Transcriber’s Notes
Inconsistent punctuation has been silently corrected.
Obvious misspellings have been silently corrected, and the following
corrections made to the text. Other spelling and hyphenation variations
have not been modified.
Page 412 - and the other to that of the learned -> and the other to that
of the unlearned
Page 413 - in mountainous -> in the mountainous
Page 437, section 66 - favourite females -> favourite of females
Page 634, section 40 - full of inequity -> full of iniquity
Page 680, section 22 - the like -> like the
Page 715, section 53 - unvisionary -> visionary
Page 816, section 16 - bring though -> even though
Page 930, section 29 - very thick and lean -> very thin and lean
Also, some of the shortcomings of the LPP edition have been corrected by
referencing other printings:
Page 434: Missing line "remove it by your subjection to ignorance
and idleness" was inserted.
Page 687 in the printed book is a copy of page 887 (where it belongs).
The missing page 687 has been supplied from the Bharatiya edition. (It
is the start of chapter LXI: On Birth, Death and Existence (verse
1-9)). This error has been reproduced in the Parimal ed. because this
is based on a scanning of an edition with this error.
Page 688 and 888 were switched in the printed book.
Page 886: verse 17-18 were missing.
Page 918: verse 8 was missing.
Angle brackets: <...> have been used by the transcriber to indicate light
editing of the text to insert missing words.
The spelling of Sanskrit words are normalized to some extent, including
correct/addition of accents where necessary. Note that the author uses
á, í, ú to indicate long vowels. This notation has not been changed.
The third Devanagari character in footnote 7 is illegible in the text.
It has been inserted from an alternate text, although it appears that
the original of this text may in fact have included a typo.
The LPP edition (1999) which has been scanned for this ebook, is of
poor quality, and in some cases text was missing. Where possible, the
missing/unclear text has been supplied from another edition, which has
the same typographical basis (both editions are photographical reprints
of the same source, or perhaps one is a copy of the other): Bharatiya
Publishing House, Delhi 1978.
A third edition, Parimal Publications, Delhi 1998, which is based on an
OCR scanning of the same typographical basis, has also been consulted.
The term “Gloss.” or “Glossary” probably refers to the extensive classical
commentary to Yoga Vásishtha by Ananda Bodhendra Saraswati (only
available in Sanskrit).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
YOGA-VÁSISHTHA-MAHÁRÁMÁYANA.
VOL. II (part 2)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
YOGA-VÁSISHTHA
MAHÁRÁMÁYANA
OF
VÁLMÍKI
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
YOGA-VÁSISHTHA
MAHÁRÁMÁYANA
OF
VÁLMÍKI
in 4 vols. in 7 pts.
(Bound in 4.)
Vol. 2 (In 2 pts.)
Bound in one.
Containing
Utpatti Khanda, Sthiti Prakarana and
Upasama Khanda to Chapter LIII.
_Translated from the original Sanskrit
By_
VIHARI-LALA MITRA
YOGA VASISHTHA
BOOK IV.
STHITI PRAKARANA
ON ONTOLOGY OR EXISTENCE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
OF
STHITI PRAKARANA.
(ON ONTOLOGY OR EXISTENCE).
BOOK IV.
CHAPTER I.
Janya-Jani-Nirúpana 403
CHAPTER II.
The Receptacle of the Mundane Egg 408
CHAPTER III.
Eternity of the World 411
CHAPTER IV.
Treating of the Germ of Existence 414
CHAPTER V.
Story of Bhárgava 416
CHAPTER VI.
Elysium of Bhárgava 418
CHAPTER VII.
Re-union of the Lovers 421
CHAPTER VIII.
Transmigration of Sukra 425
CHAPTER IX.
Description of Sukra’s Body 429
CHAPTER X.
Bhrigu’s Conference with Kála or Death 431
CHAPTER XI.
Cause of the Production of the World 439
CHAPTER XII.
Detailed Account of the Genesis of the World 448
CHAPTER XIII.
Consolation of Bhrigu 451
CHAPTER XIV.
Sukra’s Reminiscence of his Metempsychosis 454
CHAPTER XV.
Lamentation and Expostulation of Sukra 459
CHAPTER XVI.
Resuscitation of Sukra 464
CHAPTER XVII.
Attainment of the Ideal Realm 467
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Incarnation of the Living Spirit 471
CHAPTER XIX.
Investigation into the Nature of the Living Soul 480
CHAPTER XX.
Description of the Mind 484
CHAPTER XXI.
