Chapter 3.13, Verses 18–25

Yoga Vashishtha 3.13.18–25

(Freedom comes from knowing the soul was never trapped – it only dreamed it was a Star inside a body)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

जीवाकाशस्त्विमं देहं यथा विन्दति तच्छ्रुणु ।

जीवाकाशः स्वमेवासौ तस्मिंस्तु परमेश्वरे ॥ १८ ॥

अणुतेजःकणोऽस्मीति स्वयं चेतति चिन्तया ।

यत्तदेवोच्छूनमिव भावयत्यात्मनाम्बरे ॥ १९ ॥

असदेव सदाकारं संकल्पेन्दुर्यथा न सन्।

तमेव भावयन् द्रष्ट्रदृश्यरूपतया स्थितः ॥ २० ॥

एक एव द्वितामेति स्वप्ने स्वमृतिबोधवत् ।

किंचित्स्थौल्यमिवादत्ते ततस्तारकतां विदन् ॥ २१ ॥

यथाभावितमात्रार्थभाविताद्विश्वरूपतः ।

स एव स्वात्मा सततोप्ययं सोहमिति स्वयम् ॥ २२ ॥

चित्तात्प्रत्ययमाधत्ते स्वप्ने स्वामिव पान्थताम् ।

तारकाकारमाकारं भाविदेहाभिधं तथा ॥ २३ ॥

भावयत्येति तद्भावं चित्तं चेत्यार्थतामिव ।

परित्यज्यैव तद्बाह्यं ततस्तारककोटरे ॥ २४ ॥

अन्तर्भाति बहिष्ठोऽपि पर्वतो मुकुरे यथा ।

कूपसंस्थो यथा देहः समुद्गकगतं वचः ॥ २५ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continues:

3.13.18: Listen now to how the living Soul-Space enters this body. The living Soul-Space is nothing but the Supreme Lord Himself. It is that very Supreme Lord who exists within the body.

3.13.19: The living soul thinks, “I am a tiny spark of light.” It imagines this with its own thoughts. Then, it swells up that same idea, just like a bubble grows in the sky of the Self.

3.13.20: Something that does not really exist takes on the look of something Real – just like the moon in a dream is not truly there. The living soul keeps thinking about that unreal thing and stands as both the Seer and the seen.

3.13.21: One thing alone becomes two, like in a dream when a person feels both dead and awake at the same time. It takes on a little grossness, a solid feel. Then, knowing itself as a star-like point, it stays that way.

3.13.22: From the form that the mind has fully imagined, the living soul – which is always the same as the great world-form – thinks by itself, “I am this, I am that.” It keeps saying “I am” all the time.

3.13.23: The mind takes on an idea from itself, like a traveler in a dream who feels he is the owner of the road. In the same way, the mind imagines a body-shape that looks like a star and gives it a name.

3.13.24: The mind creates that idea and turns it into a felt thing, almost like a knowable object. It completely leaves behind anything outside that idea. Then, inside the tiny hole of the star-point, the mind shines.

3.13.25: Even something outside appears inside, just like a mountain shows up in a mirror. Or like the body that stays in a well, yet its voice echoes out into a box high above.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses explain that the individual soul (jiva) is not separate from the Supreme Lord (Parameshvara). The Soul-Space is the same as the Infinite Divine Space. It enters the body not by moving from somewhere else, but by the Lord imagining Himself as a limited being inside the body. This is the first key teaching: there is only One Reality, and the soul is that Reality playing a role.

The soul begins with a single thought: “I am a tiny point of light.” This thought is like a Seed. The mind blows it up like a bubble, making it seem big and real, even though it starts from nothing. The unreal idea becomes the Seer (who looks) and the seen (what is looked at). In a dream, the moon looks Real but is not; here, the body and world look Real but come from a false thought.

Next, the one soul splits itself into two – the Knower and the Known – just as in a dream a person can feel dead yet still watch the scene. The soul takes on a slight thickness, a gross form, and sees itself as a star-like point of light. From this imagined world-shape, the soul keeps repeating “I am this body, I am this person,” even though its True Nature never changes.

The mind creates the body-image like a traveler who dreams he owns the path. It gives the star-point a name and shape, then treats it as a real object to know. The mind drops all ideas of “outside” and shines only within that tiny point, like a mountain reflected inside a small mirror or a voice from a well echoing into a distant box. This shows how the Infinite appears limited inside the soul’s self-made boundary.

