yOga vASishTha – The Final Wonderment

As the final day of the assembly began, Bhagavan Vasistha addressed Lord Rama:

“The ultimate conclusion of Vipaschit’s long narration is that avidya (ignorance) is truly non-existent. It merely appears as a sequence of experiences. Vipaschit was unable to find its origin precisely because it does not exist.

Therefore, what exists is only Parabrahma (the supreme reality), and nothing different from Parabrahma ever exists. Not knowing this is the essence of ignorance or avidya. When you comprehend this ultimate truth, what is known as avidya remains as Parabrahma. However, when you do not understand this, it leads to the sequence of experiences that we perceive.”

The world view has no possibility of being real. If anyone makes a strong sankalpa (resolve), the world view appears, as discussed in the narration of Aindavas. One view replaces another in a continuous sequence of appearances. All such views are mere bhranti (delusions) or partial projections, reflections, and shadows of the mind’s limited imaginations. These twin states of waking and dreaming are like siblings; no one can determine which is older. Both are equally temporary.

At this stage, Lord Rama inquires once again about the techniques for conquering the senses and mind. Bhagavan Vasistha mentions various practices such as tirtha yatras (pilgrimages) and other upasanas (devotional practices), but states that none are as effective as tattva vichara (inquiry into the true nature of reality). The best tool for ultimate victory is this deep inquiry, which alone can elevate the individual mind to the level of universal consciousness.

At this point, the author Valmiki introduces the grantha prasamsa, highlighting the superiority of this work, known as Yoga Vasistha, as the best source for tattva vichara.

Bhagavan Vasistha returns to the discussion about the non-existence of the individual “I am.” By merely imagining a mark or boundary on infinite consciousness, the chittam (bounded identity) emerges. This chittam serves as the base upadhi (source) for all concepts to arise and gain a sense of reality. The primary triad of jagat (world), jiva (individual soul), and iswara (supreme being) emerges. However, there is no reality in this upadhi itself; all that ever exists is pure, unbounded consciousness alone. Properly understanding this is known as reconciling jagat-jiva-iswara.

Even the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep have no independent existence. They intermingle with each other; for instance, an individual can be awake in one place while thinking about another place and sequence of events in a daydream. What state could this be? Similarly, there are many similarities between dreaming and waking, and deep sleep is only a temporary cessation of projections.

Some argue that these projections could be real, unreal, or indescribable, but all these arguments are futile as the source of limitation itself is not possible. Bhagavan Vasistha quotes various teachings, such as those from the Leela Akhyanam, and concludes that “any discussion about the same thing being called by two different names and showing that as different or the same is fallacious.” He warns Rama not to engage in such dry debates, as they may appear interesting but do not solve the original quest of spirituality.

Bhagavan Vasistha repeatedly emphasizes the importance of sat-sastra (sacred scriptures) like the Yoga Vasistha, which need to be studied and practiced repeatedly. At this stage, Lord Rama asks an interesting question: “There is a Brahmana named Kundadanta among the listeners in the court. Has he attained realization by listening to your discourse?”

Kundadanta’s Narration

Bhagavan Vasistha asks why Lord Rama is specifically interested in Kundadanta’s realization. Lord Rama explains the background of Kundadanta, who has been searching for answers. He came from Videha, undergoing various experiences in tapas (austerities) and multiple visions of reality in different dimensions. He sought out Bhagavan Vasistha on the advice of a great tapasvi (ascetic) known as Kadamba Tapasa. This narration describes in detail how conflicting varas (boons) and sapras (curses) work.

Bhagavan Vasistha suggests that we directly ask Kundadanta about his realization. When asked by Bhagavan, Kundadanta replies:

“Munindra, Maharshi, all my doubts have vanished. All that is to be known has become known. All the Brahmandas (universes) can fit into a mustard seed of consciousness; in the ultimate view, there is never a Brahmanda. All that is experienced is only Parabrahma. There is no question of the possibility or impossibility of experiencing limitation (bhranti) or experiencing unbound consciousness (Brahman)—all this ever is non-dual Brahman alone. There is nothing beyond that supreme consciousness!”

Hearing this declaration from Kundadanta, Bhagavan Vasistha exclaims:

“You are a great soul; along with the phenomenon (bhranti), you are able to see the world as Brahman.”

The discussion continues further, and finally, Bhagavan Vasistha declares:

“Jnanasya jneyatapatti bandha iti abhidhiyate; tasyaiva jneyata santih moksha iti abhidhiyate (Nirvana Uttarartha, Sarga 191, Sloka 1).”

This means: The assumption of knowability to the knower itself is known as bondage, and the pacification of such knowability of the knower is known as liberation.

This triggers another round of rapid-fire questions from Lord Rama, and Bhagavan Vasistha answers each question directly. Then, Bhagavan Vasistha tests Rama’s comprehension and firmness of understanding (bodhanta) by asking questions and validating his answers.

In this sequence, Rama wonders: “Before the creation of space, after the final dissolution of everything, and all the way, the supreme consciousness continuously glows in a directionless state!” Bhagavan Vasistha confirms that this is indeed the wonder, and the wonder itself is the emotion of realization. The Sruti uses “adbhutam” to describe the supreme, and the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita also states “ascharya vat paSyati kaschit yenam…” (Some behold it with great wonder…).

In conclusion, Lord Rama says: “With reference to the world view, there are four types of perceptions.

1. Ajna dRShti: The ignorant view, in which the world is real.
2. Viveka dRShti: The discerning view, in which the world is mithya (illusion).
3. Mukta dRShti: The liberated view, in which the world is Brahman.
4. Bhumika-akrama-dRShti: The gradually changing view of a seeker, where perception transitions from the world being real to the world being Brahman in various stages. This perception itself is known as space or kham.

kham aham, kham bhavAn, chit kham, jagat kham, kham kham eva cha; chit-AkASatAm Etya bhaja eka AkaSa rUpatAm. (Nir. Utt. Sarga 195, Sloka 62)

I am that space, you are that space, consciousness is that space, the world is that space; that space alone is that space as well. Having attained chit-AkASa (the space of consciousness), merge into that one form of space.

Rama wonders further: “This realization is beyond words and concepts. Even though the sastra (teachings like this) make it possible to realize, how is that possible?”

Bhagavan Vasistha explains: “It is true that the supreme Brahman is not an object of description for words or concepts. Sastra never claims that it is describing or teaching the supreme Brahman.”

At this point, Bhagavan Vasistha narrates a short story known as Kashtha-Vaivadhika-Akhyanam.

In brief, the narration is as follows:

During a severe drought, a profession emerged where people delivered water manually to each household. As the rains returned, these vaivadhikas (water carriers) became jobless. Some suggested they go into the forests to gather firewood and sell it. They liked the suggestion and began venturing into the forests. Some gathered firewood, while others found precious stones. As they transitioned to forest gatherers, they collected whatever they could and sold it in the town, creating various professions. In this process, one of them eventually found a Chintamani (wish-fulfilling stone).

The meaning of the narration is that the water carriers represent ordinary people. Going to the forest symbolizes seeking the guidance of a guru and the sastras (scriptures). Some gather more than just firewood, such as fruits, flowers, and precious stones, which represent the teachings of dharma, artha, and kama found in the sastras. However, finding the Chintamani symbolizes attaining Brahma Jnana (realization).

Thus, sastras help in suggesting the right paths for dharma, artha, and kama in the primary sense. But in the process, they also purify the chitta (mind) of the individual, and with persistent effort, one can attain realization. This is how sastras and a guru’s teachings assist, even though they are part of maya (the illusion of the world).

Rama’s Final Question

Rama asked: “Bhagavan, even after realization, some of the jivanmuktas do not give up work. Why is that?”

