THE YOGA VASISTHA
IN
POEM
CHAPTER Four
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
- SECTION DEALING WITH EXISTENCE
After Cosmic Dissolution
Only those with firm faith in the universe's reality
Can posit the universe exists in a seed-state
After the cosmic dissolution, O Rama
These theories are pure ignorance only
The seed of the plant contains the future tree
Both material—perceivable by mind and senses
How can that which is beyond the reach of both
Be the seed for the worlds we see?
That which remains is subtler than space
How can the universe's seed exist in it?
Just how can this universe emerge
From that most subtle supreme being?
Something cannot exist in nothing
Even if it did—why it is not seen?
A tree does not spring from an empty jar
Which is filled with nothing but pure space
Brahman and the universe cannot coexist
As darkness cannot exist with the sun
The tree exists in the seed—both have forms
But how can form exist in formlessness?
Brahman and the world have no relationship
All that appears is Brahman alone
'Tis real just as a dream-vision
For it is produced without substance
A cooperative clause would be needed
For manifestation from the seed-state
But no such clause exists at all
'Tis ignorance to think about this
The creator arose as a memory
In infinite pure consciousness
From and in memory did all this arise
The world-appearance that only looks real
Like specks of dust in a light beam
Millions of universes do appear
This world and all its components
Are all in one small atom only
Other atoms have world-appearances too
Like figures in an uncarved marble slab
Though the slab does not have any form
The figures in it all appear so very real
The Way Beyond
Successful mastery of the senses
Is the only way across this samsara
Formidable ocean or world-appearance
No other effort is of much use
Wisdom gained by study of scriptures
Company of sages and holy ones
Successful mastery of the senses
Will help transcend world-appearance
The mind alone is world-appearance
All this is jugglery of the mind only
Mind conjures and experiences itself
When mind is healed—appearance is healed
Though unseen—by its own thinking
The mind conjures this body
Generating ideas of birth and death
Delusion results from its own thoughts
Relentless errors in perception
Worsen one's psychological condition
By direct observation and inquiry
End the cycle of the mind's tyranny
The enormous universe exists in the mind
Like the universes created by the brahmana boys
Like the hallucinations suffered by king Lavana
The story of Sukra will illustrate this well
- THE STORY OF SUKRA
Sage Brighu once undertook intense penance
Sukra his son tended to his father's needs
Seeing a beautiful nymph in the sky one day
The young man was totally distracted
Overcome with desire, he closed his eyes
Mentally, he pursued the beautiful nymph
They entered the realm of gods and celestials
And consented to stay there at their behest
He completely forgot his old identity
Spending all his time in pleasure’s pursuits
Eight cycles of time came and passed by
Merit exhausted—he fell back to the earth
Both he and the nymph were reborn again
In various related and unrelated conditions
Sukra passed through many different ones
Different conditions and different species too
Passing through various embodiments
And enduring very many fates
He felt the need to find a way out
Sukra practiced intense austerities
His old body sat near his father
Suffering the effects of weather and time
It had been reduced to skin and bone
And was most frightening to even look at
Brighu Rises from Meditation
Sage Brighu arose from his meditation
Many long cycles of time had lapsed
He did not see his youthful son nearby
Only the dried up body—looking hideous
Filled with rage he wished to curse time
For causing Sukra’s untimely death
Time appeared before him instantly
In physical form with sword and noose
Six arms and faces—wearing impenetrable armor
Surrounded by servants and messengers
Radiant with the flames of destruction
And the weapons he held in his hands
Time Addressed Birghu
How is it that such a wise sage as you
Contemplates such unworthy conduct
Offended though none has offended you
Though worthy of salutations of one and all
Do not waste your merit in this useless show
You know your curses cannot affect me
Even the fires of dissolution do not burn me
Why do you contemplate cursing me?
I am Time—countless beings I've destroyed
Even gods who preside over this universe
I am the consumer—you are the food
Such has been ordained by nature
Fire by its very nature flames upward
Water by its very nature flows down
Foods by their nature seek consumers
Created objects by their nature seek their end
Thus is ordained by the supreme Lord
Self of all, self in all—pure consciousness
The only doer and enjoyer—divisionless
Knowers of truth have experienced this
Do not give way to anger, O sage
It will only lead to disasters' path
What is to be—will surely be
The wise are not swayed by vanity
What has to be done—has to be done
The wise do the needful egolessly
Unselfish as if in deep sleep
Walk this path of the wise sages
Mental actions are real actions
Your mind is disturbed by emotions
Sever mind's identification with body
Turn it to truth and attain the supreme
While you were in deep meditation
Sukra your son got mentally distracted
Pursuing a nymph out of desire
He underwent births of experience
He is now engaged in penance wisely
Well-read in scriptures and learned
See this whole series in intuition
Behold all this with the eye of wisdom
Bhrigu Speaks to Time
Lord, everything you say is absolute truth
You are indeed the knower of all
We are so feeble in understanding
All this is verily within you only
Out of attachment I became agitated
Moved to sorrow by natural events
Clinging to what inevitably changes
Succumbing to anger and delusion
By your grace I have seen the truth
I realize mind alone is the body
The mind conjures this world-vision
And then endures its own havoc
Time Speaks to Bhrigu
Mind is the body—well said, O sage
Mind creates the body by thoughts alone
Just as a potter fashions a pot
Mind creates new bodies—destroys the old
In mind exists irrational thought and delusion
Dream, imagination, whims and fancies
It creates the body within itself only
The ignorant see differences between them both
States of waking, dream and deep sleep
Are expressions of mind's faculties
The conditioned mind sees diversity
The enlightened mind beholds unity
Mind gets involved in its own projections
Entertaining false notions and feels bound
When all false notions have been dispelled
Peace of the supreme is experienced
The mind can be seen as a vast ocean
Within it are a variety of creatures too
On which waves and ripples rise and fall
Its own smaller waves fear larger ones
Warmer waves fear colder ones
Choppy waves feel the wind breaking them
All waves are waters of the same ocean
Ocean alone exists—still there are waves
Even so, absolute Brahman alone exists
Infinite diversity appears in the infinite
Diversity is an appearance—imagination
All this is Brahman—abide in this truth
A silkworm weaving somehow gets bound
The infinite fancies and gets caught in it
As an elephant breaks the chains that bind
Self liberates itself from shackles of bondage
The self is what it considers itself to be
There’s no bondage or liberation for the Lord
The infinite being alone exists
Bondage and liberation are great wonders
Come out of ignorance's revolving wheel
Leave delusion’s chaos behind
Step onto wisdom concerning the truth
Freedom and redemption are yours instantly
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
( My
humble salutations to H H Sri Swami
Suryadevananda ji and H H Sri Swami Venkatesananda ji for the
collection)
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