Chapter 3.91, Verses 23–35

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.23–35

(The mind and its tendencies)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

कथ्यते जीवनाम्नैतच्चित्तं प्रतनुवासनम्।

शान्तदेहचमत्कारं जीवं विद्धि क्रमात्परम् ॥ २३॥

नाहं न चान्यदस्तीह चित्रं चित्तमिदं स्थितम्।

वसिष्ठैन्दवसंविद्वदसत्सत्तामिवागतम् ॥ २४॥

यथैन्दव मनो ब्रह्मा तथैवायमहं स्थितः।

तत्कृतं चाहमेवेदं संकल्पात्मैव भासते ॥ २५॥

कश्चिच्चित्तविलासोऽयं ब्रह्माहमिह संस्थितः।

स्वभाव एव देहादि विद्धि शून्यतरात्मखात् ॥ २६॥

शुद्धचित्परमार्थैकरूपिणीत्येव भावनात्।

जीवो भूयो मनो भूत्वा वेत्तीत्थं देहतां मुधा ॥ २७॥

सर्वमैन्दवसंसारवदिदं भाति चिद्वपुः।

संपन्नसंप्रबोधात्मा स्वप्नो दीर्घः स्वशक्तिजः ॥ २८॥

द्विचन्द्रविभ्रमाकारं तन्मात्राभासपूर्वकम्।

ऐन्दवाम्बरवद्रूढं चित्तादेवाखिलं भवेत् ॥ २९॥

न सन्नासदहंरूपं सत्तासत्ते तदेव च।

उपलम्भेन सद्रूपमसत्यं तद्विरोधतः ॥ ३०॥

जडाजडं मनो विद्धि संकल्पात्म बृहद्वपुः।

अजडं ब्रह्मरूपत्वाज्जडं दृश्यात्मतावशात् ॥ ३१॥

दृश्यानुभवसत्यात्म न सद्भावे विलासि तत्।

कटकत्वं यथा हेम्नि तथा ब्रह्मणि संस्थितम् ॥ ३२॥

सर्वत्वाद्ब्रह्मणः सर्वं जडं चिन्मयभेव च।

अस्मदादिशिलान्तात्म न जडं न च चेतनम् ॥ ३३॥

दार्वादीनामचित्त्वेन नोपलम्भस्य संभवः।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धादेव जायते ॥ ३४॥

उपलब्धेऽजडं विद्धि तेनेदं सर्वमेव हि।

उपलम्भो हि सदृशसंबन्धात्स्यात्समात्मनोः ॥ ३५॥

Brahmadev continued: 

3.91.23–28

> This mind with its subtle residual tendencies covers the individual living soul (jiva). Know that when the body’s wondrous display becomes calm, the jiva gradually becomes the Supreme.

> There is neither “I” nor any other thing here. Only this wondrous mind remains. Like the sons of Indu who imagined themselves as Brahma, the unreal appears to have taken on existence.

> Just as the mind of the sons of Indu became Brahma, so my mind makes me stand as Brahma. Whatever this mind has created appears through its own imagination.

> This is only a play of the mind in which I, Brahma, am situated here. Know that the body and all else arise from the empty nature of the Self and are more empty still.

> Through the constant feeling that Pure Consciousness alone is the Highest Reality, the jiva again becomes the mind and then uselessly regards the body as real.

> Just as the world of the sons of Indu appears, so this entire Universe appears as the body of Consciousness. It is a long dream born of its own power, arising when full awakening has not yet come.

3.91.29–35

> Like the illusion of two moons or the appearance of subtle elements, the whole World is firmly established like the sky of the sons of Indu and arises only from the mind.

> There is neither Real nor unreal in the form of “I.” Existence and non-existence are the same. By perception something seems Real; by contradiction it is known as unreal.

> Know the mind to be both inert and non-inert, a vast body made of imagination. It is non-inert because it is of the nature of Brahm; it is inert because it appears as the visible World.

> The experience of the visible World seems True, yet it dissolves when true existence is known. Just as “bracelet” is only a form in gold, so the world exists only in Brahm.

> Because Brahm is everything, all that appears inert is also Pure Consciousness. From us down to a stone, nothing is purely inert and nothing is purely Conscious.

> Things like wood have no Consciousness, so perception of them is impossible. Perception arises only from a relation of similarity.

> Therefore know that whatever is perceived is non-inert. All this exists only because perception arises from the similar relation of the Self with itself.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the individual living soul is covered with the mind when it is filled with subtle residual tendencies and desires. When those tendencies calm down and the restless display of the body ceases, the same jiva is gradually revealed as the Supreme Reality itself. There is no separate “I” or “other”; only pure mind exists, and whatever appears as a person or a world is only the mind’s own imagination, just as certain sons of Indu once imagined themselves to be creator-gods and thereby seemed to become them.

