

अस्पृष्टेन जनैर्भुक्तं कुकलत्रवता मया।

गृहीततेजःक्षतये बहुवक्रविकारिणा ॥ २१॥

मार्गाविकमिवात्मीयं विक्रीतं पण्यमन्यतः।

प्राण्यङ्गवपुषस्तस्य प्रोत्कृत्त्योत्कृत्त्य पेशलः ॥ २२॥

आयसंपरि विक्रीता विन्ध्यपक्कणभूमिषु।

जन्मान्तरसहस्रोत्थं स्वपापमिव वृद्धये ॥ २३॥

अविकीर्णमसत्कीर्णं चण्डालारामभूमिषु।

दृष्टः कुद्दालको दृष्ट्या संध्यास्नेहविमुक्तया ॥ २४॥

The King said: 

3.107.1–4

> What more need be said here? From that time onward, my mind drawn by the festivities, I became a well-nourished Pulkasa (outcaste) there.

> At the end of the seven-night festival, after eight months had passed in due course, she became pregnant and remained with a swollen belly.

> She gave birth to a daughter who brings sorrow, like the very deeds that cause calamity and pain. That girl grew quickly, like the fattening thought of a fool.

> Again, after three years, she gave birth to an ugly son, like a misfortune produced by a dull mind that creates the noose of hope.

3.107.5–20

> In these intervening verses the King continues to describe his prolonged life among the outcastes: the daily hardships, the further birth of children, the gradual hardening of his mind to that degraded existence, the loss of his former royal dignity, the acceptance of menial work and impure food, and the deepening of delusion that made the lowly life seem normal to him.

3.107.21–24

> Food untouched by others was eaten by me, who now possessed a lowly wife—food that damaged my former radiance, eaten by one whose face had become distorted in many ways.

> Like goods sold on the roadside, what was my own was sold elsewhere; the soft flesh of that living body was cut off piece by piece.

> Iron tools were sold in the Vindhya outcaste settlements, like my own sins accumulated over thousands of past births, sold only to increase them further.

> Scattered and mixed with the impure, in the garden grounds of the Chandalas, Kuddalaka was seen with a gaze free from the affection of twilight (or evening attachment).

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses continue the king’s account of his complete descent into the life of an outcaste. After the initial marriage and festivities, he reports that he fully became one of them—well-fed yet degraded. The teaching here is that once a person crosses the boundary of social and moral order under the sway of desire or circumstance, the mind quickly adapts and begins to identify with the new, lower condition. What was once unthinkable becomes ordinary.

The birth of children—first a daughter described as a source of sorrow, then an ugly son compared to a misfortune—illustrates how actions performed in delusion produce further bonds. Offspring that arise from an impure union are portrayed not as blessings but as extensions of suffering and attachment. The rapid growth of the daughter is likened to the swelling of foolish thoughts, showing how ignorance multiplies itself when left unchecked.

The omitted middle section, together with the later verses, deepens the picture of progressive degradation. The King eats food that others avoid, loses his former bodily radiance, and engages in the buying and selling of iron tools and even the cutting of flesh. These acts symbolize the piecemeal destruction of his Higher Nature. The text teaches that repeated association with impurity does not remain external; it enters the body, the mind, and the sense of self, steadily eroding discrimination.

A further lesson concerns the accumulation of karma. The sale of iron implements in the outcaste settlements is compared to the increase of sins carried from thousands of previous births. Every action performed in this degraded state is shown to strengthen the very chains that bind the soul. The verses warn that once one has entered a path of impurity, even ordinary livelihood activities become means of further entanglement rather than neutral work.

Finally, the closing image of Kuddalaka seen with a gaze free from soft evening attachment suggests a moment of stark clarity amid the surrounding impurity. The overall teaching of the passage is that delusion, once accepted, leads step by step from a single transgression to a complete transformation of identity, family, livelihood, and inner vision. Only the recovery of true discrimination can reverse this descent; otherwise the soul continues to multiply its own suffering through the very life it has chosen.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 52~72

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.52~72

(Under the pressure of extreme circumstances, all considerations of family tradition and social duty are abandoned)

राजोवाच।

अथोक्ता सा मया भर्ता भवामि तव सुव्रते।

केनापदि विचार्यन्ते वर्णधर्मकुलक्रमाः ॥ ५२॥

ततस्तयौदनादर्धं मह्यमेकं समर्पितम्।

माधव्येवामृतादर्धमिन्द्रायार्तिमहत्पुरा ॥ ५३॥

जम्बूफलरसः पीतः स भुक्तः पक्कणौदनः।

विश्रान्तं च मया तत्र मोहापहृतचेतसा ॥ ५४॥

मां तत्रार्कमिवापूर्य सा प्रावृट् श्यामला गता।

हस्तेन समुपादाय प्राणं बहिरिव स्थितम् ॥ ५५॥

दुराकृतिं दुरारम्भमाससाद भयप्रदम्।

पितरं पीवराकारमवीचिमिव यातना ॥ ५६॥

तया मदनुषङ्गिण्या स्वार्थस्तस्मै निवेदितः।

मातङ्गाय भ्रमर्येव निःस्वनेनालिलग्नया ॥ ५७॥

(३.१०६.५८–६७)

अथ विश्रम्य चण्डालभोजनान्यजिनासने।

संचितान्युपभुक्तानि दुष्कृतानीव भूरिशः ॥ ६८॥

अनन्तदुःखबीजानि न मनोज्ञतराण्यपि।

तानि प्रणयवाक्यानि श्रुतान्यसुभगान्यलम् ॥ ६९॥

निरभ्राम्बरनक्षत्रे कस्मिंश्चिद्दिवसे ततः।

तैस्तैरारम्भसंरम्भैस्तैर्वस्त्रविभवार्पणैः ॥ ७०॥

दत्ताप्यनेन सा मह्यं कुमारी भयदायिनी।

सुकृष्णा कृष्णवर्णेन दुष्कृतेनेव यातना ॥ ७१॥

सरभसमभितो विनेदुरत्र प्रसृतमहामदिरासवाः श्वपाकाः।

हतपटुपटहा विलासवन्तः स्वयमिव दुष्कृतराशयो महान्तः ॥ ७२॥

The King said: 

3.106.52–57

> Then I told her, “O virtuous one, I shall become your husband. In times of crisis, who bothers about caste rules, family customs or social order?”

> Then she offered me half of her cooked rice, just as Madhavi once offered half of the nectar to Indra when he was in great distress.

> I drank the juice of the jambu fruit and ate the rice of the outcaste settlement. There I rested, my mind overcome by delusion.

> Like a dark monsoon cloud that fills the sky around the sun, she took hold of me as if seizing my very life-breath that stood outside, and then left.

> She went to her father—a frightful, ill-formed man of massive body who looked like the torments of the lowest hell—and approached that terrifying figure of evil deeds.

> Accompanied by me, she announced her personal wish to that Chandala, just as a female bee clinging with a soft hum announces itself to an elephant.

3.106.58–67

> In these intervening verses the narrative continues with the king’s further experiences in the Chandala settlement: the father’s response, the arrangements made for the union, the living conditions among the outcastes, the food and daily life, the gradual acceptance of that degraded existence, and the growing sense of degradation and delusion that settled upon the king’s mind as he remained there.

3.106.68–72

> After resting, I partook of the Chandala meals served on animal-skin seats—meals that had been collected in abundance, like heaps of sinful deeds.

> Those words of affection I heard were seeds of endless sorrow; they were not at all pleasing, and they were thoroughly unpleasant.

> Then, on a certain day when the sky was clear and the stars were visible, amid all those excited preparations and the offerings of clothes and wealth,

> That girl, who inspired fear, was given to me by him. She was very dark, black in complexion, like the torment that follows an evil deed.

> All around, the dog-eaters shouted loudly in great excitement, reeking of strong liquor; with beaten drums and joyful display they seemed like great heaps of sin themselves.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses form part of a larger story in which a king recounts how, under the pressure of extreme circumstances, he abandoned all consideration of caste, family tradition and social duty. The teaching begins by showing that when survival or intense desire is at stake, the ordinary rules of varna and kula are quickly set aside. The king’s ready agreement to marry an outcaste woman illustrates how fragile social conventions become once personal need overrides them.

The episode next describes the king’s complete immersion in a life he would normally regard as impure and degrading. He accepts food from a Chandala household, rests in that environment, and allows his mind to be overtaken by delusion. The text thereby demonstrates how quickly the discriminating intellect can be clouded when one repeatedly associates with what is considered low or impure. The senses and the mind gradually accept what was once repulsive.

A further teaching concerns the power of attachment and the company one keeps. The woman, described as dark and fearful, draws the king deeper into that world; her words of affection become seeds of endless sorrow. The verses warn that even pleasant-sounding expressions of love, when rooted in a base or deluded context, plant the causes of future suffering. Attachment born of ignorance does not liberate; it binds more tightly.

The narrative then moves to the formalization of the union amid the noisy celebrations of the Chandala community. The atmosphere of liquor, drums and wild excitement is presented as the outer reflection of inner disorder. The king’s participation in this scene underscores that once one has crossed certain moral and social boundaries, the surrounding environment itself reinforces and multiplies the original error. Sinful associations tend to grow into larger heaps of misconduct.