On the Philosophy of the Mind 486
CHAPTER XXII.
Resting in Supreme Felicity 493
CHAPTER XXIII.
Meditation of the Wonders in the Realm
of the Body 498
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Non-entity of the Mind 505
CHAPTER XXV.
Narrative of Dáma, Vyála and Kata 508
CHAPTER XXVI.
Battle of the Deities and Demons 512
CHAPTER XXVII.
Admonition of Brahmá 518
CHAPTER XXVIII.
The Renewed Battle of the Gods and Demons 523
CHAPTER XXIX.
Defeat of the Demons 527
CHAPTER XXX.
Account of the Subsequent lives of the Demons 531
CHAPTER XXXI.
Investigation of Reality and Unreality 533
CHAPTER XXXII.
On Good Conduct 539
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Consideration of Egoism 545
CHAPTER XXXIV.
End of the Story of Dáma and Vyála 553
CHAPTER XXXV.
Description of Insouciance 558
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Description of the Intellectual Sphere 566
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Upasama. The Sameness or Quietism of the Soul 570
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The Same Quietness or Quietude of the Spirit 572
CHAPTER XXXIX.
On the Unity of all Things 577
CHAPTER XXXX.
Brahma Identic with the World 584
CHAPTER XLI.
Description of ignorance 589
CHAPTER XLII.
Production of Jíva or Living Souls 593
CHAPTER XLIII.
The Repositories of Living Souls 598
CHAPTER XLIV.
The Incarnation of Human Souls in the World 605
CHAPTER XLV.
Dependence of all on God 611
CHAPTER XLVI.
Description of Living-Liberation 617
CHAPTER XLVII.
Description of the Worlds and their Demiurgi 621
CHAPTER XLVIII.
Story of Dásúra 630
CHAPTER XLIX.
Description of Dásúra’s Kadamba Forest 635
CHAPTER L.
Dásúra’s Survey of the Heavens 639
CHAPTER LI.
Dásúra’s Begetting a Son 641
CHAPTER LII.
Grandeur of the Air-born King 645
CHAPTER LIII.
Description of the Mundane City 649
CHAPTER LIV.
Corrective of Desires 655
CHAPTER LV.
Meeting of Vasishtha and Dásúra 660
CHAPTER LVI.
On the Soul and its Inertness 664
CHAPTER LVII.
Nature of Volleity and Nolleity 670
CHAPTER LVIII.
The song of Kacha 676
CHAPTER LIX.
Works of Brahmá’s Creation 678
CHAPTER LX.
Production of Living Beings 684
CHAPTER LXI.
On Birth, Death and Existence 687
CHAPTER LXII.
Speech of the Divine Messenger 690
CONTENTS
OF
UPASAMA KHANDA.
(ON QUIETISM.)
BOOK V.
CHAPTER I.
The Áhnika or Daily Ritual 693
CHAPTER II.
Ráma’s Recapitulation of Vasishtha’s Lectures 698
CHAPTER III.
Description of the Royal Assembly 703
CHAPTER IV.
Inquiries of Ráma 706
CHAPTER V.
Lecture on Tranquility of the Soul and Mind 710
CHAPTER VI.
Lecture on the Discharge of Duty 716
CHAPTER VII.
On Attainment of Divine Knowledge 719
CHAPTER VIII.
Song of the Siddhas or Holy Adepts 720
CHAPTER IX.
Reflections of Janaka 723
CHAPTER X.
Silent and Solitary Reflections of Janaka 730
CHAPTER XI.
Subjection of the Mind 734
CHAPTER XII.
On the Greatness of the Intelligence 737
CHAPTER XIII.
Government of the Mind 741
CHAPTER XIV.
Ascertainment of the Thinking Principle 754
CHAPTER XV.
On Avarice 761
CHAPTER XVI.
Healing of Avarice 764
CHAPTER XVII.
On the Extirpation of Avarice 767
CHAPTER XVIII.
Living Liberation or True Felicity of Man
in this Life 771
CHAPTER XIX.
On Holy Knowledge 779
CHAPTER XX.
Remonstration of Pávana 784
CHAPTER XXI.
Repression of Desires by Means of Yoga-Meditation 789
CHAPTER XXII.
Narrative of Virochana 793
CHAPTER XXIII.
Speech of Virochana on Subjection of the Mind 799
CHAPTER XXIV.
On the Healing and Improvement of the Mind 803
CHAPTER XXV.
Reflections of Bali 811
CHAPTER XXVI.
