The
Yoga Vasishtha
Maharamayana
of Valmiki
The only complete English translation is
by Vihari Lala Mitra (1891).
CHAPTER XIX.—Investigation into the nature of the Living
soul.
Argument. The quadruple conditions of the
soul in its waking,
dreaming, sound sleep and its anaesthesia.
Vasishtha continued:—Brahmā is the seed of
life, and remains as empty
air everywhere. Hence there are many kinds of
living beings, situated in
the world within the womb of universal Life.
(God is the light and life
of all we see).
2. All living beings composed of the dense
intellect and soul, contain
other living animals under one another, like
the manifold crusts of the
plantain tree, and the insects contained in
the womb of earth. (So also
the parasite plants and worms growing upon
the bodies of trees and
animals).
3. The worms and insects, that grow out of
the dirt and scum of earth
and water in the hot season, and appear
filthy to our sight; are
nevertheless full of the particles of
intellect, becoming to them as
living beings. (Even the dirty worms, are
full with the holy spirit of
god).
4. According as living beings strive for
their progress, so they prosper
in their lives, agreeably to the various
scope of their thoughts and
actions.
5. The worshippers of gods, get to the region
of gods, and those of
Yakshas meet at the place of Yakshas, and the
adorers of Brahmā ascend
to Brahmaloka. Resort therefore to what is
best and the greatest refuge.
6. So the son of Bhrigu, obtained his
liberation at last by the purity
of his conscience; though he was enslaved of
his own nature to the
visibles, at his first sight of them (as of
the Apsara and others).
7. The child that is born on earth with the
purity of its soul at first,
becomes afterwards of the same nature, as the
education he gets herein,
and not otherwise.
8. Rāma said:—Please sir, tell me the
difference of the states of
waking and dreaming, and what are the states
of waking watchfulness,
waking dream and waking delusion.
9. Vasishtha answered:—The waking state is
that wherein we have a sure
reliance; and that is called dreaming, in
which we place no certain
reliance and believe to be untrue.
10. That which is seen for a moment (as
true), and as it were in the
waking state, is called a dream; but if the
object is seen at a distance
of time and place, it is said to be waking
dream or dreaming
wakefulness.
11. The state of waking dream is again of
longer or shorter duration, in
both of which the visions appear the same at
all places and times.
12. Dreaming also appears as waking, as long
as it lasts; but waking
seems as dreaming, when the objects of its
vision are not lasting.
13. A dream which is understood as an
occurrence of the waking state, is
believed as waking (as the prolonged dream of
Harish Chandra); but the
inward consciousness of dreaming makes it a
dream.
14. As long as one knows anything to be
lasting before him, so long he
believes himself to be waking, but no sooner
is it lost to him, than he
thinks himself to have been dreaming of it.
15. Hear now how it is. There is the
principle of life in the body,
which causes it to live; this vital element
is an electric force, which
is termed the life.
16. When the body has its activity with the
powers of the mind, speech
and the other members of action, it is to be
understood, that its vital
element is put to motion by the vital breath
which it breathes.
17. This breath circulating through out the
whole body, gives it the
powers of sensibility and consciousness,
which have their seats in the
heart and mind, wherein the erroneous
conception of the world is hidden.
18. The mind circulates about the outer
world, through the passages of
sight and other organs; and sees within
itself the forms of many mutable
shapes and figures.
19. As long as these forms, remain permanent
in the mind, it is called
the waking state. So far have I told you
about the cause of waking; now
hear me expound to you the laws of sleep and
dreaming.
20. When the body is weary with action of its
limbs, mind or speech, the
living element then becomes still, and
remains in its composure, with
the calm and quiet soul residing within the
body.
21. The internal actions of the body and mind
being quieted, and the
motion of the heart being at rest, the living
principle becomes as
still, as the flame of a lamp unshaken by the
wind.
22. The vital power ceases to exert itself in
the members of the body,
and to keep the consciousness awake. The
senses of sight and others do
not act upon their organs, nor receive the
sensations from without.
23. Life lies latent in the inner heart, as
the liquid oil resides in
the sesamum seed; it lies as dormant in the
interior part, as frigidity
within the frost, and fluidity in the
clarified butter.
24. The particle of intellect taking the form
of life, after being
purified from its earthly impurity; mixes
with the internal soul, and
attains the state of sound sleep, as if
lulled to insensibility by the
cooling breeze.
25. One feeling the impassibility of his
mind, and dealing unconcernedly
with every one, and reaching to the fourth
stage of consciousness,
beyond the three states of waking, dreaming
and sleeping, is said to be
turīya or deadened in life.
26. When the vital principle comes again to
action, after the enjoyment
of its sound sleep, either in this or the
other world, (i.e. when
it
is restored to or reborn in life); it takes
the name of the living
element or the mind or self-consciousness (in
the living body).
27. This principle of life and thought, sees
the multitudinous worlds
situated with all their vicissitudes within
itself, as the large tree
and all its parts and productions, are
observed to be contained within
the seed. (This is the picture of life in its
dreaming state).
28. When the element of life is put to slight
motion, by the breeze of
the vital breath, it becomes conscious of its
self-existence as "I am";
but the motion being accelerated, it finds
itself to be flying in the
air.
29. When it is immerged in the water (phlegm)
of the body: it gets the
feeling of humidity in itself, as a flower
perceives its own fragrance.
30. When it is assailed by the internal bile,
it has then the feeling of
its inward heat, and sees all outward objects
with its splenetic humour.
31. When it is full of blood, it perceives a
fiery redness in itself,
like that of a rubicund rock, or as the
crimson red of the setting sun
in the sky.
32. Whatever one desires to have, he sees the
same in himself in his
sleep; and this is by the force of his inward
wind acting upon his mind,
as upon his outward organs.
33. When the organs are not besieged by
external objects, which disturb
the inward senses of the mind; it indulges
itself in the reflexion of
many things, which is called its dreaming
state.
34. But when the organs are besieged by
outward objects, and the mind is
moved by flatulence ([Bengali: vāyū] vāyu),
to their sight and
perception, it is called the state of waking.