Finally, the entire passage serves as a cautionary illustration within the larger philosophical framework of Yoga Vasistha. It shows how a single decision made under delusion can lead a person of high status into progressive degradation, how the mind loses its clarity step by step, and how the consequences of such choices appear as both inner torment and outer chaos. The teaching is that true discrimination must be maintained even in crisis; otherwise the soul sinks into conditions that multiply sorrow rather than remove it.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 25~51

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.25~51

(King Lavana’s account of the long dream-illusion created by a magician)

राजोवाच।

शनैः श्यामिकया ग्रस्ते समस्ते भुवनोदरे।

रात्रिसंव्यवहारेषु संप्रवृत्तेषु जङ्गले ॥ २५॥

अहं तरुतृणे तस्मिन्पेलवे खण्डकोटरे।

निलीनश्चिरलीनास्यः स्वनीडे विहगो यथा ॥ २६॥

विषदष्टविवेकस्य कीनाशस्य गलत्स्मृतेः।

विक्रीतस्येव दीनस्य मग्नस्येवान्धकूपके ॥ २७॥

तत्र कल्पसमा रात्रिर्मोहमग्नस्य मे गता।

एकार्णवोह्यमानस्य मार्कण्डेयमुनेरिव ॥ २८॥

न स्नातवान्नार्चितवान्न तदा भुक्तवानहम्।

केवलं मे गता रात्रिः सापदां धुरि तिष्ठतः ॥ २९॥

विनिद्रस्य विधैर्यस्य स्फुरतः सह पल्लवैः।

समं दुष्टातिदैर्घ्येण सा व्यतीयाय शर्वरी ॥ ३०॥

(३.१०६.३१–४५)

तयोक्तं हारकेयूरिंश्चण्डालीं विद्धि मामिति।

राक्षसीमिव सुक्रूरा पुरुषाश्वगजाशनाम् ॥ ४६॥

राजन्यार्चनमात्रेण मत्तो नाप्नोषि भोजनम्।

ग्राम्यादनभिजातेहात्सौजन्यमिव सुन्दरम् ॥ ४७॥

इत्युक्तवत्या गच्छन्त्या खेलया च पदेपदे।

कुञ्जकेषु निमज्जन्त्या लीलावनतयोदितम् ॥ ४८॥

ददामि भोजनमिदं भर्ता भवसि चेन्मम।

लोको नोपकरोत्यर्थैः सामान्यः स्निग्धतां विना ॥ ४९॥

वाहयत्यत्र मे दान्तान्केदारे पुल्कसः पिता।

श्मशान इव वेतालः क्षुधितो धूलिधूसरः ॥ ५०॥

तस्येदमन्नं भवति भर्तृत्वे दीयते स्थिते।

प्राणैरपि हि संपूज्या वल्लभाः पुरुषा यतः ॥ ५१॥

The King said: 

3.106.25–30

> Slowly, as darkness covered the whole belly of the world and the night-time activities began in the forest.

> I hid myself in that soft grass and broken hollow of the tree, with my face long buried, just like a bird in its own nest.

> My discrimination was as if bitten by poison, my memory was fading, I was like a sold slave in misery, and like one sunk in a dark well.

> That night, as long as a full age of the World, passed for me who was sunk in delusion, like the Sage Markandeya being carried on the single Ocean.

> I did not bathe, did not worship, and did not eat then. That night simply passed for me who stood at the head of all troubles.

> Sleepless and without firmness, trembling along with the leaves, that long and wicked night passed away for me.

3.106.31–45

In these verses the King describes the end of the night, the coming of dawn and the rising sun, how he rose and wandered through the empty forest seeing only birds, and how at midday he met a dark-complexioned maiden carrying food and water. He begged her for something to eat because of his extreme hunger, but she gave him nothing and walked on; he followed her for a long time like her own shadow.

3.106.46–51

> She said to him: Know me to be a Chandala woman named Harakeyuri, cruel like a demoness who eats men, horses and elephants.

> O King, you will not get food from me merely by begging, just as good conduct is not obtained from a low-born person without proper effort.

> Saying this, she went on playfully step by step, diving into the thickets, and spoke again with a playful bow of her body.

> I will give you this food if you become my husband, because ordinary people do not help others without first securing their own interest, just as affection is needed for help.

> My father, a Chandala, is ploughing the field here with his strong oxen; dusty and hungry, he looks like a hungry ghost in a cremation ground.

> This food belongs to him; it will be given to you only if you accept the position of husband, because husbands are to be honoured even at the cost of one’s life.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses form part of King Lavana’s account of the long dream-illusion created by a magician. They show how a person of high status can suddenly fall into complete helplessness, hunger and fear, losing all sense of dignity and self-control. The experience of spending a night alone in a dark forest, trembling and unable to perform even basic duties, illustrates the fragile and temporary nature of worldly power and comfort.

The meeting with the Chandala woman and her demand that the King marry her in exchange for food highlights how extreme need forces a person to abandon social norms, caste distinctions and personal pride. What seemed unthinkable in ordinary life becomes acceptable when survival is at stake. This teaches that external conditions of birth, status and identity are not absolute; they can be overturned by circumstances created by the mind.

The woman’s words emphasise a practical truth about human nature: people rarely give help without receiving something in return. Ordinary persons act from self-interest, and true generosity without any expectation is rare. The king’s willingness to accept her condition shows how the instinct for self-preservation overpowers every other consideration.

Taken together, the episode demonstrates that the entire experience—whether the lonely night or the forced marriage—is only a mental projection. Just as the King later wakes up and realises that years of life as a Chandala had lasted only a short time in the waking world, so all joys and sorrows of ordinary life are equally dream-like and fleeting.

The deeper teaching is that attachment to body, status, family and social position is the root of suffering. When the mind creates vivid experiences of pleasure or pain, the wise person learns to remain detached, recognising that both the high royal life and the low Chandala life are equally unreal appearances within Consciousness.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 12–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.12–24

(A hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one)

राजोवाच।

ज्ञस्येव विततं चेतो मूर्खस्येव रुषाऽजवम्।

अदृष्टजनसंसर्गमजाततृणपल्लवम् ॥ १२॥

अरण्यमिदमासाद्य मतिर्मे खेदमागता।

ललनेवैत्य दारिद्र्यं निरन्नफलबान्धवम् ॥ १३॥

कचन्मरुमरीच्यम्बुपुरःप्लुतककुम्मुखम्।

आसूर्यास्तं दिनं तत्र प्रक्रान्तं सीदता मया ॥ १४॥

तदरण्यं मयातीतमतिकृच्छ्रेण खेदिना।

विवेकिनेव संसारो मध्यशून्यतताकृति ॥ १५॥

यदेतेनातिवाह्याहं प्राप्तवाञ्जङ्गलं क्रमात्।

अस्ताद्रिसानुं खिन्नाश्वः शून्यभ्रान्त्येवभास्करः ॥ १६॥

जम्बूकदम्बप्रायेषु कलालापाः पतत्रिणः।

यत्र स्फुरन्ति खण्डेषु पान्थानामिव बान्धवाः ॥ १७॥

यत्र शष्पशिखाश्रेण्यो दृश्यन्ते विरलाः स्थले।

कदर्थलक्ष्म्या जिह्मस्य हृदीवानन्दवृत्तयः ॥ १८॥

पूर्वादरण्यादरसात्तद्धि किंचित्सुखावहम्।

अत्यन्तदुःखान्मरणाद्वरं व्याधिर्हि जन्तुषु ॥ १९॥

तत्र जम्बीरखण्डस्य तलं संप्राप्तवानहम्।

मार्कण्डेय इवागेन्द्रमेकार्णवविहारतः ॥ २०॥

आलम्बिता मया तत्र स्कन्धसंसर्गिणी लता।

नीला जलदमालेव तापतप्तेन भूभृता ॥ २१॥

मयि प्रलम्बमानेऽस्यां प्रयातः स तुरङ्गमः।

गङ्गावलम्बिनि नरे यथा दुष्कृतसंचयः ॥ २२॥

चिरं दीर्घाध्वगः खिन्नस्तत्र विश्रान्तवानहम्।

भानुरस्ताचलोत्सङ्गे तले कल्पतरोरिव ॥ २३॥

यावत्समस्तसंसारव्यवहारभरैः समम्।

रविर्विश्रमणायेव निविष्टोऽस्ताचलाङ्गणे ॥ २४॥

The King said: 

3.106.12–24

> My mind felt wide like that of a wise person, yet restless with anger like that of a fool. I had come to a forest never seen by people, without human contact, and without even grass or young leaves.

> Reaching this forest, my mind grew weary and sad. It felt like a woman falling into poverty, with no food, no fruit, and no relatives.

> The directions ahead shimmered with the water of desert mirages. Suffering there, I spent the whole day until the Sun set.

> With great hardship and exhaustion I crossed that forest. It was like the world crossed by a person of discrimination: empty and hollow in the middle.

> After passing that place I gradually reached a wilderness. I was like the Sun arriving at the peak of the western mountain with tired horses, wandering as if in emptiness.

> In groves of jambu and kadamba trees, birds with sweet calls shone in the patches of forest, like companions appearing to weary travelers.

> Sparse rows of grass tips were seen on the ground, like rare moments of joy in the heart of a crooked person whose fortune is wretched.

> Compared with the earlier tasteless forest, this place brought a little comfort. For living Beings, even illness is better than the extreme pain of death.

> There I reached the ground beneath a cluster of jambu trees, like Markandeya reaching a great mountain after wandering across the single Ocean.

> I clung to a creeper growing from the trunk of a tree, as a heat-scorched mountain clings to a dark garland of clouds.

> While I hung there, the horse went away, just as a heap of sins leaves a person who clings to the Ganga.

> Tired after a long road, I rested there for a while, like the Sun resting in the lap of the western mountain at the base of a wish-fulfilling tree.

> Meanwhile the Sun, as if to rest from the full burden of all worldly activity, settled in the courtyard of the western mountain.

Summary of the verses: 

The verses show a hard outer journey that mirrors an inner one. A barren, waterless forest stands for a mind and a world that look wide yet give no real support. Anger, loneliness, hunger, and mirage-water describe how restlessness and false hopes keep a person moving without rest. Crossing that waste with difficulty points to viveka: seeing that ordinary life is hollow in the middle even while it appears solid at the edges.

A slightly greener wilderness then appears. Sparse grass, a few trees, and the calls of birds are only small reliefs, yet they feel better than the earlier emptiness. The teaching is practical: even limited ease is preferable to total despair, just as illness can be better than death. The traveler does not stop at the first comfort; he still seeks a firmer place to rest.

Reaching the shade of jambu trees and holding a creeper is an image of taking support that is itself unstable. The horse that leaves while the traveler hangs on the vine shows how outer supports and past actions drop away once a person turns toward a higher refuge. The comparison with sins leaving a person who holds the Ganga suggests that genuine rest begins when clinging to the world is replaced by clinging to something that can actually hold.

Rest under the tree at sunset is the first true pause. The Sun itself, carrying the whole day’s work, also settles. The picture teaches that both the individual mind and the apparent activity of the world share the same rhythm of effort and needed stillness. Rest is not escape; it is the natural close of a cycle of strain.

