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 15, section 20 - clear mirror the untainted seat -> clear
mirror of the untainted seat
Page 25, section 47 - us to -> us to attain
Page 62, section 25 - _tatpada orstate_ -> _tatpada_ or state
Page 64, section 1 - the idea of the will be found -> the idea
of the world will be found
Page 68, section 9 - proctive -> productive
Page 197, section 23 - with ever rising -> without ever rising
Page 200, section 18 - of duality -> of neither duality
Page 268, section 14 - without its -> without its cause
Page 502, section 73 - makes -> makes not
Page 511, section 23 - remains -> remains immune
Page 512, section 28 - cares -> cares not
Page 525, section 21 - externally conscious -> internally conscious
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 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 in
a few cases.
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.
OF
VÁLMÍKI
VOL. IV (part 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
YOGA-VÁSISHTHA
MAHÁRÁMÁYANA
OF
VÁLMÍKI
in 4 vols. in 7 pts.
(Bound in 4.)
Vol. 4 (In 2 pts.)
Bound in one.
Containing
The Nirvana-Prakarana, Uttarárdha
_Translated from the original Sanskrit_
_By_
VIHARI-LALA MITRA
CONTENTS
OF
THE FOURTH VOLUME.
NIRVÁNA PRAKARANA.
BOOK VI.
CHAPTER I.
On Unintentional Acts and Actions 1
CHAPTER II.
Burning of the seeds of action for 7
Prevention of their Vegetation
CHAPTER III.
Disappearance of the Phenomenals 13
CHAPTER IV.
Annihilation of Egoism 20
CHAPTER V.
Narrative of a Vidyádhara and his 26
queries
CHAPTER VI.
Description of Disaffection and Disgust 29
to the world
CHAPTER VII.
Description of the seed of the Arbour of 36
world
CHAPTER VIII.
Description of the Temple of Illusion 39
CHAPTER IX.
Of the Development of Intellect 43
CHAPTER X.
Description of Creation as an Emanation 45
from Brahmá
CHAPTER XI.
On Truth and Right knowledge 48
CHAPTER XII.
On the identity of the Will and its work 50
of the Desire and its Production
CHAPTER XIII.
Anecdote of Indra and an account of the 56
Atomic World
CHAPTER XIV.
Story of Indrání; and Establishment of 60
the identity of the acts of Creation and
imagination
CHAPTER XV.
The Final Extinction of the Vidyádhara 64
CHAPTER XVI.
Extinction of Vidyádhara (continued) 67
CHAPTER XVII.
Lecture on the Annihilation of Egoism 69
CHAPTER XVIII.
Description of the Universal sphere 71
CHAPTER XIX.
Description of the Form of Virát or the 77
all comprehending Deity
CHAPTER XX.
Lecture on the Extinction of the Living 82
soul
CHAPTER XXI.
What constitutes True knowledge 85
CHAPTER XXII.
The yoga conducive to Happiness or the 87
way to Happiness
CHAPTER XXIII.
Story of a Pious Bráhmana and his 95
Nirvána-Extinction
CHAPTER XXIV.
Indifference or Insouciance of Manki to 101
Worldliness
CHAPTER XXV.
Vasishtha’s Admonition to Manki 104
CHAPTER XXVI.
Manki’s attainment of Final Extinction 109
or Nirvána
CHAPTER XXVII.
Sermon on the superior sort of yoga 115
meditation
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Demonstrated conclusion of the Doubtful 118
Truth
CHAPTER XXIX.
Sermon on Holy Meditation 123
CHAPTER XXX.
Sermon on spirituality 133
CHAPTER XXXI.
Sermon on the Means of Attaining the 137
Nirvána Extinction
CHAPTER XXXII.
Sermon inculcating the knowledge of 143
truth
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Sermon on the True sense of Truth 147
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Sermon on the Practice of spiritual yoga 153
or intellectual meditation
CHAPTER XXXV.
Description of the Supreme Brahma 159
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Sermon on the seed or source of the 164
world
CHAPTER XXXVII.
A Lecture on the visibles and Visible 170
world
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Disquisition of Nirvána-quietism 181
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Vasishtha’s Gítá or sermon on the sweet 187
peace of mind
CHAPTER XL.
On the Quiescence of the soul 192
CHAPTER XLI.
Repose in one’s essential Nature 194
CHAPTER XLII.
A Lecture on Nirvána-Extinction 198
CHAPTER XLIII.
On the infinite Extension of Brahma 205
CHAPTER XLIV.
Dangers to which the wandering 213
(staglike) Mind is exposed
CHAPTER XLV.