Admonition of Sukra to Bali 814
CHAPTER XXVII.
Hebetude of Bali 817
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Description of Bali’s anaesthesia 821
CHAPTER XXIX.
Bali’s resuscitation to sensibility 824
CHAPTER XXX.
Fall of Hiranyakasipu and Rise of Prahláda 831
CHAPTER XXXI.
Prahláda’s Faith in Vishnu 835
CHAPTER XXXII.
The Spiritual and formal Worship of Vishnu 843
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Prahláda’s Supplication to Hari 848
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Prahláda’s Self-knowledge of Spiritualism 852
CHAPTER XXXV.
Meditation on Brahma in One’s Self 865
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Hymn to the Soul 876
CHAPTER XXXVII.
Disorder and Disquiet of the Asura Realm 885
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Scrutiny into the Nature of God 887
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Admonitions of Hari to Prahláda 890
CHAPTER XL.
Resuscitation of Prahláda 896
CHAPTER XLI.
Installation of Prahláda in his Realm 900
CHAPTER XLII.
Spirituality of Prahláda 905
CHAPTER XLIII.
Rest and Repose of Prahláda 908
CHAPTER XLIV.
Narrative of Gádhi and his Destruction 913
CHAPTER XLV.
Gádhi is Reborn as a Chandála, and made King
over the Kir Tribe 918
CHAPTER XLVI.
Gádhi’s Loss of his Visionary Kingdom 923
CHAPTER XLVII.
Verification of Gádhi’s Vision 928
CHAPTER XLVIII.
On the Wondrous Powers of Illusion 935
CHAPTER XLIX.
Gádhi’s gaining of True Knowledge 943
CHAPTER L.
Intentions of Ráma 949
CHAPTER LI.
Desire of Uddálaka 960
CHAPTER LII.
Ratiocination of Uddálaka 966
CHAPTER LIII.
The Rational Rapture of Uddálaka 974
------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOGA VASISHTHA
BOOK IV.
STHITI PRAKARANA
ON ONTOLOGY OR EXISTENCE.
CHAPTER I.
JANYA-JANI-NIRÚPANA.
_On Genesis and Epigenesis._
Argument. The variety of creation is described as the working of
the mind, and the existence of one Brahma only, is established in
refutation of the Atomic and Materialistic doctrines of Nyáya and
Sánkhya philosophy.
Vasishtha said:—Attend now Ráma, to the subject of Existence, which
follows that of Production: a knowledge of this, is productive of
_nirvána_ or utter annihilation of the self or soul.
2. Know then the phenomenal world which is existent before you, and
your knowledge of egoism or self-existence, to be but erroneous
conceptions of the formless inexistence or inanity.
3. You see the tints of various hues painting the vacuous sky, without
any paint (colouring substance), or their cause (the painter). This is
but a conception of the mind without its visual perception, and like
the vision in a dream of one, who is not in a state of sound sleep.
(The world is a dream).
4. It is like an aerial city built and present in your mind; or like
the warming of shivering apes beside the red clay, thinking it as red
hot fire; and as one’s pursuing an unreality or (grasping a shadow).
5. It is but a different aspect of the self same Brahma, like that of a
whirlpool in water, and as the unsubstantial sunlight, appearing as a
real substance in the sky.
6. It is like the baseless fabric of gold of the celestials on high;
and like the air-built castle of Gandharvas in the midway sky. (The
gods and Gandharvas are believed to dwell in their golden abodes in
heaven).
7. It is as the false sea in the mirage, appearing true at the time;
and like the Elysian and Utopian cities of imagination in empty air,
and taken for truth.
8. It is like the romantic realms with their picturesque scenes in the
fancies of poets, which are no where in nature but it seems to be solid
and thick within, without any pith or solidity in it, as <a> thing in an
empty dream.
9. It is as the etherial sphere, full of light all around, but all
hollow within; and like the blue autumnal sky, with its light and
flimsy clouds without any rain-water in them.
10. It is as the unsubstantial vacuum, with the cerulean blue of solid
sapphire; and like the domes and dames appearing in dreams, fleeting as
air and untangible to touch.
11. It is as a flower garden in a picture, painted with blooming
blossoms; and appearing as fragrant without any fragrance in them. It
is lightsome to sight, without the inherent heat of light, and
resembles the orb of the sun or a flaming fire represented in a picture.
12. It is as an ideal domain—the coinage of the brain, and an unreal
reality or a seeming something; and likens a lotus-bed in painting,
without its essence or fragrance.