The core teaching is that the world, body, and personal Self are all made by thought alone. They have no true existence apart from the one Supreme Self. By understanding this, a person sees the bubble of “I” and “mine” burst, leaving only the endless sky of Pure Consciousness. Freedom comes from knowing the soul was never trapped – it only dreamed it was a star inside a body.

Chapter 3.13, Verses 10–17

Yoga Vashishtha 3.13.10–17

(The five elements lack true reality because they are mere mental constructs, like swelling bubbles in empty Space)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

यद्बीजं तत्फलं विद्धि तस्माद्ब्रह्ममयं जगत् ।

एवमेष महाकाशे सर्गादौ पञ्चको गणः ॥ १० ॥

चिच्छक्त्या स्वाङ्गभूतात्मा कल्पितोस्ति न वास्तवः ।

अनेनोच्छूनतामेत्य यदपीदं वितन्यते ॥ ११ ॥

तदप्याकाशरूपात्मकल्पनात्मनि सन्मयम् ।

क्वचिन्न नाम तत्सिद्धं यदसिद्धेन साध्यते ॥ १२ ॥

स्वरूपं यद्विकल्पात्म कथं तत्सत्यतामियात् ।

अथ चेत्पञ्चकं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मात्मकतया धिया ॥ १३ ॥

तत्पञ्चकं विद्धि प्रौढो ब्रह्मैव त्रिजगत्क्रमः ।

यथा स्फुरति सर्गादावेष पञ्चकसंभवः ॥ १४ ॥

तथैवाद्येह भूतत्वे याति कारणतां स्वयम् ।

 एवं न जायते किंचिज्जगज्जातं न लक्ष्यते ॥ १५ ॥

स्वप्नसंकल्पपुरवदसत्सदनुभूयते ।

 ब्रह्माकाशपराकाशे जीवाकाशत्वमात्मनि ॥ १६ ॥

इति चित्यवदातात्मा पृथ्व्यादीनामसंभवात् ।

 इत्येष जीवः कथितो व्योम्नि स्वात्मा इवोदितः ॥ १७ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued: 

3.13.10: Know that the fruit comes from the Seed. That is why the whole world is made of Brahm alone. In this way, at the very beginning of Creation, inside the great empty space of Pure Consciousness, a group of five elements appears.

3.13.11: This group of five (panch-tattva) is imagined by the Power of Consciousness, using the Self as its own body-part. It is not Real in Truth. Yet, because of this imagination, the world swells up and spreads out widely, even though the five elements seem to grow and expand.

3.13.12: Even that spreading world has the nature of empty Space. It is imagined inside the Real Self, which is Pure Existence. Nowhere does this imagination truly succeed or become perfect, because something unreal is trying to prove or create what is already real and complete.

3.13.13: How can something whose true form is nothing but imagination ever become truly Real? Now, if you think of the group of five elements as Brahm itself, and see them with the understanding that they are made of Brahm,

3.13.14: Then know that this mature and fully grown group of five (panch-tattva) is Brahm alone, and the three worlds follow in order from it. Just as this group of five shines and comes into being at the start of Creation,

3.13.15: In the same way, even today, it reaches the State of being the five gross elements and becomes the cause by itself. In this manner, nothing is ever truly born, and no world that seems born can actually be seen or found as Real.

3.13.16: Like a city seen in a dream or imagined in the mind, what is unreal is experienced as Real. In the Brahm-Space which is beyond all other spaces, the Self takes on the form of the individual Soul-Space within itself.

3.13.17: Thus, because the Pure and shining Self is made only of Consciousness, earth and the other elements have no Real coming into Being. In this way, the individual soul has been explained – it rises in the great empty Space of Consciousness just like the Self itself.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses teach the core idea that the world arises from Brahm as its Seed produces fruit, making everything fundamentally Brahm alone. At creation's start, five elements (space, air, fire, water, earth) emerge in the vast Consciousness-Space, but they are not separate – they form a single group imagined by Consciousness itself. This imagination uses the Self as its material, showing that Creation is an inner play, not an external event.

The five elements lack true reality because they are mere mental constructs, like swelling bubbles in empty Space. Even when the world expands through them, it remains formless and unreal, existing only in the imagination of the Pure Self. No imagined thing can ever achieve true existence, as the unreal cannot prove or create the Real – this highlights the illusory nature of all apparent growth and diversity.