The mind creates everything through its own thought. Just as those imaginary creators produced whole Worlds by mental force, so every being appears as Brahma or as a limited person solely according to the idea it holds of itself. Bodies, objects and the entire universe are empty of independent Reality; they arise only from the empty, spacious Nature of Consciousness and have no substance of their own.

The pure mind that constantly contemplates Pure Consciousness draws near the Divine. But when that same mind becomes clouded by many desires it turns into the limited living soul, then into animal life, and finally appears as a physical body. The whole World is therefore a long dream projected by Consciousness through its own power. Like the illusion of seeing two moons or the imagined sky of those earlier creators, everything visible is only a reflection arising from the mind.

Nothing is ultimately Real or unreal in itself; both labels depend on mental conception. The mind is both conscious and inert: Conscious because its Essence is Brahm, inert because it appears as the changing visible World. The experience of the world seems solid only while the mind believes in it; when true understanding dawns, the appearance dissolves, just as the name “bracelet” disappears into the single reality of gold.

Because Brahm alone is everything, even what looks inert is actually Consciousness. From human beings down to stones there is neither pure inertness nor pure Consciousness as separate categories. Perception itself is possible only because of an underlying similarity or identity with the Self. Therefore whatever is perceived is non-inert, and the entire Universe exists solely as the Self relating to itself. Realisation consists in recognising this single, undivided Consciousness and letting the dream-like play of mind come to rest.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 9–22

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.9–22

(These verses present Brahmadev's response after hearing the Sun’s counsel about the expansive nature of Space, Mind, and Consciousness)

ब्रह्मोवाच।

मया संचिन्त्य सुचिरमिदमुक्तं महामुने।

युक्तमुक्तं त्वया भानो विततं हि किलाम्बरम् ॥ ९॥

मनश्च विततं वापि चिदाकाशश्च विस्तृतः।

तद्यथाभिमतं सर्गं नित्यकर्म करोम्यहम् ॥ १०॥

कल्पयामि बहून्याशु भूतजालानि भास्कर।

तत्त्वमेवाशु भगवन्प्रथमो मे मनुर्भव ॥ ११॥

कुरु सर्गं यथाकामं मया समभिचोदितः।

अथैतत्स महातेजा मम वाक्यं प्रभाकरः ॥ १२॥

अङ्गीकृत्य द्विधात्मानं चकार तपतांवर।

एकेन प्राक्तनेनास्मिन्वपुषा सूर्यतां गतः ॥ १३॥

व्योमाध्वगतया सर्गे ततान दिवसावलिम्।

मन्मनुत्वं द्वितीयेन कृत्वा स्ववपुषा क्षणात् ॥ १४॥

ससर्ज सकलां सृष्टिं तां तामभिमतां मम ॥ १५॥

एतत्ते कथितं सर्वं वसिष्ठमनसो मुने।

स्वरूपं सर्वकृत्त्वं च शक्तत्वं च महात्मनः ॥ १६॥

प्रतिभासमुपायाति यद्यदस्य हि चेतसः।

तत्तत्प्रकटतामेति स्थैर्यं सफलतामपि ॥ १७॥

सामान्यब्राह्मणा भूत्वा प्रतिभासवशात्किल ।

ऐन्दवा ब्रह्मतां याता मनसः पश्य शक्तताम् ॥ १८॥

यथा चैन्दवजीवास्ते चित्रत्वाद्ब्रह्मतां गताः।

वयं तथैव चिद्भावाच्चित्तत्वाद्ब्रह्मतां गताः ॥ १९॥

चित्तं हि प्रतिभासात्म यच्च तत्प्रतिभासनम्।

तदिदं भाति देहादि स्वान्तं नान्यास्ति देहदृक् ॥ २०॥

चित्तमात्मचमत्कारं तच्च तत्कुरुते स्वतः।

यथावत्संभवं स्वात्मन्येवान्तर्मरिचादिवत् ॥ २१॥

तदेतच्चित्तवद्भातमातिवाहिकनामकम्।

तदेवोदाहरन्त्येवं देहनाम्ना घनभ्रमम् ॥ २२॥

Brahmdev said:

3.91.9–15

> After long reflection, O great Sage, I said this: You have spoken rightly, O Sun, for the sky is indeed vast and expansive.

> The mind too is expansive, and the Space of Consciousness is also vast. Therefore I continually perform Creation according to my Will.

> O Sun, I quickly form many groups of Beings. Therefore, O Lord, become at once my first Manu.

> Create the World as you wish, being urged by me. Then that highly radiant Sun accepted my words.

> O foremost among the shining ones, having agreed, he divided his own self into two. With one former body he became the Sun in this Creation.

> Moving along the path of the sky in creation, he stretched out the succession of days. Instantly, with his second body, he assumed the role of my Manu.

> He created the entire Creation, each part according to my desire.

3.91.16–22

> O Sage of the mind of Vasistha, all this has been told to you: the True Nature, the all-creating power, and the potency of the Great Self.