35. Now O great-minded Rāma! you have learnt
the inward process of your
mind; but there is no reality in them nor in
this existent world, which
is subject to the evils of death, desire and
destruction.
CHAPTER XX.—Description of the Mind.
Argument. The delusion of the world and
reliance in the true
Spirit, which is the same with the heart,
soul and mind.
Vasishtha said:—Now Rāma! I have told you all
this, in order to explain
the nature of the mind to you, and for no
other reason.
2. Whatever the mind often thinks upon with a
strong conviction of its
reality, it immediately assumes that form, as
the iron-ball becomes
ignited by its contact with fire.
3. Therefore the convictions of being or not
being, and of receiving or
rejecting of a thing, depend upon the
imagination of the mind; they are
neither true nor untrue, but are mere
fluctuations of the mind.
4. The mind is the cause of error, and it is
the mind which is the
framer of the world. The mind also stretches
itself in the form of the
universe (Viswarūpa) in its gross state. (The
first is the human mind,
second the mind of Brahmā, and the third is
the mind of Virāj).
5. The mind is styled the purusha or regent of the body, which being
brought under subjection, and directed in the
right course, is
productive of all prosperity (or supernatural
powers).
6. If the body were the purusha, how could the highminded Sukra, pass
into various forms in his very many
transmigrations (as mentioned
before)?
7. Therefore the mind (chitta) is the purusha or regent of the body,
which is rendered sensible (chetya) by it:
Whatever form the mind
assumes to itself, it undoubtedly becomes the
same.
8. So inquire into what is great, devoid of
attributes and error, and
which is easily attainable by every body. Be
diligent in your inquiry,
and you will surely succeed to obtain the
same.
9. Hence whatever is seated in the mind, the
same comes to pass on the
body; but what is done by the body never
affects the mind. Therefore, O
fortunate Rāma! apply your mind to truth, and
shun whatever is untrue.
CHAPTER XXI.—On the Philosophy of the Mind.
Argument. Inquiry into the cause of the
fulness of the mind.
Rāma said:—Venerable sir! that art acquainted
with the mysteries of all
things, I have a great doubt swelling in my
breast like a huge surge of
the sea.
2. How is it sir, that any foulness could
attach to the mind, when it is
situated in the eternal purity of the
infinite Spirit, which is
unbounded by time and space.
3. Again as there is nothing, nor was there
ever, nor anything ever to
be at any time, or place, beside the entity
of the Holy one, how and
whence could this foulness come in Him?
4. Vasishtha answered: Well said Rāma! I see
your understanding
approaching to the way of your liberation,
and exhaling the sweetness of
the blossoms of the garden of paradise
(Nandana).
5. I see your understanding is capable of
judging both a priori and a
posteriori, and is likely to attain that acme which was gained by the
gods, Sankara and others.
6. It is not now the proper time and place
for you to propose this
question, it should be adduced when I would
come to the conclusion of
the subject.
7. This question should be asked by you when
I come to the conclusion,
and it will be demonstrated to you as clearly
as the situation of a
place in a map or globe, placed in the palm
of your hand (hastāmalaka).
8. This question of yours will be most
suitable at the end, as the
sounds of the peacock and swan, are best
suited to the rainy season and
autumn.
9. The blueness of the sky, is pleasant to
look upon at the end of the
rainy weather; but it is odd to speak of it
during the rains. (So the
question must have its proper place and
occasion).
10. It is best to investigate into the mind
by the nature of its acts
and operations, which tend to be the causes
of the repeated births of
mankind.
11. It is by its nature, that the mind has
its power of thinking, and
leading all the organs and members to their
several actions, as it is
ascertained by the seekers of salvation.
12. Men learned in the sāstras and eloquent
in speech, have given
various appellations to the mind, in
different systems of philosophy,
according to its various perceptive faculties
and different functions
and operations in the body. (Gloss. It is
called the mind (mana) from
its power of minding (manana); it is termed internal sight (pasyanti)
from its seeing inwardly; it is the ear (srotra) from its
hearing—sravana from within, and so on).
13. Whatever nature the mind assumes by the
fickleness of its thoughts,
it receives the same name and nature for
itself, as the same fleeting
air receives from its exhaling of different
odours.
14. So the mind delights itself with the
thoughts of its desired
objects, and assimilating itself into their
natures.
15. It receives the same form in which it
delights, and which it assumes
to itself in its imagination.
16. The body being subject to the mind, is
moulded in the same form of
the mind; just as the wind is perfumed by the
odour of the flowerbed,
through which it passes (and the fragrance it
carries).
17. The inward senses being excited, actuate
the outward organs of sense
in their own ways, as the exciting motion of
the winds, drives the dust
of the earth before their course.
18. The mind exerts its powers in the action
of the external organs in
the performance of their several functions;
just as the flying winds
drive the dust in different directions.
19. Such are the acts of the mind which is
said to be the root of
action, and these combine together as
inseparably as the flower and its
fragrance.
20. Whatever nature the mind adopts to itself
by its wonted habit, the
same shoots forth in the form of its two
kinds of motion (the will and
action).
21. And according as the mind does its
action, and brings about the
result by its assiduity, in like manner does
it enjoy the fruition
thereof, and enslaves itself to the
enjoyment.
22. It understands that as its right course,
which agrees well with its
temperament; and knows for certain that there
is no other way to its
real good (beside its wonted course).
23. Minds of different castes follow
different pursuits, according to
their particular proclivities; and employ
themselves in the acquisition
of wealth and virtues, desired objects and
liberation according to their
best choice.
24. The mind is ascertained by the Kāpila
(Sānkhya) philosophers, as a
pure substance, like the immaterial intellect
(under the title of
pradhāna); and this view of it is adopted in their system or
sāstra
(in opposition to the doctrine of Vedānta).
25. These men relying on the error of their
own hypothesis, inculcate
their supposed view of the mind to others, as
the only light to guide
them in the way of their salvation.