Bhagavan Vasistha’s Final Confirmation

Bhagavan Vasistha replied: “There are two reasons for that:

1. A jivanmukta (liberated being) neither accepts nor rejects anything. Thus, karma is neither to be rejected nor accepted, and they continue to let karmas happen for the benefit of beings in the world.
2. To achieve realization, a long and intense tapas (austerity) and performance of sat karmas (righteous actions) are required. By habit, they continue the sat karmas effortlessly.

So, Rama, be as you are! There is nothing left to teach.”

As the teaching reached this stage, Lord Rama, Bhagavan Vasistha, and everyone in the court merged into nirvikalpa samadhi (the state of non-dual absorption).

After a short while, Sage Vishwamitra emerged from samadhi and exclaimed, “Sadhu, sadhu! Wonderful, wonderful!” With these words, everyone in the court regained their worldly consciousness, and a great shower of flowers fell in the court.

Maharshi Vasistha addressed all the sages present, asking if there was anything incorrect or unnecessary in his teachings. In response, every sage said, “How could even a single word from Maharshi Vasistha be purposeless? Everything was highly appropriate and relevant.” This underscores the importance of humility in the pursuit of supreme wisdom.

Lord Rama then performed a Guru Puja (worship of the teacher), and King Dasaratha celebrated this occasion with great reverence for Maharshi Vasistha.

As a final reminder, deep questions and answers for handy reference are provided under “prajnapti.” Bhagavan Vasistha reminds Lord Rama of one of his previous lives as a veda adhyayi (student of the Vedas) with Bhagavan Vasistha. In that life, Rama asked Bhagavan Vasistha, “What remains after the final dissolution?” Bhagavan Vasistha answered that the boy should analyze deep sleep to find the same. Here, Bhagavan Vasistha quotes verbatim from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita: “nasato vidyate bhavo, nabhavo vidyate satah” (For the nonexistent, there is no endurance, and for the existent, there is no cessation).

Having said this, Bhagavan Vasistha concluded with this dharma vachanam (righteous saying): “After any vedanta pravachana (discourse on Vedanta), a santarpana (feast) should be performed. Learned Brahmanas should be given food and gifts.” King Dasaratha celebrated this occasion with a seven-day utsava (festival) throughout the country, feeding and giving danas (gifts) to all eligible individuals.

brahmAnandam parama sukhadam kevalam j~nAna mUrtiM
dvandvAtItaM gagana sadR^ishaM tattvamasyAdi lakShyam |
ekaM nityaM vimalam achalaM sarva dhI sAkShI bhUtaM
bhavAtItaM tri-guNa-rahitaM shrI vAsiShThaM natAH smaH ||

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My Analysis of Different Types of Superimposition (by this individual known as Prasad Chitta) by the grace of my Gurudeva Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati

1. Rajju Sarpa Bhranti or Sukti Rajata Bhranti:
   • This type has a substratum of rope or mother of pearl. Hiding its true nature, a snake or silver appears during the projection. So, there is a real substrate and an illusion projected.
2. Marichika Udakam and Dream:
   • The mirage and dream have the substrate of sand/hot surface and individual consciousness. The view of the water and the dream appear without fully concealing the substrate. A part of the substrate is seen, and the illusion is also seen simultaneously.
3. Akasa Varna – The Blueness of the Sky:
   • In this projection, the space itself is non-perceivable. On that non-visible substrate, a blue color is imposed. Even after understanding logically that it is not real, it still appears. One should rise above each type of misunderstanding through saadhana (spiritual practice) to reach the true nature of the space, kham, chit akasa (the space of consciousness), or the Brahman.

By the benign grace of my Guru, Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati, Hamsa Swami, I have successfully completed studying this sat sastram (sacred scripture) of Yoga Vasistha over 15 earth years, from 2009 to 2024. I am publishing this last post on the auspicious occasion of Kartika Masa Sivaratri of the Sri Krodhi year.

Vipaschit’s long discourse

Continued from:

Punarjanma of Vipaschit – Part 3

Observing the radiance of Vipaschit, who had regained his previous form and attained enlightenment by the grace of Agni and the guidance of Maharshi Vasishtha, people began to call him Bhāsa, the Glorious One. He took his place in the royal court of King Dasharatha, seated in the appropriate asana. King Dasharatha remarked, “Oh great King Vipaschit, you must be weary from your travels in all directions. Rest and rejuvenate. We are eager to hear about your unique experiences.” Maharshi Viswamitra also suggested that it would be beneficial to listen to the freshly recollected memories of Bhāsa.

Bhāsa said, “Oh Munindra, I have journeyed through a multitude of worlds in various forms. By the grace of Lord Agni, I remember everything. I have experienced a sequence of births as humans, trees, and insects across multiple lands. There are places where unimaginable types of creations exist. In one of these worlds, there is only a single gender. All beings are born from the earth and merge back into the earth. Having taken births in various forms, I have enjoyed and suffered through a multitude of experiences. But what stands out as a great realization from all this is the apparent truth that all experiences are temporary. However, the persistent illusion that this is different, that is different, and that it is different from me has never subsided throughout these lives.”

He continued, “The sequence of experiences always appears novel due to this distorted view of reality. Let me narrate a profound sequence that drew me back here. In one of my lifetimes, in a world that even great sages like you, Vasishtha, could not enter, I gained access by the boon of Agni. As I observed the surroundings, a shadow began to appear, growing larger and larger. When I looked up, I saw a massive human body spiraling down towards the earth at great speed. I feared that I would be crushed to a paste when it landed.

In my panic, I noticed a fire glowing nearby. Thinking it was better to jump into the fire than to be crushed by the falling body, I leapt into the flames. With tremendous love, Agni appeared on his parrot, lifted me onto the bird, and began to fly upwards. I was trembling with fear, but Lord Agni created a jet of fire that shot upwards, creating a hole in the falling body, allowing us to escape above it.

Looking down with curiosity, I saw the body crash to the earth with a great noise. The entire landscape was covered by the body, and its hands and legs separated, zooming away towards the Lokaloka Parvatam of that world.”

As I continued to observe the scene, the deva ganas of that earth approached Kalaratri Devi, requesting her to clear the world of the dead body. Kalaratri, dancing wildly, created several creatures that began devouring the flesh of the fallen body. Over time, as the flesh was cleared, the earth started to reappear.

Astonished, I asked Agni Deva, “How did this dead body arrive here?” Lord Agni answered, “Dear King Vipaschit, just as you see yourself as a different being in your sleep, once the pure consciousness perceived itself as a great energy light. A fragment of that light, shrouded by its own ignorance, willed to grow larger. With that will, it expanded into this world you are seeing now.

In this world, there lived a large demon and a sage in one of the lands. One day, the demon fell on the sage’s hut, causing extensive damage to the ashrama. Emerging from the chaos, the sage cursed the demon to become a mosquito, relinquishing its large body. Immediately, the demon died, casting off its body and assuming the form of a small mosquito. The discarded body, propelled by force, fell onto this earth.”

Lord Rama inquired, “How can the birth of a mosquito occur without a womb or parents?” Bhagavan Vasishtha replied, “There are two kinds of birth: one through parents and the other through the projection of one’s own thoughts. Even the hierarchy of parents ultimately traces back to the creator Brahma. Brahma projected himself without a womb. So, do not be concerned about the lineage of the mosquito. Let us continue with what happened next.” Bhagavan Vasishtha resumed the narration started by King Vipaschit.

The lifespan of the mosquito is only a few days. After roaming around in the dirty mud pools for two days, the mosquito was killed by the hoof of a deer. Having died in fear of the deer and thinking of its form, the mosquito was reborn as a deer. The deer lived its life span and was eventually killed by a hunter. Due to its focus on the hunter’s form before death, it was reborn as a hunter.