True understanding comes by seeing the five elements as Brahm itself, not as separate entities. When viewed with mature wisdom, they reveal themselves as Brahm, and the three worlds (physical, subtle, mental) unfold from this Unity. Just as the elements appear at creation's dawn, they continue today as gross forms, yet they self-cause without any real birth, emphasizing that causality is also an appearance.

Nothing in the world is ever actually born or visible as independently Real, much like dream-cities or mind-made palaces that feel solid but vanish upon waking. The individual soul (jiva) is the Self appearing as limited space within the Infinite Brahm-Space, a self-imposed role in the play of Consciousness. 

This analogy shows how everyday experience mirrors dream-like unreality.

Ultimately, earth and other elements never truly arise because the Self is Pure, shining Consciousness without parts or change. The jiva is thus the Self "rising" within its own vastness, like a wave in the ocean. These teachings guide the seeker to discard belief in separate existence, recognize all as Brahm, and rest in the Unchanging Reality beyond imagination and birth.

Chapter 3.13, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.13.1–9

(This whole Creation is like a Seed that does not need soil, water, or fire to grow into vast groves of worlds)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

परमे ब्रह्मणि स्फारे समे राम समस्थिते।

अनुत्पन्ननभस्तेजस्तमःसत्ता चिदात्मनि ॥ १ ॥

पूर्वं चेत्यत्वकलनं सतश्चेत्यांशचेतनात्।

उदेति चित्तकलनं चितिशक्तित्वचेतनात् ॥ २ ॥

ततो जीवत्वकलनं चेत्यसंयोगचेतनात्।

ततोऽस्य मायाकलनं चेत्यैकपरतावशात् ॥ ३ ॥

ततो बुद्धित्वकलनमहन्तापरिणामतः।

एतदेव मनस्तादिशब्दतन्मात्रकादिमत् ॥ ४॥

उच्छूनादन्यतन्मात्रभावनाद्भूतरूपिणः ।

अयमित्थं महागुल्मो जगदादिर्विलोक्यते ॥ ५ ॥

झटित्येवं क्रमेणेति स्वप्ने पुरमिवाकृतम् ।

महाकाशमहाटव्यामुद्भूयोद्भूय नश्यति ॥ ६ ॥

जगत्करञ्जकुञ्जानां बीजमेतदवापजम् ।

नापेक्षते किंचिदपि क्षितिवार्यनलादिकम् ॥ ७ ॥

एतच्चिदात्मकं पश्चात्किलोर्व्यादि करिष्यति ।

स्वं स्वप्नवित्पुरमिव चिन्मात्रात्मकमेव यत् ॥ ८ ॥

जगदाद्यङ्कुरं यत्र तत्रस्थमपि मुञ्चति।

जगतः पञ्चकं बीजं पञ्चकस्य चिदव्यया ॥ ९ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.13.1: O Rama, when the vast and equal Supreme Brahm is firmly established, there is no birth at all of the light of the sky, nor of darkness, nor of any real existence in the Pure Consciousness that is the True Self.

3.13.2: First, the idea of being an object of thought arises from the Real Consciousness that thinks about objects. From the power of Pure Consciousness that thinks, the idea of mind comes up.

3.13.3: Then, the idea of being a living soul (jiva) arises from the joining of thought with objects of thought. After that, the idea of illusion (maya) comes because of focusing only on those objects.

3.13.4: Next, the idea of intellect comes from the change into the sense of "I". This same thing is called the mind, and it has the beginning forms of sound and other subtle elements.

3.13.5: From imagining other subtle elements beyond the empty space one, real forms of the five elements appear. In this way, the great bush-like beginning of the world is seen.

3.13.6: Suddenly, in this order, just like a city is made in a dream, it grows again and again in the great sky that is like a big forest, and then it dies away.

3.13.7: This is the Seed that gets the forests of the world, like karanja trees and groves. It does not need anything else at all, like earth, water, fire, or other things.

3.13.8: Later, this which is made of Pure Consciousness will make things like earth and others, just like a person who knows dreams makes his own dream city that is only made of Pure Consciousness.

3.13.9: Wherever the first sprout of the world is, even if it stays there, it lets go of the five-fold seed of the world. The unchanging Pure Consciousness is the Seed of that five-fold thing.

