The Yoga Vasishta in Poem (Chapter Five) -1

THE YOGA VASISTHA

IN POEM

CHAPTER FIVE

By Swami Suryadevananda

PRAYER BEFORE READING  

Salutations to that supreme reality

In which all shine as if independently

In which they exist for a short while

And into which they merge eventually  

Salutations to that consciousness

Source of apparent threefold division

Of knower, knowledge and known

Seer, sight and seen; doer, doing and deed

Salutations to that bliss-absolute

Which is the life of all beings

Deriving happiness from the shower

Of its ocean of supreme bliss

CHAPTER FIVE

1. SECTION DEALING WITH DISSOLUTION

Rama's Reflections

To the dialogue all listened most attentively

Retiring at the conclusion of yet another day

But Rama could not sleep at all though ’twas late

He pondered deeply on conquest of mind

Seeing clearly the mind as the source of all sorrow

Impossible to abandon enjoyment of pleasure

Being unable to be rid of this sorrow

Seemed tied to enjoyment of pleasure

Mind however is the crucial factor

As pursuit of pleasure arises in it

Pursuit is sorrow itself, not enjoyment

Of pleasures that come along naturally

The mind has to once taste supreme peace

This alone can end mind's relentless pursuits

In perfect fulfillment the mind too is fulfilled

Then alone will the mind abandon all craving

Pondering thus Rama fell asleep late

But awoke early contemplating again

He prayed for inner spiritual strength

To cross the ocean of worldly existence

Rama Addresses Vasistha

Lord, deeply I have been meditating

On what your teachings may point to

Enshrining them within my heart

Pray, kindly do further enlighten me

Vasistha Continues

Listen attentively on universe's dissolution

Supreme peace you will surely attain

The seeming world-appearance is sustained

By desires or rajas and dullness or tamas

It is easily abandoned like a snake's slough

By those who possess a pure nature

As the spirit of inquiry threads through their life

Throwing light and clarity on all conditions

This spirit of inquiry must be cultivated

Study and wise company are indispensible

Light on the path is the lamp lit within

This light of clarity dispels all confusion

The truth must be directly perceived

Within oneself and by oneself too

Then alone will mind's turmoil end

You have a pure nature—be devoted to this

On Dissolution

What did not exist then cannot exist now

What appears to be will soon cease to be

That alone can be regarded as truth

Which has always been and will always be

Birth and growth are in the mind only

This has to be seen directly by oneself

The mind has to see it's ignorance as the cause

Of all sorrow and suffering it begs relief from

Hence, tread the path of righteousness always

Study and company of the wise are most vital

But you will have to exert by your very own self

To rid passion's flames and ignorance's weight

The perfected ones will point the way

Out of the prison that is self-sustained

Learn most diligently how to cultivate

The spirit of inquiry without remission

Absolute requisite is total purity

It alone becomes spirit of inquiry

Beset with dangers is life without this

Inner stillness gives vision wisdom

One cannot be rid of inner confusion

Without direct knowledge of truth

Ignorance of self is cause of all sorrow

Self-knowledge is itself tranquility

You will attain peace immediately

On resolving the conflict between body and self

The self is one thing—body is another

Unaffected and untainted by body is self

As long as the mind pursues pleasures

Darkness of world-illusion will continue

But on awakening and self-inquiry

Darkness is dispelled instantly

Dust particles do not affect the sky

The body too does not affect self

Pleasure and pain are not of body or self

They belong to ignorance—their loss is no loss

Neither identical nor apart are self and body

All these are but reflections of truth

Abandon these notions of differences

Rest in the truth—Brahman alone exists

The one self perceives itself within itself

Infinite consciousness alone exists

Not sorrow, delusion, anyone or anything

Abandon duality and be established in this

The steady mind is an abode of peace

Rest peacefully in this inner silence

Remain alone inwardly without self-willed thoughts

Doing what needs to be done—naturally

Be content with what comes unsought

This is the way to be desireless

Live without grabbing or pushing away

This is the way to effortless living

Be free from all mental conditioning

This is the way out of inner blindness

Rest always content in your true self

This is the way to be free of distress

Remain fully expanded within like the ocean

This is the way beyond all limitation

Rejoice in the self by the self

Nothing that happens will perturb you

Just as a crystal reflects things naturally

So also do activities reflect in consciousness

Do what needs to be done non-volitionally

Universal activity is entry into universality

Choosing not to act is utter foolishness

Those suppressing natural action do suffer

Acting volitionally is the other extreme

Self-centered action brings sorrow too

There is another way of pure action

Doing what needs to be done as a part of things

Big difference between being a part and apart

Pure action remedies self-centeredness

Those living life with the spirit of inquiry

Are blessed—they do conquer the mind

Going on to higher planes of consciousness

They attain liberation and end all suffering

Through constant effort one does evolve

Entering this birth with qualities conducive

To increasing their existing pure qualities

And attain to the utterly pure state

Each has to earn everything by themselves

Every step towards the light has to be tread

As one marches on—darkness is abandoned

One gradually reaches the goal of liberation

A master can help and point the way

One will have to tread each step on his own

Most rare when self-knowledge happens instantly

I shall narrate an ancient legend that illustrates this

 

Om Tat Sat

                                                        

(Continued...) 

( My humble salutations to H H Sri Swami  Suryadevananda ji and H H Sri Swami Venkatesananda ji for the collection)