Chapter 3.105, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.105.1–9

(Return from a deep state of mental delusion to ordinary awareness)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

मुहूर्तद्वितयेनाथ बोधमाप महीपतिः।

प्रावृषेण्याम्बुनिर्मुक्तमम्भोरुहमिवोत्तमम् ॥ १॥

आसनात्साङ्गदोत्तंसः प्रबुद्धोऽसावकम्पयत्।

सवनाभोगशृङ्गाग्र्यो भूकम्प इव पर्वतः ॥ २॥

बभूवाथ प्रबुद्धोऽसावासनोपरि कम्पितः।

विक्षुब्ध इव पातालवारणे शङ्कराचलः ॥ ३॥

पतन्तं धारयामासुस्तं पुरोगा नृपं भुजैः।

मेरुं प्रलयविक्षुब्धं कुलशैलास्तटैरिव ॥ ४॥

पुरोगैर्धार्यमाणोऽसौ पर्याकुलमतिर्नृपः।

वीचिविक्षोभितस्येन्दोर्बभार वनमाः श्रियः ॥ ५॥

कोऽयं प्रदेशः कस्येयं सभेति स नृपः शनैः।

दध्वान मज्जदम्भोजकोशस्थ इव षट्पदः ॥ ६॥

अथोवाच सभा देव किमेतदिति सादरम्।

रणन्मधुकरी भानुं दृष्टराहुमिवालिनी ॥ ७॥

अथैनं परिपप्रच्छुः पुरोगा मन्त्रिणस्तथा।

प्रलयोल्लाससंत्रस्तं मार्कण्डेयमिवामराः ॥ ८॥

त्वयीत्थं संस्थिते देव वयमत्यन्तमाकुलाः।

अभेद्यमपि भिन्दन्ति निर्निमित्तं भ्रमा मनः ॥ ९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.105.1–9

> Then, after two moments, the King regained awareness, like a fine lotus freed from the waters of the rainy season.  

> The awakened King, wearing armlets and a crest, shook from his seat like a mountain with forests and high peaks trembling in an earthquake.  

> Then the awakened King trembled on his seat, as if Mount Kailasa were shaken by the elephant of the nether World.  

> His attendants held the falling King with their arms, just as the surrounding mountains support Mount Meru when it is shaken by the winds of dissolution.  

> Held by his attendants and with a confused mind, the King looked like the moon disturbed by waves and carried the beauty of forest garlands.  

> The King slowly murmured, “What is this place? Whose assembly is this?” like a bee trapped in the cup of a sinking lotus.  

> Then the assembly respectfully asked, “O lord, what is this?” like a buzzing bee seeing the Sun as if seized by Rahu.  

> Then the leading men and ministers questioned him, just as the gods, terrified by the onset of cosmic dissolution, once questioned Sage Markandeya.  

> “O Lord, while you are in this state we are extremely anxious. Even unbreakable things are broken by groundless delusions of the mind.”  

Summary of the Teachings: 

These verses show how a person can suddenly return from a deep state of mental delusion or magical illusion to ordinary awareness. The king’s sudden recovery is compared to a lotus that blooms again once the rains clear, teaching that clarity of mind can return quickly once the covering of confusion lifts. The strong physical shaking that follows reveals how deeply the body and mind are linked; a powerful inner experience leaves visible outer signs.  

The attendants’ prompt support of the falling king points to the value of steady companions in moments of weakness. Just as surrounding mountains hold up Meru during upheaval, wise friends and counselors steady a person when the mind is unsettled. The king’s confused appearance, like the moon tossed by waves, shows that even after awakening the mind may still carry traces of disturbance and need gentle help to regain balance.  

The king’s soft questions—“What place is this? Whose court is this?”—illustrate the natural response of a mind that has briefly lost its bearings. Like a bee inside a sinking lotus, the person feels enclosed and uncertain until the outer world is recognized again. The respectful inquiry of the assembly mirrors the concern of those who care for someone returning from confusion; their tone is gentle yet urgent, seeking to understand what has occurred.  

The ministers’ questioning, compared to the gods asking Markandeya during the fear of cosmic dissolution, teaches that great upheavals—whether outer catastrophe or inner delusion—prompt the same search for explanation. Even the wise feel temporary fear when familiar order is shaken, yet steady inquiry restores perspective.  

Finally, the courtiers’ words state the central lesson: groundless mental delusions can shake even a firm mind. No one is immune to sudden confusion arising without clear outer cause. The teaching urges constant discrimination and calm awareness so that the mind remains unshaken by fleeting illusions, whether produced by magic, dream, or ordinary error.  

