Chapter 3.53, Verses 28–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.53.28–40

(These verses teach that the ordinary mind, trapped in ignorance, cannot travel to higher spiritual worlds while still in the physical body)

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

अमुनैव शरीरेण किमर्थं न गता पतिम्।

एषा वरेण संप्राप्ता लीला ललितवादिनी ॥ २८॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

अप्रबुद्धधियः सिद्धलोकान्पुण्यवशोदितान्।

न समर्थाः स्वदेहेन प्राप्तुं छाया इवातपान् ॥ २९॥

आदिसर्गे च नियतिः स्थापितेति प्रबोधिभिः।

यथा सत्यमलीकेन न मिलत्येव किंचन ॥ ३०॥

यावद्वेतालसंकल्पो बालस्य किल विद्यते।

निर्वेतालधियस्तावदुदयस्तस्य कः कथम् ॥ ३१॥

अविवेकज्वरोष्णत्वं विद्यते यावदात्मनि।

तावद्विवेकशीतांशुशैत्यं कुत उदेत्यलम् ॥ ३२॥

अहं पृथ्व्यादिदेहः खे गतिर्नास्ति ममोत्तमा।

इतिनिश्चयवान्योऽन्तः कथं स्यात्सोऽन्यनिश्चयः ॥ ३३॥

अतो ज्ञानविवेकेन पुण्येनाथ वरेण च।

पुण्यदेहेन गच्छन्ति परं लोकमनेन तु॥ ३४॥

शुष्कपर्णं किलाङ्गारे एतदेवाशु दह्यते।

अयं देहमहंदेहः प्राप्त एव विशीर्यते॥ ३५॥

एतावदेव भवति वरशापविजृम्भितैः।

यथा संचिन्त्य एवाहं तथा स्मृत इति स्मृतिः ॥ ३६॥

यः सर्पप्रत्ययो रज्ज्वां स कथं सर्पकार्यकृत्।

आत्मन्येव हि यो नास्ति तस्य का कार्यकारिता ॥ ३७॥

यस्त्वेतन्मृत इत्येव मिथ्या समनुभूयते।

प्रागभ्यासस्य पुष्टस्य नामैतत्प्रविजृम्भते ॥ ३८॥

स्वानुभूते जगज्जाले सुगमा संस्मृतिभ्रमाः।

नान्यसंकल्पितो नाम सर्गाद्यभ्यास ईदृशः ॥ ३९॥

अन्तरनुभूयमानाः संसृतयो बाह्यभूतजालानाम्।

अविदितवेद्यदृशामपि दूरे पुंसामिवैन्दवं बिम्बम् ॥ ४०॥

The Awakened Leela said:

3.53.28

> “Why did she not go to her husband with this very body? This Leela, who speaks sweetly, has been received through a boon.”

The Goddess said:

 3.53.29–33

> “People with unawakened minds cannot reach the perfect worlds born from merit with their own bodies. It is like shadows that cannot reach the sun.”

> “From the very start of Creation the wise fixed this law: Truth never mixes with falsehood in any way.”

> “As long as a child holds the idea of a ghost in his mind, how and when can a mind free from ghosts ever rise in him?”

> “As long as the burning fever of ignorance stays in the Self, how can the cool light of clear understanding ever rise fully?”

> “Whoever is firmly convinced inside that ‘I am only this body of earth and so on and I have no higher path in the sky’, how can he ever hold a different belief?”

3.53.34–40 

“Therefore, through Knowledge and clear thinking, or through merit, or through a boon, people reach the higher world with this very meritorious body.”

> “Just as a dry leaf burns quickly in fire, this ‘I am the body’ feeling, once it comes, soon falls apart and is destroyed.”

> “This is all that happens through the power of boons and curses: ‘As I think deeply, so I remember.’ That is what we call memory.”

> “How can someone who sees a snake in a rope ever do the work of a real snake? Whatever does not exist at all in the Self cannot perform any action.”

> “The false feeling that ‘this person is dead’ comes only from old habits that have grown strong. That is what now shows itself.”

> “In the web of the world that we experience ourselves, the mix-ups of memory are very easy. The whole play of Creation and so on is not imagined by anyone else; it is our own repeated practice.”

> “The flows of life felt inside are far away from the outer net of Beings for those who do not know the True Knowable, just as the moon’s reflection seems distant to men.”

Summary of the teachings: 

Just as a shadow can never touch the sun, an unawakened person stays stuck in the limits of the material world. The law of Creation itself keeps truth and illusion apart, so only those who have earned merit or received a special boon can cross over with the same body.

The verses explain that body identification and lack of clear thinking act like a fever. Until this fever cools, True Wisdom cannot dawn, just as a frightened child cannot stop seeing ghosts until the false idea leaves his mind. Strong inner belief in “I am only this body” blocks any higher understanding and keeps a person from changing his view.

True progress comes only through Knowledge, sharp discrimination, good deeds, or Divine Grace. These forces allow the soul to reach higher realms while still using the body that has earned merit. Without them, the limited “I am the body” feeling remains and prevents any real rise.