26. But the professors of Vedānta doctrines,
acknowledge the mind as
Brahmā himself; and preach peace and self-control,
as the only means of
the attainment of liberation.
27. But that there is no other way to the
salvation of the supposed mind
(than by these means), is an ipse dixit of the Vedānta, and an assumed
dogma (kalpitāniyama) as those of other schools.
28. The Vijnānavādi philosophers also, have
ascertained and upheld peace
and self-government as the leaders to
liberation, but this too is an
effusion of their erroneous understandings.
29. Thus all sects give out their own views,
in the false rules they
have adopted for the salvation of their
supposed minds; and assert that
there is no other way to it, beside what is
laid down by them.
30. So the Arhatas (Buddhists) and the other
sectarians, have proposed a
variety of fictitious methods for the
liberation of the mind, of their
arbitrary will in their respective sāstras.[3]
[3] The Arhatas have seven categories:
1. The animated and intelligent body.
2. The inanimate and insensible body as rocks
&c.
3. The organs of sense.
4. Ignorance or austerities, called Āvarana.
5. Tonsure of the head called nirāvarana.
6. Bondage to repeated births and deaths.
7. Liberation or final emancipation.
They are divided into seven schisms,
according to their belief or
disbelief in this last viz.
/* 1. Sadvādis or believers in liberation. 2.
Asadvādis—unbelievers. 3. Syadvādis—Sceptics.
4.
Sada—Sadavādis—misbelievers.
5. Anirvachaneyavādis—Infidels.
6. Nāstikas—Atheists. 7. Sūnyavādīs—Vacuists.
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31. The arbitrary rules of the learned, and
those unsupported by the
srutis, are as numerous and varying from one
another, as the bubbles of
clear water (but are never lasting like the
dicta of the holy writ).
32. Know mighty Rāma, the mind to be the
source of all these rules and
methods, as the sea is the source of every
kind of gem (lying hid in its
bosom).
33. There is no innate sweetness in the
sugarcane nor bitterness in the
nimba, both of which are sucked by insects; nor is there any
heat or
cold inherent in the sun or moon (as both of
them are peopled by gods
and spirits). It is the intrinsic habit of
the mind that makes the
difference.
34. Those that want to enjoy the
unadulterated happiness of their souls,
should habituate their minds to assimilate
themselves to that happy
state, and they are sure to have the same.
35. The mind having fled from the sphere of
the phenomenal world,
becomes exempt from all its pleasure and
pain, like the fledged bird
flying in the air by casting its shell and
leaving its cage below.
36. O sinless Rāma! Cherish no fondness for
the phenomenal world, which
is an unreal illusion, full of fear and
unholiness, and is stretched out
to ensnare the mind.
37. The wise have styled our consciousness of
the world as a magic scene
(māyā), an appearance of ignorance—avidyā, a
mere thought (bhāvanā),
and the cause and effect of our acts.
38. Know that it is the delusive mind, which
stretches the visible world
before thee, rub it off therefore as dirty
mud from the mind.
39. This visible appearance which naturally
appears before thee in the
form of the world, is called the production
of ignorance by the wise.
40. Men being deluded by it, are at a loss to
know their real good, as
the blinded eye is incapable to perceive the
brightness of the day.
41. It is the contemplation of objects
(sankalpa), that presents the
phenomena to our view, like arbors in the
empty sky; and it is their
incogitancy (asankalpana), which effaces
their images from the inward
and outward sights.
42. It is the abstract meditation of the
thoughtful yogi, that weakens
the outward impressions, and by dissociating
the soul from all external
things, keeps it steady and sedate in itself.
43. The mind being inclined to the right view
of things, by its
abstraction from the unreal sights, produces
the clearness of the
understanding, and an insouciant tranquillity
of the soul.
44. The mind that is regardless of realities
as well as of unrealities
(that is of its inward and outward
reflections); and is insensible of
pleasure and plain, feels in itself the delight
of its singleness or
unity.
45. Application of the mind to unworthy
thoughts, and to the internal or
external sights of things, debars the soul
from tasting the sweets of
its solity (apart from other considerations).
46. The mind that is subject to its endless
desires, is like the clear
firmament obscured by the clouds; and ranges
in the maze of doubt
between truth and untruth, as of supposing
the rope for the serpent.
47. Man obstructs to himself the sight of the
clear firmament of his
intellect, by the mist of his doubts; but he
thinks it as unobstructed
by his error, and indulges the fancies of his
imagination which tends
the more to his error.
48. He takes the true, incorruptible and
supreme Brahmā in a different
light (of base and corruptible things), as
one mistakes one thing for
another in the dark or in his error.
49. Having got rid of his false imagination,
man comes to the knowledge
of true God and his happiness, as one freed
from his false apprehension
of a tiger in a copse, is set at rest with
himself.
50. The bugbear of one's (soul's)
imprisonment in the vacuity (cavity)
of the body, is dispersed by his insight into
it, as the fear of a lion
lurking in the jungle, is removed upon
finding no such thing therein.
51. So on looking deeply, you will find no
bondage in the world; the
notions that this is the world and this is
myself, are only errors of
the mind.
52. It is flight of fancy, that fills the
mind with chimeras of good and
evil; just as the shade of evening, presents
spectres of vetāla ghosts
to little children.
53. Our fancies alight on us at one time, and
depart at another, and
assume different forms at will; just as our
consorts act the part of
wives in our youth, and of nurses in our old
age.
54. She acts the part of a house wife in her
management of household
affairs, and taken as a mistress, she
embraces us in her bosom (or She
hangs on us by the neck).
55. And like an actress, the mind forgets to
display its parts, when it
plays another, so every body is betaken by
the thoughts he has in his
head, in neglect of others which are absent.
56. The ignorant do not perceive the selfsame
unity, in all things he
beholds in the world; but they view every
thing in the light, as they
have its idea imprinted in their minds.
57. They meet also with the results of the
forms, which they have in
view for the time; though they are not in
reality what they seem to be,
nor are they entirely false (being the
idealities of their mind).