Chapter 3.104, Verses 32~49

Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.32~49

(The King and the magician)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

तां ददर्श महीपालस्तेजोरेणुविराजिताम्।

शक्रः सुरविमानस्थः स्वकार्मुकलतामिव ॥ ३२॥

सभां सैन्धवसामन्तो विवेशास्मिन्क्षणे तदा।

तारापरिकरापूर्णां व्योमवीथीमिवाम्बुदः ॥ ३३॥

तं चैवानुजगामाश्वः सौम्यः परमवेगवान्।

देवलोकोन्मुखं तुष्टं शक्रमुच्चैःश्रवा इव ॥ ३४॥

स तमश्वमुपादाय पार्थिवं समुवाच ह।

सोच्चैःश्रवा इव क्षीरसागरो मरुतां पतिम् ॥ ३५॥

इदमुच्चैःश्रवःप्रख्यं हयरत्नं महीपते।

जवोडुयनशीलेन मूर्तिमानिव मारुतः ॥ ३६॥

अश्वोऽयमस्मत्प्रभुणा प्रभो संप्रहितस्त्वयि।

राजते हि पदार्थश्रीर्महतामर्पणाच्छुभा ॥ ३७॥

(३.१०४.३८–४३)

बोधितः केनचिन्नासौ स्वप्रतापजितोर्जितः।

धिया कामप्ययं भूयश्चिन्तां चिन्तयतीति च ॥ ४४॥

बभूवुः केवलं तत्र निःस्पन्दसितचामराः।

चामरिण्यो हि शर्वर्यः स्तम्भितेन्दुकरा इव ॥ ४५॥

विरेजुर्विस्मयापूर्णा निःस्पन्दास्ते सभासदः।

निःस्पन्दकिञ्जल्कदलाः पद्माः पङ्ककृता इव ॥ ४६॥

प्रशशाम सभास्थाने जनकोलाहलः शनैः।

प्रशान्तप्रावृषि व्योमन्याम्भोदमिव गर्जितम् ॥ ४७॥

संदेहसागरे मग्ना जग्मुश्चिन्तां सुमन्त्रिणः।

विषीदति गदापाणावसुराजाविवामराः ॥ ४८॥

विततविस्मितजिह्नितया तया जनतया भयमोहविषण्णया।

स्तिमितचक्षुषि भूमिपतौ स्थिते मुकुलिताज्जवनस्य धृता द्युतिः ॥ ४९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.104.32–37

> The King saw that bright staff circling and shining with sparkling particles of light, just as Indra sees his glowing rainbow in the sky.

> At that moment a chieftain from the Sindhu region entered the assembly, like a cloud appearing in the starry sky.

> A gentle yet extremely swift horse followed him at once, just as the celestial horse Uchchaihsravas follows Indra when he sets out toward the World of the gods.

> Taking hold of that horse, the chieftain spoke to the King, just as the milky ocean once presented Uchchaihsravas to the Lord of the winds.

> “O King of the Earth, this jewel among horses is equal to Uchchaihsravas. In its power to race and leap it is like the wind given bodily form.”

> “Our master has sent this horse to you, O Lord. The beauty of a fine object shines even more when it is offered by the great.”

3.104.38–43. 

> After the chieftain finished speaking, the magician said in a sweet voice that the King should mount the horse and roam freely over the Earth, shining like the Sun as it circles the sky. Hearing this, the King looked at the horse and ordered it brought forward. He gazed at it steadily with unblinking eyes, as if he himself had become a painted picture. After looking for a long time he mounted and sat motionless with closed eyes, remaining for about two hours as if lost in deep meditation, completely unaware of the outer World.

3.104.44–49

> No one could awaken him. Overcome by the power of his own mind, he remained absorbed in some thought of his own.

> Only the motionless white fly-whisks remained there; the women holding them stood still like nights whose moonlight has been frozen.

> The assembled courtiers sat motionless and full of wonder, like lotuses whose filaments and petals have become fixed in mud.

> Little by little the noise of the crowd in the assembly hall died away, just as the thunder of rain-clouds fades when the rainy season ends.

> The wise ministers sank into doubt and anxiety, just as the gods grow distressed when Vishnu, mace in hand, battles the demon kings.

> While the King sat with closed eyes, the people—filled with wonder, fear, and confusion—lost their brightness, like lotuses whose petals have closed.