The teachings compare the “I am the body” sense to a dry leaf that burns up quickly in fire. Once the false idea of death or separate Self appears, it is already beginning to dissolve. Memory and the feeling of life and death are not real events but only the result of deep, repeated thoughts and old habits, like mistaking a rope for a snake.

Finally, the verses remind us that the entire world we feel is created inside our own mind through our own repeated practice. These inner experiences stay far from the true outer Reality for those who have not yet known The Knowable. The confusion of memory is easy in our personal world, but it has no power over what truly exists beyond it.

Chapter 3.53, Verses 15–27

Yoga Vashishtha 3.53.15–27

(These verses teach that the physical world and different realms of Existence are not solid barriers but open to Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

तत्रैकस्मिन्पुरःसंस्थे विततावरणान्विते।

वेधयित्वा विवेशान्तर्बदरं कृमिको यथा ॥ १५॥

पुनर्ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्ण्वादिलोकानुल्लङ्घ्य भास्वरान्।

तन्महीमण्डलं श्रीमत्प्राप तारापथादधः ॥ १६॥

तत्र तन्मण्डलं प्राप्य तत्पुरं तच्च मण्डपम्।

प्रविश्य पुष्पगुप्तस्य शवस्य निकटे स्थिता ॥ १७॥

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे सा च न ददर्श कुमारिकाम्।

मायामिव परिज्ञाता क्वापि यातां वरानना ॥ १८॥

मुखमालोक्य सा तस्य स्वभर्तुः शवरूपिणः।

इदं बुद्धवती सत्यं प्रतिभावशतः स्वतः ॥ १९॥

अयं स भर्ता संग्रामे निहतो मम सिन्धुना।

वीरलोकानिमान्प्राप्य क्षणं शेते यथासुखम् ॥ २०॥

अहं देव्याः प्रसादेन सशरीरैवमीदृशम्।

इह प्राप्तवती धन्या मत्समा नास्ति काचन ॥ २१॥

इति संचिन्त्य सा हस्ते गृहीत्वा चारु चामरम्।

वीजयामास चन्द्रेण द्यीरिवावनिमण्डलम् ॥ २२॥

प्रबुद्धलीलोवाच ।

ते भृत्यास्ताश्च वै दास्यः स राजा च प्रबुद्धवान्।

वक्ष्यन्ति वदतां देवि किं कयैव कथं धिया ॥ २३॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

स राजा सा च ते भृत्याः सर्व एव परस्परम्।

चिदाकाशैकतावेशादावयोश्च प्रभावतः ॥ २४॥

महाचित्प्रतिभासत्वान्महानियतिनिश्चयात्।

अन्योन्यमेवपश्यन्ति मिथः संप्रतिबिम्बितात् ॥ २५॥

इयं मे सहजा भार्या ममेयं सहजा सखी।

ममेयं सहजा राज्ञी भृत्योऽयं सहजो मम ॥ २६॥

केवलं त्वमहं सा च यथावृत्तमखण्डितम्।

ज्ञास्याम इदमाश्चर्यं नतु कश्चिदपीतरः ॥ २७॥

Sage Vasistha continued:  

3.53.15–22

> In one city standing ahead, surrounded by wide barriers, she pierced through and entered inside just like a worm enters a jujube fruit.  

> Then, crossing the bright worlds of Brahma, Indra, Vishnu and the other gods, she reached that glorious earthly circle below the path of stars.  

> Reaching that circle, she came to the city and the pavilion there, entered them, and stood near the corpse of Pushpagupta.  

> In that moment she did not see the young girl. The beautiful-faced one Realized the girl was like an illusion and had gone somewhere.  

> Looking at the face of her own husband in the form of a corpse, she understood this Truth through her own inner insight.  

> This is my husband who was killed in battle by Sindhu. Having reached these worlds of heroes, he rests happily for a moment as he pleases.  

> By the Grace of the Goddess I have reached this State here with my body intact. I am blessed; no one is equal to me.  

> Thinking this, she took a beautiful fly-whisk in her hand and fanned him with it, like the moon fanning the circle of the earth.  

The awakened Lila said: 

3.53.23 

> Those servants, those maids, that King and the awakened one will say, O Goddess, what will they say, by whom, and how with what mind?  

The Goddess said:  

3.53.24–27

> That King, she, and those servants—all of them see one another because of the Oneness in the Space of Pure Consciousness and by the power of the two.  

> Because of their appearance in the Great Consciousness and the great fixed law of fate, they see one another as mutual reflections.  

> This is my natural wife; this is my natural companion; this is my natural queen; this servant is naturally mine.  

> Only you, I and she will know this unbroken event exactly as it happened—this wonder; but no one else will know it.

Summary of the teachings:

A Being can move through cities, worlds and bodies as easily as a worm bores into fruit, showing that what we call “Reality” is actually a flexible appearance created within the mind or Consciousness. The journey from heavenly worlds to the earthly one reminds us that all planes of life are connected and illusory, not fixed or separate.

The story shows how even after death the husband’s body remains part of the same dream-like play. The queen sees the corpse, recognises the truth through her own insight, and feels blessed by the Goddess’s Grace. This teaches that death is only a temporary rest in the worlds of heroes; the soul continues, and one who is awake can still meet and serve the loved one with the body intact because everything exists inside One Consciousness.