58. Man views every thing in the same manner
as he thinks it in himself;
as his fancy of an elephant in the sky, makes
him view the elephants in
clouds.
59. He believes these elephants pursuing
their mates, in his thought; so
it is the thought, that gives the outward
forms of things.
60. Rāma! repel your drowsiness, and behold
the supreme soul in thy
soul; and be as a bright gem by repelling the
shadows of all external
things.
61. It is impossible, O Rāma, that one so
enlightened as thyself, will
receive the reflexion of the world, as dull
matter like others (rather
than a reflexion of the Spirit).
62. Being certain of its immateriality, never
taint thy mind with its
outward colouring, or the knowledge of its
reality; but know it as no
way distinct from the Supreme Spirit.
63. Mind in thyself the Being that is without
beginning or end, and
meditate on the Spirit in Spirit. Do not let
the reflexions of thy mind,
imbue their tinge in the pure crystal of thy
soul.
64. Be on thy guard, as never to allow the
reflexions of your mind, to
taint the clear crystal of thy soul; but
remain unmindful of the
visibles, and regardless of all worldly
desires (which are causes of
misery and repeated births and deaths).
CHAPTER XXII.—Resting in Supreme Felicity.
Argument. Remission of the sins of the
enlightened, and their
sight of the pure Spirit.
Vasishtha continued:—Men of sound judgment,
are freed from mental
perturbation, and are perfected in their
mastery over themselves, by
restraining the flight of the mind, and
fastening it to its inward
cogitation. (Gloss. The Yogi given to
meditation is master of his soul
and mind).
2. They swerve from the sight of the visibles
as unworthy of their
notice, and seek after the knowledge of their
chief good; they behold
the all-seeing God in their mental and
external sights, and have no
perception of the unintelligent perceptibles.
(I.e. they perceive the
noumenon only in the phenomenon).
3. They are dormant amidst the thick gloom of
error, overspreading the
mazy paths of life, and are awake under the
transcendent light (of
divine knowledge), requiring the vigilance of
the living.
4. They are utterly indifferent to the sweet
pleasures of this life, as
also to the cheerless prospects of future
enjoyments (in the next
world). (The Yogi is equally averse to the
present and prospective
pleasures of both worlds).
5. They are mixed (like salt) with the water
of spiritual (divine)
unity, and in the boundless ocean of
omnipresence; and they melt away as
the ice in a river, by their rigorous
austerities, resembling the
vigorous heat of the sun.
6. All their restless desires and passions
are set to rest, at the
disappearance of their ignorance; as the
turbulent waves of rivers
subside of themselves, in the absence of
stormy clouds.
7. The net of desires, which ensnares men as
birds in their traps, is
cut asunder by a spirit of dispassionateness;
as the meshes of a net,
are torn into twain, by the teeth of a mouse.
8. As the seeds of kata fruits, serve to purify the foul water; so
doth philosophy tend to expurgate human
nature, from all its errors.
9. The mind that is freed from passions, from
worldly connections and
contentions, and from dependance on any one
(person or thing); is
liberated also from the bonds of ignorance
and error, as a bird is set
free from its imprisoning cage. (True freedom
is the freedom from all
cares, concerns and connections, which are
but bondages of the soul).
10. When the disturbances of doubts are
settled, and the wandering of
curiosity is over, it is then that the full
moon of internal fulness,
sheds its lustre over the mind.
11. As the mind has its true magnanimity,
after its setting from the
height of its dignity and highmindedness, so
it begins to have its
equanimity in a state, resembling the
calmness of the sea after the
storm.
12. As long as the shadow of solicitude,
hangs over the mind, it is
darkened and stupified and broken in the
heart, until the sun of
inappetency rises to dispel its gloom.
13. It is by the sunshine of the intellect,
that the lotus-bed of
intelligence, shines in its pure lustre; and
unfolds the foliage of its
virtues before the dawning light above it.
14. Intelligence is charmer of hearts and
delighter of all in the world;
it is fostered by the quality of goodness
(sattwaguna), as the moon
becomes full by her increasing digits.
15. What more shall I say on this subject, than
that he who knows the
knowable (God), has his mind expanded as the
sphere of heaven, which has
no beginning nor end.
16. The mind which is enlightened by
reasoning, is as exalted in its
nature, as to take pity even on the great
gods Hari, Hara, Brahmā, and
Indra (on account of their incessant
avocations in the management of the
world).
17. They are far from tasting the happiness
of the egoistic yogis, who
are continually seeking to quench their
thirst (after pleasure), from
the waters appearing in the mirage, as the
parching deer (running to
them by mistake).
18. It is the heart's desire of all beings,
that subjects them to
repeated births and deaths, which cause the
ignorant only and not the
wise, to appear and disappear like waves of
the sea.
19. The world presents no other show in its
course, except that of the
appearance and disappearance of bodies, which
are now seen to move about
at the sport of time, and now fall as a prey
to it for ever.
20. But the spiritual body (the spirit or one
knowing the spirit), is
neither born nor dies in this world; nor is
it affected by the
decoration or perdition of the material body;
but remains unchanged as
the vacuity of a pot, both when it is in
existence or broken to pieces.
(The vacuous soul is aloof from the body).
21. As the understanding rises with its
cooling moon-beams within us, it
dispels the mist of erroneous desires rising
before us like the mirage
of the dreary desert.
22. So long does the pageant of the world,
present its dusky appearance
to our view, as we do not deign to consider
the questions "what am I,
and what are all these about me". (That
is: "whether I or these or all
other things are true or false?")
23. He sees rightly, who sees his body as an
apparition of his error,
and the abode of all evils; and that it does
not serve for the spiritual
meditation of his soul and his maker.
24. He sees rightly, who sees that his body
is the source of all the
pain and pleasure, which betides one at
different times and places, and
that it does not answer his purpose of
spiritual edification.
25. He sees rightly, who sees the Ego to
pervade the infinite space and
time, and as the source of all accidents and
events, which incessantly
take place in them. (The Ego is ubiquitous).