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses form part of the story of King Lavana and show how a single intense mental impression can seize the mind completely. The sudden appearance of the fine horse and the magician’s suggestion draw the king’s full attention; within moments he is no longer aware of the royal court around him. This illustrates that the outer world loses all force once the mind becomes absorbed in an inner scene of its own making.

The stillness that falls over the entire assembly—the motionless fly-whisks, the silent courtiers, the hushed noise—mirrors the king’s inner state. When the ruling Consciousness becomes fixed, every surrounding activity appears frozen. The text thereby teaches that outer events are secondary; they take their character from the condition of the mind that perceives them.

Verses 44–46 stress that the King is not overpowered by any external force but by the power of his own thought. Once a strong idea takes hold, even the strongest person remains as if bound. No outer call can interrupt the stream of imagination until the mind itself releases it. This points to the central teaching that the mind alone creates and sustains the experiences we call real.

The anxiety of the ministers and the fear of the people further reveal how quickly collective Consciousness is affected by the state of one dominant mind. When the king’s awareness withdraws, the whole court loses its usual vitality. The passage therefore shows the interdependence of individual and collective mental states and the ease with which confusion spreads when attention is misdirected.

Taken together, the verses prepare the larger lesson of the Lavana story: that the world we experience is a mental construction, as fleeting and changeable as a dream or a magician’s illusion. By watching the King pass in an instant from open-eyed alertness into complete absorption, the reader is invited to examine the power of his or her own mind and to recognize that liberation begins when that power is understood and mastered.

Chapter 3.104, Verses 1~31

Yoga Vashishtha 3.104.1~31

(The King and the magician)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

अत्र ते श्रृणु वक्ष्यामि वृत्तान्तमिममुत्तमम्।

जागतीहेन्द्रजालश्रीश्चित्तायत्ता यथा स्थिता ॥ १॥

अस्त्यस्मिन्वसुधापीठे नानावनसमाकुलः।

उत्तरापाण्डवो नाम स्फीतो जनपदो महान् ॥ २॥

नीरन्ध्रघनगम्भीरवन विश्रान्ततापसः।

विद्याधरीकृतलतादोलोपवनपत्तनः ॥ ३॥

वातोद्धूताञ्जकिञ्जल्कपुञ्जपिञ्जरपर्वतः।

लसत्कुसुमसंभारवनमालावतंसकः ॥ ४॥

(३.१०४.५–११)

तत्रास्ति लवणो नाम राजा परमधार्मिकः।

हरिश्चन्द्रकुलोद्भूतो भूमाविव दिवाकरः ॥ १२॥

यद्यशःकुसुमोत्तंसपाण्डुरस्कन्धमण्डलाः।

तत्र शैला विराजन्ते हाराः प्रोद्धूलिता इव ॥ १३॥

कृपाणशकलोत्कृत्तनिःशेषारातिमण्डलः।

अरातिलोकः प्राप्नोति यदनुस्मरणाज्ज्वरम् ॥ १४॥

यस्योदारसमारम्भमार्यलोकानुपालनम्।

चरितं संस्मरिष्यन्ति हरेरिव चिरं जनाः ॥ १५॥

यस्याप्सरोमिरद्रीन्द्रमूर्धस्वमरसद्मसु।

विकासिपुलकोल्लासं गीयन्ते गुणगीतयः ॥ १६॥

(३.१०४.१७–२५)

सभां विवेश साटोपः कश्चित्तामैन्द्रजालिकः।

वर्षेणाहितसंरम्भो वसुधामिव वारिदः ॥ २६॥

स ननाम महीपालं शिखरोदारकन्धरम्।

पादोपान्तगतः कान्तं शैलं फलतरुर्यथा ॥ २७॥

सच्छायस्योन्नतांसस्य फलिनः पुष्पभासिनः।

स विवेश पुरो राज्ञस्तरोरग्रे कपिर्यथा ॥ २८॥

चपलो लम्पटोऽर्थानामामोदसुखमारुतम्।

उवाचोत्कन्धरं भूपं सपद्ममिव षट्पदः ॥ २९॥

विलोकय विभो तावदेकामिह खरोलिकाम्।

पीठस्थ एव साश्चर्यां व्योम्नि चन्द्र इवावनिम् ॥ ३०॥

इत्युक्त्वा पिच्छिका तेन भ्रामिता भ्रमदायिनी।

नानाविरचनाबीजं मायेव परमात्मनः ॥ ३१॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.104.1–4

> Listen, I shall now tell you this excellent story of how the wondrous magic of the world depends entirely on the mind.

> On this earth there is a large and prosperous country named Uttara-Pandava, full of many kinds of forests.