The hunter roamed the forests hunting and eventually formed a connection with a rishi performing tapas. Through their friendship, they often discussed dharma. Over time, the hunter realized that causing harm to others was the root of pain and sought the rishi’s advice on how to rid himself of sins and attain higher bliss. The rishi, intrigued by the hunter’s request, provided details of sadhana. He explained sama and dama and advised, “Live on whatever is naturally available to you and keep yourself in good company (satsanga).”

Having begun thus, the hunter slowly purified his mind and initiated further discussions with the sage on the source of reality. Through a series of conversations, they progressed in identifying multiple states of consciousness, focusing on dream reality. The central question they pursued was, “Is the dream inside or outside the observer of the dream?”

When this question was posed by the hunter-disciple, the sage shared a profound experience he had while analyzing it through the practice of Parakaya Pravesha Vidya. During the early stages of his sadhana, the sage had similar questions. He practiced the yoga vidya of entering another’s body to understand the workings of consciousness. He entered the body and mind of one of his disciples, and there is a vivid description of how the life force enters the body, attaches to individual consciousness, travels through various nadis (channels) within the body and mind, and experiences different states.

As the sage’s witnessing consciousness observed the events unfolding within the disciple’s body and mind, he saw the various interactions between the duo of life force and the cognition of the jeeva. The duality between them is not real. What creates all distinctions is the interaction between the life force, which represents action, and the cognition power, which is the witness. The jeeva experiences the waking state when this distinction is prominent, the dream state of projection when the distinction is subtle, and deep sleep when the life force completely overpowers cognition.

At this stage, an intriguing observation arises: What is the state of the projection of the world (whether waking or dreaming) when cognition is completely absorbed by the life force? The answer is that in the true nature of consciousness, there is no duality between life and cognition. Only when such a distinction is assumed do all the various states emerge. Therefore, the true state of consciousness is known as Turiya, a state realized by the witnessing consciousness of the observing sage.

At one instance, while the sage’s consciousness was attached to the disciple’s jeeva, the disciple fell into a deep sleep after eating heavily. A pralaya (dissolution) emerged within his consciousness. During this pralaya, the witnessing consciousness of the sage was engulfed by “fear” and migrated into a sequence of transmigratory existences across multiple lifetimes.

In those lifetimes, the sage eventually encountered the Sindhu Raja of Leela Upakhyana. He was instructed by an elder sage, who became his guru. Through this journey, the sage witnessed all the future events, including his teachings to the hunter, and safely returned to the current realm.

Agni Deva continued, “Oh Vipaschit, after hearing all this from the sage, the hunter understood the true nature of consciousness, but could not realize it due to the covering of avidya. In his quest for self-realization, he performed severe tapas and attained the sakshatkara of creator Brahma. Brahma granted the hunter’s wish to grow as large as he desired and to know everything he wanted. In the process, he became the Sindhu Raja and was eventually enlightened by the teachings.

Even after hearing all these events about his own future from the sage, the hunter, despite all his power from tapas, was unable to change anything. Having concluded his narrative, Agni Deva went to the 100th yajna of Lord Indra, which was being performed in Swarga Loka.”

King Vipaschit continued, “I reached a loka from there and engaged in serious tapas. After a few days, the Indra of that loka appeared to me and said, ‘You and I are bound by karma to be reborn as deer. In the future, we will be born as deer, and that will be your last janma, where you will attain realization.’ With that, he made me stop my tapas.

In due course of time, we were both born here as deer, and I was captured to be presented as a gift to Lord Rama. The conclusion is that there is only the supreme consciousness. Nothing else truly exists. All these appearances are due to individual fancies created by our own ignorance. No one can definitively describe this as either real or unreal.”

As he concluded, the sun set for the day, and everyone in King Dasharatha’s court retired for evening sandhya.

Here are a few subtle philosophical points from Vipaschit’s discourse:

• Temporary Nature of Experiences: All experiences, whether pleasant or painful, are transient and impermanent.
• Illusion of Duality: The distinction between life force and cognition, and the perception of separateness, is an illusion created by ignorance.
• True Nature of Consciousness (Turiya): The ultimate state of consciousness transcends duality and is realized as Turiya, the fourth state beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
• Projection of Reality: Reality, as experienced in different states, is a projection of one’s own thoughts and consciousness.
• Inevitability of Karma: Despite profound understanding and tapas, the hunter could not alter his destined future, highlighting the power and inevitability of karma.
• Interconnectedness of Life Forms: The sequence of births across different forms (mosquito, deer, hunter) illustrates the interconnectedness of all life forms and the continuity of consciousness.
• Role of Avidya (Ignorance): Avidya or ignorance is the veil that prevents the realization of the true nature of consciousness.
• Supreme Consciousness: Ultimately, there is only the supreme consciousness, and all distinctions and forms are a result of individual ignorance.

Sharing this on Auspicious Guru Pushya yOga day of Sri Krodhi Year kArtIka bahula ShashTi

Om Tat Sat

Punarjanma of Vipaschit – Part 3

The inquiry into the identity of the deer unfolds. Rama, with curiosity and compassion, turns toward Bhagavan Vasishtha and asks:

Rama:
“Is there a way for this deer to remember and realize its identity as King Vipaschit? How can we awaken the memory of his journey across lifetimes and realms?”

Bhagavan Vasishtha smiles, as if holding a deep truth within, and responds with a revelation:

Vasishtha:
“Every jeeva gains the grace of the divine only through the form of the deity it worships. No other path, no matter how profound, can bypass this truth. Therefore, this deer—Vipaschit, whose life force is intricately tied to Agni, the fire deity—can only regain his identity through Agni’s presence. The fire that granted him multiple forms through the yajna of sacrifice must now awaken his memory and liberate him from avidya.”

Hearing this, Vasishtha sits quietly, performing a sankalpa—a mental invocation. His deep concentration causes the air to still, and the room falls into a sacred silence. In the very center of the assembly, a fire manifests, brilliant and smokeless, needing no fuel. The flames dance softly, as if waiting to fulfill a cosmic purpose.

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The Deer’s Attraction to the Fire

The court watches with awe as the deer raises its head, drawn irresistibly toward the fire. The animal’s eyes glimmer with recognition, as if some ancient memory has begun to stir deep within its heart. It takes a step forward, then another, and slowly approaches the flame. A hushed stillness pervades the assembly—no one dares move or speak.

Without hesitation, the deer leaps into the fire. The flames enveloped the creature, not with destruction but with a transformative warmth. The assembly witnesses an incredible sight: the form of the deer begins to change. Its limbs elongate, the fur recedes, and the shape of a regal king emerges from within the flames.

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The Emergence of King Vipaschit

The fire gently releases Vipaschit, now in his true form—tall and radiant, with the grace of a ruler who has traversed many lifetimes. He steps out of the flames and onto the court floor, his presence exuding a calm majesty. For a moment, Vipaschit sits down in silence, as if gathering the memories of his innumerable experiences across births.

After a muhurta’s time (48 minutes), he rises slowly and bows deeply before Bhagavan Vasishtha, his voice filled with reverence and gratitude:

Vipaschit:
“One who has granted me the highest wisdom—jnana—Maharshi Vasishtha, I bow down to you.”

The rishis in the assembly, including Lord Rama and King Dasaratha, observe the moment with deep reverence, understanding that they are witnessing the culmination of an extraordinary journey—a seeker returning to the source of knowledge.

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Vasishtha’s Blessing and Vipaschit’s Liberation

Bhagavan Vasishtha gazes upon the reborn king with kindness and offers his final blessing:

Vasishtha:
“O King Vipaschit, may the avidya—the ignorance you have sought to extinguish through lifetimes and journeys—now become extinct for you. May you find the peace that lies beyond seeking.”

Hearing this, Vipaschit bows once more. With folded hands, he utters:

Vipaschit:
“Śrī Rāma jaya jaya!”