The dialogue between the awakened Lila and the Goddess explains that Kings, servants, wives and friends are not truly separate persons. They appear related only because they are all reflections in the single Space of Pure Consciousness. Their “natural” bonds of wife, friend, queen or servant are created by the mind’s power and the cosmic law of fate, making the whole scene look real and personal while it is actually one unified Awareness playing many roles.

Because of the Great Consciousness and the unbreakable law of niyati, every character sees the others as Real and bound to each other. They mirror one another perfectly, so each thinks “this is my wife, my servant, my queen”. This mutual reflection is the reason the world feels solid and full of relationships, yet it is only a wonderful appearance inside the mind, not an independent outer Reality.

Finally, the verses reveal that only the truly awakened—here represented by “you, I and she”—can understand this marvellous play exactly as it is, without any break or division. Ordinary people stay lost in the dream and never grasp the secret. The teaching is that liberation comes when we Realize the entire Universe is an unbroken Wonder of One Consciousness, and only those who wake up to this Truth know the full mystery while others remain inside the illusion.

Chapter 3.53, Verses 1-14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.53.1–14

(These verses teach the immense power of a firm resolve or sankalpa)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

अथ लब्धवरा देहेनानेनैव महीपतिम्।

पतिमाप्तुं प्रयात्येषा नभोमार्गेण विष्टपम् ॥ १॥

इति संचिन्त्य सानन्दमुद्दाममकरध्वजा।

पुप्लुवे पेलवाकारा पक्षिणीव नभस्तले ॥ २॥

कुमारीं तत्र सा प्राप ज्ञप्त्यैव प्रहितां हिताम्।

स्वसंकल्पमहादर्शात्पुरतो निर्गतामिव ॥ ३॥

कुमार्युवाच ।

दुहितास्मि सखि ज्ञप्तेः स्वागतं तेऽस्तु सुन्दरि।

प्रतीक्षमाणा त्वामेव स्थितास्मीह नभःपथि ॥ ४॥

लीलोवाच ।

देवि भर्तुः समीपं मां नय नीरजलोचने।

महतां दर्शनं यस्मान्न कदाचन निष्फलम् ॥ ५॥

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एहि तत्रैव गच्छाव इत्युक्त्वा सा कुमारिका।

पुरस्तस्याः स्थिता व्योम्नि मार्गदर्शनतत्परा ॥ ६॥

ततस्तदनुयाता सा प्राप कोटरमम्बरम्।

निर्मलं करमालाग्रं यथा लक्षणलेखिका ॥ ७॥

मेघमार्गमथोल्लङ्घ्य वातस्कन्धान्तरे गता।

सूर्यमार्गादभिगता तारामार्गमतीत्य च ॥ ८॥

वाय्विन्द्रसुरसिद्धानां लोकानुल्लङ्घ्य लाघवात्।

ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां प्राप ब्रह्माण्डखर्परम् ॥ ९॥

हिमशैत्यं यथान्तस्थं कुम्भेऽभिन्ने बहिर्भवेत्।

तथा संकल्पसिद्धा सा ब्रह्माण्डान्निर्गता बहिः ॥ १०॥

स्वचित्तमात्रदेहैषा स्वसंकल्पस्वभावजम्।

अन्तरेवानुभवति किलैवं नाम विभ्रमम् ॥ ११॥

ब्रह्मादिस्थानमाक्रम्य प्राप्य ब्रह्माण्डखर्परम्।

ततो ब्रह्माण्डपारस्था जलाद्यावरणानि च ॥ १२॥

समुल्लङ्घ्य पुरः प्राप महाचिद्गगनान्तरम् ।

अदृष्टपारपर्यन्तमतिवेगेन धावता।

सर्वतो गरुडेनापि कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ १३॥

तत्र ब्रह्माण्डलक्षाणि सन्त्यसंख्यानि भूरिशः।

तान्यन्योन्यमदृष्टानि फलानीव महावने ॥ १४॥

Sage Vasistha said: 

3.53.1–3

> Now, having received the boon, with this very body she sets out to reach the King as her husband, travelling through the sky path to the higher world.

> Thinking this with joy, the one with the lofty makara banner, delicate in form, flew like a bird in the sky.

> There she met a maiden sent helpfully by Jnapti herself, as if she had come forward from the great mirror of her own resolve.

The maiden said: 

3.53.4

> Friend, I am the daughter of Jnapti. Welcome to you, beautiful one. I have been waiting here on the sky path only for you.

Lila said: 

3.53.5

> O Goddess with lotus eyes, lead me near my husband. The sight of the great ones is never without fruit.

Sage Vasistha continued: 

3.53.6–9

> Saying “Come, let us go there,” the maiden stood in front of her in the sky, fully focused on showing the path.

> Then, following her, she reached a hollow in the sky, pure and clear like the tip of the palm lines drawn by a fortune teller.

> Next, crossing the path of clouds, she entered the midst of the wind regions. She left the sun’s path and passed beyond the path of stars.

> With lightness she crossed the worlds of wind, Indra, gods and perfected beings, and reached the shell of the cosmic egg of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesha.