Continuation of the story of the Deer 219
like mind
CHAPTER XLVI.
On abstract meditation and Hypnotism 227
CHAPTER XLVII.
The first step towards Liberation 230
CHAPTER XLVIII.
On the Dignity of Right Discrimination 236
CHAPTER XLIX.
Total stoicism and insouciance 241
CHAPTER L.
Description of the seven kinds of Living 248
beings
CHAPTER LI.
Admonition to Arrive at the yoga of 252
Ultimate Rest
CHAPTER LII.
Description of the Form and Attributes 258
of Brahma
CHAPTER LIII.
Explanation of Nirvána-Anaesthesia 264
CHAPTER LIV.
Establishment of the undivided 267
individuality of God
CHAPTER LV.
The spiritual sense of the world 272
CHAPTER LVI.
Story of the Great stone and Vasishtha’s 276
Meditation
CHAPTER LVII.
On the knowledge of the known and 281
unknown
CHAPTER LVIII.
Proving the creation as Divine Attribute 285
CHAPTER LIX.
Description of the Net work of the world 288
CHAPTER LX.
The Net works of World (continued) 295
CHAPTER LXI.
On the identity of the world with 302
infinite vacuity
CHAPTER LXII.
The unity of the intellect with the 307
intellectual World
CHAPTER LXIII.
Unity of the universe with the universal 313
soul
CHAPTER LXIV.
Sport of the heavenly Nymphs 318
CHAPTER LXV.
Life and conduct of the Etherial Nymph 326
CHAPTER LXVI.
Description of the inside of the stony 329
mansion of the World
CHAPTER LXVII.
Praise of continued practice or the 333
Force of Habit
CHAPTER LXVIII.
The Fallacy of the Existence of the 339
World
CHAPTER LXIX.
Entrance into the Cosmical stone of 345
Mundane Egg
CHAPTER LXX.
The words of the creator of Worlds in 349
the Mundane stone
CHAPTER LXXI.
Description of final Dissolution 353
CHAPTER LXXII.
Description of Nirvána or Final 360
extinction
CHAPTER LXXIII.
Description of the person of Virát—the 364
God of Nature
CHAPTER LXXIV.
Description of the cosmical Body of 371
Virát (continued)
CHAPTER LXXV.
Description of the Final conflagration 376
of the world
CHAPTER LXXVI.
The stridor of Pushkarávarta clouds 383
CHAPTER LXXVII.
Description of the world overflooded by 388
the rains
CHAPTER LXXVIII.
Description of the universal Ocean 394
CHAPTER LXXIX.
Maintenance of inappetency or want of 398
Desire
CHAPTER LXXX.
The world Proved to be a Delusion 404
CHAPTER LXXXI.
Description of the last night of death 411
or general doom
CHAPTER LXXXII.
Description of the person of the God 423
Siva
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
Sight of the Mundane God 427
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
Relation of Siva and Sakti or of the 431
holy spirit and its power
CHAPTER LXXXV.
Relation of Nature and soul or the Prime 438
Male and Female Powers
CHAPTER LXXXVI.
The Convertibility of the World to the 442
Supreme Spirit
CHAPTER LXXXVII.
The infinity of the World shown in the 449
Material body
CHAPTER LXXXVIII.
Further Description of earth 458
CHAPTER LXXXIX.
The Phenomenal as the Reproduction of 461
Reminiscence
CHAPTER LXXXX.
Description of the Watery creation 465
CHAPTER LXXXXI.
Description of Igneous, Luminous and 469
Brilliant Objects in nature
CHAPTER LXXXXII.
Description of the current air, as the 477
universal spirit
CHAPTER LXXXXIII.
The Advent and Psalmody of a siddha in 484
the Aerial Abode of Vasishtha
CHAPTER LXXXXIV.
Description of a Pisácha, and the unity 495
of the world with Brahma
CHAPTER LXXXXV.
Description of the person of Vasishtha 505
CHAPTER LXXXXVI.
Establishment of immortality 509
CHAPTER LXXXXVII.
On the Rarity and Retiredness of 514
Religious Recluses
CHAPTER LXXXXVIII.
Praise of good society, or association 520
with the good and wise
CHAPTER LXXXXIX.
A Discourse on Esoteric or Spiritual 523
knowledge
CHAPTER C.
Refutation of Atheism 530
CHAPTER CI.
A Sermon on spirituality 537
CHAPTER CII.
Exposition of Buddhism and disproving of 542
Deaths
CHAPTER CIII.
Proof of the unity of the Deity amidst 549
the variety of creation
CHAPTER CIV.