> In its dense, deep, and thick forests, holy ascetics find rest. Celestial maidens have turned the groves with creeper-swings into pleasant settlements.

> The mountains there are yellow with masses of flower stamens scattered by the wind, and the land is decorated with shining garlands of forest flowers.

3.104.5–11

> These verses continue the description of the beautiful country. They speak of wild thickets with flowering trees, villages among date palms, the air filled with buzzing sounds, golden-hued paddy fields and rocky rows, forests echoing with the calls of blue-throated birds, groves resounding with the cries of cranes, soft bird songs, riverbanks with red-flowering trees, singing girls in the fields, flower-laden clouds stirred by the breeze, and pavilions of banana groves where divine singers perform, all making the land look pale and lovely with its flower gardens.

3.104.12–16

> In that country lives a King named Lavana, who is extremely righteous. He was born in the family of Harishchandra and shines on Earth like the Sun.

> The mountains there, whitened by the flower-garlands of his fame on their broad peaks, shine brightly as if they were scattered pearl necklaces.

> He has completely destroyed all his enemies with the edge of his sword. Even the memory of him causes feverish fear among enemy peoples.

> People will long remember his noble works and his protection of good people, just as they remember the deeds of Lord Hari.

> On the peaks of the great mountains and in the homes of the gods, celestial nymphs sing songs of his virtues with great joy and thrill.

3.104.17–25

These verses further praise the King’s pure and lofty character. They say that even in dreams no base or faulty act of his has ever been seen or heard. He knows no crookedness and has never shown boldness in wrong ways; he holds generosity as firmly as Brahma holds his rosary. Then they describe a day when the King sits on his throne in the assembly hall after the Sun has risen high. Feudatory armies enter with respect, beautiful women sing, kings sit comfortably, the sound of lutes and flutes delights the mind, graceful women wave chowries, the King sits like a teacher of gods and demons, the ministers are at ease, royal business is discussed, country news is reported by skilled ministers, sacred histories are recited from books, and bards humbly chant holy praises.

3.104.26–31

> At that time a certain proud magician entered the assembly, like a rain-cloud that stirs the whole earth with its coming showers.

> He bowed to the King, who had a lofty and noble neck, going near his feet, just as a fruit-laden tree bows before a beautiful mountain.

> He stood before the King like a monkey climbing to the top of a shady, high-branched, fruit-bearing, and flower-bright tree.

> The restless man, greedy for gain, spoke to the attentive King (whose presence was like a fragrant pleasant breeze) just as a bee speaks to a lotus.

> “O Lord, while you remain seated on your throne, look at just one wonderful puppet-show of mine, as the Moon in the sky looks down upon the Earth.”

> Saying this, he whirled a magic whisk of peacock feathers that creates illusion, like the Supreme Self’s own maya which is the seed of all varied creations.

Detailed Summary of the Teachings:

These verses introduce the famous story of King Lavana to show that the entire world-appearance is like a magic show created by the mind. Vasistha begins by stating that the splendour of worldly illusion depends wholly on the mind, preparing the listener to see that what seems solid and real is only a mental projection.

The detailed and beautiful description of the country Uttara-Pandava and its forests, mountains, birds, flowers, and settlements serves to create a vivid, dream-like picture. This richness of imagery itself illustrates how the mind can construct an entire world of sights, sounds, and feelings that appear completely real while they last.

King Lavana is presented as an ideal, righteous ruler whose fame, power, and virtue are celebrated even by gods and celestial beings. His exalted character makes the later events more striking: if such a great King can be completely overpowered by a momentary mental illusion, then ordinary people are even more subject to the mind’s magic.

The sudden entrance of the proud magician into the peaceful royal assembly and his whirling of the peacock-feather wand mark the beginning of the demonstration. The magician’s action is compared directly to the cosmic maya of the Supreme Self, showing that individual mental tricks and the grand illusion of creation are of the same nature.

Taken together, the passage teaches that all experiences—pleasant landscapes, royal glory, fear of enemies, and sudden magical transformations—are products of the mind. By watching how quickly and completely a solid-seeming reality can be replaced by another, the seeker is invited to question the solidity of the waking world and to turn attention inward to the Pure Consciousness that alone is Real.