> Whatever reflection arises in this mind becomes manifest, firm, and successful.

> Ordinary brahmins, under the power of mental reflection, became the Aindavas and attained the State of Brahma. Behold the power of the mind.

> Just as those Aindava Beings, through the vividness of their imagination, attained Brahma-hood, so we too, through our Nature as Consciousness and mind, have attained Brahma-hood.

> The mind is of the nature of reflection. Whatever that reflection is, that appears as this body and so on. There is no other perception of the body apart from one’s own inner Self.

> The mind is the wonder of the Self, and it produces that by itself. As far as possible, it does so within its own Self, like the pungency inherent in pepper.

> That which appears like the mind is called the subtle (ativahika) body. The same, under dense delusion, is spoken of by the name of the (gross) body.

Summary of the Teachings:

Brahmadev acknowledges the vastness of the sky, the mind, and the Space of Pure Awareness, and therefore resolves to continue his eternal work of Creation without hindrance. He appoints the Sun as his first Manu, empowering him to bring forth all Beings according to desire. The Sun divides himself into two aspects: one remains as the visible sun traversing the heavens and marking the succession of days, while the other instantly assumes the role of Manu and produces the entire manifold Creation exactly as Brahmadev wished. This narrative illustrates the seamless cooperation between Divine Will and its executive power in bringing Worlds into being.

The teaching then turns to the fundamental nature and power of the mind. Whatever image or idea arises as a reflection in the mind promptly becomes visible, stable, and effective in outward experience. The mind is shown to be the creative instrument through which the Infinite Self expresses itself. Ordinary human Beings, by the sheer force of sustained mental conception, can rise to the status of Brahma himself, as demonstrated by the Aindava brothers who, through intense imaginative identification, attained that exalted State. In the same way, all Beings who function through Consciousness and mind share in that same potential.

The verses emphasize that the mind is essentially of the nature of reflection or appearance. The body and the entire world of forms are nothing other than projections of this reflective mind; there is no independent material substance existing apart from it. The mind is described as the wondrous play or self-display of the Pure Self. Just as the sharp taste of pepper is inherent within the pepper itself and needs no external addition, so the creative power resides spontaneously within the mind and operates from within its own Being.

This creative appearance of the mind is first known as the subtle or astral body (ativahika). When the same subtle appearance becomes densified through ignorance and firm belief in solidity, it is conventionally called the gross physical body. Thus the distinction between subtle and gross is only a difference in the degree of densification of mental projection, not a difference in essential substance. The entire teaching points to the mind as the sole apparent creator and sustainer of all experience, while the underlying Reality remains the undivided Self whose power the mind merely reflects.

Taken together, these verses reveal that Creation is an unbroken expression of Consciousness through the instrument of mind. Individual identity, bodily form, and the multiplicity of Worlds are all mental constructions that appear Real only through sustained attention and belief. By recognizing the mind’s reflective and projective nature, one gains insight into the non-dual Truth that all apparent diversity is a play within the single expanse of Awareness.

Chapter 3.91, Verses 1–8

Yoga Vashishtha 3.91.1–8

(These verses highlight the supreme and independent nature of the mind)

भानुरुवाच।

तेनैतद्वच्मि भवगन्यथाकालं मनो मुने।

अनिग्राह्यमभेद्यं च शापैरपि दुरासदैः ॥ १॥

ऐन्दवानामतः सृष्टिक्रमाणां प्रविनाशनम्।

युज्यते न च तद्ब्रह्मन्युक्तमेतन्महात्मनः ॥ २॥

किं तदस्ति जगत्यस्मिन्विविधेषु जगत्सु च।

तवापि नाथ नाथस्य यद्दैन्याय महात्मनः ॥ ३॥

मनो हि जगतां कर्तृ मनो हि पुरुषः स्मृतः।

यन्मनोनिश्चयकृतं तद्द्रव्यौषधिदण्डनैः ॥ ४॥

हन्तुं न शक्यते जन्तोः प्रतिबिम्बं मणेरिव।

तस्मादेतेऽत्र तिष्ठन्तु भासुरैः सर्गसंभ्रमैः ॥ ५॥

त्वं सृष्ट्वेह प्रजास्तिष्ठ बुद्ध्याकाशो ह्यनन्तकः।

चित्ताकाशश्चिदाकाश आकाशश्च तृतीयकः ॥ ६॥

अनन्तास्त्रय एवैते चिदाकाशप्रकाशिताः।

एकं द्वौ त्रीन्बहून्वापि कुरु सर्गाञ्जगत्पते ॥ ७॥

स्वेच्छयात्मनि तिष्ठ त्वं किं गृहीतं तवैन्दवैः।

ब्रह्मोवाच।

अथैन्दवजगज्जाले भानुनैवमुदाहृते ॥ ८॥

Suryadev said: 

3.91.1–8

> Therefore, O venerable Sage, I speak this at the right time. The mind is uncontrollable and unbreakable, even by the most severe curses.