His voice resonates through the court, a call of gratitude and victory that reflects the end of a long search. He then offers his respect to all the rishis present. As the assembly watches, King Dasaratha offers him a royal seat, and Vipaschit sits gracefully upon the asana, his heart resting in stillness.

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The Moment of Stillness

The atmosphere in the court shifts into a meditative silence. The journey of Vipaschit, which spanned across directions, realms, and forms, now rests in completion. The intermingling of experiences, the battles fought, the pleasures enjoyed, the mysteries explored—all dissolve into the quiet understanding that there was nothing to gain or lose, only to awaken.

With the grace of Agni and the wisdom of Bhagavan Vasishtha, Vipaschit’s journey reaches its climax. But in this end, there is no triumph or tragedy—only the realization that the self was always whole, untouched by the changing forms it assumed across births.

To be continued…

Akhyana of Vipaschit – Part 2

Quick Review of Part 1: Dik-Anta-DarSana-Iccha

In Part 1, the journey of Vipaschit begins with a deep dik-anta-darSana-iccha, a desire to explore the boundaries of the known world. Following his head sacrifice to the god of fire, Vipaschit was split into four aspects, each sent in different directions—East, West, North, and South. Each of these Vipaschits embarked on their unique external explorations, encountering different realms, beings, and challenges.

• Eastern Vipaschit traveled to Mount Meru, where he became entranced by beautiful women, spending 70 years in indulgence before realizing the passage of time had eluded him.
• Western Vipaschit journeyed to Mount Mandara, where he captured an eagle and spent a single day with a celestial lady before continuing his quest.
• Southern Vipaschit reached the land of the Yakshas, where a Yakshini enchanted him with mystical rituals, drawing him into the allure of the Yaksha world.
• Northern Vipaschit traveled to the realm of Lord Shiva, becoming a powerful Yogi blessed with the eight siddhis, only to be reborn later as a deer.

Through their journeys, each Vipaschit was driven by the dik-anta-darSana-iccha, the external desire to reach the ends of their respective directions, which carried them through varied experiences and challenges across different worlds and dimensions. Despite their accomplishments and hardships, none had yet fulfilled the deeper, inner quest for ultimate truth.

Transition to Avidya-DarSana-Iccha

As Part 2 begins, the focus shifts from the external explorations to the more profound, internal desire: the avidyā-darSana-iccha, or the desire to overcome ignorance. While the Vipaschits have made significant progress in their external journeys, their internal quest to dissolve the illusion of ignorance remains unfulfilled.

Avidya-DarSana-Iccha: The Inward Journey

Stage 2: Overcoming Ignorance

The avidyā-darSana-iccha represents the second stage of the Vipaschit saga, where the external accomplishments and journeys must now give way to the more critical task of dissolving ignorance. It is only by resolving this inner ignorance that each Vipaschit can attain moksha—the ultimate freedom from the cycles of birth and death.

In this part of the journey, the narrative deepens into the philosophical exploration of how desires and ignorance create the illusion of separate realities. Though the Vipaschits may traverse vast lands and experience multiple lifetimes, it is the transcendence of ignorance that will ultimately bring them peace.

The avidyā-darSana-iccha now takes precedence as each Vipaschit grapples with the limitations of their external experiences. No matter how far they travel or what powers they attain, the desire to understand the nature of reality and the end of ignorance persists within them. This internal journey becomes the primary driving force in Part 2:

• The Western Vipaschit, in particular, finds that his external accomplishments pale in comparison to the inner longing to resolve ignorance. His internal journey intensifies, leading him toward ultimate liberation through the grace of Lord Vishnu, who appears as his guru and grants him moksha.
• The Eastern and Southern Vipaschits remain lost in their external explorations, having yet to fully embark on their internal quest for overcoming avidya. Their fate remains unknown, and their journeys toward liberation continue across realms, waiting for the right moment of insight to dawn.
• Northern Vipaschit, despite having attained great spiritual powers, finds himself reborn as a deer, symbolizing the unresolved karma and ignorance that continue to bind him.

At this point in the narration, Lord Rama’s curiosity is piqued as he inquires about the whereabouts of the Northern Vipaschit, who had taken the form of a deer. This transformation, a result of his unresolved karma and ongoing inner journey, had left him wandering in the animal form, symbolizing the entanglement with ignorance (avidya) that even a Yogi of great siddhis had not yet fully transcended.

Upon hearing Rama’s question, Bhagavan Vasishtha calmly informs the assembly that this very deer is the one recently gifted to Lord Rama by the King of Trigarta. The deer, as Vasishtha explains, is not an ordinary animal but the Northern Vipaschit, who has taken on this form as part of his continued inward journey, shaped by the desire to resolve the ignorance that still clouds his understanding of the self.

King Dasaratha, understanding the gravity of the situation and sensing the significance of this being, immediately orders the court to bring the deer forth. The court atmosphere shifts as the command is given. The deer, which had until now been seen as a mere gift, is soon to take its place in this profound discussion about the deeper aspects of existence, identity, and liberation.

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The key philosophical points are essential to understanding the deeper narrative of Vipaschit’s journey, both externally and internally. Let’s break them down further:

1. One Becoming Many and Assuming Different Identities

• This concept highlights the central Advaita Vedanta idea that oneness is the true nature of reality, but multiplicity is perceived due to ignorance. Vipaschit, who begins as a singular being, is divided into four distinct entities, each embarking on separate journeys. These multiple identities, though seemingly different, are all aspects of the same original consciousness.
• This fragmentation symbolizes how the self (Atman) appears as many through association with the body, mind, and the senses, even though it is ultimately one and undivided.

2. Distinct Desires Stemming from the Same Ignorance (Avidya)

• Even though the Vipaschits in each direction have different desires (e.g., sensual indulgence, power, knowledge, etc.), they all emerge from the same root cause: avidya, or ignorance of the true nature of the self.
• This ignorance leads to the false identification with the body and mind, causing desires and actions that keep the individual bound to the cycle of birth and death. The avidyā-darSana-iccha, or the desire to resolve ignorance, becomes the ultimate quest in each direction.
• The various desires Vipaschit experiences show the diversity of the gunas (qualities of nature—sattva, rajas, tamas) and how they manifest differently, but they all lead back to the same ignorance that clouds the knowledge of self.

3. Infinite Experiences in External Worlds and the Inability to Conclude Anything from Them

• As each Vipaschit travels across different realms and lifetimes, they accumulate an infinite variety of experiences. However, these external explorations, no matter how vast, cannot lead to an understanding of the true nature of reality.
• The dik-anta-darSana-iccha—the desire to reach the limits of the external world—proves futile because truth is not external. No matter how far Vipaschit journeys, the ultimate realization that all external phenomena are impermanent and illusory must come from within.
• This reflects the philosophical truth that external accomplishments (whether material or spiritual) cannot lead to liberation without self-realization.

4. Intermixture of Experiences Across Different Directional Identities

• Throughout the journey, there are moments where one Vipaschit rescues another or when their experiences intersect, demonstrating that even though the Vipaschits appear to be traveling separately, they are interconnected.
• This intermingling of experiences reflects the fact that while the individual seems to act separately, all actions are part of a larger interconnected reality. It points to the deeper truth that, ultimately, there is no separation between different aspects of consciousness.
• The unity of consciousness manifests through various identities, yet these identities are not truly distinct—they overlap and influence each other, further emphasizing the illusory nature of the separate self.