Taken together the verses quietly point to the larger Yoga-Vasistha view: the forest of samsara can be crossed, small comforts are real but temporary, and lasting ease comes only when the traveler stops running after mirages and sits still. Discrimination, endurance, and the willingness to let go of what cannot stay are the inner counterparts of the outer march from waste land to shade.

Chapter 3.106, Verses 1–11

Yoga Vashishtha 3.106.1–11

(King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician)

राजोवाच।

अस्ति तावदयं देशो नानावननदीयुतः।

वसुधामण्डलस्यास्य सहोदर इवानुजः ॥ १॥

अस्मिंश्चायमहं राजा पौराभिमतवृत्तिमान्।

इन्द्रः स्वर्ग इवास्यां तु सभायां मध्यसंस्थित ॥ २॥

यावदभ्यागतो दूरात्कश्चिच्छाम्बरिकस्त्वयम्।

रसातलादभ्युदितो मायी मय इव स्वयम् ॥ ३॥

अनेन भ्रमिताद्येह पिच्छिका तेजसोर्जिता।

कल्पान्तपवनाभ्रेण शक्रचापलता यथा ॥ ४॥

आलोक्यैतामहं लोलामस्याश्वस्य पुरः स्थितः।

पृष्ठमारूढवानेक आत्मना भ्रान्तमानसः ॥ ५॥

ततोऽद्रिं प्रलयक्षुब्धं पुष्करावर्तको यथा।

तथा चलन्तं चलितः स्वश्वमारूढवानहम् ॥ ६॥

गन्तुं प्रवृत्तो मृगयामेकोऽहमतिरंहसा।

उर्वरामिव निर्भर्तुः कल्लोलः प्रलयाम्बुधेः ॥ ७॥

तेनानिलविलोलेन दूरं नीतोऽस्मि वाजिना।

योगाभ्यासजडेनाज्ञो मुग्धस्य मनसा यथा ॥ ८॥

अकिंचनमनःशून्यं स्त्रीचित्तमिव निर्भरम्।

ततः प्रलयनिर्दग्धजगदास्पद भीषणम् ॥ ९॥

निष्पक्षिक्षारनीहारं निर्वृक्षमजलं महत्।

संप्राप्तोऽहमपर्यन्तमरण्यं श्रान्तवाहनः ॥ १०॥

तद्द्वितीयमिवाकाशं तथाष्टममिवाम्बुधिम्।

पञ्चमं सागरमिव संशुष्कं शून्यकोटरम् ॥ ११॥

The King continued: 

3.106.1–11

> There is this country full of various forests and rivers. It is like a younger brother of this whole circle of the Earth.

> In this land I am the King, living according to the wishes of the citizens. I sit in the middle of this assembly hall just as Indra sits in Heaven.

> Then a certain magician came from far away. He rose up from the nether world like the demon Maya himself.

> He whirled here a bright peacock-feather wand full of power, just as the wind-cloud at the end of a world-cycle scatters Indra’s rainbow.

> Looking at that moving wand and at the horse standing before him, I climbed alone onto the horse’s back with a bewildered mind.

> Then, just as the Pushkara and Avartaka clouds shake a mountain tossed about at the time of dissolution, I mounted the moving horse and began to move.

 

> I set out alone at great speed for the hunt, like a wave of the Ocean of dissolution rushing to cover a masterless Earth.

> That horse, restless as the wind, carried me far away, just as the mind of a deluded person carries an ignorant man who has been stupefied by the practice of yoga.

> Then I reached a place that was empty like the mind of a pauper, completely vacant like a woman’s mind, and terrifying like the World burnt by final dissolution.

> It was a vast wilderness without birds, without salt-mist, without trees and without water. With my tired horse I arrived at that endless forest.

> It was like a second sky, like an eighth Ocean, like a fifth dried-up sea — an empty hollow.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses begin the King’s vivid recollection of how an ordinary royal assembly was suddenly transformed by the appearance of a magician. The King first describes his own prosperous kingdom and his secure place within it, establishing the normal waking reality from which the illusion will arise. This contrast prepares the listener to see how quickly and completely the mind can leave its familiar setting.

The arrival of the magician and the whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the exact point at which the outer world begins to dissolve. The wand is compared to a Cosmic storm that breaks Indra’s rainbow, showing that what seems a small magical act can carry the force of universal dissolution. The mind, once caught by the spectacle, loses its ordinary bearings.

Mounting the horse is presented as an almost involuntary act performed in a state of mental confusion. The horse, though standing still in the court, becomes a vehicle of rapid movement. This illustrates how the mind can project intense motion and distance while the body remains motionless, revealing the creative and deceptive power of imagination.

The journey into an empty, waterless, birdless wilderness expands the teaching. The desert is likened to the mind of one who has nothing, to a woman’s restless heart, and to the burnt-out world at the end of a Cosmic cycle. These images teach that the landscape of experience is shaped by the state of the mind itself; when the mind is emptied of its usual supports, the world appears correspondingly barren and frightening.

Finally, the endless forest is compared to a second sky, an eighth Ocean and a dried-up fifth sea. Such similes emphasise the boundless and hollow nature of the projected world. The entire sequence shows that Time, Space, movement and desolation can all be generated within a brief interval of mental absorption, reminding the reader that ordinary waking life may be no more substantial than this magical ride.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 21–28

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.21–28

(The mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

जाल्म जालजटालेन किमेतद्भवता कृतम्।

येनास्पन्दप्रसन्नोऽब्धिः क्षणादेत्य प्रसन्नताम् ॥ २१॥

चित्रं चित्रा हि देवस्य पदार्थशतशक्तयः।

सुशक्तमपि मे चित्तं याभिर्मोहे निवेशितम् ॥ २२॥

क्व वयं लोकपर्यायकृतान्तपदवेदिनः।

क्व मनोमोहदायिन्यो वितताः प्रकृतापदः ॥ २३॥

अप्यभ्यस्तमहाज्ञानं मनस्तिष्ठति देहके।

कदाचिन्मोहमादत्ते क्षणं मतिमतामपि ॥ २४॥

इदमाश्चर्यमाख्यानं श्रूयतां रे सभासदः।

मम शाम्बरिकेणेह यन्मुहूर्तं प्रदर्शितम् ॥ २५॥

दृष्टवानहमेतस्मिन्बह्वीः कार्यदशाश्चलाः।

मुहूर्तं प्रार्थितोऽध्वस्तशक्रसृष्टिरिवालजः ॥ २६॥

इत्युक्त्वोन्मुखनेत्रेषु सभ्येषु स हसन्निव।

राजा वर्णयितुं चित्रं वृत्तान्तमुपचक्रमे ॥ २७॥

राजोवाच।

इह विविधपदार्थसंकुलायां ह्रदनदपत्तनपर्वताकुलायाम्।

कुलशिखरिसमुद्रसंकरायां भुवि विभवावलितोऽस्त्ययं प्रदेशः ॥ २८॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.21–27

> O wretched one with hair tangled like a net! What have you done that the ocean of my mind, which was still and clear, has in a moment been thrown into agitation?

> How wonderful and varied are the hundred powers of the Divine! Even my strong and capable mind has been cast by them into delusion.

> Where are we who know the successive states of the World and the place of death, and where are these widespread natural calamities that delude the mind?

> Even a mind that has practiced the Highest Knowledge and still resides in the body can sometimes fall into delusion for a moment, even in the case of the wise.

> Listen, O members of the assembly, to this astonishing story of what this magician showed me here in a single moment.

> In that short time I saw many changing scenes of events, as numerous as those shown long ago by the creator when he destroyed the magic creation of Indra.

> Having spoken thus, while the assembly looked on with raised faces, the King, smiling as it were, began to describe the wonderful occurrence.

The King said: 

3.105.28

> In this World crowded with many kinds of things, filled with lakes, rivers, towns and mountains, mixed with family hills and oceans, there is this region rich in prosperity.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses show how easily the mind can be overpowered by illusion, even when it is strong and trained. The King, who had just emerged from a magical trance, addresses the magician and expresses surprise that his calm mind could be disturbed so quickly. The comparison of the mind to a still ocean that is suddenly agitated teaches that mental peace is fragile and can be lost in an instant under the influence of external forces or internal tendencies.

The verses highlight the extraordinary and manifold powers that belong to the Divine or to the creative force of Consciousness. These powers are capable of producing countless effects and of casting even a disciplined mind into delusion. This points to the idea that the World of appearances is a display of infinite creative energy, and that no individual mind, however powerful, stands outside its reach.

The text contrasts human knowledge of the cycles of life, death and worldly change with the sudden onset of deluding experiences. It reminds us that theoretical understanding of impermanence does not automatically protect us from practical confusion. Even those who know the facts of existence can still be overtaken by mental disturbance when circumstances arise.

A central teaching is that the mind, although it lives in the body and may have cultivated the Highest Knowledge, remains liable to momentary delusion. Wisdom and practice do not grant permanent immunity; vigilance is always required. This underscores the need for continual self-awareness rather than complacent reliance on past attainments.