26. He knows rightly, who knows the Ego to be
as minute as a millionth
or billionth part of the point of a hair, and
pervading all over the
infinity of space and eternity of time.
27. He perceives rightly, who perceives the
universal soul to be
permeated in all the various objects of his sight;
and knows them as
sparks of the Intellectual Light.
28. He perceives rightly, who perceives
within himself the omnipotence
of the infinite Spirit, to be present in all
the states and conditions
of beings, and the self-same Intellect to
abide in and preside over all.
29. He understands rightly, who understands
by his wisdom, that he is
not his body, which is subject to diseases
and dangers, to fears and
anxieties, and to the pain and pangs of old
age and death.
30. He understands rightly, who understands
his soul to stretch above
and below and all about him; whose magnitude
has no bounds nor an equal
to it.
31. He knows, full well who kens his soul as
a string (Sūtrātmā), to
which all things are strung as gems in a
jewel; and that it is not the
mind or heart, which is seated in the brain
or bosom.
32. He kens rightly, who weens neither
himself nor any thing else as
existent, except the imperishable Brahma; and
who knows himself as
living between the reality and unreality (i.e. betwixt the present and
absent, and between the visible and
invisible. Gloss).
33. He is right, who beholds what they call
the three worlds, to be but
parts of his self, and have been rolling
about him as the waves of the
sea.
34. He is wise, who looks with pity upon the
frail world, and
compassionates the earth as his younger
sister.
35. That great soul looks brightly upon the
earth, who has withdrawn his
mind from it, by retrenching his reliance on
his egoism or tuism (i.e.
both on his subjectivity and objectivity).
36. He sees the truth, who finds his body and
the whole world, filled by
the colossus figure of the Intellect, without
the opposition of any
sensible object.
37. He that looks on the states of misery and
happiness, which attend on
worldly life, to be but the fluctuating conditions
of the ego, has no
cause to repine or rejoice at them.
38. He is the right-sighted man, who sees
himself situated amidst the
world, which is filled with the divine spirit
(and the endless joy
emanating from it); he has nothing to desire
or dislike in this (or in
his future) state of existence.
39. He is the right (discerning) man, who has
weakened his estimation
and dislike of what is desirable and
disgusting to him in the world,
which is full of the essence of that being,
whose nature is beyond
comprehension and conception. (The world
being full with the presence of
God, we have nothing to like or dislike, or
to take or shun in it).
40. That great-souled man is a great god,
whose soul like the
all-pervading sky extends over all, and
penetrates through every state
of existence, without receiving the tincture
of any. (Who is informed
with all and untinged by any).
41. I bow down to that great soul, which has
passed beyond the states of
light, darkness and fancy (i.e. the state of waking or life, sleep or
death, and dreaming or transmigration, and
which is situated in a state
of brightness and tranquillity in supreme
felicity or heavenly bliss).
42. I bow down to that Siva, of
transcendental understanding; whose
faculties are wholly engrossed in the meditation
of that eternal Being,
who presides over the creation, destruction
and preservation of the
universe, and who is manifest in all the
various wondrous and beauteous
grandeurs of nature.
CHAPTER XXIII.—Meditation of the wonders in the realm of the
Body.
Argument. The dominion of the enlightened man
over the realm of
his Body, and the pleasure of the government
of the mind.
Vasishtha continued:—The man that is
liberated in this life, and is
settled in the Supreme state of felicity, is
not tarnished by his
reigning over the realm of his body, and
turning about like a wheel.
2. The body of the wise man is as a princedom
to him, and calculated for
his benefit and no disadvantage. It is
comparable with the bower of a
holy hermit, for the consummation of his
fruition and liberation.
3. Rāma said:—How do you call, O great sage!
the body to be the
dominion of a man, and how the Yogi can enjoy
his princely felicity in
it?
4. Vasishtha replied:—Beautiful is this city
of the body, and fraught
with every good to mankind, and being
enlightened by the light of the
mind, it is productive of endless blessings
in both worlds.
5. The eyes are the windows of this city,
letting out the light for the
sight of distant worlds, the two arms are as
the two valves of this
city-gate, with the hands like latches
reaching to the knees.
6. The hairs on the body are as the moss and
grass on the walls, and the
porous skin resembles the netted covering of
the palace; the thighs and
legs are as the columns of the edifice, and
the feet with the ancles and
toes, are as pedestals of the pillars.
7. The lines marked under the soles of the
feet, are as inscriptions
marked on the foundation stone, and upon
those at the base of the
pedestals of the pillars; and the outer skin
which covers the flesh,
marrow, veins and arteries, and the joints of
the body, is as the
beautiful plaster of the building, hiding the
mortar and bricks inside.
8. The middle part of the body above the two
thick thighs, contains the
aqueducts, beset by the hairy bushes about
them, and likening to rivers
running amidst a city, between rows of trees
on both sides of the banks.
9. The face is as the royal garden beautified
by the eye-brows, forehead
and the lips; the glancing of the eyes, are
as the blooming lotuses; and
the cheeks are as flat planes in it.
10. The broad bosom is as a lake with the
nipples like buds of lotuses;
the streaks of hairs on the breast, are as
its herbage, and the
shoulders are as the projecting rocks (ghats)
upon it.
11. The belly is the storehouse, which is
eager to receive the delicious
articles of food; and the long lungs of the
throat, are blown loudly by
the internal winds.
12. The bosom is considered as the depository
of jewels (from their
being worn upon it); and the nine orifices of
the body, serve as so many
windows for the breathing of the citizens.
13. There is the open mouth like the open
doorway, with its tooth-bones
slightly seen as its gratings; and the tongue
moving in the door way
like a naked sword, is as the projecting
tongue of the goddess Kālī,
when she devours her food. (The voracity of
the goddess is well known
whence she is called Kālī, the consort of the
all devouring
Kāla—death).
14. The ear-holes are covered by hairs like
long grass, and the broad
back resembles a large plain, beset by rows
of trees on its borders.
