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Yoga Vashishtha 3.29.1–20
(True Freedom comes from turning inward, questioning "Who am I?" and recognizing the world as a fleeting appearance)
श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।
तत्र ते पेततुर्देव्यौ ग्रामेऽन्तःशीतलात्मनि ।
भोगमोक्षश्रियौ शान्ते पुंसीव विदितात्मनि ॥ १ ॥
कालेनैतावता लीला तेनाभ्यासेन साभवत् ।
शुद्धज्ञानैकदेहत्वात्त्रिकालामलदर्शिनी ॥ २ ॥
अथ सस्मार सर्वास्ताः प्राक्तनीः संसृतेर्गतीः ।
सा स्वयं स्वरसेनैव प्राग्जन्ममरणादिकाः ॥ ३ ॥
लीलोवाच ।
देवि देशमिमं दृष्ट्वा त्वत्प्रसादात्स्मराम्यहम् ।
इह तत्प्राक्तनं सर्वं चेष्टितं चेष्टितान्तरम् ॥ ४ ॥
इहाभूवमहं जीर्णा शिरालाङ्गी कृशा सिता ।
ब्राह्मणी शुष्कदर्भाग्रभेदरूक्षकरोदरा ॥ ५ ॥
भर्तुः कुलकरी भार्या दोहमन्थानशालिनी ।
माता सकलपुत्राणामतिथीनां प्रियंकरी ॥ ६ ॥
देवद्विजसतां भक्ता सिक्ताङ्गी घृतगोरसैः ।
भर्जनी चरुकुम्भादिभाण्डोपस्करशोधिनी ॥ ७॥
नित्यमन्नलवाक्तैककाचकम्बुप्रकोष्ठका ।
जामातृदुहितृभ्रातृपितृमातृप्रपूजनी ॥ ८॥
आदेहं सद्मभृत्यैव प्रक्षीणदिनयामिनी।
वाचं चिरं चिरमिति वादिन्यनिशमाकुला ॥ ९ ॥
काहं क इव संसार इति स्वप्नेऽप्यसंकथा ।
जाया श्रोत्रियमूढस्य तादृशस्यैव दुर्धियः ॥ १० ॥
एकनिष्ठा समिच्छाकगोमयेन्धनसंचये ।
म्लानकम्बलसंवीतशिरालकृशगात्रिका ॥ ११ ॥
तर्णकीकर्णजाहस्थकृमिनिष्कासतत्परा ।
गृहशाकायनासेकसत्वराहूतकर्परा ॥ १२ ॥
नीलनीरतरङ्गान्ततृणतर्पिततर्णिका ।
प्रतिक्षणं गृहद्वारकृतलेपनवर्णका ॥ १३ ॥
नीत्यर्थं गृहभृत्यानामादीनकृतवाच्यता ।
मर्यादानियमादब्धेर्वेलेवानिशमच्युता ॥ १४ ॥
जीर्णपर्णसवर्णैककर्णदोलाधिरूढया ।
काष्ठताड्यजराभीतजीववृत्त्येव चिह्निता ॥ १५ ॥
Maharishi Vashishta said:
3.29.1–3
> There, in that cool and peaceful village within the mind, the two Goddesses — representing enjoyment and liberation — appeared to the man who knew the Self and remained calm.
> With the passage of time, through her continued practice, Lila became one whose body was Pure Knowledge alone, and she could see the past, present, and future clearly without impurity.
> Then she remembered all her previous paths and journeys in the cycle of existence. She herself, by her own natural joy, recalled her past births, deaths, and so on.
Queen Lila said:
3.29.4–9
> O Goddess, seeing this place by your Grace, I remember everything — all the actions and other activities from my previous life here.
> Here I was an old woman, with veins showing, thin, white-haired. I was a Brahmin woman, my body rough and dry from handling dried sacrificial grass, with a worn-out stomach.
> I was the wife who managed my husband's family duties, skilled in milking cows and churning curd. I was the mother of all my sons and kind to guests.
> Devoted to gods, Brahmins, and good people, my body was anointed with ghee and cow products. I cleaned and tended the pots for offerings, rice, and other vessels.
> Always busy with small bits of food, with arms adorned with glass bangles and bracelets, I worshipped my son-in-law, daughter, brothers, father, and mother.
> Until the end of my body, I served the household like a slave, with days and nights passing in exhaustion. I kept saying "long, long" in my speech, always busy and troubled.
3.29.10–15
> I never asked myself "Who am I? What is this worldly life?" — not even in dreams. I was the foolish wife of such an ignorant, deluded Brahmin priest.
> Fixed in one duty, desiring only simple things like cow dung and fuel collection, wrapped in faded blankets, thin with visible veins.
> Always intent on removing worms from the ears of calves, quickly called to bring water for the household plants and vegetables.
> My young calves satisfied with grass at the edges of blue water waves. Every moment I applied fresh cow-dung paste at the house door.
> I never spoke harshly to the household servants from the beginning, always following the rules and boundaries like the ocean shore that never overflows.
> With ears hanging like dried leaves on a swing, marked by the fear of old age that strikes like a stick, I lived with a life force like a frightened being.
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses form part of the story of Lila (also known as Leela), where the Goddess Sarasvati grants her the power to recall her past lives through Pure Knowledge and yogic practice. The key teaching is the illusory nature of individual identity and time. Lila, now enlightened and Pure Consciousness, effortlessly remembers her former existence as an ordinary, aged Brahmin woman. This shows that the soul or Consciousness is eternal and transcends births and deaths — what seems like separate lives are mere appearances in the mind, like dreams. The Self remains unchanged, witnessing all without attachment.
The description of Lila's past life as a simple, dutiful housewife highlights the bondage of ignorance in worldly roles. She was deeply immersed in household chores, family duties, devotion to rituals, and survival tasks — milking cows, cleaning vessels, tending guests, and fearing old age. Yet she never questioned her existence or the nature of the world, even in dreams. This illustrates how
ego-identification with the body, family, and daily routines creates the illusion of a separate self, trapping one in samsara (cycle of birth and death) without self-inquiry.
The contrast between Lila's current state (Pure Knowledge, seeing all times clearly) and her past ignorance emphasizes the transformative power of spiritual practice (abhyasa) and Grace. Through constant effort and Divine favor, the mind becomes purified, the body of Consciousness alone remains, and the veil of ignorance lifts. This teaches that Realization is not about abandoning the world externally but Realizing its unreality inwardly — past lives, actions, and sufferings are remembered as unreal once True Knowledge dawns.
The verses underscore detachment and self-inquiry as the path beyond worldly bondage. Lila's former life was filled with selfless service but lacked awareness of the Self, leading to mechanical existence marked by fear of aging and death. The teaching warns against such unexamined living, where one remains a "foolish wife" to delusion, bound by duties without freedom. True Freedom comes from turning inward, questioning "Who am I?" and recognizing the world as a fleeting appearance.
Ultimately, these verses convey the non-dual essence of reality: all experiences, births, and roles are projections within Consciousness. The enlightened one sees the unity behind multiplicity — the same Consciousness that was the old woman is now the queen and goddess-like figure. This Realization brings Peace, as one transcends time, causation, and individuality, abiding in the eternal Self beyond birth, death, and rebirth.