Finally, the king’s decision to recount the experience to his assembly illustrates the value of examining and sharing such events. By describing the many scenes he witnessed in a brief period—scenes as vast and varied as a cosmic magical display—he demonstrates that time and experience are relative to the state of the mind. The opening description of the prosperous region then begins the narrative proper, showing how the mind projects an entire world of objects, places and conditions within itself. Together the verses teach that the apparent solidity of ordinary life is no more substantial than a magician’s show, and that true clarity arises only when this is clearly recognized.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 10–20

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.10–20

(Mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

आपातरमणीयेषु पर्यन्तविरसेषु च।

भोगेष्विव विकल्पेषु केषु ते लुलितं मनः ॥ १०॥

सततोदारवृत्तासु कथासु परिशीतलम्।

मनस्ते निर्मलं कस्मात्संभ्रमेषु निमज्जति ॥ ११॥

तुच्छालम्बनमालूनविशीर्णं लोकवृत्तिषु।

मनो मोहमुपादत्ते न महत्त्वविजृम्भितम् ॥ १२॥

सातत्येन हि यैवास्य मनसो वृत्तिरुत्थिता।

शरीरमदमत्तासु तामेवैतद्विधावति ॥ १३॥

अतुच्छालम्बनं धीरं प्रबुद्धं गुणहारि च।

तवापि हि मनश्चित्रमालूनमिव लक्ष्यते ॥ १४॥

अनभ्यस्तविवेकं हि देशकालवशानुगम्।

मन्त्रौषधिवशं याति मनो नोदारवृत्तिमत् ॥ १५॥

नित्यमात्तविवेकस्य कथमालूनशीर्णता।

धुनोति विततं चेतो वात्येव विबुधाचलम् ॥ १६॥

इति जातानुगीर्णस्य भूपतेः कान्तिराननम्।

भूषयामास शीतांशुं मासान्त इव पूर्णता ॥ १७॥

रराज राजा सौम्यास्यमुन्मीलितविलोचनः।

गते हिमर्तावुल्लासिपुष्पौघ इव माधवः ॥ १८॥

अथातिसंभ्रमाश्चर्यखिन्नास्मृतिमुखो बभौ।

आसन्नमृत्युरालोक्य राहुमिन्दुरिवाम्बरे ॥ १९॥

ऐन्द्रजालिकमालोक्य प्रोवाचाथ हसन्निव।

बभुं हिंसात्मकं दृष्ट्वा सर्परूपीव तक्षकः ॥ २०॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.105.10–14

> In which of those choices—like sense-pleasures that seem delightful at first but turn tasteless at the end—has your mind become confused and entangled?

> Your mind stays cool and pure when listening to stories of always-noble conduct. Why then does it sink into confusion and turmoil?

> A mind that rests on worthless supports, withered and broken amid ordinary worldly ways, takes hold of delusion. It does not expand into greatness.

> Whatever tendency keeps arising again and again in a mind that is drunk with bodily pride—that is the very path this mind races after.

> Even your mind, which rests on solid ground, is steady, awake, and full of good qualities, still appears strangely withered and disturbed.

3.105.15–20

> A mind that has never practised discrimination, that simply follows place and time, falls under the power of spells and drugs. A mind of noble tendency does not.

> How can withering and decay shake the wide Consciousness of one who constantly holds discrimination? A storm cannot shake the mountain of the gods.

> After the King was spoken to in this way, radiance adorned his face, just as the full moon’s completeness adorns the cool-rayed orb at the month’s end.

> The King shone with a calm face and open eyes, like the spring season that bursts into a mass of blooming flowers once winter has gone.

> Then his face showed extreme agitation, wonder, distress and loss of memory, looking like the moon in the sky that sees approaching death in the form of Rahu.

> Seeing the magician, he then spoke as if smiling—like the serpent Takshaka in snake-form when he sees a violent ape.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the mind is easily pulled toward things that look pleasant only for a moment and later prove empty. Sense-pleasures and restless choices have exactly this nature: they attract at the start and leave dryness at the end. A mind that has been trained by noble stories and clear thinking should remain cool and pure, yet even such a mind can temporarily sink into confusion when it loses its firm hold on discrimination.  

The root of the problem is the support the mind chooses. When it leans on trivial, worldly props and is swollen with bodily pride, it races after the same restless tendencies again and again and falls into delusion. Greatness cannot grow from such weak supports. In contrast, a mind that rests on solid, non-trivial ground, stays steady, awake and full of good qualities is hard to shake—yet even that mind can appear momentarily withered if vigilance slips.  

Discrimination is the decisive protection. A mind that has never practised it simply drifts with place, time and circumstance and therefore becomes easy prey to outer spells, drugs or inner illusions. A mind of noble tendency, constantly practising discrimination, cannot be permanently unsettled. Storms of confusion may blow, but they cannot uproot a Consciousness that is wide and firmly established, any more than a gale can move the mountain of the gods.  

The outer story shows the recovery of the King. Kind and wise words restore the natural radiance to his face, like the full moon recovering its light or spring returning after winter. Yet the memory of the recent illusion still leaves a trace of agitation, wonder and fear—exactly as the moon looks pale when it remembers Rahu. This mixture of restored calm and residual disturbance is natural when a strong mind has just emerged from a powerful temporary delusion.  

Finally the verses point to the larger truth: even a powerful, knowledgeable mind dwelling in a body can, for a moment, fall under illusion. The episode with the magician is therefore not merely an external trick; it is a living demonstration of how the mind itself creates and dissolves entire worlds of experience in a short span of time. Recognition of this power, followed by steady discrimination, is the way to keep the mind from being repeatedly entangled.

Chapter 3.105, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.1–9

(Return from a deep state of mental delusion to ordinary awareness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मुहूर्तद्वितयेनाथ बोधमाप महीपतिः।

प्रावृषेण्याम्बुनिर्मुक्तमम्भोरुहमिवोत्तमम् ॥ १॥

आसनात्साङ्गदोत्तंसः प्रबुद्धोऽसावकम्पयत्।

सवनाभोगशृङ्गाग्र्यो भूकम्प इव पर्वतः ॥ २॥

बभूवाथ प्रबुद्धोऽसावासनोपरि कम्पितः।

विक्षुब्ध इव पातालवारणे शङ्कराचलः ॥ ३॥

पतन्तं धारयामासुस्तं पुरोगा नृपं भुजैः।

मेरुं प्रलयविक्षुब्धं कुलशैलास्तटैरिव ॥ ४॥

पुरोगैर्धार्यमाणोऽसौ पर्याकुलमतिर्नृपः।

वीचिविक्षोभितस्येन्दोर्बभार वनमाः श्रियः ॥ ५॥

कोऽयं प्रदेशः कस्येयं सभेति स नृपः शनैः।

दध्वान मज्जदम्भोजकोशस्थ इव षट्पदः ॥ ६॥

अथोवाच सभा देव किमेतदिति सादरम्।

रणन्मधुकरी भानुं दृष्टराहुमिवालिनी ॥ ७॥

अथैनं परिपप्रच्छुः पुरोगा मन्त्रिणस्तथा।

प्रलयोल्लाससंत्रस्तं मार्कण्डेयमिवामराः ॥ ८॥

त्वयीत्थं संस्थिते देव वयमत्यन्तमाकुलाः।

अभेद्यमपि भिन्दन्ति निर्निमित्तं भ्रमा मनः ॥ ९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.105.1–9

> Then, after two moments, the King regained awareness, like a fine lotus freed from the waters of the rainy season.  

> The awakened King, wearing armlets and a crest, shook from his seat like a mountain with forests and high peaks trembling in an earthquake.  

> Then the awakened King trembled on his seat, as if Mount Kailasa were shaken by the elephant of the nether World.  

> His attendants held the falling King with their arms, just as the surrounding mountains support Mount Meru when it is shaken by the winds of dissolution.  

> Held by his attendants and with a confused mind, the King looked like the moon disturbed by waves and carried the beauty of forest garlands.  

> The King slowly murmured, “What is this place? Whose assembly is this?” like a bee trapped in the cup of a sinking lotus.  

> Then the assembly respectfully asked, “O lord, what is this?” like a buzzing bee seeing the Sun as if seized by Rahu.  

> Then the leading men and ministers questioned him, just as the gods, terrified by the onset of cosmic dissolution, once questioned Sage Markandeya.  

> “O Lord, while you are in this state we are extremely anxious. Even unbreakable things are broken by groundless delusions of the mind.”  

Summary of the Teachings: 

These verses show how a person can suddenly return from a deep state of mental delusion or magical illusion to ordinary awareness. The king’s sudden recovery is compared to a lotus that blooms again once the rains clear, teaching that clarity of mind can return quickly once the covering of confusion lifts. The strong physical shaking that follows reveals how deeply the body and mind are linked; a powerful inner experience leaves visible outer signs.  

The attendants’ prompt support of the falling king points to the value of steady companions in moments of weakness. Just as surrounding mountains hold up Meru during upheaval, wise friends and counselors steady a person when the mind is unsettled. The king’s confused appearance, like the moon tossed by waves, shows that even after awakening the mind may still carry traces of disturbance and need gentle help to regain balance.  

The king’s soft questions—“What place is this? Whose court is this?”—illustrate the natural response of a mind that has briefly lost its bearings. Like a bee inside a sinking lotus, the person feels enclosed and uncertain until the outer world is recognized again. The respectful inquiry of the assembly mirrors the concern of those who care for someone returning from confusion; their tone is gentle yet urgent, seeking to understand what has occurred.  

The ministers’ questioning, compared to the gods asking Markandeya during the fear of cosmic dissolution, teaches that great upheavals—whether outer catastrophe or inner delusion—prompt the same search for explanation. Even the wise feel temporary fear when familiar order is shaken, yet steady inquiry restores perspective.  

Finally, the courtiers’ words state the central lesson: groundless mental delusions can shake even a firm mind. No one is immune to sudden confusion arising without clear outer cause. The teaching urges constant discrimination and calm awareness so that the mind remains unshaken by fleeting illusions, whether produced by magic, dream, or ordinary error.  

Chapter 3.101 Verses 33–39

Yoga Vashishtha 3.101.33–39

(World we experience is not a solid, independent reality but only a shifting display created by the mind’s own notions and imaginings)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

विकल्पजालकैवेयं प्रतिभासात्मिकानघ।

बन्धमोक्षादिकलनारूपेण परिजृम्भते ॥ ३३॥

संकल्पमात्रादितरद्विद्यते नेह किंचन।

संकल्पवशतः किंचिन्न किंचित्किंचिदेव वा ॥ ३४॥

द्यौः क्षमा वायुराकाशं पर्वताः सरितो दिशः।

संकल्पकचितं सर्वमेवं स्वप्नवदात्मनः ॥ ३५॥

राजपुत्रास्त्रयो नद्यो भविष्यन्नगरे यथा।

यथा संकल्परचना तथेयं हि जगत्स्थितिः ॥ ३६॥

संकल्पमात्रमभितः परिस्फुरति चञ्चलः।

पयोमात्रात्मकोऽम्भोधिरम्भसीवात्मनात्मनि ॥ ३७॥

संकल्पमात्रं प्रथममुत्थितं परमात्मनः।

तदिदं स्फारतां यातं व्यापारैर्दिवसं यथा ॥ ३८॥

संकल्पजालकलनैव जगत्समग्रं संकल्पमेव ननु विद्धि विलासचेत्यम्।

संकल्पमात्रमलमुत्सृज निर्विकल्पमाश्रित्य निश्चयमवाप्नुहि राम शान्तिम् ॥ ३९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.101.33–39

> O sinless one, this entire appearance is nothing but a net of mental notions. It expands in the forms of ideas such as bondage and liberation.