> Therefore, O Brahman, the destruction of the successive creations of the Aindavas is not proper. Such an act is also not fitting for a great soul.

> O Lord of lords, what is there in this world or in the many other worlds that could cause any need or poverty to your great soul?

> The mind is truly the Creator of the worlds. The mind itself is known as the Cosmic person. Whatever is firmly decided by the mind cannot be undone by material things, medicines, or punishments.

> Just as the reflection of a gem cannot be destroyed, the mental image of a living Being cannot be killed. Therefore, let these remain here with their shining creative activities.

> Having created the Beings here, remain established. The Space of intellect is infinite. There is also the Space of mind, the space of Pure Consciousness, and ordinary Space as the third.

> These three Spaces are indeed Infinite and are revealed by the Space of Consciousness. O Lord of the Worlds, create one, two, three, or even many Creations as you wish.

> Remain in your own Self according to your free will. What have the Aindavas taken away from you? Brahma said: Then, when Bhanu had spoken in this way about the network of the Aindava worlds...

Summary of the teachings:

The mind cannot be controlled, broken, or destroyed by any external force, including the most powerful curses. It stands beyond the reach of ordinary means of restraint or harm.

The Creations arising from the firm resolve of the mind, such as those of the Aindavas, should not be interfered with or destroyed. Great Beings do not suppress the free expressions of others’ minds, as such interference goes against the dignity of an elevated soul.

Nothing in any World can create lack or limitation for the Supreme Self. The mind is the true maker of all Worlds and is itself regarded as the Cosmic person. Once the mind has firmly decided upon something, no material object, medicine, or punishment can reverse that determination.

Mental projections and reflections cannot be eliminated, just as the image of a gem in a mirror cannot be destroyed. Therefore, the shining creative activities of such minds should be allowed to continue freely.

The creator is advised to remain established in his own nature after producing Beings. There exist three Infinite Spaces—the Space of intellect, the Space of mind, and ordinary space—all illuminated by Pure Consciousness. Within this vast openness, one may create as many worlds as desired by free will, without any sense of loss, since nothing has been taken away by the Creations of others.

Chapter 3.90, Verses 1–14

Yoga Vashishtha 3.90.1–14

(These verses teach that intense attachment and mutual love between two Beings create strong mental impressions that survive the death of the body)

भानुरुवाच।

अथेन्द्रेणैवमुक्तोऽसौ राजा राजीवलोचनः।

मुनिं भरतनामानं पार्श्वसंस्थमुवाच ह ॥ १॥

राजोवाच।

भगवन्सर्वधर्मज्ञ पश्यामि सुदुरात्मनः।

भृशमस्य मुखे स्फारं धार्ष्ट्यं मद्दारहारिणः ॥ २॥

पापानुरूपमस्याशु शापं देहि महामुने।

यदवध्यवधात्पापं वध्यत्यागात्तदेव हि ॥ ३॥

इत्युक्तो राजसिंहेन भरतो मुनिसत्तमः।

यथावत्प्रविचार्याशु पापं तस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ ४॥

सहानया दुष्कृतिन्या भर्तृद्रोहाभिभूतया।

विनाशं व्रज दुर्बुद्धे इति शापं विसृष्टवान् ॥ ५॥

ततस्तौ राजभरतौ प्रत्यूचतुरिदं वचः।

सुदुर्मती युवां याभ्यां क्षपितं दुश्चरं तपः ॥ ६॥

अनेन शापदानेन किंचिद्भवति नावयोः।

देहे नष्टे न नौ किंचिन्नश्यति स्वान्तरूपयोः ॥ ७॥

स्वान्तं हि नहि केनापि शक्यते नाशितुं क्वचित्।

सूक्ष्मत्वाच्चिन्मयत्वाच्च दुर्लक्ष्यत्वाच्च विद्धि नौ ॥ ८॥

श्रीभानुरुवाच।

सुघनस्नेहसंबद्धमनस्कावेव शापतः।

पतितौ भूतले वृक्षविच्युताविव पल्लवौ ॥ ९॥

अथ व्यसनसंसक्तौ मृगयोनिमुपागतौ।

ततो द्वावपि संसक्तौ भूयो जातौ विहंगमौ ॥ १०॥

अथास्माकं विभो सर्गे मिथःसंबन्धभावनौ।

तपःपरौ महापुण्यौ जातौ ब्राह्मणदम्पती ॥ ११॥

भारतोऽपि तयोः शापः स समर्थो बभूव ह।

शरीरमात्राक्रमणे न मनोनिग्रहे प्रभो ॥ १२॥

तावद्यापि हि तेनैव मोहसंस्कारहेतुना।

यत्र यत्र प्रजायेते भवतस्तत्र दम्पती ॥ १३॥

अकृत्रिमप्रेमरसानुविद्धं स्नेहं तयोस्ते प्रतिवीक्ष्य कान्तम्।

वृक्षा अपि प्रेमरसानुविद्धाः शृङ्गारचेष्टाकुलिता भवन्ति ॥ १४॥

Suryadev continued:

3.90.1–6

> Then the lotus-eyed King, having been thus addressed by Indra, spoke to the Sage named Bharata who stood beside him.