Summary of the Teachings:

In the first stage of creation described in these verses, everything begins in the Supreme Brahm, which is vast, equal, and Pure Consciousness. Nothing is born there—no light, darkness, or separate existence—because all is one in the true self. From this Pure State, the first idea appears: objects of thought come from Consciousness that thinks about them. Then, the mind arises from the thinking power of Pure Consciousness. This shows that the world starts not from matter, but from thought in the one reality.

Next, the sense of being a separate living soul (jiva) forms when thought joins with objects. Illusion (maya) follows because the mind focuses only on these objects, forgetting the One Source. The intellect then develops from the "I" feeling, and it becomes the mind with basic forms of sound and other subtle elements. This step-by-step process turns the One Consciousness into many seeming parts, like a single Seed growing into branches.

The five elements—starting from empty space and then others—appear when the mind imagines more subtle forms. 

This makes the world look like a huge bush growing from nothing Real. Just as a dream city builds quickly in sleep and vanishes, the world rises and falls in the great Space of Consciousness, like a wild forest that comes and goes without warning.

This whole creation is like a Seed that does not need soil, water, or fire to grow into vast groves of worlds. It is self-made from Pure Consciousness alone. Later, this same Consciousness will create earth and other things, just as a dreamer builds a city in his mind without any outside help.

Finally, the world starts as a sprout from a five-fold seed (the elements and their subtle forms), but even if it stays in one place, Pure Unchanging Consciousness releases it. Consciousness is the true Seed behind everything. The teaching is that the world is only an idea in the mind, born from forgetting the one Brahm, and it can end when we see the Truth.

Chapter 3.12, Verses 24–32

Yoga Vashishtha 3.12.24–32

(Universe is nothing but this Unborn, Beginningless Consciousness—experienced directly as the only Reality)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

भविष्यद्रूपसंकल्पनामासौ कल्पनात्मकः ।

संकल्पात्मगुणैर्गन्धतन्मात्रत्वं प्रपश्यति ॥ २४ ॥

भाविभूगोलकत्वेन बीजमाकृतिशाखिनः ।

सर्वाधारात्मनस्तस्मात्संसारः प्रसरिष्यति ॥ २५ ॥

चिता विभाव्यमानानि तन्मात्राणि परस्परम् ।

स्वयं परिणतान्यन्तरम्बुनीव निरन्तरम् ॥ २६ ॥

तथैतानि विमिश्राणि विविक्तानि पुनर्यथा ।

न शुद्धान्युपलभ्यन्ते सर्वनाशान्तमेव हि ॥ २७ ॥

संवित्तिमात्ररूपाणि स्थितानि गगनोदरे ।

भवन्ति वटजालानि यथा बीजकणान्तरे ॥ २८ ॥

प्रसवं परिपश्यन्ति शतशाखं स्फुरन्ति च ।

परमाण्वन्तरे भान्ति क्षणात्कल्पीभवन्ति च ॥ २९ ॥

विवर्तमेव धावन्ति निर्विवर्तानि सन्ति च ।

चिद्वेधितानि सर्वाणि क्षणात्पिण्डीभवन्ति च ॥ ३० ॥

तन्मात्रगणमेतत्स्यात्सा संकल्पात्मिका चितिः ।

वेदनात्रसरेण्वाभमनाकारैव पश्यति ॥ ३१ ॥

बीजं जगत्सु ननु पञ्चकमात्रमेव बीजं पराव्यवहितस्थितिशक्तिराद्या ।

बीजं तदेव भवतीति सदानुभूतं चिन्मात्रमेवमजमाद्यमतो जगच्छीः ॥ ३२ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta concluded:

3.12.24: This imaginative power, which consists entirely of concepts about what will come into Being in the future, perceives the subtle essence of smell through the qualities that belong to the very nature of imagination itself.

3.12.25: From that seed—like the future form of a sphere and the shape of a tree with branches—the entire cycle of worldly existence will spread outward, rooted in the one Reality that serves as the foundation of everything.

3.12.26: The subtle elements that the mind imagines transform themselves into one another without any gap, just as water particles blend continuously and seamlessly within the sky of Consciousness.

3.12.27: In the same way, these elements mix together and then separate again, yet they are never experienced in a pure, isolated state; everything ends only in total dissolution.

3.12.28: Existing solely as forms of Pure Awareness within the womb of Infinite Space, they become networks of banyan trees, just as they do inside a tiny seed.

