Chapter 3.112, Verses 10–19

Yoga Vashishtha 3.112.10–19

(The restless mind is like a powerful demon that creates deep suffering when it is allowed to rise unchecked)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

दुःखमुत्पादयत्युच्चेरुत्थितश्चित्तराक्षसः।

सुखायानन्तभोगाय तं प्रयत्नेन पातय ॥ १०॥

तस्य चञ्चलता यैषा त्वविद्या राम सोच्यते।

वासनापदनाम्नीं तां विचारेण विनाशय ॥ ११॥

अविद्यया वासनया तयान्तश्चित्तसत्तया।

विलीनया त्यागवशात्परं श्रेयोऽधिगम्यते ॥ १२॥

यत्तत्सदसतोर्मध्यं यन्मध्यं चित्त्वजाड्ययोः।

तन्मनः प्रोच्यते राम द्वयोर्दोलायिताकृति ॥ १३॥

जाड्यानुसंधानहतं जाड्यात्मकतयेद्धया।

चेतो जडत्वमायाति दृढाभ्यासवशेन हि ॥ १४॥

विवेकैकानुसंधानाच्चिदंशात्मतया मनः।

चिदेकतामुपायाति दृढाभ्यासवशादिह ॥ १५॥

पौरुषेण प्रयत्नेन यस्मिन्नेव पदे मनः।

पात्यते तत्पदं प्राप्य भवत्यभ्यासतो हि तत् ॥ १६॥

पुनः पौरुषमाश्रित्य चित्तमाक्रम्य चेतसा।

विशोकं पदमाश्रित्य निराशङ्कः स्थिरो भव ॥ १७॥

भवभावनया मग्नं मनसैव न चेन्मनः।

बलादुत्तार्यते राम तदुपायोऽस्ति नेतरः ॥ १८॥

मन एव समर्थं वो मनसो दृढनिग्रहे।

अराजा कः समर्थः स्याद्राज्ञो राघव निग्रहे ॥ १९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.112.10–14

> The mind-demon, when it rises strongly, produces great suffering. For the sake of happiness and endless enjoyment, bring it down with careful effort.

> O Rama, this restlessness of the mind is called ignorance. Destroy that which is known as latent impressions through proper inquiry.

> When that inner mental existence made of ignorance and latent impressions is dissolved by the power of renunciation, the highest good is attained.

> O Rama, that which stands in the middle between the Real and the unreal, and between Consciousness and dullness, is called the mind. Its form swings between the two.

> When the mind is struck by constant thought of dullness and is intensified by its dull nature, it becomes dull itself through firm practice.

3.112.15–19

> Through one-pointed inquiry with discrimination, the mind, by its nature as a part of Consciousness, attains Oneness with Pure Consciousness through firm practice here.

> By human effort, whichever State the mind is made to settle in, it reaches that State and becomes that through practice.

> Again, taking support of self-effort, conquer the mind with the mind itself, take refuge in the sorrow-free State, and become steady and free from doubt.

> O Rama, if the mind that is sunk in thoughts of worldly existence is not forcibly lifted out by the mind itself, there is no other means.

> Only the mind itself is capable of firmly restraining the mind. O Raghava, who but a King is able to restrain a King?

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the restless mind is like a powerful demon that creates deep suffering when it is allowed to rise unchecked. The only way to gain lasting happiness and unlimited joy is to deliberately bring this mind under control through steady and determined effort. Without such effort the mind continues to produce pain.

The restlessness of the mind is itself ignorance. This ignorance appears in the form of latent tendencies or deep-seated desires that keep the mind moving. These tendencies must be completely destroyed by careful self-inquiry and clear thinking. When ignorance, the latent tendencies, and the sense of a separate mental existence dissolve through renunciation, a person reaches the highest good.

The mind occupies a middle position. It is neither fully Real nor fully unreal, and it stands between Pure Consciousness and pure dullness. Because of this middle nature it constantly swings between the two. If a person repeatedly dwells on dull and lifeless things, the mind itself becomes dull through long practice. On the other hand, if the mind is trained through discrimination and one-pointed attention to its own conscious nature, it merges completely into Pure Consciousness.

Whatever state a person deliberately places the mind in by firm personal effort, the mind eventually becomes that State through repeated practice. Therefore one must again and again use self-effort to seize and master the mind, settle it in the State that is free from sorrow, and remain steady and free from all fear or doubt.