5. Indestructibility of Identity Despite Loss and Regain of Bodies and Minds

• The bodies and minds that the Vipaschits assume and lose over multiple lifetimes reflect the transient nature of physical and mental states. Despite these changes, the individual identity—the underlying self or consciousness—remains indestructible.
• This indestructibility is a core teaching of Vedanta, where the Atman is considered eternal, untouched by birth, death, or transformation. The physical forms may perish, and the mind may undergo endless modifications, but the self remains unchanged.
• This also mirrors the karmic cycle of birth and rebirth, where actions lead to new bodies, yet the underlying self persists through all these transformations until the ignorance (avidya) is dissolved.

These points highlight the philosophical depth of the Vipaschit narrative, focusing on the interplay between oneness and multiplicity, ignorance and knowledge, and the limitations of external experience. The core realization that all distinctions are illusory and that only the self remains eternal provides the foundation for understanding the journey’s ultimate conclusion—moksha, the liberation from all distinctions.

To be continued….

Sharing this on 653rd Lunation of bahula navami, Guru pushya yogam in the mahalaya paksha of Sri krOdhi year.

Concluding Akhyana of vipaschit — part 1

Part 1: The Journey of Vipaschit

In the serene kingdom ruled by King Vipaschit on the island reminiscent of Jambudwipa, a series of tumultuous events unfolded, thrusting Vipaschit and his kingdom into an extraordinary odyssey.

With the untimely demise of the East Satrap, the kingdom found itself vulnerable to external threats. Seizing the opportunity, the ambitious South Satrap launched a daring invasion, seeking to expand his dominion by annexing the eastern territory. As tensions mounted, the kingdom faced its darkest hour with the tragic loss of the valiant North Satrap, followed by the devastating defeat of the West Satrap on the battlefield.

Amidst the looming shadow of impending doom, King Vipaschit, a beacon of unwavering resolve, turned inward in search of solace and guidance. Retreating to the sanctity of his inner chambers, he performed a solemn ritual bath, cleansing both body and spirit. With reverence in his heart, he proceeded to the hall of worship, where the sacred fire blazed with divine radiance.

In the hallowed presence of the holy fire, King Vipaschit offered his own head in sacrifice, a solemn pledge to safeguard his kingdom and uphold the sanctity of his lineage. With steadfast devotion, he invoked the benevolent grace of the god of fire, beseeching divine intervention in the face of adversity.

In a miraculous display of cosmic benevolence, the god of fire heeded King Vipaschit’s fervent prayers, manifesting four replicas of the noble king, each bearing the same name and essence. These four incarnations of Vipaschit, imbued with the spirit of their namesake ruler, emerged as the guardians of the kingdom’s destiny, tasked with confronting the encroaching forces of darkness.

As they embarked on their respective journeys across the boundless expanse of the ocean, each Vipaschit king encountered a myriad of extraordinary experiences that tested their resolve and broadened their understanding of the cosmic order.

In the eastern reaches, Vipaschit found himself drawn to the majestic splendor of Mount Meru, where he was ensnared by the bewitching charm of ethereal maidens. Lost in the enchanting allure of their presence, he willingly surrendered to the passage of time, spending seven decades immersed in the timeless embrace of their celestial company.

Meanwhile, in the southern realms, another Vipaschit king ventured into the mystical domain of Yakshas, where he encountered a bewitching Yakshini whose mesmerizing beauty and esoteric rituals captivated his heart and soul, leading him deeper into the labyrinth of enchantment.

In the western expanses, a third Vipaschit king embarked on a celestial odyssey to Mount Mandara, where he encountered a celestial maiden of unparalleled grace and wisdom. Entranced by her celestial radiance, he lingered in her divine presence, basking in the sublime tranquility of her aura.

Lastly, in the northern realms, the fourth Vipaschit king journeyed into the sacred abode of Lord Shiva, where he immersed himself in the mystical disciplines of yoga and asceticism. Through rigorous penance and unwavering devotion, he attained mastery over the eight siddhis, unlocking the latent powers of the human spirit.

Thus, amidst the tapestry of cosmic destinies and divine interventions, the journey of Vipaschit unfolded, guided by the unseen hand of fate and shaped by the profound encounters of each king as they navigated the realms of beauty, mysticism, and enlightenment on their quest for truth and salvation.

End of Part 1

pAshAnOpAkhyAnam – The world within a stone

It has almost been a year since the previous post on this blog. The Uttarartha section of the Yoga Vasistha NirvaNa prakarana, primarily reveals personal experiences of Bhagavan Vasistha to Lord Rama, who has already realized and attained the highest samadhi.

In this narrative, aham-graha-upasana, the worship of the basis of “I” in reality (not the imagined, limited “I” worship), leads to the development of all needed qualities to rise above all qualities. Consequently, unqualified chit is all that always exists.

Bhagavan Vasistha shares one of his early realization experiences, a 100-year samadhi, known as pAshANa Akhyanam. The core theme involves a divine feminine, the presiding deity of another world’s Brahma, coming to Bhagavan Vasistha for upadesa. Her world is situated within the womb (middle/center) of a stone.

The Vision of the Divine Lady

Bhagavan Vasistha resolves to meditate for 100 years and enters a deep samadhi. After 100 years, his senses begin to externalize, and he hears a female voice worshipping him with a wonderful stotra. Becoming aware of this, he looks for the person worshipping but cannot find the voice’s origin. Curious, he resolves to find the source of the voice. He says:

“I searched all the bhUtAkasam (objective space) and could not find it. I then went into samadhi, becoming one with chit, where the multitude of all creations can be experienced. In one of the creations, I see a lady worshipping me with a beautiful voice.”

At this stage, Lord Rama asks whether this “seeing” is like a bird seeing a lady or the transcending consciousness becoming aware of an individual. The discussion highlights the different perspectives of realized and unrealized individuals.

The Difference in Perception

Imagine two people watching the moon on a full moon day. Both see the moon as a white disk, palm-sized. Suddenly, one gains the supernatural power to land on the moon and experiences its vastness firsthand. Upon returning, he explains that the moon is enormous, but the other, who lacks this experience, still perceives it as small. This illustrates the difference in perception between realized and unrealized individuals.

Dialogue with the Divine Lady

Bhagavan Vasistha approaches the lady and asks: “Who are you? Who is your father? Who is your husband? What is your origin? Where do you live?” The lady responds:

“In this great vast space, there is a world related to you. On the edges of that world, there is a mountain known as Loka-Aloka Parvatam. On one side of it, all worlds exist; on the other side, no worlds exist. On the mountain, there is a peak. On that peak, there is a stone. My world is within the stone. The world is created by my husband, a great scholar who intends to rise above the senses and reach moksha. Once he intended to have a wife. I am the form of that intention. However, he is confused about marriage. He wants to continue his spiritual endeavor and has not married me yet. I am devoted to him and serve him as my husband. Several yugas have passed, and we have grown very old. I have developed vairagya and started practicing yoga. Through khechari, I found you, a great sage, and began worshipping you for instruction into supreme realization.”

Entering the World Within a Stone

Bhagavan Vasistha wonders how a whole world can be within a small stone. The lady invites him to her world. Bhagavan Vasistha enters samadhi again with the lady and reaches the stone where the worlds supposedly exist. The vidyadhari lady sees the world, but Bhagavan Vasistha does not. The lady says:

“Swami, you are an all-knowing sage. You have no past abhyasa of seeing my world. I am a person of limited intellect with the impression of my world. I can see my world. I request you to develop the memory of my world through your yoga shakti.”

Upon her request, Bhagavan Vasistha focuses on the chittakasha, and they both enter the world of the vidyadhari lady. They see various lokas of that world, including Indra’s realm, and finally reach the Brahma loka of that world, where the creator Brahma is in deep samadhi. The lady approaches Brahma and says: “Natha! Here is the great sage of wisdom visiting us. I have requested him to bless us. Please offer him the due worship.”