3.53.10–14

> Just as the cold inside an unbroken pot of ice comes out, so by the power of her resolve she came out of the cosmic egg to the outside.

> This one, whose body is only her mind, experiences inside herself alone this delusion born of the nature of her own resolve.

> Having reached the abode of Brahma and others and the shell of the cosmic egg, she then crossed the outer coverings beyond the cosmic egg such as water and the rest.

> Having crossed them she reached ahead the great sky of Pure Consciousness. Even Garuda flying at top speed could not reach its unseen end in hundreds of millions of kalpas.

> There exist countless Universes (Brahmandas) in huge numbers, unseen by one another like fruits in a great forest.

Summary of teachings: 

Lila, strengthened by a Divine boon, decides to meet her husband and begins her journey in her physical body itself. This shows that a strong, pure intention can make the impossible happen and allows a person to move beyond ordinary limits without needing to change the body. The story highlights how determination turns into action and opens doors that normal thinking cannot even imagine.

The meeting with the Divine maiden, daughter of Goddess Jnapti, brings out the role of Higher guidance. The maiden appears exactly when needed, welcomes Lila warmly and offers to lead her. This teaches that when one moves with sincere purpose, help from knowledge and grace arrives naturally. It also reminds us that the vision or company of Great Beings is always fruitful and never wasted, encouraging seekers to value divine support on their path.

The long journey through clouds, winds, sun, stars, gods’ worlds and finally the cosmic egg shell describes the many layers of Existence. Lila crosses each level with ease, showing that the mind can travel through subtle and higher realms. The verses explain that these paths are not just physical but represent different States of Being. By passing them lightly, Lila demonstrates that spiritual progress involves rising above gross matter and entering finer levels of Reality.

A key teaching is that everything happens within the mind. Lila’s body is described as mind-only, and her entire travel is an experience created by her own resolve. Even exiting the cosmic egg like cold escaping a pot shows that the outer Universe is not solid but a projection of thought. This points to the non-dual truth: the world we see is a delusion or vision inside Consciousness, and all journeys are internal, not separate from the Self.

Finally, the vast Space of Pure Consciousness reveals countless Universes, each invisible to the others like fruits scattered in a huge forest. This teaches the Infinite Nature of Creation and the smallness of any single world. It brings humility, showing that our Reality is only one tiny part among endless others, all resting in One Great Consciousness. The verses urge us to see beyond limited views and recognise the boundless, dream-like play of the mind in the Universe.

Chapter 3.52, Verses 42–52

Yoga Vashishtha 3.52.42–52

(The verses teach that Brahm, the Ultimate Reality, is all-pervasive and manifests instantly in any place or form according to the Power of Consciousness, much like how dreams create entire worlds in a moment)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

ब्रह्म सर्वगतं यस्माद्यथा यत्र यदोदितम्।

भवत्याशु तथा तत्र स्वप्नशक्त्यैव पश्यति ॥ ४२॥

सर्वत्र सर्वशक्तित्वाद्यत्र या शक्तिरुन्नयेत्।

आस्ते तत्र तथा भाति तीव्रसंवेगहेतुतः ॥ ४३॥

मृतिमोहक्षणेनैव यदैतौ दंपती स्थितौ।

तदैवाभ्यामिदं बुद्धं प्रतिभासवशाद्हृदि ॥ ४४॥

आवयोः पितरावेताविमे वै चापि मातरौ।

देश एष धनं चेदं कर्मेदं पूर्वमीदृशम् ॥ ४५॥

आवां विवाहितावेवमेवं नामैकतां गतौ।

एतयोः सापि जनता याता तत्रैव सत्यताम् ॥ ४६॥

तथैवात्रास्ति दृष्टान्तः प्रत्यक्षं स्वप्नवेदनम्।

इत्येवंभावया लीले लीलयाहमथार्चिता ॥ ४७॥

नाहं स्यां विधवेत्येवं वरो दत्तो मयाप्यसौ।

इत्यर्थेन मृता पूर्वमेवेह खलु बालिका ॥ ४८॥

भवतां चेतनांशानामहं चेतनधर्मिणी।

कुलदेवी सदा पूज्या स्वत एव करोम्यहम् ॥ ४९॥

अथास्या जीवको देहात्प्राणमारुतरूपधृक्।

मनसा चलतां प्राप्तो मुखाग्रत्यक्तदेहकः ॥ ५०॥

ततो मरणमूर्च्छान्ते गृहेऽस्मिन्नेव चैतया।

बुद्धौ भावित आकाशे दृष्टो जीवात्मना ततः ॥ ५१॥

संपन्नैषा हरिणनयना चन्द्रबिम्बाननश्रीर्मानोन्नद्धा दयितललिता कान्तमाभोक्तुकामा।

पूर्वस्मृत्या सरभसमुखी संयुता मण्डलान्तः स्वप्नान्ते वाऽप्रकृतिविभवा पद्मिनी चोदितेव ॥ ५२॥

The Goddess said: 

3.52.42–46

> Because Brahm is present everywhere, whatever arises anywhere appears there quickly, just as one sees things through the power of a dream. 