15. The two private passages serve as sewers
and drains of the city, to
let out its dirt, and the heart is the
garden-ground, where the passions
parade about as ladies. (Or, the region of
the mind is the garden-ground
for the rambling thoughts as ladies).
16. Here the understanding is fast bound in
chains as a prisoner, and
the organs of sense are let loose as monkies
to play about. The face is
as a flower garden, the smiles whereof are
its blooming blossoms.
17. The life of the man, knowing the proper
use of his body and mind, is
prosperous in everything; it is attended by
happiness and advantages,
and no disadvantage whatever.
18. This body is also the source of infinite
troubles to the ignorant;
but it is the fountain of infinite happiness
to the wise man.
19. Its loss is no loss to the wise; but its
continuance is the cause of
continued happiness to the wise man.
20. The body serves as a chariot to the wise,
who can traverse
everywhere by riding in it; and can produce
and procure everything
conducive to his welfare and liberation.
21. The possession of the body, is of no
disadvantage to the wise man;
who can obtain by it, all the objects of his
hearing and seeing, of his
touch and smelling, and his friends and
prosperity.
22. It is true that the body is subject to a
great amount of pain and
pleasure; but the wise man can well bear with
them, (knowing them to be
concomitant to human life).
23. Hence the wise man reigns over the
dominion of his body, without any
pain or trouble, in the same manner as one
remains the lord of his
house, without any anxiety or disturbance.
24. He is not addicted to licentiousness like
a high mettled steed; nor
parts with the auspicious daughter of his
prudence, from his avarice
after some poisonous plant.
25. The ignorant can see the cities of
others, but not observe the gaps
and breaks of their own. It is better to root
out the fears of our
worldly enemies (passions) from the heart,
than live under their
subjection.
26. Beware of diving in the perilous river,
which flows fast by the
dreary forest of this world, with the current
of desire, whirl-pools of
avarice, and the sharks of temporal
enjoyment.
27. Men often bathe their outer bodies in
holy streams, without looking
to the purification of their inward souls;
and they shave their persons
at the confluence of rivers with the sea, in
hopes of obtaining their
object. ((Bathing in the sauger) (Sagora
sangama stāna), is said to
confer every object of desire).
28. All sensual people are averse to the
unseen happiness of the next
world; and dwell on the pleasure of their own
imagination in the inward
recesses of their minds.
29. This city of the body is pleasant to one,
acquainted with his
spiritual nature; because he deems it as the
paradise of Indra, which is
filled with pleasurable fruits, as well as of
those of immortality (or
future life and bliss).
30. All things depend on the existence of the
city of the body, yet
nothing is lost by its loss since the mind is
the seat of everything.
These bodily cities which fill the earth,
cannot be unpleasant to any
body.
31. The wise man loses nothing by loss of the
citadel of his body; as
the vacuity in a vessel is never lost, by the
breaking of the vessel.
(So the death of the body, does not destroy
the vacuous soul).
32. As the air contained in a pot, is not
felt by the touch like the pot
itself, so is the living soul, which resides
in the city of the body.
33. The ubiquitous soul being situated in
this body, enjoys all worldly
enjoyments, until at last it comes to partake
of the felicity of
liberation, which is the main object it has
in view.
34. The soul doing all actions, is yet no
doer of them; but remains as
witness of whatever is done by the body; and
sometimes presides over the
actions actually done by it.
35. The sportive mind rides on the swifting
car of the body, as one
mounts on a locomotive carriage for the place
of its destination, and
passes in its unimpeded course to distant
journeys. (So the body leads
one to his journey from this world to the
next).
36. Seated there, it sports with its
favourite and lovely objects of
desire, which are seated in the heart as its
mistresses. (The embodied
mind enjoys the pleasurable desires, rising
before it from the recess of
the heart).
37. These two lovers reside side by side in
the same body, as the moon
and the star visākhā, remain gladly in the
same lunar mansion.
38. The sage, like the sun, looks down from
above the atmosphere of the
earth, on the hosts of mortals that have been
hewn down by misery, like
heaps of brambles and branches scattered in
the woods.
39. The sage has the full satisfaction of his
desires, and full
possession of his best riches, and shines as
the full-moon without the
fear of waning.
40. The worldly enjoyments of the wise, do
not tend to vitiate their
nature; as the poisonous draught of Siva, was
not capable of doing him
any injury. (The baneful effects of
worldliness, do not affect the
wise).
41. The food which is habitual to one (as the
poison of Siva) is as
gratifying to him; as a thief by long
acquaintance forgets his
thievishness, and becomes friendly to his
neighbours.
42. The wise man looks upon the separation of
his friends and
possessions, in the light of the departures
(exits), of the visitant men
and women and actors and actresses, at the
end of a play from the
theatre.
43. As passengers chance to meet
unexpectedly, at the exhibition of a
play on their way; so the wise people look
unconcernedly, at their
meeting with and separation from the
occurrences of life.
44. As our eye-sight falls indifferently on
all objects about us, so
doth the wise man look unconcernedly upon all
things and transactions of
life.
45. The wise man is selfsufficient in all
conditions of life; he neither
rejects the earthly blessings that are
presented to him; nor longs or
strives hard for what is denied to him.
46. The regret of longing after what one does
not possess, as also the
fear of losing what he is in possession of,
does not vacillate the mind
of the wise; as the plumes of the dancing
peacock, do not oscillate the
unshaken mountain.
47. The wise man reigns as a monarch, free
from all fears and doubts,
and devoid of all cares and curiosity; and
with a mind freed from false
fancies (of subtile and gross bodies).
48. The soul which is immeasurable in itself,
is situated in the Supreme
Soul; as the boundless Milky ocean, is
contained in the body of the one
universal ocean.
49. Those that are sober in their minds, and
tranquil in their spirits,
laugh to scorn the vile beasts of sensuality
as madmen; as also those
that have been bemeaned by the meanness of
their sensual appetites to
the state of mean reptiles.
50. The sensualist eager for the
gratification of his senses, are as
much ridiculed by the wise; as a man who
takes to him a woman deserted
by another, is derided by his tribe.