The other world’s Brahma comes to external consciousness by these words and recognizes sage Vasishtha and says: “Bhagavan, you must be tired from traveling far to reach here. I have almost completed my lifespan (two-paraarthas) as a Brahma here. I used to be pure chit alone for a long time. In due course, I slightly lost my memory of pure nature, and an outline of I-ness emerged. This lady is the presiding deity of the ahamkara that temporarily arose in me. I had no intention to marry her, but she strongly believes that I created her to marry her. As I have completed my experience as a creator here, I am going to absorb all this in the great merger of pralaya. Only due to that intention, we both have developed vairagya, and the lady has started to listen, contemplate on spiritual nature. That led her to your grace!”

Having said this, the Brahma of the other world sat in padmasana and began absorbing his virat swarupa within. Along with him, the lady also sat and followed the great pralaya samadhi. (There is a detailed description of the pralaya which is very scientific at this stage!)

The Brahma of the other world, coming to external consciousness, recognizes sage Vasistha and explains his situation. This divine interaction concludes with a deep philosophical discussion, illustrating the profound nature of spiritual realization and the intricate cosmic connections within the realms of existence.

Conclusion

The Brahma of the other world, coming to external consciousness, recognizes sage Vasistha and explains his situation. This divine interaction concludes with a deep philosophical discussion, illustrating the profound nature of spiritual realization and the intricate cosmic connections within the realms of existence.

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1. This summary is a brief encapsulation of a vast narrative.
2. Chit is ever pure, instantaneously making worlds appear within it and pervading everything.
3. The essence of sadhana is to develop tUshnI bhAva (considering the objective world of lower value in reference to the supreme chit).
4. This narrative includes subtle philosophical discussions between Bhagavan Vasistha and Lord Rama, extending into varied subjects.

Logging this here on the auspicious Mohini Ekadasi of Sri Krodhi year.

Om tat sat

Power of upadESa – seeking direction

Examples of vidyAdhara and manki

It has been nearly 2 years since https://yogavaasistha.wordpress.com/2021/07/20/uttaradha-what-is-it/ and it is difficult to condense the deep discussion on the philosophy of unadultrated Advaita that flows from bhagavAn vaSishTha.

Lord rAma has been brought back to the worldly consciousness by bhagavAn vaSishTha. The sabha is interested in understanding the state of lord rAma. Does he have any further questions or not? etc., Even after attaining the non-dual samAdhi, the body still exists in the world of transactions. Along with the body the actions, interactions and transactions continue to operate. This leads to the basic question of how to conduct oneself having realized the true nature of self beyond all temporary transformations?

So, the uttarArtha discussion continues between bhagavAn vaSishTha and lord rAma at the subtlest layer of existence. The realization of true nature of self as actionless is the only solution as proven repeatedly by bhagavAn vaSishTha being explained further. What is nishkriya? Is is not doing things with karma indriyas? – No. It is not getting attached to the karma through ahambhAva. The opposite of aham-bhAva is anaham-bhAva.

bhAva is the second subtlest component of root cause (known as avidya). vEdana, bhAva, vAsana and kalana are the 4 components of the cause.

1. vEdana or sam-vEdana is the objective knowledge. First assuming a finite limited space in the infinite space and reflecting one in the other gives rise to a “multitude” of things. Then
2. bhAva is imposing reality on these things and assigning I and mine on top of them known as aham-bhAva.
3. vAsana is the tendency to protect and acquire these bhAvas and growing them across layers
4. Finally, kalana is manifesting the objective i.e., dRSya prapancha in its own cycles of time

bhagavAn vaSishTha narrates one discussion between him and bhuSunDa (the longest-living yogi). Once bhagavAna vaSishTha visits bhuSunDa and asked him if he known someone who lived really long without gaining Brahma-jnana. Who is the longest-living ignorant being in this multitude of creations?

There lived a vidyAdhara on the loka-aloka parvata in one of the brahmaNDas who was well versed with all worldly vidyas. He has high attachment for indriya-bhOgas and continued to enjoy the world of objects. As he understood his life span is coming to an end, he performed sAdhana to extend the life span. Having extended the life, he again continued enjoying the world of objects. He lived like this for 4 kalpas. Unable to bear the winds of desires, he started to seek spiritual saadhana and based on someone’s advise, he approached sage bhuSunDa for instruction. There is an interesting discussion between vidyAdhara and bhuSunDa that concludes with anahambhAva sAdhana taking the vidyAdhara into deep samAdhi showing him the realization.

bhagavAna vaSishTha also quotes another incident of a brahmaNa named manki, having performed several sAdhanas, having developed vairagya, performing several pilgrimages, still stuck in ignorance comes across him when he is going to meet aja mahAraja. manki is trying to enter a tribal village to take some rest where the tribals are very cruel group. bhagavAn vaSishTha stops him from getting caught in another miserable place and initiates a discussion with him. As the discussion progresses, manki realizes the truth from the instructions given by bhagavAn vaSishTha. Core of the teaching is to give up the ahamkAra. (the notion of I am the doer) then the notion of I itself – aham-bhAva.

Based on these discussions few points are reinforced for spiritual seekers.

1. One should do the sAdhana to gain vairagya, viveka etc.,
2. Only through the instruction of a realized sage can give the quickest access to the realization.
3. No one can give realization to others. One needs to gain a vision of own true nature. There is no other way.

There is no triad in these instructions or in the experience of realization. There is no aham-bhAva in the teacher, there is no aham-bhAva in the student and hence there is no teaching in eternal reality. But a seeker should seek instruction from the realized sage. That is the most powerful instrument for the realization.

May the anaham-bhAva bestow the nullification of aham-bhAva and its company of samveda, vasana and kalana on this SObhana year nirjala EkAdaSi.

om tat sat

uttarAdha – what is it?

At the end of the last post, all the teaching is complete regarding self realization. Lord rAma attained deep samAdhi and declared his experience of highest reality. In yOga vASishTha, we still have nearly 7000 SlOkas of future work known as nirvANa prakaraNa uttarArdha. The second (future) part of nirvANa.

uttara also means answer or clarification. Even Though Lord rAma is clear, there are other seekers listening to this teaching have some more questions.

Also, there could be some further questions to be dealt with the narrations used in the teaching here. How a self-realized person conduct himself? Are there any possibilities/situations those who have experienced reality coming back to attachment?

This final concluding part of work deals with all these aspects of the teaching. This part is not having long narrations, but more focussed discussions between a Guru and self “experienced” disciple.

My Notes: This plava year Sayana EkAdaSi marks starting of concluding part with the short note on post realisation discussion (uttara)

om tat sat

kaca again – concluding nirvANa prakaraNa pUrvArha

At the end of sthiti prakarana we have seen: https://yogavaasistha.wordpress.com/2016/06/15/song-of-kaca-concluding-sthiti-prakarana/ and as bhagavAn vaSishTha reiterates here at the end of nirvANa prakaraNa about how dEvaguru bRhaspati taught his son kaca the supreme reality. Earlier mention only dealt with the “experience” of kaca. Now bhagavAn vaSishTha deals with the saadhana

After completing all study in gurukula, kaca returned home. He continued self inquiry but not reached realization experience. After some time he reach out to his father and asked for a method of practice. bRhaspati said: “give up everything” — having heard this, kaca left the home and went to forest. After few years, bRhaspati visited his son. kaca has still not reached siddhi. Son asked father “what else I have to give up?” the sequence continued in similar lines and finally it comes to the question of how to give up chittam i.e., mind.

bRhaspati said: Oh boy, the individual identity (ahamkAra) is the basis of chittam. So, giving up that alone will lead to sarva sanga parityagam. A proper enquire into the source of the ahamkAra and finding its (un)reality is the final step that needs reconciliation. The infinite consciousness is the reality. Any superimposition limiting it is not real.

After this teaching, kaca deeply reconciles everything into the unlimited infinite consciousness – singing this experience!

