English
After one is convinced that that knowledge which renders itself oblivious of all the visibles is the true one and the obtainer of Atma, ceaseless endeavours in the certainty of Brahman is alone Salvation. With such a practice, the pure Jnana will dawn." Saraswati and Lila who had thus conferred together that night, went into Swarupa Samadhi free from the trammels of their body and remained motionless. In this state, Saraswati shining with her former Jnana body along with Lila with her newly assumed Jnana one, rose up high in the Akasa, as if 10 digits high. Having penetrated far into the Akasa which is like an ever-ebbing great ocean at the time of deluge, they observed there the following. In the immeasura- l/ 54 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. ble, transparent and subtle Chidakas replete with the bliss arising from zephyrs, there were to be found the hosts of Siddhas who journeyed fleeter than wind. In it whirled, in all quarters, Rakshasas and Pisachas as well as successive rows of innumerable yogins, having the faces of dogs, cows, camels and asses. There were also the multitudinous Dakinis (elementals), dancing about gleefully and the white Ganga running with its speedy current. There the songs of Narada and Tumburu were heard vibrating on their lyre in non- immured space. Clouds, as at the end of a Kalpa, rained down their currents without any noise like a painted picture. To wit, they saw bevies of fair houris collected together. Then they passed through diverse places for the immeasur able 10 Ghatikas distance, some replete with petrified sable gloom inaccessible to any and others, radiant with the lustre of Agni (fire) or the Sun journeying on his swift car. Thus waded they through the Akasa of the three worlds, wherein nbode the myriads of Jivas created by Brahma buzzing like ihe swarms of flies collected in a ripe fig fruit. Then contemplating upon reaching their longed-for place} they crossed Brahma's egg- and reached Girigrama in the Loka where Vasishta lived. As the new arrivals were invisible to the menials, relatives and offsprings of the Brahmin suffering from dire pains, Lila, of Satya-Sankalpa willed that the inmates of the house should see her and her co-mate. Thereupon taking these two, who were like Lakshmi and Parvati, to be some sylvan goddesses, the menials, &c., worshipped them and paid them proper respects. Of these, the eldest son ad dressed them thus — " You should lighten us of the load of grief under which we are groaning ever since the demise of our parents. Oh ladies of great knowledge, are there any results not attainable through the visits, of great personages like yourselves?" Thereupon the effulgent, Lila touched their forehead and relieved them of their grief. Then both these disappeared from view, from that spot that very in stant. Now that we have accomplished our object of seeing the different states of the universe according to our thought please acquaint me with thy further wish. So said Saraswati to Divine Lila, at which the latter asked the former. " How THE STORY OF LILA. 55 came it that during our Samadhi, the persons seated in the regal assembly were unable to see me whilst those in the beautiful house alone were so able ?" Saraswati replied — "It is only through the development of Jnana that all the dual substances in this world will become non-dual. As thou wert in possession of Jnana (knowledge) not freed from the thoughts of " I" (or individuality), the true (or voluntary) Sankalpa did not arise in thee. Hence it was that all those in the royal assembly were not able to see thee. But then in the second case, with the possession of the true Jndna divested of all thoughts of individuality, thou created the conception of u I" through thy own Sankalpa and it was only then that the sons, &c., did see thee." Then Lila overjoyed gave vent to the following words — " Through thy grace, Oh Saraswati, I have known all my former births as clear as daylight. I have cleansed myself of all sins arising from the three gunas. After being differentiated as a separate entity out of the one Brahman, 1 have undergone different births in 800 bodies.* Like bees in a lotus flower, I have been inhabiting the many worlds created through Maya-Vikalpa (or the modifications of Maya). I was born as a Vidyadhara lady and then as a human being through the force of Vasanas. In another loka of Maya-Vikalpa, I went through a series of births in the different bodies of Indrani, a huntress clad in leaves, a bird rending the snare it was enmeshed in, a king of Sourdshtra country and a musquito. Thus have I been whirling in many births, and having been tossed too and fro in the clutches of Maya, like a straw in ocean waves, I have now been landed safely on the shore of Mukti (Salvation) through thy aid." Thus did Lila eulogise her and both then mounted up the Akasa. Passing through the Akasa by dint of Yoga power, they went to where Padma was and saw his body. After that was over, they went to where the king Viduratha was, who was the second incarnation of king Padma. At this juncture, both these peacock-like ladies observed the incomparable king of Sindhu of tremendous prowess march against Vidu- * The number above given tallies nearly with that given out in the Theosophical literature by Mr. Sinnett, 56 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. ratha. A fierce war was waged between the two armies, striking terror into the heart of Death even. Viduratha's innumerable army was reduced by the enemy to an eighth of its original number. Then the sun disappeared from view, as if afraid of either this terrible war or the mountain heap of carcases. With the setting in of intense darkness, both the armies ceased to battle. With the dis appearance from the field of the enemies' hosts, king Vidu- ratha returned with a broken heart along with the shattered remnants of his army to his own palace. Whilst he rested upstairs in sleep, Saraswati and Lila came up to where he lay. Being quite refreshed by their Tejas (radiant effulgence) which was like the nectary rays of the moon, his lotus-like eyes began to bloom and beheld, before him, these two ladies whom he saluted and eulogised. Then in order to acquaint Lila with the glorious lineage of this race, Saraswati willed that the minister lying hard by the king should wake up from his deep sleep. Instantane ously, the minister shook off his lethargy and seeing Saras wati saluted her. At which she asked him to trace from the beginning, the history of the king's family. The minister then began thus — ''In the race of ManuVaivaswata,* the most esteemed of kings, there was born a king of the name of Kumbaratha (or Kundharatha) who had a son Bhadra-ratha, the king of kings. The last had in his turn Akhila-ratha (or Viswa-ratha) as son and through him a grandson by the name of Manoratha. This grandson brought forth Vishnu-ratha who, in his turn, had as his offspring Brihad- ratha. This last king, had, in his line of descendants, Sindhu- ratha, Sailaratha, Kamaratha and Maharatha, till at last the last king Maharatha begat, in this place, the present king of kings, Viduratha. The mother who begat the present king, went by the appellation of Sumitra. His father, having con trolled his mind, abdicated his kingdom in favour of his son, then 10 years old, and led the life of a recluse in the forest. Now Viduratha, our king, reigns with perfect justice". As soon as the minister had finished these words, Saras wati, in order to enable the king to easily know the events of his former births through his Jnana (spiritual) vision, * The Manu of this Manwantara or Round. THE STORY OF LILA. 57 touched lovingly, with the palm of her hand, the king's head and blessed him with Divine vision. Whereupon the gloom of Maya that had obscured his mind like a great antagonist flitted away from it and he was able to recognise himself in the previous body of kingPadma sporting with Lila. Then the plea sant sensation of marvel and joy arose in him, the former on account of the diverse workings of Maya, and the latter, since the knowledge of Maya he derived through the grace of these, the (world's) mothers. With these thoughts in his mind, he wore their feet on his head and said — "In the one day that passed from the extinction of my former body up to now (as seen through my Divine vision), 1 have spent 70 years with this my present body. I have also known all the events that transpired during that period.