> Wherever any power arises due to its all-powerful nature everywhere, it stays and shines there strongly because of intense momentum. 

> The moment these two, the husband and wife, were overcome by the delusion of death, at that very instant this whole scene was understood in their hearts through appearance. 

> These are our parents and these are our mothers too. This is the place, this is the wealth, and this was our past action of such kind. 

> We two are married in this way and have become one in name. Even the people connected to them have become real in that very place. 

3.52.47–52

> In the same way, there is a clear example here of dream experience seen directly. Thinking in this manner, O Leela, I was worshipped playfully by you. 

> I said, “May I not become a widow,” and that boon was also given by me. For this reason, the girl had died here long before. 

> I am the Conscious Essence among the Conscious parts of you all. As the family Goddess, I am always to be worshipped, and I do everything by my own nature. 

> Then her life-force, taking the form of vital air from the body, moved with the mind and left the body through the mouth. 

> After that, at the end of the death faint in this very house, the living soul saw in the Space imagined in the intellect. 

> She has now become this doe-eyed one with the beauty of the moon’s orb on her face, proud with self-respect, playful and beloved, desiring to enjoy her lover. With previous memory, her face eager, united inside the circle, like a lotus woman with extraordinary powers awakened as if at the end of a dream. 

Summary of the teachings:

Whatever thought or power arises with strong intensity appears and stays as Real in that very spot. This shows the creative nature of the mind and Consciousness, where appearance becomes experience without any external material cause.

Death and life events are portrayed as sudden shifts in Consciousness rather than absolute endings. The husband and wife, caught in the illusion of death, immediately perceive a new reality in their hearts through mental projection. Family relations, places, wealth, and past actions all emerge as projections of the mind, illustrating how the world we experience is shaped by our inner beliefs and memories at every moment.

The story highlights the power of boons, wishes, and playful Divine interaction. The Goddess Leela grants a wish to avoid widowhood, which influences events even before they unfold in ordinary time. This reveals that Consciousness operates beyond linear time, and strong mental resolutions or Divine Grace can alter the course of perceived Reality, turning potential sorrow into continued union.

The family Goddess represents the Conscious Essence present within all Beings. She is eternally worthy of worship because she acts according to her inherent nature, guiding and sustaining life. The departure of the life-force as vital air from the body and its movement through the mind demonstrates how the subtle Self separates from the physical form yet continues to perceive and create new experiences in Inner Space.

Finally, the verses describe the rebirth or reappearance of the soul in a beautiful, youthful form filled with desire and memory. The awakened state at the “end of a dream” symbolizes liberation or heightened Awareness, where one recognizes the dream-like quality of existence. It teaches that previous impressions shape new forms, yet the Conscious Self can experience extraordinary beauty and joy when aligned with its True Nature.

Chapter 3.52, Verses 31–41

Yoga Vashishtha 3.52.31–41

(These verses teach that the entire world and all Beings within it, including Lila, the King, and even the Goddess, are manifestations arising within the One Infinite Consciousness)

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

एवमेषा त्वमेषा च संपन्नैवमसौ नृपः।

अहं चात्मनि सत्यत्वं गता सर्वतयात्मनः ॥ ३१॥

इमे वयमिहान्योन्यं संपन्नाश्चोदिता इति।

इत्थं सर्वात्मकतया महाचिद्धनसंस्थितेः ॥ ३२॥

एवमेषा स्थिता राज्ञी हारिहासविलासिनी।

लीला विलोलवदना नवयौवनशालिनी ॥ ३३॥

पेशलाचारमधुरा मधुरोदारभाषिणी।

कोकिलास्वरसंकाशा मदमन्मथमन्थरा ॥ ३४॥

असितोत्पलपत्राक्षी वृत्तपीनपयोधरा।

कान्ता काञ्चनगौराङ्गी पक्वबिम्बफलाधरा ॥ ३५॥

त्वत्संकल्पात्मकस्यैषा यदा भर्तुर्मनःकला।

तदा त्वत्सदृशाकारा स्थितैषा चिच्चमत्कृतौ ॥ ३६॥

त्वद्भर्तुर्मरणे क्षिप्रं समनन्तरमेव हि।

त्वद्भर्त्रैषा पुरो दृष्टा त्वत्संकल्पात्मनामुना ॥ ३७॥

यदाधिभौतिकं भावं चेतोऽनुभवति स्वयम्।

चेत्यं सन्मयमेवात आतिवाहिककल्पनम् ॥ ३८॥

यदाधिभौतिकं भावं चेतो वेत्ति न सन्मयम्।

आतिवाहिकसंकल्पस्तदा सत्योपजायते ॥ ३९॥

अथो मरणसंवित्त्या पुनर्जन्ममये भ्रमे।

त्वं हि संविदितानेन त्वया च गत एव सः ॥ ४०॥

इत्थं त्वां दृष्टवानेष दृष्टश्चैव त्वयेति च।

त्वमप्यात्मनि संपन्ना सर्वगत्वाच्चिदात्मनः ॥ ४१॥

The Goddess continued:

3.52.31–36

> Thus, this one is you, this one is accomplished, and that King too. I have also attained True Reality in the Self through its all-pervading nature.