Having concluded the narration of kaca, bhagavAn vasishTha proposes two more short narrations: mithyApurusha AkhyAnam and bhRingIsa Akhyanam. In the mithyApurushOpAkhyanam, bhagavAn vaSishTha affirms all the activity originated in ahmakAra is to preserve the limitation by transforming it from one limited space to another with great effort to protect its limited identity. But as the space is never limited by any projection over it, it can never be made “real”. Whatever the effort put into it.

In the bhRingISA’s instruction by lord SIva, Siva proposes a method of becoming mahA-karta, mahA-bhOkta and mahA-tyAgi simultaneously. This is known as vrata-traya the three vows. Performing all actions without any selection, enjoying or suffering all the results without any judgement, and not being attached to anything is the vrata traya.

bhagavAn vaSishTha said: Oh rAma! having understood all these methods, apply them and be ever established in eternal bliss.

Lord rAma asked: gurudEvA! whatever is said as chittam, or ahamkAram or vAsanas have no real basis; hence they are not eternal or real. Having removed non-eternal limitation, what remains is known is sattvam i.e., existence. (free of delusive appearance!) Please re-affirm the nature of the sattvam.

bhagavAn vaSishTha said: rAmA! in this discussion we have seen seven layers of knowledge earlier. From 4th layer onwards, the existence will not be touched by ignorance even by applying force. Earlier ikshAvaku attained perfection having followed the instruction from manu. (and he narrated the discussion in detail. In the discussion between ikshavaku and manu the seven layers of knowledge is explained with slightly varying the names of them. Based on this, we will know, names of the layers are not important, but the essence of ascending on the path is very important. )

jnani’s greatness: At the end of ikshavaku’s narration, bhagavAn vaSishTha says: Having attained realization by one’s own practice as prescribed by parampara of gurus, even if the person is poor or rich, stays in pious place or on a burial ground, have lived long or only lived for short while, given up body in any condition, is the one worthy of worship.

lord rAma asked: gurudEvA! if jnani has no control over the life events or death, what is the difference between a jnani or otherwise?

bhagavAn vaSishtha answered: Other Than eternal fulfillment inwardly, there is no distinguishable difference between a realized person i.e. jnani or the others.

lord rAma asked: what about the siddhis?

bhagavAn vaSihsTha said: siddhis can be attained by anyone by right practice. None of the 8 siddhis have a prerequisite of realization. By right guru’s initiation, practice of tapas, siddhis can be attained. Siddhis are not eternal. But a realized one being ever fulfilled, is not inclined to attain any temporary siddhis.

following this, there is a good discussion on how to attain on the ladder of seven layers of knowledge. Essence is as follows:

1. first layer of subhEccha – inclination to get on to the path of searching the truth could happen due to several unknown reasons. That includes the power of past puNya. mokha is only the ultimate auspiciousness.
2. Approaching wise men to listen about moksha is the second layer. This gives rise to self inquiry i.e, vicharaNa
3. Removal of all contradictions regarding the ultimate goal, mOksha is the third layer, dispassion grows towards all temporary things at this level of asamsakti.
4. At fourth level nirguNa chaitanya sAkshatkaram will start. Experience of unqualified consciousness makes it evident about “dream like nature” of the limited appearance.
5. Fifth layer is complete removal of duality. One who ascendes this level is equal to the one who is in deep sleep. Even though the actions happen as involuntary ones like breathing, the yOgi is known as brahma vid vara – best of the knowers of supreme….
6. Having strengthened fifth layer the consciousness is known as turiya the fourth state beyond waking, dreaming and deep sleep. In this layer there is no imagination of padArtha (grossness!) This is a jIvanmukta stage.
7. Final stage is vidEha mukti, turyaga or brahma vid varishTha.
   
   At any layer, a yOgi is stuck with “saMkalpa” as the samkalpa vanishes, yOgi progress from one layer to other.
   
   aham, mama iti samvidan na duHkhatO vimucyatE
   asamvidan vimucyatE yad Ipsitam samAcara (Sloka 102, Sarga 126, Nir. pUr.)
   As long as I AM and MINE are found in the consciousness, the sorrow will not leave. When these concepts of limitation vanish completely that is liberation. Having understood this, do what you want.

At this stage, the instruction to rAma is complete. rAma become silent, entered supreme blissful nirvikalpa samAdhi.

bharadwaja asked sage vAlmIki: Is there any more to the teaching? As you narrate all these, I also heard the teaching. While rAma gone into deep samadhi, I am still awake in this world.

sage vAlmIki replied: Dear friend, bharadwaja, this world view is not there in the beginning, it is not there in the end as well. Even though it is experienced, it is not there in the middle as well just like a dream. The reason for not being able to internalize this fact even after listening repeatedly is the results of past actions (also known as pApa karmas that have caused damage in one or other way to the world!) To remove these obstacles, you need to do saguNa upAsana, worship to lord without expectation. By the god’s grace yours pApas will thin and viragya strengthens. With vairagya, witness the world view as the practice. There is nothing more to be done in sAdhana.

bharadwaja declared: Oh great sage! I now understood everything that need to be understood. There is no friend other than vairagya, there is no enemy other than attachment known as samsAra.

bharadwaja asked: gurudEvA! As rAma is deeply in samAdhi, how did he been placed back into activity by bhagavAn vaSishTha?

vAlmiki answered: Seeing rAma in samAdhi, vishwamitra said: “mahAbhAgA, vaSishThA! your power of teaching is proven again. You have made all of us eternally blissful with this great teaching. Please invoke rAma back in here as he has a lot of things to complete in this incarnation. (here, Vishwamitra narrates whole of rAmAyaNa) Please bring back this supreme reality in the form of rAma back into actions. You alone are capable of that.

bhagavAn vaSishTha invoked: Oh rAmachandra! chinmayI, arise – you have actions to be performed. Show your grace on this world. (these words did not make in to rAma as he is in nirvikalpa samAdhi).

bhagavAn vaSishTha took his subtle body, entered rAma’s body through the subtle nADis reached rAma’s subtle mind, made it to vibrate and come back to vaSishTha’s body and said the same words again. The external word based vibration now managed to resonate in rAma and invoked him back to the world view.

Lord rAmA said: gurudEvA! by your grace, I am not in the scope of duties; not bound by injunctions of scriptures, but, I am bound by your command. I can’t disobey them.

sarvE SRNuta bhadram vO niSchyEna suniScitam
AtmajnAnAt param nAsti gurOH api ca tat vidaH (Sloka 105, Sasrga 128 Nir. Pur)

All of you, please listen for your own welfare, this is the conclusion of all conclusions
There is nothing beyond self-realization; there is nothing greater than a realized guru.

sage vAlmIki concluded: Whoever carefully listened to this discussion between lord rAma and bhagavAn vaSishTha, who ever they are, whatever state they are in, is eligible for supreme realization.

My notes: On the eve of SrI plava year jagannAtha ratha yAtra, we reach the end nirvANa prakaraNa (first half) on the end of 19th day teaching of this great scripture.

By supreme grace of Swami virAjeshwara Saraswati, I have been used as a “defective” instrument to make these 182 posts to this blog.

All the defects belong to the individual known as Prasad Chitta and all the essential teaching belongs to Guru in the form of Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati maharaj who is personified realization and compassion to whom my infinite prostrations belong.

Om tat sat

Sikhidhwaja and cUDAla – testing jIvanmukti, conclusion

Continued from https://yogavaasistha.wordpress.com/2021/07/03/sikhidhwaja-and-cudala-sikhidhwajas-awakening/ –

Sikhidhwaja engrossed in samAdhi became like a statue. On the other hand, cUDAla reached here kingdom and attended to the activities of administration for three days. She came back to take a stock of the situation at Sikhidhwaja’s ashrama and found her husband completely immersed in nirvikalpa samAdhi. cUDAla was happy to see that and thought, if Sikhidhwaja is ready for a vidEha mukti, they both can give up the bodies. She wanted to confirm the inward status of Sikhidhwaja.