> The King said: O revered one, Knower of all dharma, I see great and open insolence on the face of this thoroughly wicked man who stole my wife.

> O great Sage, quickly give him a curse that fits his sin. The sin of killing one who should not be killed is the same as the sin of sparing one who should be killed.

> Thus spoken to by the best of Kings, Bharata, the foremost of Sages, quickly and carefully considered the sin of that wicked person.

> Together with this sinful woman overcome by betrayal of her husband, “Go to destruction, O dull-minded one!”—thus he uttered the curse.

> Then those two replied with these words: “O you of very evil minds, by whom hard-won austerity has been wasted!”

3.90.7–14

> By this giving of the curse nothing happens to us two. When the body is destroyed, nothing of our Inner True Nature is lost.

> Indeed, the Inner Self can never be destroyed by anyone anywhere. Know us to be such, because we are subtle, made of Pure Consciousness, and hard to perceive.

> Bound in mind by very dense affection, they fell to the ground because of the curse, just like two leaves fallen from a tree.

> Then, clinging to their attachment and suffering, they entered the womb of deer. After that both, still attached, were born again as birds.

> O Lord, in our cycle of Creation they were born as a Brahmin couple, devoted to austerity, of great merit, and still feeling mutual bond.

> O Lord, the curse of Bharata on them was effective only in attacking the body alone, not in restraining the mind.

> Even now, because of that very impression of delusion, wherever they are born they become a couple there.

> Seeing their charming affection filled with genuine feeling of love, even the trees, touched by that same feeling of love, become restless with gestures of romance.

Summary of the teachings:

A curse or any outer force may destroy the physical form, yet it cannot touch the subtle inner self, which is Pure Consciousness, extremely fine, and beyond ordinary perception. The pair therefore continue their bond through successive births.

The story shows the power of samskaras, the latent tendencies left by strong emotions. Because of their deep affection and the delusion it produces, the two Beings are reborn again and again as a pair—first as deer, then as birds, and later as a Brahmin husband and wife devoted to austerity. The outer circumstances change, but the inner connection remains.

Even when they are born as highly virtuous people engaged in spiritual practice, the old impression of attachment continues to operate. The curse of the Sage affected only their bodies; it had no power over their minds. This illustrates that true freedom requires the purification of the mind itself, not merely the suffering of physical consequences.

The verses underline the distinction between the perishable body and the imperishable Inner Nature. The Self cannot be destroyed by any external agency. Real Knowledge consists in recognising this subtle, Conscious Essence that remains untouched by birth, death, or curse.

Finally, the text points to the contagious strength of pure, spontaneous love: even trees are said to respond with signs of romance when they witness such genuine affection. The teaching is that attachment, whether pure or mixed with delusion, shapes destiny across lives, and only clear insight into the nature of the self can dissolve the cycle of repeated paired births.

Chapter 3.89, Verses 41–54

Yoga Vashishtha 3.89.41–54

(These verses teach the primacy of the mind in the subtle body of a person)

भानुरुवाच।

भावाभावाः शरीरस्था नृप शक्ता न बाधितुम्।

भावितं तीव्रवेगेन मनसा यन्महीपते ॥ ४१॥

तदेव पश्यत्यचलं न शरीरविचेष्टितम्।

न काश्चन क्रिया राजन्वरशापादिका अपि ॥ ४२॥

तीव्रवेगेन संपन्नं शक्ताश्चालयितुं मनः।

तीव्रवेगेन संयुक्तं पुरुषा ह्यभिवाञ्छितात् ॥ ४३॥

मनश्चालयितुं शक्ता न महाद्रिं मृगा इव।

ममेयमसितापाङ्गी मनःकोशे प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ४४॥