> We all here have become manifest in relation to each other, as if prompted. In this way, through the all-inclusive nature, we exist in the great mass of Pure Consciousness.

> In this manner, this queen stands adorned with garlands, laughter, and playful charm. Lila has a charming, moving face and possesses fresh youth.

> She has delicate and sweet conduct, speaks sweetly and nobly, her voice resembles the cuckoo, and she moves slowly with the intoxication of love.

> Her eyes are like dark lotus petals, her breasts are round and full, she is beautiful with a golden fair body, and her lips are like ripe bimba fruits.

> When this form arises as a thought in the mind of your husband, who is made of your own resolve, then she appears similar to you in form, established in the wonder of Consciousness.

3.52.37–41

> Right after the death of your husband, this one was immediately seen before him by your husband, through the power of your own thought-created self.

> When the mind itself experiences a physical object, the perceived thing becomes truly real as a subtle or aerial imagination.

> When the mind perceives a physical object but does not see it as truly real, then the subtle thought-form becomes established as truth.

> Then, with the awareness of death, in the illusion of rebirth, you were known by him and he had already gone by you.

> In this way, he saw you and you saw him. You too have become manifest in the Self through the all-pervading nature of Consciousness.

Summary of the Teachings:

Nothing exists independently; everything appears through the power of thought and imagination in the vast ocean of Pure Awareness. The apparent separation between individuals is illusory, as all are interconnected and sustained by the same underlying Reality of the Self. This emphasizes non-duality, where multiplicity is just a play within unity.

The description of Lila as a beautiful, youthful queen highlights how the mind creates vivid, attractive forms and experiences. These forms are not solid but arise like dreams or mental constructs shaped by desires and resolutions. Consciousness has the wonderful power to manifest detailed worlds and characters that feel real, showing the creative potential of the mind when aligned with the deeper Self.

The verses explain the process of perception and Reality. When the mind fully engages with an object as Real, it solidifies into experience. 

Subtle thought-forms can become as true as physical ones depending on the mind's conviction. This reveals that what we call physical or subtle Reality depends on our mental attitude and belief, underscoring that all is mind-created.

Death and rebirth are presented as transitions within the same dream-like illusion. 

The Awareness at the moment of death carries the mind into new forms through its unresolved thoughts and desires. The mutual seeing between characters illustrates how beings interact across these mental realms, yet ultimately remain within the One Consciousness.

Finally, the teaching points to liberation through recognizing this Truth. By understanding the all-pervading nature of Consciousness, one Realizes their own identity with the Self. All appearances dissolve back into the Source, freeing one from the cycle of birth and death born of ignorance. This encourages inquiry into the nature of the mind and Self for Ultimate Peace.

Chapter 3.52, Verses 16–30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.52.16–30

(These verses teach that the entire universe we see is not solid or real but appears like a dream within Pure Consciousness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

न जगत्तत्र नो सर्गः कश्चिदप्यनुभूयते।

तेनाहमजमाकाशं जगदित्येव वर्तते ॥ १६॥

सर्वं शून्यात्मविज्ञानं मेर्वादिगिरिजालकम्।

नेदं कुड्यमयं किंचिद्यथा स्वप्ने महापुरम् ॥ १७॥

देशे प्रादेशमात्रेऽपि गिरिजालमयान्यपि।

वज्रसाराणि खान्येव लक्षाणि जगतो विदुः ॥ १८॥

जगन्ति सुबहून्येव संभवन्त्यणुकेऽपि च।

कदलीपल्लवानीव संनिवेशेन भूरिशः ॥ १९॥

त्रिजगच्चिदणावन्तरस्ति स्वप्नपुरं यथा।

तस्याप्यन्तश्चिदणवस्तेष्वप्येकैकशो जगत् ॥ २०॥

तेषां यस्मिञ्जगत्येष पद्मो राजा शवः स्थितः।

लीला तव सपत्नीयं प्राप्ता पूर्वतरा शुभे ॥ २१॥

यदैव मूर्च्छामायाता लीलेयं पुरतस्तव।

तदैव भर्तुः पद्मस्य शवस्य निकटे स्थिता ॥ २२॥

लीलोवाच ।

कथमेषा पुरा देवि संपन्ना तत्र देहिनी।

कथं च तत्सपत्नीकभावमाप्तवती स्थिता ॥ २३॥

ते चास्या वद किं रूपं पश्यन्त्यथ वदन्ति किम्।

तद्गेहवरवास्तव्याः समासेनेति मे वद ॥ २४॥

श्रीदेव्युवाच ।

श्रृणु सर्वं समासेन यथापृष्टं वदामि ते।

लीले लीलास्ववृत्तान्तमन्तदं दृश्यदुर्दशम् ॥ २५॥

पद्मस्तव स भर्तैष भ्रान्तिं तावत्ततामिमाम्।

इयं जगन्मयी तस्मिन्नेव सद्मनि पश्यति ॥ २६॥

भ्रान्तियुद्धमिदं युद्धमेषा भ्रान्तिर्जनोऽजनः।

भ्रान्त्यैवास्तीह मरणमेष चैवं भ्रमात्मकः ॥ २७॥

भ्रमक्रमेणानेनैव लीलास्य दयिता स्थिता।

त्वं चैषा च वरारोहे स्वप्नमात्रं वराङ्गने ॥ २८॥

यथा भवत्यावेतस्य स्वप्नमात्रं वराङ्गने।

तथा भवत्योर्भर्तैष तथैवाहमपि स्वयम् ॥ २९॥

जगच्छोभैवेदृशीयं दृश्यमेतदिहोच्यते।

एतदेव परिज्ञातं दृश्यशब्दार्थमुज्प्तति ॥ ३०॥

Maharishi Vashishta continued:

