Sri Vasista

1. Then the son asked his father on that dark night perched on the top of that great tree.

The Son (of Dāssura)

2. -3. My revered father, who is this king, called ‘Khothu’, a person of beauty in form.  Please elaborate what you (seem to be) said in an allegorical fashion.  Where is his future city constructed.  Where is he now?  My mind is confused because of your words which are contrary to each other.

Dāsura

4. Listen my son.  I shall elaborate the real nature of this story.  From this you will understand the essential nature of this mutable world.

5. This world establishment is unreal, non-existent.  This is what I implied with my narration.

6. ‘Khotha; is the mental ideation which has arisen from the consciousness-ether.  It is self-emerging and self-dissolving.

7. This entire world manifestation and form is that mind alone.  If mind emerges, world emerges.  If mind declines or dissolves, world also declines or dissolves.

8. Even Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra and such are its many limbs.  They are like the branches of a tree and are like peaks in a mountain.

9. These worlds are designed and created by Brahma as a luminous reflection of the Brahman-consciousness.  These worlds are built in the void of space.

10. -14. In this mind-designed world, the fourteen worlds are the shells which are lighted up by sun and moon.  Saha, Mandara and such mountains are recreation-fields.  Sun and Moon are the lamps.  They create heat and cold.  The moon breams and sun rays reflect effulgently on the flowing rivers.  The flashes and sparkles are like floating pearls.  The seven seas are like wells in the cities.  In the upper part of the world is sky where celestial beings thrive.  In the lower part, that is earth, human beings live.  There is a constant exchange of trade between the two.  The exchange means are virtue and sin.

15. This king, that is mind, creates for his own delight, his body-guards.

16.  Some of these are called ‘Girvānās’ (people with good speech) the celestial beings.  At the lower part, the earth, humans and serpents and such are stationed as his keepers.

17. These are sustained as breathing machines.  They are made of flesh and earthly elements.  Their skeletons are made of white bones.  They maintain themselves with oils and unguents and keeps themselves clean and tidy.

18. -20. Some among them die soon.  Some live for a long time.  They are covered by hairs like grass leaves.  They all have nine openings – the ears, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc.  With the constant movement of vital airs through their bodies, they can (tolerate) heat and cold.

21. O one of great mind, by a resolution of this mind, the great ‘yaksha’ of ‘Ahamkāra’, ego has been delineated and created.  This ego is seared of the effulgence of Self.

22. The king ‘Mind’ plays with the body-guards and the great ‘Ahamkāra’ yakshas as if they are real, even though they are the progeny of false-hood. 

23. Ego is in the body like a cat in a grain bin, like a serpent in billows and like a pearl in a bamboo.

24. In the house of body, waves of mental resolutions arise like waves in a sea.  Ego flares up in one instant and becomes quiet at another like a lamp.

25. This mind perceives whatever it conceives in its future city (dream).

26. By withdrawal of the mental resolution, this city of future will vanish.  By the vanishing of the city (and thus the mind) alone, it is possible to gain the Absolute.

27. This kind of self-conception/conjuring (by the mind) is like the imagining an yaksha by a boy.  It causes endless sorrow and never give any joy.

28. The grief of the world is very extensive.  By its presence mind expands and increases this sorrow.  By not being present (or withdrawing itself) this sorrow is eliminated.  It is like darkness being non-existent for an utterly blind person.

29. This mind comes to grief due to its own self-created activity.  It is like a monkey whose kidneys got caught in a cleft wooden piece.

30. With a little joy, this mind is lifted to the clouds.  It is like an ass which got a drop of sweet liquid in its mouth.

31. This mind becomes dispassionate in a trice.  In the next moment, it starts indulging (in things).  In another moment it becomes disgusted.  All of this is like a small child.

32. My son, if you can remove all these tendencies and states of mind and feelings with a loving and generous attitude and attention, then mind ascends to the Supreme state.  You do the way you want.

33. This mind has three bodies/envelopes – Lowest, middle and the highest.  There are three identifying aspects for these mental bodies.  These are Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas.  All  these are responsible for the emergence and survival of this world.

34. Unrefined and vulgar activities are the form of ‘Tamas’.  Constant indulgence in such activities which are vile and wicked lead to the existence as insects and worms.

35. Being devotedly and zealously engaged in ‘dharma’ and being interested deeply in knowledge is the form is ‘Sattwa’.  This will lead in course of time in the attainment of the Supreme State.

36. To be interested and indulging in the affairs of the world is the form of ‘Rajas’.  This leads to settling down to taking delight in wife, children and family.

37. O man of great intelligence, giving up its three forms, when mind dissolves itself all its resolutions and determination, it attain the highest state of the Absolute.

38. Give up all kind of perceptions by disciplining the mind.  Annihilate all the ‘sankalpas’ about internal and external things.

39. -42. One may do intense penance for thousands of years.  One may break himself to powder on a stone.  One may enter fire or ocean fire.  One may jump into a deep chasm on to a sharp edge of a sword.  One may have Hari, Brahma and such as his spiritual preceptor.  One may have the most compassionate Lord of the Universe as his teacher.  One may have the great Rishis as preceptors.  Wherever one may be, - nether worlds, earth or heavens – the only way to the attainment of the Supreme state except the quieting the mind and annihilation of ‘samkalpas’

43. My child, try for quieting the mind and making it free from all ‘samkalpas’.  This is most sacred and yields the great happiness.

44. O sinless one, all states of existence are woven with fibres of ‘samkalpas’.  When these fibres are broken, one does not know where they flee with a tormented howl.

45. Everything emerges out of ‘samkalpa’ only, nothing else.  When ‘samkalpa’ is neither real nor unreal, what can be called as truth?

46. My son who knows the nature of truth, if you mentally determine or resolve or ideate, it will occur in a moment.  So, never try to ideate or think of anything.

47. Free of all ‘samkalpas’, be active with whatever occurs to you.  ‘Samkalpas’ will dissolve only when one is oriented towards the Supreme Consciousness.

48. Rise up and exert for a poised, harmonious quality effort, of the sātturic type; all else is falsehood.  This world is full of sorrow.  Do not exert for it.  All such effort is useless and wasteful.

49. O sinless one, why kill yourself with the sorrows (following such worldly efforts).  Take refuge in those that do not yield any grief.  That is real wisdom.

50. Even if necessary violently remove all deformations and distortions and falsehoods.  Reach that Supreme state, suppressing all mental movements and be with all happiness.