51. The unwise man becomes wise by
relinquishing all the pleasures of
his body, and subduing the emotions of his
mind by his reason; as the
rider subdues the ungovernable elephant by
the goad (ankusa) in his
hand.
52. He whose mind is bent to the enjoyment of
carnal pleasures, should
first of all check the inclination, as they
draw out the poisonous
plants from the ground.
53. The well governed mind, being once let
loose, recurs like a spoiled
boy to its former habits; as the tree
withered in summer heat, grows
luxuriant at a slight rain-fall.
54. That which is full out of its time, does
not become fuller in its
season; as the river which is ever full,
receives no addition in the
rains over its fulness. (The full never
becomes fuller).
55. The mind that is naturally greedy, wishes
for more with all its
fulness; as the sea with the sufficiency of
its water to overflood the
earth, receives the rain waters and the
outpourings of innumerable
rivers in its insatiate womb. (The greedy
mind like the insatiate sea,
is never full).
56. The mind that is restrained in its
desires, is gladdened at its
little gains; and these being increased are
reckoned as blessings by the
stinted mind.
57. A captive prince when enfranchised, is
content with his morsel of
bread, who ere before had been discontented
with a realm in his free and
uncaptured state.
58. With the writhing of your hands and
gnashing of your teeth, and
twisting of your limbs and body, you must
chastise your reprobate
members and mind. (So is Plato said to have
chastised his angry self).
59. The brave and wise man, who intends to
overcome his enemies; must
first of all strive to subdue the internal enemies
of his own heart and
mind, and the members of his body. (Subdue
yourself, ere you subdue
others).
60. Those men are reckoned the most
prosperous, and best disposed in
their minds in this earth; who have the
manliness to govern their minds,
instead of being governed by them.
61. I revere those pure and holy men, who
have quelled the huge and
crooked serpent of their minds, lying coiling
in the cave of their
hearts; and who rest in the inward
tranquillity and serenity of their
souls.
CHAPTER XXIV.—The Non-entity of the Mind.
Argument. The means of repressing the force
of the senses, and
of curbing the sensual desires of men.
Vasishtha continued:—The vast domain of
death, in the region of hell,
is full of the furious elephants of our sins;
and the ungovernable
enemies of the senses with the arrows of
desires. (I.e. hell
is the
abode of sinners, sensualists and the
greedy).
2. Our senses are our invincible enemies,
being the sources of all
misdeeds and wicked actions. They are the
ungrateful miscreants against
the body, in which they have found their
refuge.
3. The roving senses like flying birds, have
found their nest in the
body; whence with their outstretched wings of
right and wrong, they
pounce on their prey like vultures.
4. He who can entrap these greedy birds of
the senses, under the snare
of his right reason, is never ensnared in his
person in the trap of sin,
but breaks its bonds as the elephant does his
fetters.
5. He who indulges himself in sensual
pleasures which are pleasant at
first, will have to be cloyed in them in
process of time. (Pleasure is
followed by pain. Or: Rills of pleasure not
sincere.)
6. He who is fraught with the treasure of
knowledge in his frail body,
is not to be overcome by his inward enemies
of sensual appetites.
7. The kings of earth are not so happy in
their earthly citadels, as the
lords of the cities of the own bodies, and
the masters of their own
minds. (Mastery over one's self, is better
than over a realm).
8. He who has brought the senses under his
slavery, and reduced the
enemy of his mind to subjection; has the
blossoms of his understanding
ever blooming within him as in the vernal
meadow.
9. He who has weakened the pride of his mind,
and subdued the enemies of
his senses; has his desires all shrunken as
the lotuses in the cold
weather.
10. So long do the demons of our desires,
infest the region of our
hearts, as we are unable to bring the mind
under the subjection of our
knowledge of the True one.
11. He is the faithful servant, who acts
according to the will of his
master, and he is the true minister who does
good services to his
prince. He is the best general who has
command over the force of his own
body, and that is the best understanding
which is guided by reason.
12. The wife is loved for her endearments,
and the father is revered for
his protection of the child. A friend is
valued by his confidence, and
the mind for its wisdom.
13. The mind is called our father, for its
enlightening our
understanding with the light of the sāstras
derived by itself, and for
its leading us to perfection by losing itself
in the Supreme spirit.
(The mind like the father, is the instructor
and bequeather of its all
to man, ere it is extinct in the universal
soul).
14. The mind that has well observed and
considered all things, that is
enlightened and firm in its belief, and is
employed in laudable
pursuits, is verily a valuable gem within the
body.
15. The mind as a counsellor of our good,
teaches us how to fell down
the tree of our transmigration, and produce
the arbour of our future
bliss.
16. Such is the gem of the mind, O Rāma!
unless it is soiled by the dirt
and filth of sin and vice; when it requires
to be washed and cleansed
with the water of reason, in order to throw
its light on thee.
17. Be not dormant to cultivate reason as
long as you abide in the
darksome abode of this world; nor thrust
yourself to every accident,
which awaits upon the ignorant and
unreasonable men.
18. Do not overlook the mist of error which
overspreads this world of
illusion, abounding with multitudes of
mishaps and mischiefs. (Harm
watch, harm catch. Hold arms, against harms).
19. Try to cross over the wide ocean of the
world, by riding on the
strong barque of your reason, espying the
right course by your
discretion, against the currents of your
sensual desires.
20. Know your body to be a frail flower, and
all its pleasure and pain
to be unreal; so never take them for
realities, as in the instance of
the snare, snake and the matting; but remain
above sorrowing for any
thing as in the instance of Bhīma and Bhāsa
(which will be shortly
related to you).
21. Give up, O high minded Rāma! your
misjudgments of the reality of
yourself, and of this and that thing; but
direct your understanding to
the knowledge of the Reality which is beyond
all these; and by forsaking
your belief and reliance in the mind, continue
in your course of eating
and drinking as before.
CHAPTER XXV.—Narrative of Dāma, Vyāla and Kata.
Argument. The demon Sambara defeated by the
deities, and his
production of other demons by magic and
sorcery.