Chapter 3.103, Verses 10–19

Yoga Vashishtha 3.103.10–19

(The mind is the sole creator and substance of the world we experience)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

चित्रां क्रीडनकश्रेणीं यथा पङ्काद्गृहे शिशुः।

करोत्येवं मनो राम विकल्पं कुरुते जगत् ॥ १०॥

मनःसर्वजनक्रीडा नृजम्बाललवेष्वतः।

किमेतद्धि पदार्थेषु रूढं जगति कल्प्यते ॥ ११॥

करोत्यृतुकरः कालो यथा रूपान्यथा तरोः।

चित्तमेवं पदार्थानामेषामेवान्यतामिव ॥ १२॥

मनोरथे तथा स्वप्ने संकल्पकलनासु च।

गोष्पदं योजनव्यूहः स्वासु लीलासु चेतसः ॥ १३॥

कल्पं क्षणीकरोत्यन्तः क्षणं नयति कल्पताम्।

मनस्तदायत्तमतो देशकालक्रमं विदुः ॥ १४॥

तीव्रमन्दत्वसंवेगाद्बहुत्वाल्पत्वभेदतः।

विलम्बनेन च चिरं नतु शक्तिमशक्तितः ॥ १५॥

व्यामोहसंभ्रमानर्थदेशकालगमागमाः।

चेतसः प्रभवन्त्येते पादपादिव पल्लवाः ॥ १६॥

जलमेव यथाम्भोधिरौष्ण्यमेव यथानलः।

तथा विविधसंरम्भः संसारश्चित्तमेव वा ॥ १७॥

सकर्तृकर्मकरणं यदिदं चेत्यमागतम्।

द्रष्टृदर्शनदृश्याढ्यं तत्सर्वं चित्तमेव च ॥ १८॥

चित्तं जगन्ति भुवनानि वनान्तराणि संलक्ष्यते स्वयमुपागतमात्मभेदैः।

केयूरमौलिकटकैश्च लसत्स्वरूपं त्यक्त्वैव काञ्चनधियेव जनेन हेम ॥ १९॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.103.10–19

> O Rama, just as a child at home makes a variety of toys from mud, so the mind creates the World as a mere conceptual fabrication.

> The mind, the creator of all, plays within these fragments of human existence (like mud for toys). Therefore, what among the objects of this World is truly fixed, and what is merely imagined?

> Just as Time, which brings the seasons, changes the forms of a tree, so the mind alters the nature of these objects, making them appear different.

> In mental fancies, in dreams, and in conceptual constructions, a cow’s hoof-print becomes an expanse of many miles in the mind’s own playful activities.

> The mind internally turns an age into a moment and stretches a moment into an age. Therefore, the order of Space and Time is known to depend on the mind.

> The sense of long duration comes from intensity or dullness of feeling, from differences of many or few, and from delay—not from any real power or lack of power.

> Delusion, confusion, misfortune, and the coming and going of Space and Time all arise from the mind, just as sprouts grow from a tree.

> Just as the Ocean is nothing but water, and fire is nothing but heat, so the various activities and the cycle of Worldly existence are nothing but the mind itself.

> Whatever appears as having agent, action, and instrument, and is full of the Seer, the seeing, and the seen—all of that is the mind alone.

> The mind itself appears as the Worlds, realms, and forests through its own distinctions. This is like people who, seeing gold only as armlets, crowns, and bracelets, overlook the pure shining nature of the gold itself.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the mind is the sole creator and substance of the world we experience. Just as a child freely shapes mud into many toys, the mind fabricates the entire Universe through its own conceptual activity. Nothing in the outer World has independent, fixed Reality; everything is a product of mental imagination and play.

The mind constantly changes the appearance of things, just as the seasons transform a tree. In dreams, daydreams, and mental constructions, distances and times lose all ordinary measure: a tiny space can seem vast, and long ages can shrink to moments. Space and Time themselves are therefore not absolute; they depend entirely on the mind’s activity.

Perceptions of duration, quantity, speed, and delay arise only from the mind’s varying intensity and focus, not from any external power. Delusion, confusion, suffering, and the movements of Space and Time all spring from the mind in the same natural way that leaves grow from a tree.

The whole cycle of worldly life, with all its varied activities, is nothing other than the mind, just as the ocean is only water and fire is only heat. Every element of experience—the doer, the deed, the means, the Seer, the seeing, and the seen—is simply the mind appearing in different forms.

Finally, the mind itself appears as the many Worlds and forests through its own self-divisions. People mistake these changing forms for independent realities, just as they overlook pure gold while focusing only on the shapes of ornaments. The teaching points toward recognizing the mind’s true nature and thereby seeing beyond the fabricated World.