Upon visual inspection, she could not conclude her assessment and then touched him gently. Based on the touch, she assessed, there is still remaining karmas and vAsanas in him that need to be expended.

Sikhidhwaja’s chittam (individual consciousness) is completely destroyed but he still have a residual vAsanas i.e., latent tendencies. While the vAsanas are still active any amount of nirvikalpa samAdhi will not help. The vAsanAs to be exhausted by experiencing them through the body/mind instruments in a balanced manner.

With her yOga Sakti, she entered the inner instrument of Sikhidhwaja, made it to vibrate gently, came out, took the form of kumbha, sat under a beautiful tree and started singing sAma gAna.

The song of kumbha resonated with the internal vibration of Sikhidhwaja and pulled him out of samAdhi. (At this stage there is a discussion between Lord rAma and bhagavAn vaSIshTa regarding bringing a yOgi out of nirvikalpa samAdhi and it is too technical for a blog post!)

Having seen the guru, kumbha in front of him singing sAma gAna, Sikhidhwaja felt very happy, performed due reverence with arghya and pAdya. He found kumbha not in his normal cheerful mood. Sikhidhwaja enquired about the “bad mood” of kumbha.

kumbha said: Oh, King, even when I am in swarga, I was thinking about you only. Having completed at the assembly of Lord Bhrama, taking permission from my father to visit you, I started to come here. On the way, I have seen maharshi durvAsa. Normally angry maharshi durvAsa is found to be in playful mood. I told him he is appearing very beautiful with dark clouds around him with shining lightening appearing like glitters of jewels he worn and the whole scene is romantic as if he is waiting for his partner. Suddenly he became angry with this, and said: “as you have compared me to a romantic lady, you will become a lady every night from now on”.

Without giving me any chance of apolyzing him, he disappeared. Now I am worried about this curse…. I am not sure how to protect myself with this situation.

Having heard this, SIkhidhwaja became silent. After a little while, kumbha continued: Oh, King, why should I worry? the womanhood is for the body alone and not to the self. Let the body experience what comes to it. What loss is there?

Sikhidhwaja said: dEva putrA, what you say is the absolute truth. For the likes of you, the results of any actions will not cause any emotions. For you the duality of pleasure and pain is long ceased. If you become worried about the bodily layer what happen to the people like me?

They continued the discussions in philosophy throughout the day… As evening sandhya approached, both started performing the sandhya vandana. As Sun set, kumbha started to change the form into a woman. Along with all ornaments and decorations kumbha is fully a woman after the sunset. Both of them stayed under the tree whole night; both could not sleep. cUDAla continued thinking how to test Sikhidhwaja further and Sikhidhwaja is worried about the complex situation with his guru kumbha.

As dawn came, the woman kumbha became male kumbha again. Both of them continued their daily rituals, roamed around and continued their discussion into Sastras. Slowly days started passing and they became used to the new situation.

One day, kumbha proposed: Oh, king! by mysterious circumstances, I got this womanhood. I now feel that I need to fulfil the purpose of this form. I name my woman form as madanika and wanted to marry someone. But who will marry me, only half time woman? Who will be suitable for my attitude? Having thought all these, I think my mind is pulling towards you alone as my husband. If you agree, we will get married.

We both have no like or dislike on anything including the bodies. This madanika wanted to enjoy the pleasures of body. Don’t obstruct her and please help her.

Sikhidhwaja said: oh friend! we have crossed over the state of duality. I have no problem with whatever pleases you. I shall fulfill your wish.

Having mutually agreed, they collected some forest produce and some items they created with the power of yOga and that night itself they got married as per the injunctions of SAstras. They started living as friends during the day and as a couple by night. At times, kumbha used to take leave for a while and go to the kingdom as cUDAla and continue administration activities as well.

cUDAlas test 1: One day with her yOga Sakti, she made indra appear in front of them. Sikhidhwaja performed due respects to the king of gods.

Indra said: Oh rAjarshi! we heard about your great austerities and wisdom. We have arranged all those required by jIvanmukta like you in heaven. I came here to take you to our special place of jIvanmuktas like you. Please accept my offer.

Sikhidhwaja said: Oh king of gods! for me whole universe is swarga. Every atom is filled with eternal bliss. For the sake of pleasures, I do not want to come anywhere.

Indra said: But, earlier jIvanmuktas have enjoyed the pleasures offered to them by the gods. I think it is applicable to you as well. Please accept.

Sikhidhwaja kept quite. Having seen is composure, Indra understood the intended rejection of his proposal, blessed Sikhidhwaja and left.

cUDAla observed the complete episode and satisfied with the behaviour of Sikhidhwaja and the way he dealt with Indra.

cUDAla’s test 2: As night approached, Sikhidhwaja and kumbha went to perform their own evening rituals. As Sikhidhwaja approached the cave they were living during the night, madanika appeared with another handsome man in a compromising position. Having seen this, Sikhidhwaja calmly walked away from there and sat under the tree.

After some time, madanika came there and said: Oh King, by my uncontrollable desire, I have committed this mistake; please do not get angry!

Sikhidhwaja said: Oh girl, I have unnecessarily disturbed your enjoyment time unknowingly. There is nothing to be angry about anything. Both of us have gone well past the range of like and dislike (rAga and dvEsha). You are not your own form of kumbha rishi. You are a form that emerged from a curse of sage durvasa. By nature it has its own requirements. You can fulfill them as you wish. But, as we are living in the middle of hermitages of tapsvis, we can’t continue to be wife and husband. Let’s continue our relationship as friends; going forward.

Having heard Sikhidhwaja, cUDAla fully satisfied with his balanced state of jIvanmukti. She revealed her own form of cUDAla to him.

Sikhidhwaja wondered to see appearance of cUDAla from the female body of kumbha (madanika) and said: I see a lot of resemblance of my wife in you. Who are you?

cUDAla smiled and said: Oh king! I am your wife. You don’t need to doubt about it. I only appeared as kumbha and madanika to you by my power of yOga. All this I have done to teach the eternal wisdom. As you are now equipped with the powers of yOga, please see for yourself what has happened in samAdhi.

Sikhidhwaja sat in padmAsana, did a kumbhaka (holding of life force) entered samAdhi to see the reality of recent past of his life. In few minutes, he came back to the worldly consciousness and tightly embraced his wife:

Sikhidhwaja declared: Oh cUDAla, how much pain you took to enlighten me? Oh dear, when I was in ignorance, you were the center of my ignorance; now having realized, I find you the focal point of my realization. You are everything for me. I have understood your true nature that is beyond the duality. You have no interest in administering kingdom. You are my guru.

Having discussed “what next?” they both agreed to go back to the kingdom with a great army created out of sankalpa as if they were returning from a military campaign. They both have been welcomed by the ministers and continued their kingdom for 10000 years and attained vidEha mukti.

BhagavAn vaSishTha said: Oh rAma! take up the same vision as Sikhidhwaja and conduct yourself. That is the way of living as jIvanmukta.

My notes: Today is the jyeshTa bahula daSami, eve of yOginI EkAdaSi. This is 181st post bringing us to conclusion of the great narration of Sikhidhwaja and cUDAla to the end of Sarga 102 of nirvANa pUrvArtha.

yOginI EkAdaSi has a power of great transformation. Happening on a Monday with bharaNi and kRttika nakshatras it marks a jupiter cycle of my association with yOga vASishTha mahA rAmAyaNA.

It is the unbounded grace of Guru, Swami Virajeshwara Saraswati, that brings us here. I bow down to his divine grace again and again.

om tat sat