Vasishtha said:—O intelligent Rāma! that dost
shine as the delight of
mankind in this world, and endeavourest after
the attainment of thy
chief good, by the accomplishment of thy best
objects.
2. Do not let the instance of the demons Dāma
and Vyāla or the snare and
snake, apply to thy case; but try to
extricate thyself from vain
sorrowing (at the miseries of the world), by
the lesson of fortitude as
given in the story of Bhīma and Bhāsa.
3. Rāma asked:—What is that parable of the
snare and snake, which thou
sayest must not apply to my case? Please relate
it in full, to remove
the sorrows of my mind and of all mankind.
4. And how is that fortitude which thou
pointest out for my imitation,
from the instance of Bhīma and Bhāsa, in
order to get rid from all
earthly sorrow?
5. Kindly relate the whole, and enlighten me
with thy purifying words,
as the roaring of the rainy clouds, serves to
alleviate the summer heat
of peacocks.
6. Vasishtha replied:—Hear me Rāma! relate to
you both these anecdotes,
that you may derive the benefit of aping
according the same.
7. There lived one Sambara—the chief of
demons, and a profound sorcerer
in a subterraneous cell, filled with
enchanting wonders like a sea of
gems.
8. He constructed a magic city in the sky,
with gardens and temples of
gods in it; and artificial suns and moons
emblazoning its vault.
9. It was beset with rich stones, resembling
the gems of the Sumeru
mountain; and the palace of the demon was
full with opulence and
treasures of every kind.
10. The beauties in his seraglio, vied with
the celestial dames in their
charming strains; and the arbours of his
pleasure garden, were shaded by
an awning of bright moon-beams on high.
11. The blue lotuses blooming in his bed
room, put to blush the blue
eyed maids of his court; and the gemming
swans in the lakes, cackled
about the beds of golden lotuses in them.
12. The high branches of aureate plants, bore
the blossoms of artificial
lotuses on them; and the rows of Karanga arbours dropped down showers
of mandāra flowers on the ground.
13. His garden-house consisted both of cold
and hot baths, and
refrigeratories and fire-places for the hot
and cold seasons; and the
tarku (?) weapons of the demons, had baffled the arms of Indra
himself.
14. The flower-gardens on all sides, had
surpassed the mandara groves
of paradise; and the magical skill of the
demon, had set rows of sandal
trees, with their encircling snakes all
around.
15. The inner compound which was strewn over
with gold dust, vanquished
the glory of heaven; and the court-yard of
the palace, was filled with
heaps of flowers up to the knee.
16. The earthen figure of Siva which was
exposed for show, had surpassed
the image of Hari holding his discus and the
mace; and the gems
sparkling as fire-flies in the inside
apartment, resembled the twinkling
stars in the arena of heaven.
17. The dark night of the subterrene
dwelling, was lightened by a
hundred moon-lights like the starry heaven,
and he chaunted his martial
songs before his idol deity.
18. His magical elephant, drove away the Airāvata
of Indra; and his
inward apartment was hoarded with the
precious treasures of the three
worlds.
19. All wealth and prosperity and grandeur
and dignity, paid their
homage to him; and the whole host of demons,
honoured him as their
commander.
20. The umbrage of his arms, gave shelter to
the whole body of demons;
and he was the receptacle of all sagacity,
and reservoir of every kind
of treasure.
21. This destroyer of the devas (gods), had a gigantic and terrific
appearance; and commanded a large army of Asura—demons
to defeat the
Sura—deities.
22. The gods also sought every opportunity of
harassing the demoniac
force, whenever this exorcist demigod, went
to sleep or somewhere out of
his city.
23. This enraged Sambara to a degree, that he
broke the trees in his
rage, and employed his generals for
protection of his legions.
24. The devas finding their fit
opportunities, killed the demons one by
one; as the aerial hawks pounce upon and kill
the feeble and timid
sparrows.
25. The king of the demons then appointed
other generals over his army,
and they were as swift-footed and hoarse
sounding as the waves of the
sea.
26. The Devas destroyed these also in a short
time; when the leader of
the demon band pursued his enemies to their
station above the heavens.
27. The gods fled from their heavenly abode
for fear of them, as the
timorous deer fly from before the sight of
Siva's and Gaurī's bull into
the thick thickets.
28. The gods were weakened with weeping, and
the faces of Apsaras were
suffused in tears. The demon saw the heavenly
abode abandoned by the
celestials, as it was the desolation of the
world.
29. He wandered about in his rage, and
plundered and took away all the
valuables of the place. He burnt down the
cities of the regents of
heaven, and then returned to his own abode.
30. The enmity between the deities and
demons, was so inveterate on both
sides, that it forced the Devas to quit their
heavenly abodes, and hide
themselves in distant parts of the world.
31. But the enraged gods, succeeded at last
by their perseverance, to
defeat and slay all the generals and
combatants, that were set against
them by Sambara.
32. The discomfited demon, then gave vent to
his fury, and began to
breathe out living fire from his nostrils
like a burning mountain.
33. He after much search in the three worlds,
found out the hiding place
of the gods, as a wicked man succeeds in his
purpose by his best
endeavours.
34. Then he produced by his sorcery three
very strong and fearful Asuras
for the protection of his army, with their
hideous appearances as that
of death.
35. These horrible leaders of his army, being
produced in his magic,
flew upward with their enormous bodies,
resembling the flying mountains
of old.
36. They had the names of Dāma—the snare,
Vyāla—the snake, and
Kata—the mat given them for their entrapping,
enfolding and enwrapping
the enemy, according to the demon's wish.
37. They were preadamite beings and devoid of
changing desires; and the
want of their prior acts (like those of the
human kind), made them move
about as free as spiritual beings in one
uniform tenor of their course.
38. These were not born as men from the seeds
of their previous acts,
with solid and substantial bodies; but mere
artificial forces and airy
forms, as facsimiles of the images in the
demon's mind.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
( My
humble salutations to Brahmasri Sreemaan Vihari Lala Mitra ji for the
collection)
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