Chapter 3.103, Verses 1–9

Yoga Vashishtha 3.103.1–9

(The mind alone is the source of the entire World we experience)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

परस्मादुत्थितं चेतस्तत्कल्लोल इवार्णवात्।

स्फारतामेत्य भुवनं तनोतीदमितस्ततः ॥ १॥

ह्रस्वं दीर्घं करोत्याशु दीर्घं नयति खर्वताम्।

स्वतां नयत्यन्यदलं स्वं तथैवान्यतामपि ॥ २॥

प्रादेशमात्रमपि यद्वस्तुभावनयैव तत्।

स्वयं संपन्नयेवाशु करोत्यद्रीन्द्रभासुरम् ॥ ३॥

लब्धप्रतिष्ठं परमात्पदादुल्लसितं मनः।

निमेषेणैव संसारान्करोति न करोति च ॥ ४॥

यदिदं दृश्यते किंचिज्जगत्स्थास्नु चरिष्णु च।

सर्वं सर्वप्रकाराढ्यं चित्तादेतदुपागतम् ॥ ५॥

देशकालक्रियाद्रव्यशक्तिपर्याकुलीकृतम्।

भावाद्भावान्तरं याति लोलत्वान्नटवन्मनः ॥ ६॥

सदसत्तां नयत्याशु सत्तां वा सन्नयत्यलम्।

तादृशान्येव चादत्ते सुखदुःखानि भावितम् ॥ ७॥

यदाप्तं स्वयमादत्ते यथैव चञ्चलं मनः।

हस्तपादादिसंघातस्तदा प्रयतते तथा ॥ ८॥

ततः सैव क्रिया चित्तसमाहितफलाफलम्।

क्षणात्प्रयच्छति लता कालसिक्तेव तादृशम् ॥ ९॥

Sage Vashishta said:

3.103.1–9

> The mind rises from the Supreme like a wave rising from the Ocean. Expanding, it spreads this whole World in all directions.

> It quickly turns what is short into long and what is long into short. It makes another thing its own and its own into another.

> Even a thing only a span long, by mere thought of its nature, it quickly makes as bright and great as a mighty mountain, as if completed by itself.

> The mind, firmly established and risen from the Supreme State, in a single moment both creates and does not create the cycles of Worldly life.

> Whatever is seen in this World—whether still or moving—all of it, full of every kind of variety, has come only from the mind.

> Agitated by place, time, action, substance and power, the restless mind moves from one State to another like an actor.

> It quickly turns the Real into the unreal or the unreal into the Real. And it experiences only those joys and sorrows that it itself has imagined.

> When the restless mind itself accepts something, then the group of hands, feet and other body parts also strives to act in the same way.

> Then that very action, according to the fruit or lack of fruit held in the mind, quickly gives the result, just as a creeper watered at the right time yields its fruit.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the mind alone is the source of the entire World we experience. Just as a wave rises from the ocean yet remains of the same nature, the mind arises from the Supreme Reality and then expands to create the appearance of the Universe with all its forms and movements. Nothing outside the mind has independent existence; the World is the mind’s own projection.

The mind possesses unlimited power to reshape reality according to its thoughts. It can make the small appear large, the distant near, the short long, and the Real unreal. By pure imagination it turns a tiny object into something majestic. In an instant it can create countless worlds of experience or dissolve them again.

All that we see—moving or unmoving, of every variety—originates solely from the mind. The mind is never still; disturbed by ideas of place, time, action and objects, it constantly shifts from one state to another like an actor changing roles. Because of this restlessness it fabricates every experience of joy and sorrow.

The body simply follows the mind. When the mind decides or accepts something, the limbs move accordingly. Actions themselves produce results only according to the ideas the mind holds about success or failure, just as a plant yields fruit when properly nourished.

Therefore the root of bondage and suffering is the restless, projecting mind. Understanding that the world is nothing but the mind’s creation, and learning to quiet and master the mind, is the way to freedom from the endless cycle of experience.

Chapter 3.102, Verses 32–41

Yoga Vashishtha 3.102.32–41

(The mind and the world-appearance it projects can be dissolved only through clear inquiry and discrimination)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