Establishment of the Non-entity of the 561
world
CHAPTER CV.
Likeness of Waking and sleeping Dreams 563
YOGA VASISHTHA.
UTTARÁDHA
OR THE LATTER HALF OR SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
NIRVÁNA PRAKARANA.
CHAPTER I.
ON UNINTENTIONAL ACTS AND ACTIONS.
Argument:—The manner how the liberated should conduct themselves
in life, with renunciation of their egoism and selfish desires.
Ráma rejoined:—The renunciation of the notion of one’s personality or
egoism in his own person, being attended by its attendant evil of
inertness and inactivity (lit. want of acts), it naturally brings on a
premature decay and decline, and the eventual falling off of the body in
a short time: how then is it possible sir, for an indifferent person of
this kind, to practice his actions and discharge the active duties of
life (as you preached in your last lecture)?
2. Vasishtha replied:—It is possible Ráma, for the living person to
resign his false ideas and not for one that is dead and gone (because
the life of a man is independent of his notions; while the notions are
dependant on his life). Hear me now to expound this truth, and it will
greatly please your ears: (lit. it will be an ornament to your ears).
3. The idea of one’s egoism (or his personality in own person), is said
to be an idealism by idealists; but it is the conception of the
signification of the word air or vacuity (which is the essence of the
Deity), that is represented as the repudiation of that erroneous notion.
4. The idealists represent the sense of all substances, as a creation of
the imagination, while it is the idea of a pure vacuum, which they say
to be the resignation of this erroneous conception. (The vacuistic
Vasishtha treats here in length of the nullity of all substances, and
the eternity of all pervading vacuum, and establishes the doctrine of
the nothingness of the world and its God).
5. The idea of any thing in the world as something in reality, is said
to be mere imaginary by the best and wisest of men; but the belief of
all things as an empty nothing, displaces the error of thought from the
mind. Since all things are reduced to and return to nothing, it is this
alone which is the ever lasting something. (_Ullum est nullum, et nullum
est ullum_).
6. Know thy remembrance of anything, is thy imagination of it only, and
its forgetfulness alone is good for thee; therefore try to blot out all
thy former impressions from thy mind, as if they were never impressed on
it.
7. Efface from thy mind the memory of all thou hast felt or unfelt
(_i.e._ fancied), and remain silent and secluded like a block after thy
forgetfulness of all things whatsoever.
8. Continue in the practice of thy continuous actions, with an utter
oblivion of the past (nor need the assistance of thy memory of the
past, in the discharge of thy present duties); because thy habit of
activity is enough to conduct thee through all the actions of thy life,
as it is the habit of a half-sleeping baby to move its limbs (without
its consciousness of the movements). (Such is the force of habit, says
the maxim _Abhyastopapatti_—habit is second nature).
9. It requires no design or desire on the part of an actor to act his
part, whereto he is led by the tenor of his prior propensities (of past
lives); as a potter’s wheel is propelled by the pristine momentum,
without requiring the application of continued force for its whirling
motion. So O sinless Ráma! mind our actions to be under the direction of
our previous impressions, and not under the exertion of our present
efforts.
10. Hence inappetency has become the congenial tendency of your mind,
without its inclination to the gratification of its appetites. The
leanings of men to particular pursuits, are directed by the current of
their previous propensities. The predisposition of the mind, is said to
be the cause of the formation of the character and fortune of a man in
his present state, (which is otherwise said to be the result of his
predestination) which runs as a stream in wonted course, and carries all
men as straws floating along with its tide.
11. I am proclaiming it with a loud voice and lifted arms, and yet no
body will hearken unto me when I say that, want of desire is our supreme
bliss and summum bonum, and yet why is it that none would perceive it as
such?
12. O the wondrous power of illusion! that it makes men to slight their
reason, and throw away the richest jewel of their mind, from the chest
of their breast wherein it is deposited.
13. The best way to inappetence, is the ignoring and abnegation of the
phenomenals which I want you to do; and know that your disavowal of all
is of the greatest boon to you, as you will be best able to perceive in
yourself.
14. Sitting silent with calm content, will lead you to that blissful
state, before which your possession of an empire will seem
insignificant, and rather serving to increase your desire for more. (The
adage says:—No one has got over the ocean of his ambition, neither an
Alexander nor a Cæsar).
15. As the feet of a traveller are in continued motion, until he reaches
to his destination; so are the body and mind of the avaricious in
continual agitation, unless his inappetence would give him respite from
his incessant action.