3.12.29: They witness their own sprouting, burst forth with hundreds of branches, shine within a single atom, and in an instant turn into fully formed worlds that last for eons.

3.12.30: They rush forward as mere appearances, yet remain without any real transformation; pierced by Consciousness, all of them instantly condense into solid, tangible forms.

3.12.31: This collection of subtle elements arises from that Consciousness which is made of pure imagination; it perceives everything through the thread of immediate knowing, yet remains formless itself.

3.12.32: The seed of the Universe is nothing but these five subtle elements alone; that seed is the first power of Existence, standing apart from all transactions. It is always experienced as that very seed, so the world is nothing but Unborn Consciousness—the first and only Reality.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses describe the Universe as originating from a single imaginative act of Consciousness, not from any material cause. Future forms are mere concepts (sankalpa) within Pure Awareness, and the subtle essence of smell is the first quality perceived by this imaginative power. From this arises the "seed" of existence—a spherical, tree-like structure symbolizing the entire cosmos—rooted in the one all-supporting Reality. Nothing external or independent exists; the world is an extension of this internal imaginative process.

The five subtle elements (tanmatras) imagined by Consciousness transform fluidly into one another, like water droplets merging in empty space. They mix, separate, and recombine endlessly, yet never appear in pure form because their true nature is constant flux leading to dissolution. This process happens within the "sky" of Awareness, where vast worlds sprout from a point no larger than an atom, illustrating that scale and time are illusions created by the mind.

Entire Universes—complete with branching complexities—emerge, shine, and endure for cosmic ages, all within a single instant and a single speck of Space. They appear to evolve and solidify, yet remain unchanged at their core, "pierced" and animated only by Consciousness. What seems like creation, growth, and manifestation is merely an apparent unfolding (vivarta) with no real substance or transformation.

Consciousness itself, though formless and beyond shape, knows everything through direct, thread-like Awareness. It is the sole "Seed" of the five elements and thus of the whole world. This Seed is not born, does not transact, and stands eternally apart from change. The verses conclude that the Universe is nothing but this unborn, beginningless Consciousness—experienced directly as the only Reality.

Ultimately, the teaching dissolves the distinction between Creator, Creation, and Process: all is one imagination-free Consciousness. Worlds arise and subside within it like banyan groves in a seed, yet nothing ever truly leaves or enters that Pure Awareness. Recognizing this ends the illusion of a separate, solid existence and reveals the Peaceful, Formless ground of Being.

Chapter 3.12, Verses 17–23

Yoga Vashishtha 3.12.17–23

(The fourteen categories of existence [the five subtle elements, five gross elements, and four inner instruments] unfold as a single tree of contemplation whose seed is Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

चतुर्दशविधं भूतजालमावलितान्तरम् ।

जगज्जठरगर्तौघं प्रसरिष्यति वै ततः ॥ १७ ॥

असंप्राप्ताभिधाचारा चिज्जवात्प्रस्फुरद्वपुः ।

सा चैव स्पर्शतन्मात्रं भावनाद्भवति क्षणात् ॥ १८ ॥

पवनस्कन्धविस्तारं बीजं स्पर्शौघशाखिनः ।

सर्वभूतक्रियास्पन्दस्तस्मात्संप्रसरिष्यति ॥ १९ ॥

तत्रैव चिद्विलासेन प्रकाशोऽनुभवाद्भवेत् ।

तेजस्तन्मात्रकं तत्तु भविष्यदभिधार्थकम् ॥ २० ॥

तत्सूर्याग्निविजृम्भादिबीजमालोकशाखिनः ।

तस्माद्रूपविभेदेन संसारः प्रसरिष्यति ॥ २१ ॥

भावयंस्तनुतामेव रसस्कन्ध इवाम्भसः।

स्वदनं तस्य सङ्घस्य रसतन्मात्रमुच्यते ॥ २२ ॥

भाविवारिविलासात्मा तद्बीजं रसशाखिनः ।

अन्योन्यस्वदने तस्मात्संसारः प्रसरिष्यति ॥ २३ ॥

Maharishi Vasishta said:

3.12.17: From that point onward, the fourteen fold web of living creatures—its inner spaces thoroughly enveloped—will spread forth like a vast multitude of pits within the belly of the world.

3.12.18: The conscious principle, its body flickering into manifestation through the swift wind of Pure Awareness before any name or designation has arisen, becomes in an instant the subtle element of touch, born solely from intense contemplation.

