English
Without the aid of a painter or a canvas or any other materials of painting, the picture of the universe appears depicted on the stainless Chidakas. Having itself appeared, it is ever seeing- itself, (as there is none else for it to see). Therefore this universe is like a Swapna in Jagrat and not Hke the state of Sushupti (sleep), when all conceptions of or gans are lost. The reflections of all the universes in the non- differentiated Atma-Jnana which is witness, all full, immacu late and all-pervading is like that of the image in a glass* They shine through Brahman without any relationship of cause and effect. Their true nature can be said to be the reflection itself* May you, oh Rama, through painful endea vours contemplate, as one, upon the eternal Brahman which is partless, the Atma (Self) of all, the all-full Jnana and the alKpervading Chidakas. Should you firmly master, such a certitude of mind, you will be rid of all fluctuations of mind mid become of the nature of Atma-Jn£na itself. Just as one stone has in it carved many pictures, so in the one Brahman <dlo manifest themselves the motley worlds. Since to consti tute a second there is no cause or effect associated with It (Brahman), there is really nothing to be called the universe. Atma-Jnana alone is. All the universes are nothing but the reflections in the one certitude of Brahman. THE STORY OF SfKRA. 1C>3 Now to exemplify the truth of my remarks, thou shalt hearken to the story of (Venus) Sukracharya. In days of old, Muni Bhrigu was engaged in the performance of an immutable Tapas on the slope of the lofty and ancient moun tain called Mandaragiri. His son who rejoiced in the name of Sukra was a remarkably intelligent person and shone like the moon. He never used to part from the feet of his father. He was in that great Laya (neutral) state which is inter mediate between the incomparable Chit and Achit states.* Whilst he was thus in an intermediate state unaware of them both, like King Trusankuf who was left in the middle of the sky without being able to go higher up or come lower down to the earth, his father was in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Then the son who never used to part from his father, remain ed separate and looked up through the pure Akasa where he saw a Deva (celestial) lady approaching him. Her graceful tresses were bedecked with Mandara flowers, the odor of which was gently wafted by the zephyrs as she trudged along with the gait of a she-elephant. Having eyed her fully before him, he became quite enamoured of her ; and then closing his two eyelids, he revelled in the vast fields of his mental region, through the over-powering desire in him. Coming to the conclusion that she belonged to Devaloka, he resolved upon going to that Loka (world), when lo ! he saw that Loka before him and Indra, the lord of Devas shining in it like lightning-flashing clouds and seated on his beautiful throne, eulogised by the Devas therein. Thereupon formal courtesies were exchanged between Sukra and Indra. Whilst Sukra was living there amidst luxurious enjoyments, the self same Deva lady, whom he had before seen, emerged out of a bevy of houris living therein and presented herself before him with budding breasts peeping out of her fine petticoat. Then the two eyes of Sukra gleamed with inexpressible delight at the sight of this fair creature who, in turn, returned * The state of Brahman is said to be that neutral state which is between or above the (Chit) intelligence and (Achit) matter of the uni verse. t This King- it was who applied to Vasishta to be transported physically to the heavens but he was refused ; and hence he applied to Viswamitra who unable to take him up to Swarga, the heavens left him in the Antariksha, the intermediate space. 104 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. the same glances. While thus their hearts and eyes were melting into one with love, Sukra who never failed to bring into existence whatever he willed through his Sankalpa willed that sable darkness should envelop the space. With intense gloom enveloping therein as at the end of a Kalpa, all who were there fled to other quarters panic-struck and thus cleared the field for the pair. Then the celestial houris came under the embrace of Sukra, beneath the foliage of the beautiful Kalpa tree of Paradise. Thus passed the pair, 8 Chatur- Yugas* in sensual enjoyments without any let or hindrance. Then fearing lest all his Dharmas should be wasted thus, he descended to Bhuloka (earth) from Devaloka. It was here (on earth) that he forgot all about his pristine reality. In his descent from Indra loka, Sukra's Jiva commingled itself with the soft rays of the full moon and became the cool snow. This snow falling on paddy fields converted itself into paddy. The rice arising from the fertile stalks was cooked and eaten by a Brahman of Desarna country and was converted into the seminal fluid in him. Sukra, who was thus in the form of sperm in the Brahmin, ultimately came out as his sonf out of the womb of his spouse. Associating himself with Tapaswins, he performed a rare Tapas for the period of a Manu, in a forest encircling the golden mountains of Mahameru. Then Sukra bore an offspring of a man through a hind. Through the Ajnana[(5gnorance) with which he was enslaved to the material things of the world, through his fond love to his off spring, he fell off from his true state. Passing through a series of incarnations subject to births and deaths generated by his illusory Vasanas, he at last incarnated in the body of a Tapaswin, as the son of a Muni on the banks of the holy Ganges. Let me turn to the former body of Sukra which was lying entranced by the side of his father and from which life had de parted. The rays of the sun aided by the wind had reduced it to a mere skeleton. But it remained intact on earth without * Chatur-Yugas are otherwise called Mahay ugas. Each Maha- yuga is composed of the 4 Yugas, Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. f This shows clearly that Venus stands for the egos of human beings. This describes the general pilgrimage and incarnation of egos. THK STORY OF SUKRA. 105 being" assailed and destroyed by birds or beasts, as they were instinctively afraid of doing away with it through the glory of Bhrigu sitting hard by. Having passed many divine years in Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Bhrigu opened his eyes only to find the shrivelled carcase of his son with mere bones which look ed the very incarnation of poverty and misfortune. Then this Muni of rare Tapas and renunciation became quite dis consolate in mind at finding sparrows chirping in the nine avenues of his son's body and frogs squatting and playing within his stomach. Without trying to dive into the cause of all these occurrences, he concluded that his beloved son was dead. With the flaming anger of Rudra riding on his bull, he began to vent his whole anger against Yama and began to curse him, in order to destroy him, on account of the prema ture death of his son caused by the latter. At which, Yama quailed with fear and having assumed a. body composed of the five elements, appeared before the disconsolate Bhrigu with 6 faces, 6 hands, blade, noose, pendants and the diamond- hiked armor of protection and surrounded by his enormous hosts. Then this All-devourer, in order to explain the real situa tion to the Muni, softly addressed him thus — "We who are only administering the laws of Eswara will not but extol you who have immeasurable and noble Tapas. Therefore it is not meet that you should spoil your all-full Tapas through your dire anger. Even the fire at the period of Pralaya, will not consume me, much less your words. Indeed many are the Rudras and the large lotus-eyed Vishnus that fell a prey to me, having been enmeshed in the snares of Sam- sara. There is none in this world of pains, who ever van quished me. All came under my jaws. It is the unaltera ble and eternal decree of Parameswara and not myself, that I should be the cause of the destruction of all created lives. This law ever endures. In the immaculate Jn^na introvision, all the differences of actor and enjoyer are lost, but in the Ajnana vision of people, these exist in concrete shapes. All creatures arising through the force of their Karma are born through Sankalpa and perish at the end of a Kalpa.