Finally, the mind can be controlled only by the mind itself. There is no other power that can do this work. Just as only a King can properly restrain another King, only the mind, when it turns its own strength upon itself, can lift itself out of the deep immersion in worldly thoughts and establish lasting Freedom.

Chapter 3.112, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.112.1–9

(The mind is by nature intensely restless and swift)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

यस्मिंस्तस्मिन्पदार्थे हि येन तेन यथा तथा।

तीव्रसंवेगसंपन्नं मनः पश्यति वाञ्छितम् ॥ १॥

जायते म्रियते चैषा मनसस्तीव्रवेगिता।

सौम्याम्बुबुद्बुदालीव निर्निमित्ता स्वभावतः ॥ २॥

शीतता तुहिनस्येव कज्जलस्येव कृष्णता।

लोलता मनसो रूपं तीव्रातीव्रैकरूपिणी ॥ ३॥

श्रीराम उवाच।

कथमस्यातिलोलस्य वेगो वेगैककारणम्।

चलता मनसो ब्रह्मन्बलतो विनिवार्यते ॥ ४॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

नेह चञ्चलताहीनं मनः क्वचन दृश्यते।

चञ्चलत्वं मनोधर्मो वह्णेर्धर्मो यथोष्णता ॥ ५॥

यैषा हि चञ्चला स्पन्दशक्तिश्चित्तत्वसंस्थिता।

तां विद्धि मानसीं शक्तिं जगदाडम्बरात्मिकाम् ॥ ६॥

स्पन्दास्पन्दादृते वायोर्यथा सत्तैव नोह्यते।

तथा न चित्तसत्तास्ति चञ्चलस्पन्दनादृते ॥ ७॥

यत्तु चञ्चलताहीनं तन्मनो मृतमुच्यते।

तदेव च तपःशास्त्रसिद्धान्तो मोक्ष उच्यते ॥ ८॥

मनोविलयमात्रेण दुःखशान्तिरवाप्यते।

मनोमननमात्रेण दुःखं परमवाप्यते ॥ ९॥

Sage Vasishtha said: 

3.112.1–3

> The mind, filled with intense swiftness, perceives the desired object in any substance, by any means, and in any manner whatsoever.

> This intense swiftness of the mind arises and perishes of its own nature without any cause, just like a succession of bubbles on calm water.

> Just as coldness is the nature of snow and blackness is the nature of collyrium, so restlessness is the very form of the mind, remaining one and the same in its intense and still more intense States.

Sriram said: 

3.112.4

> O Brahman, how can the movement of this extremely restless mind, whose sole cause is its own velocity, be forcibly restrained?

Sage Vasishtha said: 

3.112.5–9

> Nowhere is a mind found that is free from restlessness. Restlessness is the inherent nature of the mind, just as heat is the inherent nature of fire.

> Know that this restless vibrating power which resides in the essence of the mind is the mental energy that constitutes the entire display of the World.

> Just as the Existence of Air cannot be grasped apart from its vibration or non-vibration, so the mind has no existence apart from its restless vibration.

> That which is free from restlessness is like a dead mind. And that very State is declared to be liberation according to the settled conclusion of austerity and the scriptures.

> By the mere dissolution of the mind, the cessation of sorrow is attained. By the mere continued thinking of the mind, supreme sorrow is attained.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach that the mind is by nature intensely restless and swift. It instantly projects and perceives whatever it desires in any object, through any means, and in any way. This restless velocity is not produced by external causes; it arises and disappears spontaneously, like bubbles forming and vanishing on still water. Restlessness is therefore the essential form of the mind, just as coldness belongs to snow and blackness to collyrium.  

Rama asks how this restless movement, whose only cause is its own velocity, can be forcibly stopped. Vasishtha answers that a mind without restlessness is never found anywhere. Restlessness is the mind’s own nature, comparable to the heat that is inseparable from fire.  

The restless vibrating power that constitutes the mind is identified as the very energy that creates the entire spectacle of the World. Without this constant vibration the mind cannot be said to exist at all, just as air cannot be conceived without its motion or stillness.  

A mind that has become free from restlessness is therefore described as “dead.” This State of the mind’s Stillness is what the scriptures and the practice of austerity call liberation.  

Finally, the verses declare that the complete dissolution of the mind alone brings the end of sorrow, while continued mental activity produces the greatest suffering. Peace is therefore gained not by controlling an active mind but by allowing the mind itself to subside completely.