3.12.19: From the expansive mass of wind arises the seed of the tree whose branches are the floods of touch; from that seed, the vibratory activity of all beings will extend outward.

3.12.20: There, through the playful brilliance of Consciousness, light arises from direct experience; that light is the subtle element of fire, destined to serve as the basis for future designations.

3.12.21: That same fire becomes the seed of the tree whose branches are illumination, unfolding as sun, flame, and the like; from it, through the differentiation of forms, the entire cycle of worldly existence will proliferate.

3.12.22: Just as water, while remaining subtle, contemplates itself and thereby assumes the property of taste for its own aggregate, so the subtle element of taste is declared to arise.

3.12.23: Possessing the nature of playful waves of contemplation, it becomes the seed of the tree whose branches are taste; from the mutual savoring of one another, the cycle of worldly existence will extend.

Summary of the Teachings:

These verses describe the sequential emanation of the gross world from the subtlest levels of Consciousness, portraying creation as an unbroken continuum of contemplative self-unfolding rather than an external act. Consciousness (cit), initially nameless and formless, vibrates through its own inherent dynamism (sphurita) and instantly produces the subtle element of touch (sparśa-tanmātra). This touch-element is not a material substance but a potentiality born of pure ideation (bhāvanā), emphasizing that even the most primordial sensory capacity arises from mind alone.

The wind-element (pavana) emerges as the first expansive matrix, serving as both seed and branching structure for all tactile experience. From this matrix springs the kinetic energy (spanda) that animates every creature’s activity, revealing that movement itself—whether physical, vital, or mental—is rooted in the initial tremor of Awareness. The teaching underscores that what we perceive as solid bodies and dynamic forces are merely ramified expressions of a single contemplative impulse.

Light and fire (tejas) arise next through the self-luminous play (vilāsa) of Consciousness, 

generating the subtle element of form (rūpa-tanmātra). This form-element becomes the basis for all visual differentiation—sun, fire, color, shape—illustrating how the apparent multiplicity of the visible universe is a progressive specification of an originally undifferentiated radiance. The world of objects is thus shown to be a tree of light whose every branch is an elaboration of conscious experience.

The element of taste (rasa-tanmātra) follows, likened to water contemplating its own subtlety and thereby acquiring the capacity to be savored. Mutual tasting among entities—whether literal (as in ingestion) or metaphorical (as in emotional relish)—propels further entanglement in samsāra. The metaphor of waves within water highlights the non-dual nature of the process: the savorer, the savored, and the act of savoring are all modulations of one contemplative ocean.

Collectively, the verses teach that the fourteen categories of existence (the five subtle elements, five gross elements, and four inner instruments) unfold as a single tree of contemplation whose seed is Consciousness itself. Samsāra is not a fall from Grace but an inevitable branching whenever Consciousness fixates on its own projections. Realization lies in recognizing every sensory and elemental layer as a transient play (vilāsa) of the same Awareness, dissolving the illusion of independent Reality at its root.

Chapter 9–16

Yoga Vashishtha 3.12.9–16

(Vedic Cosmology - the origin of Sound, individual ego and individual mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

समनन्तरमेवास्याः स्वसत्तोदेति शून्यता ।

शब्दादिगुणबीजं सा भविष्यदभिधार्थदा ॥ ९ ॥

अहंतोदेति तदनु सह वै कालसत्तया।

भविष्यदभिधार्थेन बीजं मुख्यजगत्स्थितेः ॥ १० ॥

तस्याः शक्तेः परायास्तु स्वसंवेदनमात्रकम् ।

एतज्जालमसद्रूपं सदिवोदेति विस्फुरत् ॥ ११ ॥

एवंप्रायात्मिका संविद्बीजं संकल्पशाखिनः ।

भवत्यहंकारकणस्ततः स्पन्दतया मरुत् ॥ १२ ॥

चिदहं तावती व्योमशब्दतन्मात्रभावनात् ।

स्वतो घनीभूय शनैः स्वतन्मात्रं भवत्यलम् ॥ १३ ॥

भाविनामार्थरूपं तद्बीजं शब्दौघशाखिनः ।

पदवाक्यप्रमाणाख्यं वेदवृन्दं विकासितम् ॥ १४ ॥

तस्मादुदेष्यत्यखिला जगच्छ्रीः परमात्मनः ।

शब्दौघनिर्मितार्थौघपरिणामविसारिणः ॥ १५ ॥

चिदेवंपरिवारा सा जीवशब्देन कथ्यते।

भाविशब्दार्थजालेन बीजं रूपौघशाखिनः ॥ १६ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.12.9: Afterwards there rises a Void Space into being, called Kham—vacuum, which is the seed or Source of the property of Sound, and which became expressive of meaning afterwards. (It is called akasa or sky-light from kasa to shine, as light was the first work of God).