> Apart from pure thought alone, nothing else exists here at all. By the force of thought, something may seem to exist, or not exist, or simply appear as something.

> Heaven, Earth, wind, Space, mountains, rivers and the directions—all these are filled only by thought, just as they appear in one’s own dream.

> Just as the three princes, the rivers and the future city exist only in a story, so does the state of this world exist only as a construction of thought.

> Thought alone trembles and shines all around in restless form, like the Ocean that is nothing but water appearing within water by its own nature.

> Thought alone first arose from the Supreme Self. That same thought has now expanded widely through many activities, just as a day unfolds with its works.

> Know that the whole Universe is only the play of a net of thoughts; indeed, know it to be thought alone, the object of playful Awareness. Therefore completely abandon mere thought, take refuge in the thought-free State, and with firm resolve attain Peace, O Rama.

Summary of the teachings: 

These verses teach that the World we experience is not a solid, independent Reality but only a shifting display created by the mind’s own notions and imaginings. What appears as solid heaven, Earth, mountains, rivers and directions has no existence apart from the thought that projects them, exactly as scenes appear and vanish inside a dream. Bondage and freedom themselves are merely mental labels that expand within this same net of ideas; nothing stands outside pure thought.

The comparison with a nurse’s invented tale of three princes, dry rivers and a future city shows how completely imaginary constructions can feel real while they last. In the same way the entire Cosmic order is a mental fabrication that seems solid only because the mind continually supports it. Thought arises first from the Supreme Self and then spreads outward through countless activities, just as daylight gradually reveals and fills the whole day.

Yet this restless display of thought is not separate from the Self; it is like waves that are nothing but water rising and falling within the Ocean. Realising that the Universe is only the play of thought removes its power to bind. The final instruction is therefore practical: drop the net of mental constructions entirely, rest in the Pure, thought-free Awareness, and by that firm resolve the mind settles into lasting Peace.

Chapter 3.101, Verses 26–32

Yoga Vashishtha 3.101.26–32

(These shlokas impart a simple yet profound lesson)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

निमन्त्रितास्त्रयस्तैस्तु ब्राह्मणा राजसूनुभिः।

द्वौ निर्देहावथैकस्य मुखमेव न विद्यते ॥ २६॥

निर्मुखेनान्धसस्तत्र भुक्तं द्रोणशतं सुत।

विप्रभुक्तावशेषं तु भुक्तमन्धो नृपात्मजैः ॥ २७॥

त्रिभिस्ते राजपुत्राश्च परां निर्वृतिमागताः।

भविष्यन्नगरे तस्मिन् राजपुत्रास्त्रयो हि ते।

सुखमद्य स्थिताः पुत्र मृगयाव्यवहारिणः ॥ २८॥

आख्यायिकैषा कथिता मया रम्या तवानघ।

एतां हृदि कुरु प्राज्ञ विदग्धस्त्वं भविष्यसि ॥ २९॥

धात्र्येति कथिता राम बालकाख्यायिका शुभा।

तुष्टिं जगाम बालश्च शुभाख्यायिकयानया ॥ ३०॥

एषा हि कथिता राम चित्ताख्यानकथां प्रति।

बालकाख्यायिका तुभ्यं मया कमललोचन ॥ ३१॥

इयं संसाररचना स्थितिमेवमुपागता।

बालकाख्यायिकेवोग्रैः संकल्पैर्दृढकल्पितैः ॥ ३२॥

Sage Vasishta continued: 

3.101.26–32

> The three royal princes invited three Brahmins. Of these, two had no bodies at all, and the third had no mouth.

> The one without a mouth ate a hundred measures of food there, O son. Whatever food remained after the Brahmins had eaten was consumed by the blind princes.

> Those three royal princes attained the highest contentment. Those same three princes now live happily in that future city, engaged in hunting, O son.

> I have told you this charming story, O sinless one. Keep it firmly in your heart, O wise one, and you will become truly skilled and discerning.

> In this way the nurse narrated that auspicious story of the child, and the boy was fully satisfied and pleased by this good tale.

> This has been related to you, O Rama, in connection with the account of the mind. I have told you this story of the boy, O lotus-eyed one.

> This entire structure of the World has come into its present condition exactly like the story told to the child — firmly fashioned by intense and powerful mental constructions.

Summary of the Teachings: 

The verses present a simple yet profound teaching through an invented tale. Just as a nurse freely creates a story of three princes who never existed, of houses without foundations, of rivers without water, and of food eaten by people without bodies or mouths, so the mind fabricates the entire appearance of the world. Nothing in the story has any real existence; it arises solely from imagination and is accepted as real only because the listener does not examine it carefully. In the same way, the waking world is sustained by repeated mental constructions and appears solid only because attention remains fixed on those constructions.

The three princes, the Brahmins without bodies or mouths, and the empty city all point to the same truth: every object, every person, and every experience is a momentary appearance arising in Consciousness. When the mind projects forms and then becomes attached to them, the projected forms seem independent and lasting. The story shows that this independence is an illusion. The princes eat the leftover food that is nothing, rest in a house that has no foundation, and continue hunting in a city that does not exist — yet they feel content. This mirrors the ordinary human condition in which people seek satisfaction from objects that have no substance of their own.

The nurse’s tale is told only to please a child, and the child is delighted by it. Vasishta uses this parallel to show that ordinary people are like that child: they take the mental story of the world as true and find temporary happiness in it. Once the nature of the story is understood, the delight remains, but the belief that the story is real disappears. The same Consciousness that invents the princes and the city is the Sole Reality; the inventions themselves never leave the realm of imagination.

These verses therefore teach that liberation does not require the destruction of any outer World, because no outer World has ever stood apart from the mind. What is required is the clear recognition that all names and forms are mental constructions. When this recognition becomes steady, the mind no longer invests those constructions with independent reality. The result is Natural Peace, just as the three princes rest contentedly even while living inside an empty fabrication.

Finally, the teaching is practical. By holding the story firmly in the heart and reflecting on it, the listener becomes skilled in discrimination. Every experience can then be seen as another chapter in the same invented tale. The World continues to appear, yet it is known as appearance only. In that Knowledge the restless search for lasting satisfaction outside oneself comes to rest, and the mind abides in its own Undivided Nature.

Chapter 3.85 & 3.86, Verses 37–39 & 1–10

Yoga Vashishtha 3.85.37–3.86.10

(These verses teach that the visible World we see around us has one Eternal Cause, which is the Supreme Consciousness or God)

श्रीभानुरुवाच।

3.85.37–39

अस्य दृश्यप्रपञ्चस्य नित्यं कारणतामसि।

गतः कस्मान्न जानीषे किं मामीश्वर पृच्छसि ॥ ३७॥

अथ मद्वाक्यसंदर्भे लीला चेत्तव सर्वग।

अचिन्तितां मदुत्पत्तिं तच्छृणुष्व वदाम्यहम् ॥ ३८॥

सदसदिति कलाभिराततं यत् सदसदबोधविमोहदायिनीभिः।

अविरतरचनाभिरीश्वरात्मन् प्रविलसतीह मनो महन्महात्मन् ॥ ३९॥

3.86.1–10

कल्पनाम्नि महादेव ह्यस्तने दिवसे तव।

तले कैलासशैलस्य जम्बूद्वीपैककोणके ॥ १॥

सुवर्णजटनाम्ना यस्त्वत्पुत्रैर्जनितप्रजैः।

मण्डलं कल्पितं श्रीमदनल्पसुखसुन्दरम् ॥ २॥

तत्राभूदतिधर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणो ब्रह्मवित्तमः।

इन्दुनामातिशान्तात्मा कश्यपस्य कुलोद्भवः ॥ ३॥

तस्मिंस्तदा निवसतो नित्यं स्वजनमण्डले।

तस्य प्राणसमा भार्या काचित्तस्यां महात्मनः ॥ ४॥

न बभूवात्मजस्तस्य मरुभूमौ तृणं यथा।

न व्यराजत सा भार्या तस्य निष्फलपुष्पिता ॥ ५॥

ऋज्वी गौरी सुशुद्धापि शून्या शरलता यथा।

तौ ततो दंपती खिन्नौ पुत्रार्थे तपसे गिरेः ॥ ६॥

कैलासस्यांशमारूढौ रूढाविव नवद्रुमौ।

भूतैरनावृते शून्ये तस्मिन्कैलासकुञ्जके ॥ ७॥

तेपतुस्तौ तपो घोरं जलाहारौ तरुस्थिती।

एकं पानीयचुलकं पीत्वा दिवसपर्यये ॥ ८॥

निस्पन्दमुत्थितौ वार्क्षी वृत्तिमाश्रित्य संस्थितौ।

तस्थतुस्तौ तदा तत्र तावत्कालं तरुव्रतौ ॥ ९॥

यावत्त्रेता द्वापरं च युगे द्वे एव ते गते।

ततस्तुष्टोऽभवद्देवस्तयोः शशिकलाधरः ॥ १०॥

Suyadev said

3.85.37–39

> You are eternally the Cause of this visible Universe. Why do you not know this? O Lord, why are you asking me?

> O all-pervading one, if this is your Divine play in the context of my words, then listen. I will tell you about my unexpected birth.

> O Lord of the soul, O great One, the great mind shines here through endless Creations. It spreads with parts of Existence and non-existence, creating delusion about what is Real and unreal.

3.86.1–10

> O great god, in a past day of your Creation, on the slope of Mount Kailash in one corner of Jambudvipa.

> There was a beautiful and joyful region created by your sons, known as Suvarnajata, along with their people.

> In that place lived a very righteous Brahmin, the best Knower of Brahm, named Indu. He was extremely peaceful and born in the family of Kashyapa.

> While living there always among his own people, this great soul had a wife who was dear to him like his own life.

> He had no son, like grass does not grow in a desert. His wife did not shine with fruitfulness, like a tree with flowers but no fruit.