3.52.16–22

> No world exists there, and no Creation is experienced at all. Therefore I remain as the unborn sky, and the world appears only in that way.

> Everything is Knowledge of the Self as Void. It is like a net of mountains such as Meru. This is not made of solid walls at all, just like a great city seen in a dream.

> Even in a tiny Space the size of a span, there are nets of mountains that look hard as diamond, yet they are only empty Space. Wise ones know thousands of such worlds.

> Many worlds arise even inside a tiny atom, placed densely like the layers of banana leaves.

> The three worlds exist inside a minute particle of Consciousness, just like a city in a dream. Inside that particle too are more particles of Consciousness, and inside each one there is a whole world.

> Among those worlds, in one of them King Padma lies as a corpse. O auspicious one, your co-wife Lila reached there earlier.

> The moment this Lila fell into a swoon in front of you, she stood near the corpse of her husband Padma.

Lila asked: 

3.52.23–24

> O Goddess, how did she become embodied there in the past? How did she attain the state of co-wife and stay there?

> Tell me what form they see of her and what they say about her. Briefly describe the residents of that excellent house.

Goddess said: 

3.52.25–30

> Listen to everything briefly as you asked. O Lila, this is the inner story of your own Lila, a difficult vision to see.

> This Padma, your husband, is under this delusion. This world-full form sees everything inside that very house.

> This war is only a war of delusion. This delusion creates people and non-people. Death exists here only through delusion. Everything is of the nature of delusion.

> Through this sequence of delusion, this Lila remains as his beloved. O beautiful lady, both you and she are merely a dream.

> Just as you both are only a dream to him, O lady, so is this husband only a dream to both of you, and so am I myself.

> This is the beauty of the world. This visible scene is spoken of here. Once this is fully known, the meaning of the word “visible” is uprooted.

Summary of the Teachings:

Sage Vashishta explains that no actual world or Creation exists outside; everything is like empty space or a vast sky that has never been born. 

Mountains, cities, and objects that look hard are actually hollow appearances, just as things in dreams feel real while dreaming but have no substance.

The teaching shows how countless worlds exist even inside the smallest particles, layered densely like banana leaves. Each tiny atom of Consciousness contains full worlds, and inside those worlds are even smaller ones. This illustrates the infinite, dream-like nature of reality where one world nests within another without end, all happening inside the mind of consciousness.

The story of King Padma and the two Lilas demonstrates that what we call life, body, and relationships are delusions within delusion. One Lila reaches the scene of her husband’s corpse through a swoon, showing how souls move between dream-like states. Everything—war, people, death—is created and sustained only by mental illusion, with no independent reality.

Both Lilas and even Vasistha himself are presented as dream figures to one another. The husband appears as a dream to the wives, and the wives appear as dreams to him. This mutual dream nature reveals that all individual identities and experiences are temporary projections within the same Infinite Consciousness.

Finally, the verses urge complete understanding that the visible world is merely apparent beauty with no lasting substance. Once this Truth is Realized deeply, the very idea of a solid, external “visible” world dissolves, leading to freedom from illusion and recognition of the unborn, empty Awareness that alone exists.

Chapter 3.52, Verses 1–15

Yoga Vashishtha 3.52.1–15

(These verses teach that the huge world we see is nothing but a dream-like illusion appearing inside a tiny space, such as the pavilion near a dying person’s body. Even though it looks real and full of action like battles and nations, nothing is truly happening or being achieved outside the mind)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच ।