3.12.10: Next the elements of egoism and duration are produced in the living soul. Thus individual Ego and Time were born. These two terms, are the roots of the individuality and durability of future worlds.

3.12.11: From the Supreme Power, whose Nature is mere Self-Awareness, this weblike unreal form was made to appear as if Real, vibrating and expanding.

3.12.12: Thus the ideal Self or Consciousness became the seed of the tree of desires, which were fanned and perpetuated by the pulsating breeze of egoism. 

3.12.13: The conscious "I," to that extent, through the ideation of the subtle element of Space and Sound, gradually condenses on its own and  becomes the subtle element of the individual mind.

3.12.14: That, which is the form of objects yet to be, is the seed of the tree abounding in streams of Sound. From it unfolds the multitude of Vedas, known as words, sentences, and authoritative scriptures.

3.12.15: From that arises all the splendor of the world, belonging to the Supreme Self—expanding through transformations of multitudes of meanings constructed from streams of Sound.

3.12.16: Consciousness, surrounded in this manner, is called by the term "jiva" (individual soul). Through the web of designations for sounds and meanings yet to be, it is the seed of the tree abounding in streams of forms.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses delineate the sequential emergence of Cosmic manifestation from the subtlest level of Pure Consciousness. It begins with the instantaneous arising of emptiness (shunyata) as the self-existence (sva-satta) of the Absolute Reality asserts itself. This emptiness is not mere void but the fertile seed containing the potential for all sensory qualities, starting with Sound (shabda). It serves as the foundational matrix that assigns designations (abhidha) to future phenomena, establishing the blueprint for the entire perceptual Universe before any gross elements appear.

Immediately thereafter, the ego-sense ("I"-ness, ahanta) manifests in conjunction with the principle of Time (kala). This ego, empowered by the anticipatory designations from emptiness, becomes the chief seed for the world's stable structure. The process underscores that Time and individuality are not independent but co-emergent supports for cosmic order, transforming latent potential into the primary locus where the world-system takes root.

From the supreme vibrational power (shakti) of this emptiness—known through Self-Awareness alone—an illusory web (jala) of apparent reality bursts forth, shimmering as if substantial despite its unreal essence. Consciousness (samvid), characterized by such subtle ideation, then functions as the seed for the "tree of resolve" (samkalpa-shakhin), sprouting the ego-particle (ahamkara-kana) and initiating motion as air (marut) through inherent pulsation (spandataya). This marks the transition from static potential to dynamic expression.

The conscious "I" further densifies through meditative focus on the subtle essences of space (vyoman) and sound (shabda-tanmatra), autonomously condensing into its own elemental substrate. This condensed form, embodying future objects, seeds the expansive tree of sound streams, from which bloom the Vedas as structured words (pada), sentences (vakya), and valid knowledge (pramana). Ultimately, the full glory of the Universe—rooted in the Supreme Self—unfolds as evolving meanings derived from sound constructs.

Finally, this Consciousness, enveloped by the network of provisional sound-meaning designations, is termed the jiva or individual soul. It remains the originative seed for the tree of forms (rupa-augha), perpetuating the cycle of manifestation. The teachings emphasize non-dual Advaita: all diversity arises from and resolves back into Pure Consciousness, with apparent reality being a vibratory play play of Self-Aware emptiness, devoid of independent existence.

