English
Summary — This chapter summarises all that was said in the previous stories as to the origin of the mind and the universe. It is the actions of the mind that are truly termed karmas. True liberation results from the disenthralment of the mind. Those who have freed themselves from the fluctuation of their mind come into possession of the supreme Nishta (meditation). Should the mind be purged of all its impurities, then it will become as still as the milky ocean undisturbed by the churning of Mandara hills ; and all our Samsaric delusion attendant with its birth and deaths will be destroyed. Muni Vasishta continued — The poisonous tree of the great Maya's illusion flourishes more and more, out of the seed of the mind's modifications full of Sankalpa, in the soil of the variegated enjoyments of the world. The panacea prescribed by the wise for the removal of the diseases of the mind can be got at very easily through the mind alone. Now hearken to what I say. Those who without longing for ob jects avoid them, can be termed the subjugators of their Manas (mind). Those who do not develop the painless Vairaggya inhering in one's Self and that with great facility and happiness, are at best but vermins in human shapes. If the mind be divested of the Sankalpa of "I," then through the meditation of Atma after being initiated by a guru and having known the real significance of the Vedas given out by Lord, the mind can be turned back from the pains — generat ing externals into the internals where it can be made happy. Like one iron shaping another iron, the pure mind of a person which makes efforts in the virtuous path, should correct and mould his impure mind. To lovers of Moksha in whom the invincible desires take a tangible shape and who try to win their way up to Salvation through their own efforts, the easy abandonment of their dire mind is itself their transcendental path and they then feel as if a great load were off their heads. No other path is truly beneficial. If the mind which flits from one object to another, is slain with the sword of non-Sankalpa, then will, the self- 88 VOGA-VA'SISHTA. shining Principle which shines as the all and permeates them all, be cognized. May you, Oh Rama, tread this path and destroy, through your Jnana the much-longed for mind ; and after attaining Atma Jnana through the renunciation of all, devoid of Samsara and Vikalpas, know your Reality wherein the mind is merged. May you rest in the self-existent Brah- mic Seat which is neither Sat nor Asat. after developing with great difficulty the process of Sravana and others and destroying the mind. It is only through dauntless energy that the painless wealth of Moksha can be acquired. With the destruction of the mind, * all the three periods of time vanish into nothing. If all objects which have an enchanting appearance become eyesores and present the very reverse of the former feelings, then is the mind destroyed. If all doubts vanish through the discus of spiritual know ledge arising through the meditation of Jndna in the heart, then it is the mind will be destroyed. All the excessive afflic tions will cease with its destruction. The (ideas of) differen tiations of that or this person, or " I" or " Thou" or that or this object are (or do pertain to) mind only. May you put an end to that mind with the sword of Abhavana (non-thought). Like thick clouds that are dispersed through stormy gales, the mind will get absorbed into Chit (absolute conscious ness) through the extinction of Kalpanas (thoughts). If one's mind is destroyed, then will one not suffer from pains even though, as at the end of a Kalpa, the fierce winds, the Pralaya ocean with its furious bubbling waves and the twelve Adityas (suns) smelting even the earth with their heat should all combine together to simultaneously play their havoc on the surface of the earth ? If the (lower) mind is done away with through the (higher) mind alone, then will one become his own Self and perennial happiness will flow therefrom as in the case of the Universe. Then will you be in the full acquisition of Moksha and reach the Brahmic seat of surpriseless bliss. Now the enemy of Atma is this impure mind only, which is replete with the wealth of excessive delusion and hosts of thoughts. Lest this enemy of mind should spoil you in diverse * The destruction of the mind does not mean an annihilation of the self ; but the Vedantins divide the mind into the higher and the lower, of which the lower one leading- to desires is asked to be destroyed. THE CONCLUSION OF UTPATHTHI-PRAKARANA. 89 ways through the enjoyments of the many pleasures in this world, slay it in the hope of getting contentment in the long run which will pave your way towards spiritual illumination. Then will the immaculate, cool and all-full Bhava (state), dear unto the wise never be affected by the idea of "I." Though this all-full Bhdva, which is neither capable of increase nor diminution, the Brahmic Seat free from births and confer ring supreme bliss, becomes the imperishable one. It is indeed rare to find a mind that is not affected by its contact with fluctuation. Like heat inseparable from fire, fluctuation which debases the mind is inseparable from it. The power of fluctuation or motion of Jnanais the mind itself. And this fluctuating mind alone is this universe ; devoid of this fluctua tion, the mind ceases to exist. It is this certain conviction that constitutes a Tapas without a desire of its fruits, the underlying meaning of all Atma-Jnana books and the imma culate Moksha or the illuminated One Principle. This fluc tuating power of the mind is dubbed with several names such as Maya, the impure Vasanas and others. The flitting mind is no other than the fluctuating Sakti itself. It is this fluctuating potency of the mind that you should destroy through ceaseless Atma-Jnana enquiry. Elysian bliss will flow from the renunciation of all attrac tions towards the much-longed for paltry objects. The mind which occupies an intermediate state between Brahman that ever is and the universe that is not, ever oscillates gravitating towards the one or the other. This mind becomes of the nature of Jnana through dint of the efforts towards spiri tual direction ; but becomes of the nature of the universe through Ajnana. Through its own efforts, the mind assumes the shape of any object it concentrates itself upon. There fore you should, through your Atma-Jnana mind, avoid the mind which runs in the direction of objects ; and progress ing higher up, should, without any despondency of heart, accumulate wealth for that imperishable Supreme Seat. Like an emperor who brings under his sway all kings on earth, the fluctuating mind should be brought under the perfect control of the non-fluctuating mind and then the latter reaches its own state which is the Supreme one. 12 90 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. In this ocean of Samsara, those only find a safe asylum in the vessel of their mind who are conscious of their being- whirled about in this Maelstrom of life with the grip of the crocodiles of desires fully upon them. Let not your heart give away under your trials ; but having- done away with the impure mind through the pure mind, befriend the latter and make your Atma rest in its blissful state. Will your mind progress through any one else ? Certainly not. Whatever pains or impediments to progress arise in the mind, there at the very moment they should be crushed out of existence; then is the destruction of Maya accomplished. Having divested yourself of all longings for enjoyments and con ceptions of heterogeneity as well as the two, Bhava (existence) and Abhava (non-existence), may you enjoy Elysian bliss without any the least stain. Should all longings for visibles cease, then such an abnegation of mind is itself the destruc tion of Ajnana or the mind. Desires of objects are them selves pains ; but non-desires are themselves Nirvanic bliss. Such a bliss is generated through one's efforts only. The knowledge of the ignorant which makes them conceive the world to be real, while it is illusory and exists but in name, is dissipated as unreal when they cognize all things to be Con sciousness per se. At these words of Yasishta, Rama queried him thus — " How can this ignorance which fructifies out of the wealth of Avidya in this world, be effaced clean off from here? Please favour me with your elucidation on this point." To which Vasishta of powerful Tapas replied thus.