देवागारे महोत्सेधे देवी भगवती यथा।

न दुःखमनुगच्छामि प्रियया जीवरक्षया ॥ ४५॥

गिरिर्ग्रीष्मदशादाहं लग्नयेवाब्दमालया।

यत्र यत्र यथा राजंस्तिष्ठाम्यभिपतामि वा ॥ ४६॥

तत्रेष्टसंगमादन्यत्किंचिन्नानु भवाम्यहम्।

अहल्यादयितानाम्ना मनसेन्द्राभिधं मनः ॥ ४७॥

संसक्तमिदमायाति न स्वभावादृते परम्।

एककार्यनिविष्टं हि मनो धीरस्य भूपते ॥ ४८॥

न चाल्यते मेरुरिव वरशापबलैरपि ।

देहो हि वरशापाभ्यामन्यत्वमिव गच्छति।

ननु धीरं मनो राजन्विजिगीषुतया स्थितम् ॥ ४९॥

एतानि चात्र मनसां न च कारणानि राजञ्शरीरशकलानि वृथोत्थितानि।

चेतो हि कारणममीषु शरीरकेषु वारीव सर्ववनखण्डलतारसेषु ॥ ५०॥

आद्यं शरीरमिह विद्धि मनो महात्मन्  संकल्पितो जगति तेन शरीरसङ्घः।

आद्यं शरीरमधितिष्ठति यत्र यत्र  

तत्तद्भृशं फलति नेतरदस्य पुंसः ॥ ५१॥

मुख्याङ्कुरं सुभग विद्धि मनो हि पुंसो  देहास्ततः प्रविसृतास्तरुपल्लवाभाः।  

नष्टेऽङ्कुरे पुनरुदेति न पल्लवश्रीर्  

नैवाङ्कुरः क्षयमुपैति दलक्षयेषु ॥ ५॥

देहे क्षते विविधदेहगणं करोति  

स्वप्नावनविव नवं नवमाशु चेतः।  

चित्ते क्षते तु न करोति हि किंचिदेव  

देहस्ततः समनुपालय चित्तरत्नम् ॥ ५३॥

दिशि दिशि हरिणाक्षीमेव पश्यामि राजन्प्रिययुवतिमनस्त्वान्नित्य मानन्दितोऽस्मि।

तव पुरप्रकृतीनां यत्फलं दुःखदायि

क्षणमथसुचिरं तत्तन्न पश्यामि किंचित् ॥ ५४॥

Suryadev continued: 

3.89.41–49

> O King, the appearances and disappearances that dwell in the body cannot obstruct anything. O Lord of the Earth, whatever is intensely contemplated by the mind...

> ...that alone is seen as unmoving, not the movements of the body. O King, no actions at all—not even those of boons or curses—can affect it.

> The mind that is filled with intense force can be moved. Men are able to stir a mind that is joined with intense force away from what it desires.

> They are no more able to move the mind than deer can shake a great mountain. My dark-eyed beloved is established in the sheath of my mind...

> ...just as the Goddess Bhagavati resides in a lofty temple of the Gods. I do not follow sorrow when my dear one protects my life...

> ...like a mountain that feels no heat in the fierce summer when it is covered by a bank of clouds. O King, wherever and in whatever way I stand or fall...

> ...there I experience nothing other than union with my beloved. This mind, named Indra and attached to Ahalya by name...

> ...comes only through its own nature and not from anything else. O steadfast King, the mind of a resolute person that is fixed on a single purpose...

> ...cannot be moved even by the force of boons or curses, just as Mount Meru cannot be moved. The body may seem to change under the power of boons and curses, yet the firm mind of a resolute person remains steadfast in its aim of victory.

3.89.50–54

> These bodily fragments that arise in vain are not the causes of the mind, O King. The mind alone is the cause of these little bodies, just as water is the cause of all the juices in the forest trees and creepers.

> Know, O great-souled one, that the mind is the first body here. The multitude of bodies in the world is projected by it. Wherever that first body (the mind) abides, there the results appear strongly for a person; nowhere else.

> O fortunate one, know the mind to be the main sprout of a person. From it the bodies spread out like the leaves and tender shoots of a tree. When the sprout is destroyed, the beauty of the leaves does not reappear; but the sprout itself does not perish when the leaves wither.

> When the body is injured, the mind quickly creates ever-new groups of various bodies, just as in a dream-forest. But when the mind is injured, the body produces nothing at all. Therefore carefully protect the jewel of the mind.

> O King, in every direction I see only the deer-eyed one. My mind is fixed on that dear young woman, and so I remain always filled with joy. Whatever painful result may come from the people of your city—whether for a moment or for a long time—I see none of it at all.

Summary of the Teachings:

All physical bodies and experiences arise only from the intense projections and contemplations of the mind. External events, bodily movements, boons, curses, or injuries to the flesh cannot truly obstruct or alter a mind that is firmly fixed on a single purpose.

The mind is compared to the main sprout of a tree, while the physical body is like the leaves and tender shoots that grow from it. If the mind (the sprout) remains intact, new bodies can continually appear. But if the mind is damaged or destroyed, the body can produce nothing further. Therefore the mind must be carefully guarded as a precious jewel.

Even powerful forces such as Divine boons and curses can appear to change the physical body, yet they have no power over a resolute mind. Just as deer cannot shake a great mountain or Mount Meru, so outer forces cannot disturb a mind that is single-pointedly fixed.

The speaker illustrates this truth through personal experience: his mind is completely absorbed in his beloved, so he sees only her everywhere and remains in constant joy. The pains or pleasures that may arise from the outer world do not touch him at all. This shows that experience is determined by the state of the mind, not by external circumstances.

In essence, the teaching is that one should protect and strengthen the mind above all else. By keeping the mind steady, pure, and fixed on its chosen aim, a person remains free from the fluctuations of the body and the world. The body is secondary and dependent; the mind is primary and creative.