13. It is as the variegated sky, painted with hues which it does not
possess; and is as unsolid as empty air, and as many-hued as the
rain-bow without any hue of its own.
14. All its various colourings of materiality, fade away under the
right discrimination of reason; and it is found in the end to be as
unsolid a substance as the stem of a plantain tree; (all coated without,
and nothing solid in the inside).
15. It is like the rotation of black spots, before the eyes of a
purblind man; and as the shape of a shadowy inexistence, presented as
something existent before the naked eye.
16. Like the bubble of water, it seems as something substantial to
sight; but in reality all hollow within; and though appearing as juicy,
it is without any moisture at all.
17. The bubbling worlds are as wide spread as the morning dews or
frost; but take them up, and you will find them as nothing, it is
thought as gross matter by some, and as vacuum by others. It is
believed as a fluctuation of thought or false vision by some, and as a
mere compound of atoms by many. (It is the dull matter of Sánkhyas;
mere vacuity of Vedántists; fluctuation of error—_avidyá spanda_ of the
Sánkaras; empty air of Mádhyamikas; fortuitous union of atoms of
Acháryas; different atomisms of Sautrántas, and Vaibháshikas; and so
likewise of Kanáda, Gotama and Arhatas; and so many more according to
the theories of others). (Gloss).
18. I am partly of a material frame, on my body and mind, but
spiritually I am an empty immaterial substance; and though felt by the
touch of the hand, I am yet as intangible as a nocturnal fiend:—(an
empty shadow only).
19. Ráma said:—It is said Sir, that at the end of a great Kalpa age,
the visible world remains in its seed; after which it developes again
in its present form, which I require to be fully explained to me.
20. Are they ignorant or knowing men, who think in these various ways?
Please Sir, tell me the truth for removal of my doubts, and relate to
me the process of the development.
21. Vasishtha replied:—Those who say that the mundane world existed in
the form of a seed at the final sleep (of Brahmá), are altogether
ignorant of the truth, and talk as children and boys: (from what they
think themselves, or hear from others).
22. Hear me tell you, how unaccordant it is to right reason and how far
removed from truth. It is a false supposition, and leading both the
preacher and hearer of such a doctrine to great error and egregious
mistake.
23. Those who attempt to show the existence of the world, in the form
of a germ in the mundane seed; maintain a very silly position, as I
shall now explain unto you.
24. A seed is in itself a visible thing, and is more an object of sense
than that of the mind; as the seeds of paddy and barley, are seen to
sprout forth in their germs and leaves.
25. The mind which is beyond the six organs of sense, is a very minute
particle; and it cannot possibly be born of itself, nor become the seed
of the universe.
26. The Supreme Spirit also, being more rarefied than the subtile
ether, and undefinable by words, cannot be of the form of a seed.
27. That which is as minute as a nil and a zero, is equivalent to
nothing; and could never be the mundane seed, without which there could
be no germ nor sprout.
28. That which is more rare and transparent than the vacuous and clear
firmament; cannot possibly contain the world with all its mountains and
seas; and the heavens with all their hosts, in its transcendent
substratum.
29. There is nothing, that is in any way situated as a substance, in
the substantiality of that Being; or if there is anything there, why is
it not visible to us?
30. There is nothing that comes of itself, and nothing material that
comes but of the immaterial spirit; for who can believe a hill to
proceed from the hollowness of an earthen pot?
31. How can a thing remain with another, which is opposed to it in its
nature? How can there be any shadow where there is light, and how does
darkness reside in the disc of the sun, or even coldness in fire?
32. How can an atom contain a hill, or anything subsist in nothing? The
union of a similar with its dissimilar, is as impossible as that of
shadow with the light of the sun.
33. It is reasonable to suppose that the material seeds of the fig and
paddy, should bring forth their shoots in time; but it is unreasonable
to believe the big material world to be contained in an immaterial atom.
34. We see the same organs of sense and their sensations, in all men in
every country; but there is not the same uniformity in the
understandings of men in every place, nor can there be any reason
assigned to this difference.
35. Those who assign a certain cause to some effect or event, betray
their ignorance of the true cause; for what is it that produces the
effect, except the very thing by some of its accessory powers. (Every
production is but a transformation of itself, by some of its inherent
powers and properties).
36. Throw off at a distance, the doctrine of cause and effect invented
by the ignorant; and know that to be true, which is without beginning
and end, and the same appearing as the world. (An increate everlasting
prototype in the mind of God).