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Having given vent to these words, Vis'wamitra looked at Vasishta's face and reminded him by saying that Rcima should be taught those Jnana stories which Brahma residing in the lotus had been pleased to favor them with, in order to put an end to the dissensions* between them and liberate all the virtuous from their Sanchita Karmaf and attain Moksha. Initiation into the Mysteries of Brahman will fructify only in that disciple's mind which is desireless and will produce Jnana (spiritual wisdom) in it. This is what the Sastras (books) say. And herein lies the glory (of the higher spirituality). But the initiation imparted to a vicious disciple, full of desires will become defiled like the pure milk deposited in a sable dog's skin. Thus did Vis'wamitra expatiate in various ways when the unsullied Narada, Vedavyasa and other Munis assembled there, heard all of Viswamitra's words and eulogised him unanimously for his noble utterances.ThereuponMuni Vasishta, son of Brahma and equal unto him, addressed Vis'wdmitra thus — " Oh Muni, well versed in all departments of know ledge, I will do according to thy bidding. Whoever will go against the words of the Great Ones that have known really * The dissensions between Vasishta and Vi^wamitra are related at great length in Mahabharata. f The accumulated Karmas which are yet in store, to be enjoyed in future births. THE STORY OF SUKHA. 27 who "the knower" is? I will now recite the pure Jnana stories meant for the non-fluctuating and the pure minded and given out by the lotus-residing Brahma on the Nishada hills in order to liberate them from the cycles of re-birth." Therefore Vasishta with a concentrated and pure mind related the following to make Ajnana (ignorance) perish, and the Supreme Seat of All full Jndna dawn, in men's minds. MUMUKSHU— PRAKARANA. Summary — Of the four-fold qualifications required of a neophyte on the Path, the last one, viz., the longing after emancipation is treated of, in this chapter. Vasishta said — " Now, oh Rama, hearken to what I am going to say. Through right endeavours in this life (of the world), all the ends of human aspiration can be achieved by following strictly the Sastraic (or scientific) injunctions. Such endeavours are two-fold, one in the direction of Atma — Jn3na Sastras (or the sciences relating to divine wisdom) and the other in the direction of (ordinary) Sastras (treating of terrestrial wisdom). The former is, on account of Moksha and the latter which is not the true Sastraic path leads to bondage. Those virtuous persons only will gain Moksha who from their early boyhood, train themselves up in the Atma Jn£na (or spiritual) lore, associate themselves with the un flinching great men and develop benevolence and other good qualities." At which Raghava exclaimed — " Being under the control of Vasanas generated by me in my former births, 1 have not been making efforts in the direction of the right path. Oh Guru, what then am I to do ? On Vasanas pure and impure. — To which Vasishta replied thus — "Oh R£ma of marvellous qualities, it is through one's efforts alone and none else that the Brahmic seat can be mastered. Now the hosts of Vasanas may be divided under two heads, vis., the pure and the impure. Of these two, those alone which were generated by him in his many lives will cling to him (in his future births). Should the pure ones cling to him, he will easily attain the immaculate Brahmic Seat through them ; but in the case of the impure Vasanas, pains will be generated. Thou shouldst, oh Rama, even through dint of painful efforts, avoid these impure ones. Through the two ordained paths of good and evil, the current of Vasanas swells enormously. Mayest thou, after MUMUKSHU-PRAKARANA. 29 straining all thy nerves in the cultivation of Brah- mavidya (Brahmic science), liberate thyself from the impure Vasanas and rest firmly in the (pure) Vasanas appertaining to the beneficent Reality. Thou shouldst, through thy equal vision over all and thy own efforts, play fully check the lad of mind from getting into the impure Vasanas and make it associate with the pure ones. If after annihilating the many impure ones which are the products of the many previous births, thou shouldst make the pure ones dawn now, then they will conduce to thy (future) efforts. Even should any doubt arise in thy mind as to what the pure ones will lead thee, thou shouldst always be cultivating them only, as any excess therein is not, in any way, injuri ous. Till thy mind is illumined by the Reality of Brahman, thou shouldst always be following the path of initiation into Brahman by the Gurus through the sacred sentences of the Vedas." "Mayest thou, Oh Rama, remain immutably fixed in that state of direct cognition, after purging thy mind of its impure Vasanas and making it, through the pure ones, attain the Atmic Seat, free of all stains and pains. Destroy all thy illu sory thoughts, so that they may not resurrect again. Develop extreme quiescence of mind and bliss within thyself. And then through thy intelligence freed from the longing after objects, thou shouldst, Oh Rama, commingle thyself with Brahman, engaged in the investigation of the significance of the holy sentence, ' Tatwamasi' (That art Thou) and me ditate upon such identity. Now listen to the utterances of Brahma seated on the honey-dropping lotus flower." Vasishta' s own history. — At which Rdghava enquired of Vasishta the cause of such utterances when Vasishta went on thus — " Out of Chidakasa* which is the endless, the all-per vading, the seat of all and the illuminator of all objects, there arose Vishnu. Brahma arose out of the lotus of his heart and evolved, as so many creations of his mind, this earth and other diverse objects. Now the author of the universe, Lord Brahma, (in the course of its progress), found the many noble souls in Bharata-Varsha (the portion of land including * There are three states of Akasa or planes of matter as mentioned in this work, of which Chidakas'a or Jnanakas'a is the third. 30 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. India) writhing under extreme pains and was moved to pity, like a father towards his afflicted son. Contemplating upon the salvation of these afflicted ones, he came to the conclusion that the cycle of births and deaths cannot be arrested by either Japas (uttering of Mantras) or Tapas (religious auste rities) macerating the body or the many kinds of gifts or bathing in such holy waters as the Ganges and others or any other means except through Atma Jnana. Therefore, through his stainless mind, he created us all, like himself, with a bowl and, in the hand, a rosary of beads. So was I born and having saluted him, I was shewn a seat on a petal on the northern side of the lotus in which he was gloriously seated- There he pronounced a curse on my mind that it should be enveloped by Maya for one Muhurta (or 48 minutes). There at my mind became stupified and I began to play the woman like an illiterate and ignorant person devoid of all spiritual wisdom. Observing me thus, Brahma questioned me as to the cause of my dire sorrow. To which I asked him how this Samsara arose and how Moksha can be attained after freedom from existence. Upon which he blessed me with a true cognition of the higher state. As its result, I was in a non-fluctuating state, owing to my cognition of Jnana Atma Reality. Upon which Brahma remarked to me thus. — "it was we that enveloped thy intelligence by the base Maya and then cleansed it of Maya after having annihilated the latter. We have ordained that all souls shall be initiated by thee and attain Moksha- After the dawning of full Jnana, thou shalt soon go to Bharata-Varsha in Jambudwipa which is the land of all perishable Karmas (religious works). There shalt thou initiate men, having the four qualifications (of attaining salvation), into Atma Jnana; but shalt initiate lovers of (ritualistic) Karmas), in whom the conception of egoism has not vanished, into the due performance of such Karmas." " According to his mandates, I go to Bharata-Varsha and live in it so long as humanity exist there. I have no longing for any objects in this world. I shall ever be in the Sushupti (dreamless sleeping) state and thus be able to overstep the limits of the painful mind, though engaged in the daily ac tions of the world No actions of mine identify themselves with my Self. Oh valorous Rama, those intelligent disciples MUMUKSHU-PRAKARANA.