Chapter 3.12, Verses 1–8

Yoga Vashishtha 3.12.1–8

(Vedic Cosmology - The beginning of life, in eight steps)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एतस्मात्परमाच्छान्तात्पदात्परमपावनात् ।

यथेदमुत्थितं विश्वं तच्छृणूत्तमया धिया ॥ १ ॥

सुषुप्तं स्वप्नवद्भाति भाति ब्रह्मैव सर्गवत् ।

सर्वात्मकं च तत्स्थानं तत्र तावत्क्रमं श्रृणु ॥ २ ॥

तस्यानन्तप्रकाशात्मरूपस्यानन्तचिन्मणेः ।

सत्तामात्रात्मकं विश्वं यदजस्रं स्वभावतः ॥ ३ ॥

तदात्मनि स्वयं किंचिच्चेत्यतामिव गच्छति ।

अगृहीतात्मकं संविदहंमर्शनपूर्वकम् ॥ ४ ॥

भाविनामार्थकलनैः किंचिदूहितरूपकम्।

आकाशादणु शुद्धं च सर्वस्मिन्भाति बोधनम् ॥ ५ ॥

ततः सा परमा सत्ता सचेतश्चेतनोन्मुखी ।

चिन्नामयोग्या भवति किंचिल्लभ्यतया तथा ॥ ६ ॥

घनसंवेदना पश्चाद्भाविजीवादिनामिका ।

संभवत्यात्तकलना यदोज्झति परं पदम् ॥ ७ ॥

सत्तैव भावनामात्रसारा संसरणोन्मुखी।

तदा वस्तुस्वभावेन त्वनुत्तिष्ठति तामिमाम् ॥ ८ ॥

Maharishi Vashishta said:

3.12.1: From that Supreme State of profound Peace, which is supremely purifying, listen with the highest intellect to how this Universe has arisen.

3.12.2: As sound sleep displays itself in visionary dreams, so does Brahm manifest himself in the works of Creation, of which he is the soul and receptacle.

3.12.3: The world, which of its Nature is continually progressive in its course, is identical with the Essence of that Being, whose Form is similar to the ineffable glory of his Eternal Intellect.

3.12.4: This chit or Intellect, then, gets of itself an awareness (chetya) in itself, before assuming to itself Consciousness or the knowledge of egoism. The egoic awareness is thus born.

3.12.5: Then this thinking Intellect (chetya-chit), gets the notions (bodhas) of some faint images (uhita-rupas), which are purer and lighter than air, and which have received their names and forms afterwards. This ego becomes aware of multiplicity of existence.

3.12.6: Afterwards this transcendent Essence (Intellect), becomes an intelligent principle (sacheta), and eager for intelligence (chetana). It is now worthy of its name as Intellect or chit, on account of its attaining to what is called intelligence.

3.12.7: Lastly it takes the form of gross Consciousness (ghana-samvedana), and receives the name of the living soul—jiva. It now loses its Divine Nature by reflecting on itself: and thus abandons the Supreme State.

3.12.8: This living principle (Being), is then involved in thoughts relating to the world only; but depends by its nature on the Divine Essence, as the fallacy of the snake, depends on the substance of the rope.

Summary of the Teachings:

The verses delineate the emergence of the universe from the Absolute, Tranquil, and purifying State of Brahm, emphasizing that this manifestation is not a real creation but an apparent arising perceived through Supreme understanding. The process begins in a State akin to deep sleep, where Brahm alone exists and shines as if projecting a dream-like Creation. This foundational Reality is described as all-pervasive and Infinite, serving as the substratum from which the cosmos seems to unfold without any actual change in its essential nature.

Central to the teaching is the idea that the Universe is nothing but Pure Existence (sattā-mātra), inherently luminous and boundless like an Infinite jewel of Consciousness. 

What appears as the world is a subtle, self-imposed limitation within Brahm itself, initiated by an ungraspable sense of "I"-ness or egoic identification. 

This is not a grasped or substantial entity but a precursor to perception, marking the shift from pure subjectivity to the illusion of objectivity.

The progression involves imaginative projections of potential objects, rendering a faint, atomic-like purity in the vast Space of Awareness, where Enlightenment or Awakening begins to manifest universally. This leads to the Supreme Existence becoming willful and mind-oriented, acquiring the quality of "mind" (cit) through minimal perceptibility. The mind here is not separate but an aspect of the absolute gaining functionality for experience.

As the process densifies, a thick layer of sentient awareness emerges, termed the jiva or individual soul, which adopts future-oriented conceptualizations and thereby forsakes the Supreme State for embodied existence. This jiva is illusory, born of ideation alone.

Finally, the verses affirm that Existence, driven by mere mental constructs and prone to cyclic becoming, sustains the apparent world in alignment with the True Nature of Reality. It does not transcend this flux because the flux is itself the unchanging Essence, teaching non-dual advaita where Creation is perpetual appearance without departure from the Absolute.