Chapter 3.89, Verses 31–40

Yoga Vashishtha 3.89.31–40

(These verses show that physical suffering has no power over a mind completely absorbed in a single intense thought)

भानुरुवाच।

ततो भ्राष्ट्रे परिक्षिप्तावखिन्नावेवमेव तौ।

ऊचतुर्मुदितात्मानावन्योन्यस्मृतिहर्षितौ ॥ ३१॥

ग्रथितौ गजपादेषु न खिन्नावेव संस्थितौ।

एवमेवोचतुर्भूपमन्योन्यस्मृतिहर्षितौ ॥ ३२॥

कशाहतावखिन्नौ तावेवमेव किलोचतुः।

अन्यस्माच्छासनाद्राज्ञा कल्पिताच्च पुनः पुनः ॥ ३३॥

उद्धृतावूचतुः पृष्टौ तमेवार्थं पुनः पुनः।

उवाचेन्द्रो महीपालं जगन्मे दयितामयम् ॥ ३४॥

न शातनानि दुःखानि बाधन्ते किंचिदेव मे।

अस्याश्चैव जगद्राजन्सर्वं मन्मयमेव च ॥ ३५॥

तेनान्यशासनाद्दुःखं किंचिदेव न विद्यते।

मनोमात्रमहं राजन् मनो हि पुरुषः स्मृतः ॥ ३६॥

प्रपञ्चमात्रमेवायं देहो दृश्यत एव हि।

समकालप्रयुक्तेन सहसा दण्डराशिना ॥ ३७॥

वीरं मनो भेदयितुं मनागपि न शक्यते।

का नाम ता महाराज कीदृश्यः कस्य शक्तयः ॥ ३८॥

याभिर्मनांक्त भिद्यन्ते दृष्टनिश्चयवन्त्यपि।

वृद्धिमायातु वा देहो यातु वा विशरारुताम् ॥ ३९॥

भावितार्थाभिपतितं मनस्तिष्ठति पूर्ववत्।

इष्टेऽर्थे चिरमाविष्टं दधानं तत्स्थितं मनः ॥ ४०॥

Suryadev continued:

3.89.31–40

> Then the two were thrown into a frying pan, yet they remained unhurt and spoke the same words, their souls filled with joy from remembering each other.

> Tied to the feet of elephants, they still stood uninjured and said the same to the king, delighted by mutual remembrance.

> Beaten with whips, the two remained unhurt and spoke in the same way, even under other punishments the King devised again and again.

> When pulled out and questioned, they repeated the same meaning again and again. Indra said to the King: This whole world is filled with my beloved.

> No cutting pains or sufferings trouble me in the least. For her too, O King, the entire world is nothing but me.

> Therefore no pain at all arises from any other punishment. I am only mind, O King; for the mind is known as the true person.

> This body is merely an appearance that is seen. Even when suddenly struck by a mass of punishments all at once,

> the brave mind cannot be broken even a little. What are those great powers, O great King, of what kind and belonging to whom,

> by which minds that hold firm resolves are broken? Let the body grow or let it fall to pieces;

> the mind fixed on the object it contemplates remains just as before. The mind long absorbed in the desired object stays established in that State.

Summary of the teachings:

The lovers are subjected to frying, trampling by elephants, whipping and many other torments, yet they feel no pain and keep repeating the same joyful words. Their attention is fixed only on each other, so the body becomes like an empty shadow that can be struck without affecting the inner experience.

The teaching is that the True Self is closer to the mind, not the body. Indra declares that he himself is nothing but mind and that the mind is what is called the person. The body is only a fleeting appearance; any pain inflicted on it is like hitting a shadow with a stick. Because the mind is wholly occupied with the beloved, the world itself appears filled with that form, and therefore nothing external can disturb either of them.

A mind that is firmly established in one object cannot be shaken by any external force. No amount of punishment, no sudden mass of blows, can break even a little of a resolute mind. The verses ask rhetorically what powers could possibly split such a mind, implying that none exist once the mind has taken firm hold of its chosen object.

Whether the body thrives or falls apart makes no difference. The mind that has long dwelt on its desired object continues in the same State. Growth or decay of the physical form leaves the inner absorption untouched. The mind simply remains as it was, fixed and steady.

Taken together, the verses illustrate the supreme power of concentrated thought. When the mind is completely filled with one idea, external conditions lose their hold. Pain, danger and even the threat of death become irrelevant. The body may be treated in any way, yet the mind that has merged with its object stays free, joyful and unchanged. This is the practical demonstration that Consciousness, not matter, is the real seat of experience.

