English
True if Rama of supreme indifference towards objects had longed after Samsara, we may be justi- tified in doing so ; but in as much as we long after things hated by Rama, we Siddhas as well as Devarshis and others should be classed under the ignorant." THE STORY OF SUKHA. 23 Viswamitra eying Rama with great love said — "Thou hast cognized all through thyself, through thy stainless intelligence. There is nothing more for thee to understand clearly. Thou and Muni Sukha replete with spiritual wisdom are on a par with one another. Even those who have acquir ed the matchless spiritual wisdom endeavour to attain the quiescent state. At which Rama questioned him thus — - " Please, oh father, enlighten me as to how Sukha-Muni though possessing intelligence devoid of Ahankara had no quiescence of mind at first and how he came into possession of that bliss afterwards." To wrhich the Muni replied thus — " Brahmarshi* Sukha who was replete with Jnana (spiritual wisdom) which, if de veloped, puts an end to a series of seven re-births at once, enquired, like thee, into the origin of things. In doing so, he became seized with doubts as to the certainty of his convic tions and his equilibrium of mind was disturbed. But with a non-fluctuating mind freed from the thraldom of sensual ob jects, he approached his father Vyasa living on the mountains of Mahameru and asked him for a solution of the following questions — " Whence this Maya generating great pains ? How does it perish ? Whom had it as its originator ? What part of it, if any, does endure ? When did all the things of the universe originate ?" After Vyasa had, given suitable replies to the many ques tions proposed by £ukha, the latter simply remarked that his (father's) explanation had not dispelled his doubts, he having been aware of the same before. Finding it was not possible for him to convince Sukha (his son), Vy£sa asked him to apply for solution to King Janaka of stainless and supreme spiritual wisdom. Whereupon he descended from Mahameru down to earth and reached the gates of the golden palace of Janaka. Though apprised of the arrival of Sukha, the ^rahma-rishi, £he king did not go in advance to meet him as he wished to^fet the new-comer's equillibrium * There were 3 classes of Rishis, in India who were the earliest adepts known ; the Royal or Rajarshis, king's and princes (like Viswamitra and others) who adopted the ascetic life; the Divine or Devarshis, the sons of Dharma or Yoga (as Narada and others) ; and the Brahmarshis, the descendants of those Rishis who were the found ers of Gotras of Brahmins or of caste races, (as Baradwaja, Vasishta and others). 5. D, 24 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. of mind. Yet Sukha was not in the least disconcerted and waited at the gates of the king for seven days. Then after being detained and tested in another place for seven days, he was con ducted to the harem in the palace and was there sumptuously fed upon the choicest viands of six tastes and treated with flowers, sandal and other objects of enjoyment by handsome ladies of slender waist. And yet Sukha who was like a cool full-moon was indifferent to the dark or bright aspect of these enjoyments. So that neither the happiness arising from the enjoyments to which Sukha was exposed by the king nor the pains flowing out of the disgrace to which he was subjected did affect, in the least, the mind of this great Muni. Will ever the soft, noble zephyr be able to agitate Meru, the grandest of mountains? Observing the internal exultation of the Muni's heart (unruffled by the externals), the king saluted and eulogised the Muni and then addressed him thus: "Oh Brahma-rishi, who has attained the highest fruit, having given up all worldly concerns, please tell me what business has wafted thee here." At which Sukha questioned him thus — " How did Maya arise ? How does it grow? And how is it destroyed? Please, oh guru, explain them to me truly." At these wordsof Sukha, Janakaexplained in the same man ner as Vyasa did, which the Brahma-rishi no sooner heard than he said ; — " Thus had I known previously and thou gavest the same explanation, my father gave me. The signification of the holy sentences given out in the sacred books point but to the one non-dual One. If M^ya which originates as differentiated out of the one Atma in the nature of breath or vibrations is again merged into it, there seems not to be even an iota of benefit derivable from this perishable Maya. Oh Guru, who is able to remove the delusion off the minds of men, please throw light upon the nature of this incomparable real Atma ?" To which the king thus replied— " Though thou hast known everything definitely, still thou hast asked me in spite of thy father's words. The state given out (by us) is the real one. Atma alone t'j, which pervades as the all-full Chidakas everywhere. Nought else is but That. That Jnana is bound by its own Sankalpa. * With the liberation from that * It is will in its highest sense and thought in its lowest sense. THE STORY OF SUKHA. 25 Sankalpa, there is freedom from the trammels of bondage. As thou hast now clearly cognized that Atma Jnana, thou hast abandoned all longing for enjoyments and the sight of the visibles. Thou hast, through thy all-full mind and with out pains, attained all that could be got at, vis., Brahman it self. Thou hast commingled with that secondless Principle which is above the reach of all vision. Thou hast become a Jivan-mukhta.* But there is one thing which thou hast yet to do, w'0., the giving up of the delusion of Maya which has arisen in thy mind (the giving up of which, will entirely free thee and not bar thy further progress)." When the king of kings named Janaka thus initiated Sukha into the Atmic mysteriesf (through his direct pre sence), the stainless Rishi attained quiescence in his Atma or Higher Self, being freed from the pangs of birth and the agonies of death ; then all his enquiring spirit, perplexities of mind and doubts vanished through (direct) self-cognition. Then having reached the highest pinnacle of Mahameru, he went into the non-fluctuating- Nirvikalpa Sam^dhi and after a period of 1000 Solar years merged into the Janna-Akasa, J like a light which, when divested of its wick and ghee, returns back to its fount of Akasic Agni (fire). Like water-drops becoming one with the ocean of waves, he, being cleansed of the stains of contemplation (or thinking), merged into the secondless Brahman, the vibration that started in himself (as the " I") having melted away. Thus did he attain quiescence (of mind) free from the delusion of Mdya. This is exactly the path thou shouldst follow, oh, Rdma. The right characteristic of a mind that has known all that should be known is the non-identification of itself with the ever pleasurable worldly enjoyments. With the proclivities of the mind towards material objects, bondage in objects * A Jivanmukhta is one who is emancipated while in body while a Videhamukhta is one who is emancipated after throwing- off the bod)', even when alive. f He who attains unto Atma, having- overcome Maya, the illusion, will alone know what Maya is and how it arises and is destroyed. And this knowledge of Atma is an occult mystery which is the subject of initiation by a Guru. Hence it is we find that no words can describe the origin of Maya, &c. As Sukha was a fit disciple, he was made to have an Apar6ksha or direct perception of the same by Janaka. £ Jnana stands here for Brahman or Atma. It is stated to be Jnana Akas as Akasa is all-pervading. 26 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. becomes strengthened ; otherwise, the bondage becomes slackened and in course of time perishes. Oh Rama, the extinction of Vasanas alone, is Moksha (salvation) ; but the concretion of the mind in material objects through V£sanas is bondage. Those persons are Jivanmuktas who have quite disabled the Vdsanas and are indifferent to the many worldly enjoyments without the aids of Tapas (religious austerities), Vratas (religious observances) and others. That one Princi ple which Rama's mind has cognized through the utterances of the Great Ones is the one Reality and none else. Now the only person who is able to relieve this Great Soul of R&ma from all his doubts and render his mind quiescent is the omniscient Vasishta who knows clearly the three periods of time, is the Guru of men in this world and is a witness to all things having name, form, &c." So said Vis'wamitra in the king's assembly.