लयमस्याः स्वरूपं त्वं नय राम विचारणात्।

यथा हिमशिलायास्तु तपनाद्दिवसाधिपः ॥ ३२॥

हिमाभावार्थिनोऽर्कस्य स्वोदयेनेप्सितं यथा।

सिद्ध्यत्येवं विचारेण मनोनाशार्थिनोऽर्थितम् ॥ ३३॥

अविद्याऽसंप्रबुद्धा हि विततानर्थदुर्गमा।

नानेन्द्रजालकलनां शम्बरो हेम वर्षति ॥ ३४॥

स्वविनाशक्रियां चैतां मन एव करोत्यलम्।

मनो ह्यात्मवधं नाम नाटकं परिनृत्यति ॥ ३५॥

आत्मानमीक्षते चेतः स्वविनाशाय केवलम्।

नहि जानाति दुर्बुद्धिर्विनाशं प्रत्युपस्थितम् ॥ ३६॥

स्वयं संकल्पमात्रेण स्वविनाशदृशामिदम्।

मनः संसाधयत्याशु क्लेशो नात्रोपयुज्यते ॥ ३७॥

स्वसंकल्पविकल्पांशं विवेकोपहितं मनः।

संत्यज्य रूपमाभोगि करोत्यात्मावबोधनम् ॥ ३८॥

महोदयो मनोनाशो महोच्छेदस्य तूदयः।

मनोनाशे प्रयत्नं त्वं कुरु मा मनसो जवे ॥ ३९॥

अविरलसुखदुःखवृक्षखण्डे विषमकृतान्तमहोरगे वनेऽस्मिन्।

प्रभुरिदमखिले विवेकहीनं सुभग मनो महदापदेकहेतुः ॥ ४०॥

इत्युक्तवत्यथ मुनौ दिवसो जगाम सायंतनाय विधयेऽस्तमिनो जगाम।

स्नातुं सभा कृतनमस्करणा जगाम श्यामाक्षये रविकरैश्च सहाजगाम ॥ ४१॥

Sage Vashishta concluded:

3.102.32–41

> O Rama, by means of inquiry bring this (mind or world-appearance) to dissolution in its own nature, just as the Lord of the day (the Sun) melts a block of ice by his heat.  

> Just as the Sun, desiring the absence of snow, achieves his wish simply by rising, so the one who desires the destruction of the mind achieves that wish through inquiry.  

> Unawakened ignorance spreads wide and is hard to cross because of the many evils it brings; it creates varied magical illusions, just as the sorcerer Shambara rains down gold.  

> The mind itself fully performs this act of its own destruction; the mind dances the drama called the killing of the Self.  

> The mind looks upon itself only for the sake of its own destruction; the foolish mind does not even know that destruction has already drawn near.  

> By its own mere resolve the mind quickly brings about this vision of its own destruction; no special effort or pain is needed for it.  

> The mind that is joined with discrimination abandons the expansive form made of resolve and doubt, and brings about the awakening to the Self.  

> The destruction of the mind is a great rising; the rising of the mind is the rise of great destruction. Therefore make effort for the destruction of the mind and do not follow the speed of the mind.  

> In this forest dense with the trees of unbroken pleasure and pain, and filled with the great uneven serpent of death, the master of all this, lacking discrimination, is the beautiful mind—the single cause of great calamity.  

> When the Sage had thus spoken, the day came to an end; the Sun set for the performance of the evening rites. The assembly, after offering salutations, went to bathe, and darkness arrived together with the rays of the Sun.  

Detailed summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the mind and the world-appearance it projects can be dissolved only through clear inquiry and discrimination. Just as the sun’s natural heat melts ice without any extra struggle, the simple rising of right understanding melts the solid-seeming structures of thought and appearance. No external force is required; the light of reason itself is enough.  

Ignorance, while still unexamined, spreads endlessly and multiplies every kind of suffering and magical deception. It is compared to a sorcerer’s gold-showering illusion—dazzling yet empty. The mind, far from being a helpless victim, actively stages its own destruction; it dances the very drama of its own death while remaining unaware that the end has already approached.  

Remarkably, this destruction needs no painful struggle. A single firm resolve, supported by discrimination, is sufficient. When the mind is purified by viveka it simply drops its restless play of resolve and doubt and turns toward the recognition of the Self. The moment the mind is restrained, a great ascent occurs; when the mind is allowed to race unchecked, great downfall follows.  

Therefore the sole practical instruction is to strive for the quieting and ultimate dissolution of the mind rather than to follow its restless speed. The mind without discrimination is pictured as the lord of a dense forest of pleasure and pain, a forest haunted by the serpent of death; it alone is the root cause of every great calamity.  

The chapter ends with the natural close of the day’s teaching: the Sun sets, the assembly disperses for evening rites, and night falls. The quiet rhythm of nature itself mirrors the quieting that the teaching recommends—inquiry brings the restless mind to rest just as evening brings the day to rest.

