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Yoga Vashishtha 3.14.46–55
(The individual jiva and the sense of “I” are nothing more than a slight stir or imagination within Consciousness)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
चितश्चेत्यमहंकारः सैव राघव कल्पना।
तन्मात्रादि चिदेवातो द्वित्वैकत्वे क्व संस्थिते ॥ ४६ ॥
जीवहेत्वादिसंत्यागे त्वं चाहं चेति संत्यज ।
शेषः सदसतोर्मध्ये भवत्यर्थात्मको भवेत् ॥ ४७ ॥
चिता यथादौ कलिता स्वसत्ता सा तथोदिता ।
अभिन्ना दृश्यते व्योम्नः सत्तासत्ते न विद्महे ॥ ४८ ॥
विश्वं खं जगदीहाख्यं खमस्ति विबुधालयः ।
साकारश्चिच्चमत्काररूपत्वान्नान्यदस्ति हि ॥ ४९ ॥
यो यद्विलासस्तस्मात्स न कदाचन भिद्यते ।
अपि सावयवं तस्मात्कैवानवयवे कथा ॥ ५० ॥
चितेर्नित्यमचेत्याया निर्नाम्न्या वितताकृतेः ।
यद्रूपं जगतो रूपं तत्तत्स्फुरणरूपिणः ॥ ५१ ॥
मनो बुद्धिरहंकारो भूतानि गिरयो दिशः।
इति या यास्तु रचनाश्चितस्तत्त्वाज्जगत्स्थितेः ॥ ५२॥
चितेश्चित्त्वं जगद्विद्धि नाजगच्चित्त्वमस्ति हि ।
अजगत्त्वादचिच्चित्स्याद्भानाद्भेदो जगत्कुतः ॥ ५३ ॥
चितेर्मरीचिबीजस्य निजा यान्तश्चमत्कृतिः ।
सा चैषा जीवतन्मात्रमात्रं जगदिति स्थिता ॥ ५४ ॥
चित्तात्स्वशक्तिकचनं यदहंभावनं चितः ।
जीवः स्पन्दनकर्मात्मा भविष्यदभिधो ह्यसौ ॥ ५५ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta continued:
3.14.46: Consciousness (chit), the objects of Consciousness (chetya), and ego (ahankara) – all these are nothing but the same Consciousness, O Rama. They are mere imagination (kalpana). Therefore, where can duality or oneness truly exist?
3.14.47: When you completely give up the ideas of “jiva (individual soul)”, “cause of jiva”, etc., and also abandon the notions “you” and “I”, what remains in the middle – neither Real nor unreal – becomes the Pure meaning (Essence) itself.
3.14.48: The Pure Existence that Consciousness first imagined for itself is the very same Existence that has now arisen. It appears undivided, just like the existence of empty Space. We do not find any real Existence or non-existence in it.
3.14.49: The Universe is empty Space; this world called “jagat” is empty Space; the abode of the gods is empty Space. Yet because Consciousness has the nature of wonderful play with forms, nothing else truly exists apart from it.
3.14.50: Whatever play or manifestation arises from Consciousness never separates from it even for a moment. Even something that has parts does not become separate from that which has no parts – so how could anything without parts ever be different?
3.14.51: The form that the world has is exactly the form of the Eternal Consciousness that has no objects, no name, and no fixed shape. It is nothing but the throbbing, sparkling, self-radiance of Consciousness itself.
3.14.52: Mind, intellect, ego, the five elements, mountains, directions – all the countless creations that appear are nothing but constructions arising from the One Reality of Consciousness in which the world exists.
3.15.53: Know the world to be nothing but the “Consciousness-Nature” of Pure Consciousness. The world has no separate “Consciousness-Nature” of its own. Because the world is Unborn, Consciousness remains non-dual. When there is only the shining of Consciousness, from where can any difference or separation in the world arise?
3.14.54: The inner wonder and play that belongs to Consciousness – the seed that is like a mirage – that very play has settled and become this world consisting only of jivas and the subtle elements (tanmatras).
3.14.55: The slight movement or vibration in Consciousness, produced by its own power, that takes the form of “I am” – that is the jiva. It is nothing but vibrating activity and will become whatever it imagines in the future.
Summary of the Teachings:
The core message of these verses is absolute non-dualism (advaita): everything that appears as the world, the individual ego, objects, space, gods, elements, and even the sense of “I” and “you” is nothing but Pure Consciousness (chit) playfully imagining Itself. There is no second thing at any time. Duality and oneness are themselves only apparent concepts within the same Consciousness; they have no ultimate location or Reality.
When all superimposed ideas – such as “I am the jiva”, “the jiva has causes”, “this is mine”, “that is other”, “you exist”, “I exist” – are completely dropped, what remains is neither existent nor non-existent in the ordinary sense. It is the Pure Essence or meaning (artha) that is beyond both Being and non-being, like the empty sky that has no substance yet appears vast.
The Universe is repeatedly described as pure empty Space (kha, vyoman), yet this emptiness is alive with the wondrous play (chamatkara, vilasa) of Consciousness taking apparent forms. Mountains, directions, bodies, minds, and gods are mere momentary ripples or sparkles (sphurana) in that single Formless Consciousness. Nothing ever separates from it, just as waves never separate from the ocean or sunlight never separates from the Sun.
Because the world is unborn (ajagat), it never truly comes into existence apart from Consciousness. It alone shines as everything; the world has no independent Consciousness of its own. Therefore, no real difference or division can ever arise. The apparent Creation is only Consciousness vibrating within itself through its own inherent power (svashakti).
Finally, the individual jiva and the sense of “I” are nothing more than a slight stir or imagination within that same Consciousness. This stir identifies itself as a separate doer and enjoyer and then projects a future, past, and present. Yet even this jiva and its entire world is only Consciousness playing, never anything else. Realizing this directly ends all delusion.