16. Forget and forsake your expectation of fruition of the result of
your actions, and allow yourself to be carried onward by the current of
your fortune, and without taking anything to thy mind; as a sleeping man
is insensibly carried on by his dreams.
17. Stir yourself to action as it occurs to you, and without any purpose
or desire of yours in it, and without your feeling any pain or pleasure
therein; let the current of the business conduct you onward, as the
current of a stream carries down a straw in its course.
18. Take to thy heart no pleasure or pain, in the discharge of the work
in which thou art employed; but remain insensible of both like a wooden
machine which works for others. (Because, says the commentary, it is the
dull head of people only, that are elated or dejected in the good or bad
turns of the affairs of life).
19. Remain insensible of pleasure or pain, in thy body and mind and all
the organs of senses; like the sapless trees and plants in winter, when
they bear their bare trunks without the sensitiveness of their parts.
20. Let the sun of thy good understanding, suck up the sensibility of
thy six external senses, as the solar rays dry up the moisture of winter
plants; and continue to work with the members of thy body, as an engine
is set to work. (Work as a brute with thy bodily powers or as a machine
with its mechanical forces; but keep thy inner mind aloof from thy outer
drudgeries).
21. Restrain thy intellectual pleasures from their inclination to
sensual gratifications, and retain thy spiritual joy in thyself, for the
support of thy life; as the ground retains the roots of trees in it very
carefully in winter for their growth in the season of spring.
22. It is the same whether you continually gratify or not the cravings
of your senses, they will continue insatiate notwithstanding all your
supplies, and the vanities of the world will profit you nothing.
23. If you move about continually like a running stream, or as the
continuous shaking of the water in an aerostatic or hydraulic engine,
and be free from every desire and craving of your mind, you are then
said to advance towards your endless felicity (so the adage is:—All
desire is painsome, and its want is perfect freedom).
24. Know this as a transcendent truth, and capable of preventing all
your future transmigrations in this world, that you become accustomed to
the free agency of all your actions, without being dragged to them by
your desires.
25. Pursue your business as it occurs to you, without any desire or
purpose of your own towards its object; but continue to turn about your
callings, as the potter’s wheel revolves round its fulcrum.
26. Neither have in view the object of your action, nor the reward of
your action; but know it to be equally alike whether you refrain from
action, or do it without your desire of fruition.
27. But what is the use of much verbiology, when it can be expressed in
short and in a few words, that the desire of fruition is the bondage of
your soul, and your relinquishment of it is fraught with your perfect
freedom.
28. There is no business whatever for us in this world, that must be
done or abandoned by us at any time or place; every thing is good that
comes from the good God, therefore sit you quiet with your cold
indifference as before the occurrence of any event.
29. Think thy works as no works, and take thy abstinence from action for
thy greatest work, but remain as quiet in your mind in both your action
and inaction, as the Divine Intellect is in ecstasies amidst the thick
of its action.
30. Know the unconsciousness of all things to be the true trance-yoga,
and requiring the entire suppression of the mental operations. Remain
wholly intent on the Supreme spirit, until thou art one and the same
with it.
31. Being identified with that tranquil and subtile spirit, and divested
of the sense of dualism or existence of anything else; nobody can sorrow
for ought, when he is himself absorbed in his thought, in the endless
and pure essence of God.
32. Let no desire rise in thy indifferent mind, like a tender germ
sprouting in the sterile desert soil; nor allow a wish to grow in thee,
like a slender blade shooting in the bosom of a barren rock.
33. The unconscious and insensible saint, derives no good or evil by his
doing or undoing of any deed or duty in his living state, nor in his
next life. (Duties are not binding on the holy and devout sages and
saints).
34. There is no sense of duty nor that of its dereliction neither, in
the minds of the saintly Yogis, who always view the equality of all
things and acts; and never consider their deeds as their own doings, nor
think themselves as the agents of their own actions.
35. The consciousness of egoism and the sense of meiety of selfishness,
will never release a man from the miseries of life; it is his
unconsciousness of these, that can only save him from all sorrow,
wherefore it lies in the option of every body, to choose for him either
of these as he may best like.
36. There is no other ego or meiety excepting that of the one
self-existent and omniform Deity; and besides the essence of this
transcendent being, it is hard to account anything of the multifarious
things that appear to be otherwise than Himself.
37. The visible world that appears so vividly to our sight, is no more
than the manifestation of the One Divine Essence in many, like the
transformation of gold in the multiform shapes of jewels; but seeing the
continual decay and disappearance of the phenomenals, we ignore their
separate existence. We confess the sole existence of the One that lasts
after all and for ever.