Chapter 3.102, Verses 21–31

Yoga Vashishtha 3.102.21–31

(The body is perishable while the Self is Eternal and Unchanging)

श्रीवसिष्ठ उवाच।

यः कुण्डवदरन्यायो यो घटाकाशयोः क्रमः।

स्थितिर्देहात्मनोः सैव सविनाशाविनाशयोः ॥ २१॥

बदरं हस्तमायाति यथा स्फुटति कुण्डके।

आत्मा गगनमायाति तथा चलति देहके ॥ २२॥

कुम्भे गच्छत्यकुम्भत्वं कुम्भाकाशो यथाम्बरे।

तिष्ठत्येवमयं क्षीणे देहे देही निरामयः ॥ २३॥

मनोदेहो हि जन्तूनां देशकालतिरोहितः।

मुहुर्मृतिपटाच्छन्नः शठे किं परिदेवना ॥ २४॥

देशकालतिरोधाने मूढोऽपि मरणे नरः।

किं बिभेति महाबाहो नेह पश्यति कश्चन ॥ २५॥

अतस्त्वं वासनां राम मिथ्यैवाहमिति स्थिताम्।

त्यज पक्षीश्वरो व्योमगमनोत्क इवाण्डकम् ॥ २६॥

एषा हि मानसी शक्तिरिष्टानिष्टनिबन्धनी।

अनयैव मुधा भ्रान्त्या स्वप्नवत्परिकल्पना ॥ २७॥

अविद्यैषा दुरन्तैषा दुःखायैषा विवर्धते।

 अपरिज्ञायमानैषा तनोतीदमसन्मयम् ॥ २८॥

एषा तुच्छवदाकाशं तुषारमलिनं यथा।

परिपश्यति विभ्रान्ता स्वरूपस्य स्वभावतः ॥ २९॥

असदेवेदमारम्भमन्थरं सदिवोत्थितम्।

 कल्पितं जगदाभोगि दीर्घस्वप्न इवैतया ॥ ३०॥

भावनामात्र एवास्याः स्वरूपं कर्तृतां गतम्।

जगन्नामाविलं चक्षुर्व्योम्नि बिम्बरुचामिव ॥ ३१॥

Sage Vashishta continued:

3.102.21–31

> The same rule that applies to a berry inside a pot, and to the space inside a pot, also applies to the body and the Self: one is perishable, the other is not.

> Just as a berry comes into the hand when the pot breaks, so the Self enters Pure Space when the body moves or falls.

> Just as the space inside a pot becomes one with the open sky when the pot is broken, so the Self remains free from all harm when the body wastes away.

> The mind and body of living Beings are hidden by place and time, and are repeatedly covered by the veil of death. Why then grieve for the foolish?

> Even a foolish person fears death when place and time hide the body. O mighty-armed one, no one truly sees anything here.

> Therefore, O Rama, give up the false idea “I am this body,” just as a great bird leaves its egg-shell in its eagerness to fly through the sky.

> This power of the mind binds us to what is liked and disliked. Through this empty delusion it creates the World like a dream.

> This ignorance is endless and grows only to cause sorrow. When it is not understood, it spreads this unreal world.

> This ignorance, restless by nature, sees empty space as if it were filled with mist, just as a confused mind sees its own nature wrongly.

> This unreal World rises slowly and appears real. The whole expanse of the World is imagined by it, like a long dream.

> Its very nature is only thought, yet it takes on the role of the doer. The entire World is like the many images of the Sun that appear in the sky when the eyes blink.

Summary of the teachings:

These verses teach that the body is perishable while the Self is Eternal and Unchanging. The body is compared to a pot or a vessel that holds something greater; when the pot breaks, the space or the fruit inside is not destroyed. In the same way, when the body dies, the Self simply becomes free and remains pure, without any harm or change.

Fear of death and grief over the body arise only from ignorance and false identification with the body. The mind and body appear and disappear according to place and time, covered again and again by death. A wise person does not waste energy mourning what is temporary and has no real substance.

The root of suffering is the false sense of “I am the body.” This idea must be completely abandoned, just as a bird ready to fly leaves behind the shell of its egg. Once this false notion is dropped, the Self is free to rest in its True Nature.

The mind itself creates the appearance of the world through its own power. It binds us to likes and dislikes and projects a dream-like reality that seems solid. This ignorance is endless and keeps growing as long as it is not clearly understood, spreading an unreal World full of sorrow.

In truth, the World is nothing but a mental construction, like a long dream or like many Suns appearing in the sky when the eyes blink. Its only substance is thought. When this is seen clearly, the false sense of doership and the entire World of suffering dissolve, leaving the pure, unharmed Self.