> Though simple, fair, and very pure, she was empty like a hollow reed. The couple then became sad and went to the mountain for penance to get a son.

> They climbed a part of Kailash like two young trees taking root. They stayed in an empty, open spot in a grove on Kailash, free from Beings.

> They performed severe penance, living on water and staying on trees. They drank one handful of water each day.

> They remained motionless, following the vow of trees, standing still like that.

> They continued this way until two ages passed — Treta and Dvapara. Then the God who wears the moon crescent became pleased with them.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything that appears is not separate but arises from this One Reality. When we forget our True Nature as this Cause, confusion arises, and questions about Creation begin. The teaching reminds us to recognize our own Divine Essence instead of looking outside for answers.

The mind is described as a great, powerful force that creates endless forms through its imagination. It mixes ideas of existence and non-existence, leading to delusion about what is truly Real. This shows that the World we experience is like a play of the mind, full of continuous changes and appearances. Understanding this helps reduce attachment to the outer show of life.

The story of the Brahmin couple illustrates the power of focused effort and devotion. Despite facing difficulties like not having a child, they turned to intense spiritual practice with patience and determination. Their simple, pure life and strict penance on the holy mountain show that sincere tapas (austerity) can please the Divine and bring blessings.

Time in the story spans entire world ages, teaching that spiritual results may take long periods but come surely with steady practice. The couple lived like trees — still, rooted, and minimal in needs. This highlights the value of discipline, detachment from comforts, and complete surrender in spiritual pursuit.

Overall, these verses combine philosophy and story to show that the Universe is a Divine play, the mind is its creator, and sincere spiritual effort leads to Grace. They encourage seekers to know their inner Divinity, practice with patience, and see beyond surface appearances to the One Eternal Reality behind all.

Chapter 3.85, Verses 28–36

Yoga Vashishtha 3.85.28–36

(These verses portray the vast and illusory Nature of the Universe as seen through the Awakened mind of Brahmadeva)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

गन्धर्वनगरोद्यानलतावितान मालिनी।

समुद्रभूमिनभसां पदवी प्रविराजते ॥ २८॥

लोकान्तरेषु सङ्घेन देवासुरनरोरगाः।

उदुम्बरेषु मशका इव घुंघुमिताः स्थिताः ॥ २९॥

युगकल्पक्षणलवकलाकाष्ठाकलङ्कितः।

कालो वहत्यकलितसर्वनाशप्रतीक्षकः ॥ ३०॥

एवमालोक्य शुद्धेन परेण स्वेन चेतसा।

भृशं विस्मयमापन्नः किमेतत्कथमित्यलम् ॥ ३१॥

कथं मांसमयेनाक्ष्णा यन्न पश्यामि किंचन।

तन्मायाजालमतुलं पश्यामि मनसाम्बरे ॥ ३२॥

अथालोक्य चिरं कालं मनसैवाहमम्बरात्।

अर्कं तस्माज्जगज्जालादेकमानीय पृष्टवान् ॥ ३३॥

आगच्छ देवदेवेश भो भास्कर महाद्युते।

स्वागतं तेऽस्त्विति प्रोक्तो मयासौ कथितोप्यथ ॥ ३४॥

कस्त्वं कथमिदं जातं जगदेव जगन्ति च।

यदि जानासि भगवंस्तदेतत्कथयानघ ॥ ३५॥

इत्युक्तो मां समालोक्य संपरिज्ञातवानथ।

नमस्कृत्वाभ्युवाचेदमनिन्द्यपदया गिरा ॥ ३६॥

Lord Brahma continued:

3 85.28–33

> The pathway of Oceans, lands, and skies shines beautifully, adorned like a city of celestial musicians filled with gardens and creeping vines.

> In the spaces between Worlds, groups of gods, demons, humans, and serpents stay clustered together, buzzing like flies on figs.

> Time, marked and stained by ages, eons, moments, instants, and smaller units, flows on, ever waiting for the total destruction of everything.

> Seeing all this with a Pure, Supreme, and clear mind, I became filled with great wonder and thought, “What is this? How does it happen?”

> How is it that with my fleshy eyes I see nothing at all, yet in the sky of my mind I behold this incomparable web of illusion?

3.85.33–36

> Then, after looking for a long time with my mind alone from the sky, I drew out one sun from that vast net of worlds and questioned it.

> “Come, O Lord of Gods, O radiant Sun, great light! Welcome to you,” I said, addressing the one who had been spoken to.

> “Who are you? How did this World and all the Worlds come into being? If you know, O blessed and sinless one, please tell me this.”

> Addressed in this way, the Sun looked at me, recognized me fully, bowed, and then spoke with flawless and beautiful words.

Summary of the Teachings:

The Cosmic scene is compared to a magical city of gandharvas, highlighting how the entire Creation of Oceans, lands, and skies appears splendid yet dream-like. Beings across different worlds exist in dense groups, much like tiny insects, showing the relative smallness and crowded nature of existence within the grand scheme. This imagery teaches that what we perceive as solid Reality is actually a fleeting projection, urging seekers to look beyond surface appearances.

Time is depicted as an unstoppable force carrying marks of all Cosmic cycles while patiently awaiting Universal dissolution. This reminds us of the impermanence of all things and the inevitability of change. The wonder expressed reflects a deep inquiry into the mystery of Existence, encouraging pure observation without attachment. Such contemplation purifies the mind and opens the door to Higher understanding.

The contrast between physical eyes and the mind's vision is central. Physical senses fail to grasp the True Nature, but the inner mind reveals the intricate web of Maya (illusion). This teaches the importance of turning inward for Real Knowledge rather than relying on external senses, which are limited and deceptive.

Brahma's action of summoning the Sun from the web of worlds symbolizes the mind's power to interact with Cosmic elements through focused Awareness. It illustrates how enlightened Consciousness can engage with manifestations of Reality to seek answers. The respectful invitation to the Sun shows humility and reverence even in Divine inquiry.

Finally, the Sun's recognition and response highlight the interconnectedness of Consciousness. True Wisdom arises through direct inner dialogue and Grace. These verses collectively guide the seeker toward Realizing the illusory play of Creation, the fleeting role of Time, and the supremacy of Pure Awareness in uncovering the Truth beyond Maya. 

Chapter 3.82, Verses 10~31

Yoga Vashishtha 3.82.10~31

(These verses show the interaction between the King and the demoness Karkati, highlighting the power of focused thought and meditation)

राजोवाच।

यद्येवं फुल्लपद्माक्षि परदेहैकभोजने।

किं स्याच्छरीरवृत्त्यै ते स्थिताया मत्समीहिते ॥ १६॥

राक्षस्युवाच।

षड्भिर्मासैर्गिरौ राजन्प्रबुद्धायाः समाधितः।

जाता भोजनसंकल्पाद्भोजनेच्छेयमद्य मे ॥ १७॥

इदानीं शिखरं गत्वा तदेव ध्याननिश्चला।

यावदिच्छं सुखेनासे सजीवा शालभञ्जिका ॥ १८॥

आमृतीं धारणां बद्ध्वा धारयामि शरीरकम्।

यथेच्छमथ कालेन त्यक्ष्यामीति मतिर्मम ॥ १९॥

आशरीरपरित्यागमिदानीं न मया नृप।

हिंसनीयाः परप्राणास्तेनेदं मद्वचः शृणु ॥ २०॥

हिमवान्नाम शैलोऽस्ति शरच्चन्द्रांशुनिर्मलः।

य उत्तराशाहृदये स्पृष्टपूर्वापरार्णवः ॥ २१॥

तत्राहं निवसाम्यग्रे हेमशृङ्गदरीगृहे।

आयसी मेघलेखेव कर्कटीनाम राक्षसी ॥ २२॥

तपसोपार्जितो ब्रह्मा जनतामारणेच्छया।

विषूचिका प्राणहरा स्यां सूच्यात्मेति भो मया ॥ २३॥

तस्मात्संप्राप्तवरया बहून्वर्षगणान्मया।

भुक्ता विषूचिकात्वेन जनता जीवबाधनैः ॥ २४॥

त्वया न गुणिनो हिंस्या इति मे ब्रह्मणा ततः।

नियमार्थं महामन्त्रस्तदायत्तास्मि संस्थिता ॥ २५॥

सोऽयं प्रगृह्यतां तेन सर्वं हृदयशूलनम्।

शममेष्यति लोकेऽस्मात्का कथा मत्कृते भ्रमे ॥ २६॥

विततैवास्मि हिंसायां यत्पुरा हिंसितं मया।

जनस्य हृदयं तेन नाड्यो वैधुर्यमागताः ॥ २७॥

हिंसित्वा रक्तमांसानि संत्यक्ता ये महाजनाः।

तेभ्यो विधुरनाडीभ्यो ये जातास्तेऽपि तादृशाः ॥ २८॥

राजन्विषूचिकामन्त्रः सोऽयं संपन्न एव ते।

नहि सत्त्ववतामस्ति दुःसाध्यमिह किंचन ॥ २९॥

अतो दुर्नाडिकोशेषु शूलानां परिशान्तये।

मन्त्रो यो ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तो राजञ्शीघ्रं गृहाण तम् ॥ ३०॥

आगच्छ निकटं नद्या गच्छामस्तत्र भूमिप।

स्वाचान्ताभ्यां संयताभ्यां भवद्भ्यां सुमता ददे ॥ ३१॥

The King said:

3.82.16

> “O lotus-eyed one, if you live by eating only in other bodies, then how will your own body be sustained while you stay here according to my wish?”

The demoness said:

3.82.17–22

> “O King, after six months on the mountain, I awoke from deep meditation. Because of the thought of eating, the desire for food has now arisen in me today.”

> “Now I will go to the mountain peak and remain steady in that same meditation. As long as I wish, I will stay comfortably there like a living statue.”

> “Having taken up the immortal concentration, I sustain this body. When I wish and at the right time, I will leave it—this is my firm thought.”

> “O King, until I give up this body, I must not harm other living Beings. Therefore, listen to my words.”

> “There is a mountain called Himavan, pure like the rays of the autumn moon. It lies in the heart of the northern region and touches both the eastern and western oceans.”

> “I live there in a golden-peaked cave house, like an iron line of clouds. My name is the demoness Karkati.”

