On the various Books of Yoga Vasistam
Sri Vasista
O Raghava, the great soul that has thus become en- lightened internally with discrimination is fit to receive and hear the discourse about knowledge (truth), like a king who is eligible to know about the science of eth- ics and morality.
The noble soul (of high prupose), who is averse to as- sociation with stupids, is fit to indulge in the purest of pure inquiry (into Truth), like moon who is fit for a place in the clear skies of autumn.
You are verily endowed with such rich qualities. I shall now tell you the `word' that dispels delusion of mind. Listen.
Only such a person whose tree of merit is stooping with the weight of fruits, will endeavour to hear these words leading to liberation.
Only noble people become eligible to hear these sa- cred words of knowledge about the Absolute, not the lowly beings.
This compendium, called ` the paths and strategies for liberation' is rich in content and leads one to Nirvana. It consists of thirty two thousand couplets (slokas).
The way a lamp keeps on producing light even if the person awake near it does not desire (the light), in the same way, (the study of this text) leads to Nirvana with- out fail.
This `samhita' gives unique happiness by quelling the illusion (about the world), when it is heard from a realised person or understood by self effort, the way (the waters of ) Ganga gives (indescribable ) relief.
The way the illusion of rope as snake is destroyed when realised, in the same manner when this teaching ( con- tained in the text) is comprehended, peace will come to those afflicted by `samsara'.
The samhita consists of six books. Each one of them contains logically argued meaningful statements and many illustrative examples ( to clarity) the hymns and friendly enunciation of distilled wisdom.
The first one is called the Book of Vairagya (dejection and dispassion). When studied, vairagya increases like a watered tree(even) in a desert (there is an appendix to this.In this the nature of time is established).
If the thousand five hundred couplets (slokas) are medidated upon in the heart , then purity arises due to the light thrown upon by it, just like a diamond which shines when burnished.
The next is called `murmukshavyavahara', Book of the seeker. This book needs beautiful and describes the ways of a seeker among people in its thousand couplets(slokas).
-15 . The next is Book of Creation (origins). In this Book there are seven thousand `granthas' (thirty two lettered vases). They establish the bases of knowledge, the nature of preceptions about observer and observed, I and you and such.
In this, it is described how That which is not born ap- pears to be born. When one listens to this, ( it will be clear) that all (the manifest world) is (mere) conception or understanding in the mind of the listener.
All our vast expansive universe full of skies and moun- tains is (really ) free of any solidity and concreteness. It has neither walls nor mountains .
-19 .It has no worlds, no beings . Cities are mere fabrica- tions and compelling imaginations. All is the splendour of dreams. All is a mental empire. All are look -alikes of a gandharva city- meaningless acquisitions like two - moon illusions and waters in mirages.
All is like swinging mountains to one who is travelling in a lilting boat. There is no truth in them. It shines without foundation or basis like a demon imagined and concretised by mind.
Like pearls in the sky, all things stand and shine (made up) descriptions and tales. All is like waviness of wa- ter and bangle -hood in gold.
Like the blue tint of sky, nonexistence always arises and persists (due to illusion). Without being there (con- cretely ) it still appears charming.
The picture- whether in a dream or in sky persists with- out any owner of it. The fire in a picture feigns heat though not having it.
Thus this word `world' does not have any meaning or form. It is non existent. It is a reflection of a sequence of waves -a mere dance of preception.
This world is presevering like a sea filled by waters coming out the shrill cries of a `chakravaka' bird. It is like a forest in summer full of shrivelled leaves and use- less things.
This world is like the bewildered and preplexed mind of a person seized with the (fear) idea of death. It is similar to dancing alone in a dark cave in a stone house.
The inconscient in the conscient is like the cool and dense fog of ignorance in the clear autumn skies of knowledge. The inconscient arises in the conscient like a picture emerging out of a wall and like an injured pillar. It is as if inconscient is formed or created in the conscient by some offensive transgression or sin. It is as if the inconscient is created or formed by applying some mud to the conscient. It is as if the inconscient is a mud stain on the conscient.
Then the fourth book is Book of Sustenance (`Sthithi'). letters) full of analytical statements, commentaries and stories (as supporting illustrations) clarifying the way this world emerged as the manifestation of the `Ashambhava' or `I-ness'
In this book, the observer-observed phenomenon is elaborately expounded. Further the phenomenon of il- lusion about the world is also expounded in all its fulness starting from the way it arises and develops in a sus- tained manner.
Thereafter is the Book of Peace and (Upasanti) qui- etude consisting of five thousand verses. This is a sa- cred book with beautiful statements.
-33 . When one listens to this set of verses, the illusions of I and you that arise in this world, will be quietened and removed.
From such listening (of the Book of Calm) the little ben- efit that is acquired, the picture of the illusory world remains in shreds like a torn picture. A very small part remains.
The non being and non existence (of the world) is like the imagination and fancy in the mind of someone else. It is not available or not heard like the fierce battle sounds in the dreams of a person sleeping by one's side.
It is like the dreadful sound of the cloud thunder heard in one's cool imagination. It is like a city in dream in a forgotten dream.
It is like the experience of the labour pains and delivery of a beautiful barren woman in a (non existent) garden of a future city.
It is like an extensive wall in an unfinished picture (ar- tistic creation) or like a city which is slipping out of one's imagination.
It is like a quivering unformed configuration of a future garden in all seasons, fancied to thrill people in spring. It is a like a quietly flowing river, with embedded waves.
Thereafter is sixth Book called the Book of Nirvana.
The rest of the verses (ie) fourteen thousand five hun- dred are in this Book. The study of this (Book) gives the great wealth of knowledge. The wise will attain peace and nirvana from the study.
The one who studies this text, the wise man becomes the nonsentient luminous Self of Consciousness. He becomes one with the Divine Intelligence, the stain- less self. He becomes pure like the Supreme ether. All illusions and bewilderments will subside and be quietened.
When the journey through the world ends, he will have accomplished his duties and goals. In the heaven of the initiatives and activities of people of the world, he stands adamant like one mentally paralysed.
He feels like one who is contented and satiated with the devouring of the innumerable worlds. His mind, sense of form and perceptions turn into consciousness- ether.
Discarding action, cause and actorship and percep- tions like acceptable and unacceptable, he is disem- bodied even though with body. He is out of the world even though in the world.
Even though transcendental ( in consciousness), he (appears) like a huge, stone-hard tortoise. He is (then) like the effulgent conscious-sun, dispelling the darkness of the worlds.
Thouth he is the embodiment of that Supreme effulgence, he appears like one struck with blindness. In him the epidemic of ambition, desire and avarice are strangled by the restraining of the hienous activi- ties of the (constantly changing ) world.
The demon of `ahamkara' (ego) being destroyed, he is like one without body even though with one. (However) this world Lakshmi exists on the tip of some conscious- ness - hair on him, like a bee standing on the tip of a petal of a (small) flower on the huge, enormous moun- tain Meru.
(Even so) he sees innumerable worlds in the hollow of his heart- holding them in each one of the atoms of the consciousness- ether.
O mighty intellectual, in the expanse and vastness of his heart, not even crores of Vishnus and Brahmas can equal him. Liberated from mind, and substance he is the perfect and spreads himself vast and infinite.