Chapter 3.89, Verses 1~30

Yoga Vashishtha 3.89.1~30

(These verses teach that the mind alone is the true Creator and ruler of experience)

भानुरुवाच।

मनो हि जगतां कर्तृ मनो हि पुरुषः परः।

मनःकृतं कृतं लोके न शरीरकृतं कृतम् ॥ १॥

सामान्यब्राह्मणा भूत्वा मनोभावनया किल।

ऐन्दवा ब्रह्मतां याता मनसः पश्य शक्तताम् ॥ २॥

मनसा भाव्यमानो हि देहतां याति देहकः।

देहभावनयाऽयुक्तो देहधर्मैर्न बाध्यते ॥ ३॥

बाह्यदृष्टिर्हि नियतं सुखदुःखादि विन्दति।

नान्तर्मुखतया योगी देहे वेत्ति प्रियाप्रिये ॥ ४॥

मनःकारणकं तस्माज्जगद्विविधविभ्रमम्।

इन्द्रस्याहल्यया सार्धं वृत्तान्तोऽत्र निदर्शनम् ॥ ५॥

(३.८९.६–२४)

अथातिसुघनस्नेहनिरावरण चेष्टयोः।

तयोरनयवृत्तान्तो राज्ञाकर्णि कटुव्यथः ॥ २५॥

एवमन्योन्यमासक्तं भावमालक्ष्य भूपतिः।

चकार बहुभिर्दण्डैः स द्वयोरथ शासनम् ॥ २६॥

तावुभावपि संत्यक्तौ हेमन्ते सलिलाशये।

तुष्टौ जहसतुस्तत्र न खेदं समुपागतौ ॥ २७॥

अपृच्छत ततो राजा खिन्नौ स्थो न तु दुर्मती।

तावूचतुर्महीपाल जलाशयसमुद्धृतौ ॥ २८॥

संस्मृत्यावामिहान्योन्यमुखकान्तिमनिन्दिताम्।

आत्मानं न विजानीवो रूढभावं परस्परम् ॥ २९॥

शासनेषु च यत्सङ्गो निःशङ्कस्तेन हर्षितौ।

मुह्यावो न महीपाल स्वाङ्गैरपि विकर्तितैः ॥ ३०॥

Suryadev said:

3.89.1–5

> The mind is indeed the Creator of the Worlds. The mind is indeed the supreme person. Whatever is done by the mind is truly accomplished in the World; what is done merely by the body is not truly done.

> Ordinary brahmins, the descendants of Indu, attained the State of Brahm through the power of mental contemplation. Behold the power of the mind!

> When contemplated upon by the mind, a body becomes a body. But one who is free from the idea of the body is not bound by the qualities of the body.

> One with an outward gaze always experiences pleasure, pain and the like. But the yogi, turned inward, does not feel pleasant or unpleasant sensations in the body.

> Therefore this World with its many illusions is caused by the mind. The story of Indra and Ahalya serves as an illustration of this.

3.89.6–24

These verses tell the story of King Indradyumna of Magadha and his beautiful wife Ahalya. In the same city lived a cunning young brahmin also named Indra. After hearing the old tale of the god Indra and the sage’s wife Ahalya, the queen became passionately attracted to this young man. She pined for him, lost her sense of shame, and with the help of a friend arranged secret meetings. Their intense mutual attachment became obvious to the king through signs on her face and their behaviour.

3.89.25–30

> Then, hearing the deeply painful account of the intense and open affection between the two, the King was greatly distressed.

> Seeing their mutual attachment of feeling, the King then imposed many punishments on both of them.

> Both of them were left in a water reservoir in the cold of winter. There they remained content and laughed, without any sorrow coming upon them.

> Then the King asked them, “Are you not distressed, or are you of wicked mind?” They replied to the King, “We have been taken out of the water reservoir.”

> “Remembering each other’s faultless facial beauty, we do not even know ourselves, so firmly fixed is our mutual feeling.”

> “Because of our attachment even under punishments we are fearless and therefore joyful. O King, we do not faint even if our own limbs are cut off.”

Summary of the Teachings:

The physical body and its actions have no independent power; only what the mind conceives and holds becomes real for the individual. Ordinary people remain bound because they identify with the body and look outward, while the yogi who turns inward remains free from bodily pleasure and pain.

The power of concentrated thought is shown by the example of the sons of Indu, who rose from ordinary brahmin to the state of Brahm simply through Meditation. This illustrates that meditation  and firm conviction can completely transform one’s State of Being.

The long story of Indra and Ahalya demonstrates the same principle through intense attachment. Their minds became so fixed on each other that external circumstances—royal luxury, social norms, or physical discomfort—lost all power over them. The mind’s fixation created its own Reality stronger than the outer world.

Even severe punishments inflicted by the King could not disturb them. They remained joyful and free from sorrow because their attention stayed locked on each other. This shows that pain and pleasure are not inherent in the body or outer events but arise from the mind.

Altogether the teaching is that liberation or bondage depends entirely on the mind. By controlling and purifying the mind, or by fixing it on the Highest Reality, one becomes free from the illusions and sufferings of the World. The body is secondary; the mind is primary and Supreme.