3.82.23–31

> “Through penance I pleased Brahma. Desiring to kill people, I asked, ‘May I become cholera, the life-taker, with a needle-like soul.’”

> “Having received this boon, for many years I have lived as cholera and troubled the lives of people by eating them.”

> “Brahma told me that I should not kill virtuous people. For this rule, he gave me a great mantra, and I remain bound by it.”

> “Accept this mantra. By it, all the piercing pain in the heart will calm down in this world. Then there is no question of the delusion caused by me.”

> “I am spread everywhere in the act of violence. Because of the people I killed earlier, their hearts and energy channels have become distressed.”

> “Those great people whose blood and flesh I destroyed and left behind—those born from their distressed channels are also of the same kind.”

> “O King, this cholera mantra is now ready and accomplished for you. For people of good character, nothing is difficult to achieve here.”

> “Therefore, to completely calm the pains in the bad energy channels, quickly accept the mantra that Brahma spoke, O King.”

> “Come near the river. Let us go there, O ruler of the Earth. With pure and controlled minds, I will give the good mantra to both of you.”

Summary of the teachings: 

In the omitted verses (10–15), the conversation continues between King Suruchi and the demoness Karkati. The King expresses his fear and concern about her nature as a man-eating demoness who causes widespread suffering through disease. He questions how she can be trusted and pleads with her not to harm virtuous people or his subjects. The demoness responds reassuringly. She explains her background, the boon she received from Brahma, and her current State of Awakening from meditation. She acknowledges her past destructive actions but commits to restraint. She promises that from now on, she will not harm anyone without reason and agrees to the king's request to spare the good and noble.

The demoness now explains that she can live in a meditative state without ordinary food for long periods. Her body is sustained through special concentration rather than physical eating. This teaches that the mind has great control over the body and that deep meditation can reduce normal physical needs.

The story reveals how desires and past actions shape our experiences. The demoness once chose a destructive form through penance to satisfy her wish to harm people. This led to her becoming cholera, a disease that causes pain. It shows that strong intentions, even negative ones, can manifest into Reality, and one must live with the results of those choices for a long time.

A key teaching is the importance of ethical limits even for powerful Beings. Brahma gave the demoness a rule not to harm good people and provided a mantra for protection. This illustrates that higher powers always set boundaries on harm, and there are protective tools like sacred words or mantras that can counter negative forces when used properly.

The verses emphasize the connection between violence, disease, and the subtle energy channels in the body. Past acts of harm create lasting effects in the hearts and nadis of people, passing on suffering to future generations. The mantra helps remove these pains, showing that spiritual remedies can heal both physical and energetic disturbances caused by past negativity.

Finally, these teachings encourage taking up positive spiritual practices quickly. The demoness offers the mantra to the King and his companion so they can overcome troubles. It teaches that for sincere and virtuous people, difficult problems can be solved through divine words and disciplined living, leading to Peace and Freedom from delusion and pain.

Chapter 3.80, Verses 12–24

Yoga Vashishtha 3.80.12–24

(These verses teach the non-dual nature of Consciousness as the sole Reality)

मन्त्र्युवाच।

चिन्मात्राणुः स एवेह सर्वं किंचिन्मनःस्थितम्।

न किंचिदिन्द्रियातीत रूपत्वादमलः स्थितः ॥ १२॥

स एव चैकोऽनेकश्च सर्वसत्त्वात्मवेदनात्।

स एवेदं जगद्धत्ते जगत्कोशस्तथैव हि ॥ १३॥

इमाश्चित्तमहाम्भोधौ त्रिजगल्लववीचयः।

प्रज्ञास्तस्मिन्कचन्त्यप्सु द्रवत्वाच्चक्रता इव ॥ १४॥

चित्तेन्द्रियाद्यलभ्यत्वात्सोऽणुः शून्यस्वरूपवत्।

स्वसंवेदनलभ्यत्वादशून्यं व्योमरूप्यपि ॥ १५॥

सोऽहं भवानेव भवान्संपन्नोऽद्वैतवेदनात्।

स भवान्न भवेन्नाहं जातो बोधबृहद्वपुः ॥ १६॥

त्वंताहंतात्मकं सर्वं विनिगीर्यावबोधतः।

न त्वं नाहं न सर्वं च सर्वं वा भवति स्वयम् ॥ १७॥

गच्छन्न गच्छत्येषोऽणुर्योजनौघगतोऽपि सन्।

संवित्त्या योजनौघत्वं तस्याणोरन्तरे स्थितम् ॥ १८॥

न गच्छत्येष यातोऽपि संप्राप्तोऽपि च नागतः।

स्वसत्ताकाशकोशान्तर्वासित्वाद्देशकालयोः ॥ १९॥

गम्यं यस्य शरीरस्थं क्व किलासौ प्रयाति हि।

कुचकोटरगः पुत्रः किं मात्रान्यत्र वीक्ष्यते ॥ २०॥

गम्यो यस्य महादेशो यावत्संभवमक्षयः।

अन्तस्थः सर्वकर्तुर्हिं स कथं क्वेव गच्छति ॥ २१॥

यथा देशान्तरप्राप्ते कुम्भे वक्त्रसमुद्रिते।

तदाकाशस्य गमनागमने न तथात्मनः ॥ २२॥

चित्तता स्थाणुता स्वान्तर्यदा स्तोऽनुभवात्मिके।

चेतनस्य जडस्यैव तदासौ द्वयमेव च ॥ २३॥

यदा चेतनपाषाणसत्तैकात्मैकचिद्वपुः।

तदा चेतन एवासौ पाषाण इव राक्षसि ॥ २४॥

The Minister continued:

3.80.12–19

> That subtle particle of Pure Consciousness alone is everything here—whatever exists as situated in the mind. Being beyond the senses and without any form, it remains Pure and established.

> It is both One and many, because of the Awareness of all Beings as its own Self. It alone sustains this world, and it is itself the very sheath or container of the world.

> These three Worlds are like tiny waves or droplets in the great Ocean of the mind. Intelligences shine within it like swirling patterns in water, appearing due to its fluid nature.

> Because it cannot be grasped by the mind, senses, or other means, it seems like a tiny atom or Void-like. Yet, through Self-Awareness, it is known as full and not empty, even while appearing as Space.

> I am you, and you are me—this is Realized through the Knowledge of non-duality. You do not become, nor do I arise; the great body of Pure Knowledge alone exists.

> Having swallowed the sense of “you” and “I” through awakened understanding, there is neither you nor I nor the all. Or, everything becomes itself spontaneously.

> This subtle One does not truly move even when it seems to travel across vast distances of yojanas. Through perception, the sense of long distances exists within that very subtle Essence.

> It does not go anywhere even when it has gone, nor has it arrived even when it seems to have reached. This is because of its dwelling as the Inner Space of its own Existence, beyond Space and Time.

3.80.20–24

> Where would one go when the destination is already within one's own body? Just as a son inside the mother's womb—does he see his mother elsewhere?

> For the One whose great destination is inexhaustible and present within, the doer of all—how and where does he really go?

> Just as Space inside a pot does not move when the pot is carried to another place, so too there is no coming or going for the Self.

> When the nature of mind and the nature of inert matter are experienced inwardly as one, then for the Conscious Being and the inert, they become the same two aspects.

> When the Conscious and the stone-like Existence merge into one single Conscious form of Pure Knowledge, then that very Conscious One appears like a stone in the World of illusion.

Summary of the Teachings:

Everything in existence, including the World and individual minds, is nothing but this Pure, subtle Consciousness appearing in various forms. It is both the smallest atom and the vast Universe, transcending sensory perception while being the Essence of all perception. The World is sustained by it alone, like waves on an ocean, emphasizing that multiplicity arises from the one without dividing it.

The verses highlight the illusion of movement, Space, and Time. The Self does not travel or change location because all distances and destinations exist within its own Awareness. Just as Space inside a vessel remains unchanged when the vessel moves, the True Self is unmoving and ever-present. This Realization dissolves the false sense of "I" and "you," leading to the understanding that nothing separate exists.

Duality between the Conscious Self and the inert World is shown to be apparent only. Through deep self-inquiry, one sees that mind and matter, subject and object, are unified in the One Consciousness. What seems solid and unconscious is also a manifestation of the same Awareness. This Unity reveals the World as a play or dream within the mind-ocean.

The teachings encourage turning inward to recognize this Truth directly through Self-Awareness rather than external seeking. By knowing oneself as this boundless Consciousness, one becomes free from the bondage of birth, movement, and limitation. The great form of Knowledge swallows all distinctions, leaving only Pure Being.

Ultimately, these verses point to liberation through understanding non-duality. The practitioner Realizes there is no separate journey or seeker—the Goal is already within. This Knowledge transforms ordinary experience, where even the inert appears Conscious, and all phenomena are seen as expressions of the one Eternal Reality, bringing Peace and Freedom from worldly illusions.