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राम लीलोवाच सरस्वतीम्।

श्वासावशेषमालोक्य मूढं भर्तारमग्रगम् ॥ १॥

प्रवृत्तो देहमुत्स्रष्टुं मद्भर्तायमिहाम्बिके ।

ज्ञप्तिरुवाच।

एवंरूपमहारम्भे संग्रामे राष्ट्रसंभ्रमे ॥ २॥

संपन्नेऽपि स्थितेऽप्युच्चैर्विचित्रारम्भमन्थरे।

न किंचिदपि संपन्नं राष्ट्रं न च महीतलम् ॥ ३॥

न स्थितं क्वचनाप्येव स्वप्नात्मकमिदं जगत्।

तस्य तन्मण्डपस्यान्तः शवस्य निकटाम्बरे ॥ ४॥

इदं भूराष्ट्रमाभाति भर्तृजीवस्य तेऽनघे।

अन्तःपुरगृहान्ते तदिदं राष्ट्रान्वितोदरम् ॥ ५॥

वसिष्ठविप्रगेहेऽन्तर्विन्ध्याद्रिग्रामके स्थितम्।

वसिष्ठविप्रगेहेन्तः शवगेहजगत्स्थितम् ॥ ६॥

शवगेहजगत्कुक्षाविदं गेहजगत्स्थितम्।

एवमेष महारम्भो जगत्त्रयमयो भ्रमः ॥ ७॥

त्वया मयाऽनयाऽनेन संयुक्तः सार्णवावनिः।

गिरिग्रामकदेहान्तर्मध्ये गगनकोशके ॥ ८॥

स्वात्मैव कचति व्यर्थो न कचत्येव वा क्वचित्।

तत्पदं परमं विद्धि नाशोत्पादविवर्जितम् ॥ ९॥

स्वयं कचितमाभातं शान्तं परमनामयम्।

किल मण्डपगेहेन्तः स्वस्वभावोदितात्मनि ॥ १०॥

एवमारम्भघनयोरपि मण्डपयोस्तयोः।

उदरे शून्यमाकाशमेवास्ति न जगद्भ्रमः ॥ ११॥

भ्रमद्रष्टुरभावे हि कीदृशी भ्रमता भ्रमे।

नास्त्येव भ्रमसत्तातो यदस्ति तदजं पदम् ॥ १२॥

भ्रमो दृश्यमसत्तस्य द्रष्टृदृश्यदशा कुतः।

द्रष्टृदृश्यक्रमाभावादद्वयं सहजं हि तत् ॥ १३॥

तत्पदं परमं विद्धि नाशोत्पादविवर्जितम्।

स्वयं कचितमाभातं शान्तमाद्यमनामयम् ॥ १४॥

किल मण्डपगेहान्तः स्वस्वभावोदितात्मनि।

विहरन्ति जनास्तत्र स्वगेहे स्वव्यवस्थया ॥ १५॥

Maharishi Vasistha said: 

3.52.1–5

> In this interval, O Rama, Leela spoke to Saraswati: Seeing my foolish husband lying in front with only his breath remaining.

> He is about to leave his body, this husband of mine here, O Ambika. The Enlightened One said: Even in such a great effort of this form, in the battle and the confusion of the nation.

> Even though accomplished and standing high in the slow strange beginning, nothing at all is accomplished – neither the nation nor the earth.

> Nothing is situated anywhere at all. This world is dream-like. Inside that pavilion of his, near the corpse in the upper space.

> This earth and nation appears to the life of your husband, O Pure One. At the end of the inner palace house, that nation with its inner belly.

3.52.6–11

> Situated inside the Brahmin house of Vasistha in the Vindhya mountain village. Inside the Brahmin house of Vasistha, the world of the corpse’s house is situated.

> Inside the belly of the corpse-house world, this house-world is situated. Thus this great effort is the illusion consisting of the three worlds.

> Joined with you, me, her and this, the ocean and the earth. Inside the body of the mountain village, in the middle of the sky sheath.

> The Self alone shines in vain or does not shine anywhere at all. Know that Supreme State as free from destruction and production.

> It appears self-shining, peaceful, supreme, without any disease. Indeed, inside the pavilion house, in the Self arisen from its own nature.

> Thus, even for these two dense pavilions of beginning, in the belly there is only empty Space; there is no illusion of the world.

3.52.12–15

> In the absence of the Seer of the illusion, what kind of movement in the illusion? There is no existence of the illusion at all; that which exists is the unborn state.

> The illusion is the seen, which is non-existent for it. Where is the state of Seer and seen? Due to the absence of the order of Seer and seen, it is indeed non-dual and natural.

> Know that Supreme State as free from destruction and Creation. It appears self-shining, peaceful, primordial, without disease.

> Indeed, inside the pavilion house, in the Self arisen from its own nature. People wander there in their own homes according to their own arrangements.

Summary of Teachings: 

The verses show how big things are nested inside smaller ones – the earth inside the palace, the palace inside a village house, and the house inside the body – proving that everything is contained within the mind and has no independent Reality.

The teachings explain that this world has no real place or existence anywhere because it is all like a dream. There is only empty Space inside the apparent structures, and the so-called great efforts and confusions are empty. The Self is the only thing that shines by itself, peaceful and free from any trouble, birth or death. People think they live in their own homes and follow their own plans, but all of it is happening inside the Self that arises from its own nature.

In the absence of a true Seer, there cannot be any real illusion or movement within it. 

The illusion is only the seen object, which does not truly exist, so there is no separate seer and seen. This leads to the understanding of non-duality – everything is one natural, unborn reality without any sequence of perception or change.

The Supreme State is beyond Creation and destruction, self-shining and completely Peaceful from the beginning. 

Even the dense beginnings of worlds and pavilions contain only empty space with no world-illusion at all. Recognizing this removes all confusion and shows that the vast three-world illusion is just a mental play.

Finally, the verses remind us that Beings move about in what they believe are their own worlds and arrangements, yet all of it unfolds within the self-arisen soul. True Wisdom comes from knowing this Unchanging Supreme Reality, free from disease or harm, where the Self alone exists without any need for external support.