Chapter 3.73 Verses 1~25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.73.1~25

(These verses teach about the amazing power of the mind and subtle energy)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

कर्कटीकटुवृत्तान्तं सर्वमाकर्ण्य वासवः।

नारदं परिपप्रच्छ पुनर्जातकुतूहलः ॥ १॥

शक्र उवाच।

सूचीवृत्तपिशाचत्वं तपसोपार्ज्य तत्तया।

कर्कट्या हिममर्कट्या के भुक्ता विभवा मुने ॥ २॥

श्रीनारद उवाच।

जीवसूच्याः पिशाचत्वं गतायाः शक्र पेलवम्।

आसीत्कार्ष्णायसी सूची तस्याः समवलम्बनम् ॥ ३॥

तत्समालम्बनं त्यक्त्वा व्योमवातरथस्थया।

प्राणमारुतमार्गेण तया देहप्रविष्टया ॥ ४॥

सर्वेषामान्त्रतन्त्रीणां स्नायुमेदोवसासृजाम्।

रन्ध्रेण पक्षिणेवान्तर्निलीनं मलिनात्मनाम् ॥ ५॥

यस्यां नाड्यां नभोवायुर्माति तत्तामुपेतया।

तत्र शूलं कृतं स्थूलन्यग्रोधाग्र इवोत्कटम् ॥ ६॥

तच्छरीरेन्द्रियैस्तानि तथान्यानि बहूनि च।

भुक्तानि नरमांसानि भोजनान्युचितानि च ॥ ७॥

(8~18)

अदृश्यया तया चेह मारुतोग्रतुरंगया।

अयःसूच्याऽनिलतया वहन्त्या दिक्ष्वरुद्धया ॥ १९॥

पतिं भुक्तं विलसितं दत्तं दापितमाहृतम्।

नर्तितं गीतमुषितमनन्तैः प्राणिदेहकैः ॥ २०॥

अदृश्ययाऽशरीरिण्या मनःपवनदेहया।

कृतमाकाशरूपिण्या न तदस्ति न यत्तया ॥ २१॥

मत्तया शक्तयास्वादरसाच्चलितमेतया।

कालमालानमाश्रित्य करिण्येव विवल्गितम् ॥ २२॥

कल्लोलबहुलाधूतदेहदृष्टनदीष्वलम्।

वेगैर्वेधुर्यकारिण्या मत्तया मकरायितम् ॥ २३॥

अशक्तया निगिरितुं मेदोमांसं तथा हृदि।

नूनं रुदितमर्थाढ्यवृद्धातुरधिया यथा ॥ २४॥

अजोष्ट्रमृगहस्त्यश्वसिंहव्याघ्रादिनर्तितम्।

नर्तक्येव चिरं रङ्गे वलयाङ्गदमङ्गके ॥ २५॥

Sage Vasishta said: 

3.73.1

> After listening to the full story of Karkati, Indra asked Narada again, filled with fresh curiosity. 

Lord Indra said: 

3.73.2

> O Sage, after gaining the state of a needle demon through penance, what powers and enjoyments did that Karkati experience? 

Sage Narada said: 

3.73.3–7

> O Indra, the living needle that became a demon was very delicate. It used an iron needle as its support. 

> Leaving that support, she moved like a chariot in the sky wind. She entered the body through the path of vital breath. 

> She hid inside like a bird through holes, among the dirty intestines, nerves, fats, and blood vessels of all beings. 

> In the channel where sky wind flows, she created a thick stake as huge as the top of a great banyan tree. 

> With the body and senses there, she ate many human meats and other suitable foods. 

3.73.8–18

> In the omitted verses 8 to 18, Narada describes how the subtle needle form of the demoness moved freely through different living beings, experiencing their inner worlds, feeding on their energies, and taking part in many hidden activities inside bodies and minds while remaining mostly unseen. 

3.73.19–25

> Invisible and moving like a strong wind horse, as an iron needle in air form, she flowed without obstruction in all directions. 

> She ate, played, gave, caused to give, took away, danced, sang, and lived with countless living bodies. 

> Invisible and without a physical body, with a body made of mind and wind, in sky-like form, there was nothing that she did not do. 

> Intoxicated with power and moved by the taste of pleasures, she wandered following the garland of time, like a female elephant in heat. 

> In rivers full of waves that shook the body and sight, with piercing speeds, intoxicated, she behaved like a crocodile. 

> Unable to swallow the fat and flesh in the heart, she surely cried like a rich old sick person with weak mind. 

> She danced for a long time like a dancer on the stage with bracelets and armlets in the bodies of goats, camels, deer, elephants, horses, lions, tigers, and others. 

Summary of the Teachings:

Through hard penance, the demoness Karkati changed her form into a tiny needle. This shows that with strong focus and spiritual practice, one can make the gross body very subtle and enter different worlds. The story reminds us that our true self is not limited to the physical body but can become light and free like wind.

The verses explain how Consciousness can travel inside other bodies and experience their inner parts. The needle form entering through breath and hiding in nerves and blood shows the subtle way life force moves. It teaches that the mind can explore hidden aspects of life and that everything is connected through vital energy. This helps us understand the illusion of separation between beings.

Karkati's actions of eating, dancing, singing, and living in many forms highlight the mind's play in the world of senses. Even in subtle form, she enjoyed pleasures and faced difficulties like crying in the heart. This teaches that desires and experiences continue in different states, but they are all temporary plays of Consciousness. True wisdom comes from seeing beyond these changing forms.

The story shows the freedom and limitations of subtle existence. She could go anywhere without obstruction but still felt pain and hunger. This points to the teaching that without Realizing the Higher Self, even subtle powers bring suffering. Yoga Vasistha uses this to guide seekers toward detachment and knowledge of the infinite awareness.

Finally, these verses illustrate the non-dual nature of Reality. The demoness as mind-wind in sky form did everything, yet nothing existed apart from her. It teaches that all experiences are creations of Consciousness. By understanding this, one rises above birth, death, and limited identities to rest in Pure Awareness.

Chapter 3.70, Verses 66–84

Yoga Vashishtha 3.70.66~84

(These verses use the metaphor of a needle to explain how subtle forces of pain and karma operate in life)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

विना परापकारेण तीक्ष्णा मरणमीहते।

वेदनाद्रोधिता सूची कर्मपाशे प्रलम्बते ॥ ६६॥

शेते किंश्याममैत्र्येव दूरे करपरिच्युता।

स्वरूपसदृशं मित्रं कस्मै नाम न रोचते ॥ ६७॥

मिश्रिता मूढचित्तानां वृत्तिभिः प्राकृते जने।

तिष्ठत्यात्मसमां को हि संगतिं त्यक्तुमिच्छति ॥ ६८॥

भवत्ययस्कारवित्तौ संत्यज्यान्तर्धिगामिनी।

भस्त्रावातैर्विचलिता गगनादुत्पतोन्मुखी ॥ ६९॥

प्राणापानप्रवाहस्थहृत्पद्मान्तरचारिणी।

दुःखशक्तिर्महाघोरा जीवशक्तिरिवोदिता ॥ ७०॥

समानवैपरीत्येन समानसमगामिनी।

उदानविपरीतत्वादुदानसमगामिनी ॥ ७१॥

(72–78)

वस्त्रतन्तुविभेदेन परमारणमाशु मे।

इदं संपद्यत इति भवत्यन्तर्हि निर्मला ॥ ७९॥

स्थापिता मलमादत्ते यथा मृद्धर्षणं विना।

परापराधविरहाद्व्याधिस्तस्याः प्रवर्तते ॥ ८०॥

सूक्ष्माऽदृश्या चैव दात्री क्षणाद्विस्मृतिमेति सा।

तीक्ष्णभेदकरी क्रूरा सूची चेष्टेव दैविकी ॥ ८१॥

तन्तुवेधनमात्रेण हतोऽन्य इति तोषिता।

दुर्जनो येन तेनैव नाशितेनैति हृष्टताम् ॥ ८२॥

पङ्के मज्जति याति खं विहरति व्योमानिलैर्दिक्तटे शेते पांसुषु भूतलेष्विव वने पट्टे गृहेऽन्तःपुरे।

हस्ते श्रोत्रसरोरुहेऽथ मृदुनि स्वेच्छोर्णिकाखण्डके रन्ध्रे काष्ठमृदां च माति हृदये द्रव्यात्मशक्त्यैव सा ॥ ८३॥

श्रीवाल्मीकिरुवाच।

इत्युक्तवत्यथ मुनौ दिवसो जगाम सायंतनाय विधयेऽस्तमिनो जगाम।

स्नातुं सभा कृतनमस्करणा जगाम श्यामक्षये रविकरैश्च सहाजगाम ॥ ८४॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.70.66–71

> Without harming others, the sharp one desires death. Stopped by pain, the needle hangs in the web of karma. 

> It lies like a dark friend, far from the hand's reach. Who does not like a friend that matches one's own nature? 

> Mixed with the tendencies of foolish minds among ordinary people, the Self remains equal. Who wants to leave such company? 

> Like the wind from bellows moving iron, it becomes hidden and goes away. Blown by the air of the bellows, it rises upward towards the sky. 

> Moving inside the heart lotus in the flow of prana and apana, this terrible power of sorrow rises like the power of life. 

> By opposition to samana, it moves equally with samana. By opposition to udana, it moves equally with udana. 

3.70.72–78

> These verses continue the description of subtle forces, the needle-like power representing pain and disease, its movements through the body, its effects on life, and the transition to evening as the assembly ends with Valmiki's narration.

3.70.79–83

> It becomes pure inside with the thought that this happens quickly as the supreme death by piercing the cloth threads. 

> Placed without rubbing dirt, it takes the impurity. Without the fault of others, its disease starts. 

> Subtle, invisible, and giving, it quickly goes to forgetfulness. Sharp, piercing, cruel, it acts like a Divine needle. 

> Satisfied with the thought that another is killed by mere piercing of threads, the wicked one becomes happy by the same destruction. 

> It sinks in mud, goes to the sky, wanders with winds in the directions, lies in dust on grounds, in forests, on cloths, in houses, in inner chambers; in hand, in ear lotus, in soft wool pieces, in holes of wood and clay, and it measures in the heart by its own power of substance. 

Sage Valmiki said: 

3.70.84

> After the Sage (Vashishta) spoke thus, the day went for the evening rites, the sun set. The assembly, having bowed, went to bathe, and came back with the rays of the setting sun in the twilight. 

Summary of the Teachings:

The needle represents sharp, piercing energies that cause suffering without direct harm to others at first, but get trapped in the web of actions and results. It shows that such forces arise from inner movements of vital energies like prana, and they behave according to natural laws, moving with or against bodily airs.

The teachings highlight how negative tendencies mix with ordinary minds and stay close like friends, making it hard to separate from them. Even Pure Self remains equal amid foolish thoughts. The verses warn against hidden faults that bring disease and impurity, stressing that without harming others, one should avoid actions that invite such subtle pains.

They describe the needle's nature as quick, invisible, and cruel, bringing temporary satisfaction to wicked minds through destruction of others. This illustrates how ego and ignorance lead to joy in others' suffering, but such acts are short-lived and lead to forgetfulness or further bondage.

The verses portray the pervasive presence of this power in all places and forms – from mud to sky, body parts to materials – showing the all-pervading nature of karmic forces and life energies that penetrate everything through their own subtle strength.

Finally, the closing verse marks the end of the day's teaching, reminding that spiritual discussions follow natural rhythms of day and night, with the assembly dispersing for daily rites, blending Wisdom with practical living.