English
Sambara became greatly infuriated at these disastrous results and so created through his Mayavic power D'ama, Vyala and Kata. These had " Atlantean shoulders fit to bear the weight" of Mahameru on them. . They were not subject to the bond of Vasanas and were devoid of desires or egoism. They knew neither death nor life, neither pleasures nor pains, neither victory nor defeat, neither waging war nor retreating. They were therefore incapable of defeat and were able to put an end to their antagonists through the discharge of arrows. Fully convinced of their invulnerability, Sambara living in Patala, gathered together all his hosts living over hills, ocean and earth and sent them along to reinforce these three Mayavic personages. The countless hosts sent by Sambara sallied forth like so many hills walking on their legs or as if the ocean full of fishes overflowed the land or the Kalpacame to an end. Similarly did the Devas march out in great numbers. Both the armies came into direct rencontre like wind facing fire. Thus it seemed as though the next Kalpa was already come. Weapons breathing flames Came into contact with human bodies which at once dropped down dead and began to accumulate like a mountain. Even mountains be gan to be tossed to and fro in the scarlet ocean of blood ooz ing out of the lifeless bodies. The angry and deceptive Asuras approached close their enemy and drove them away. All the Devas fled the field with a despondent heart. But the three Mayavic personages mentioned above went in quest of them in all quarter:;. Not being able to trace them to their places of concealment, the victorious triumvirs returned from Devaloka to where their leader was. ii4 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. Meanwhile all the Deva hosts, ignorant what to do, re sorted for aid to Brahma seated on his lotus seat. Having, with true love, paid the homage of due respects to him, they related to him the atrocities committed by £ambara flaming like fire and their utter rout at the hands of the three persons created by the Asura. Thereupon Brahma meditated and pacifying them, gave vent to the following words — " After the lapse of a thousand years, Devendra will kill the Asuras in the war between himself and &ambara who is now over powering his enemies. Till then, we shall advise you thus. From to-day forward, you go to D'ama and others and ap prise them of your intention to war with them. Having made a pretence of fighting with them, withdraw when they make onslaughts on you. If you conduct yourselves thus, repeating it over and over (for 1,000 years), then the VAsana of Ahankara, will begin to reflect itself in the minds of the three Asuras like a shadow in a glass. Then if this idea of 11 1" gets firmly rooted in their minds, then they will be in bondage, like birds caught in a trap and can be easily dis posed of. It is desires that, like Yama (death), bring on manifold pains to persons in this world ; devoid of them, there is bliss unsullied with pains. All creatures in this world being bound by the cord of pains are greatly affiicted thereby. With tight bonds, pains are generat ed ; freed from them, pains also cease. It is only through desires that persons, whether they be stainless or omniscient or all-puissant, do get trammelled in this world. Even persons, who are in a high state, fall low through their desires, like a lion in a cage. Therefore do not be disheartened.1' With these words, Brahma instantaneously disappeared at the very spot where he was. The Devas having heard these words of Brahma, while in the full possessions of their five faculties of organs, departed for Devaloka and there caused large kettle-drums to be sounded for war so as to reverberate through earth and the rest of the whole universe*. Having heard these sounds, the Asuras rushed with great ire from Patdla to Devaloka and hurled at their enemies all kinds of destructive weapons- The latter, who were bent upon merely eking out the time according to Brahma's injunctions, made the pretence of THE STORY OF D'A'MA, VYA'LA AND KATA. 115 fighting and retreating again and again. Thus did a long period of time elapse, the war being waged in divers ways, when the insidious desire of " I" otole into the hearts of the three Asuras through such a process of warfare, and their minds got trammelled. Then fear was generated in their hearts and all kinds of delusions took firm hold of them. Being drowned in the pain-giving M£ya and emaciated through pains, they were at a loss what to do. Then in order to preserve their body from deterioration, they began to deliberate upon the many means of enjoying happiness through the illusory worldly things. Being ever engaged in this thought, their minds got enthralled and unsteady. On the battlefield, consternation and depression of mind arose in them and they were appalled at the idea of death- Hence they were greatly agitated in their hearts and looked about for a safe asylum. Being completely denuded of all powers, they were not able to face even an antagonist, should he face them. Were there no fuel, will Agni (fire) be able to consume anything and offer oblations to the Devas ? To cut the story short without many words, the three Asuras fled away panic-struck and died. Now R&ma, we have related the story of the Asuras, D'ama and others in order that you may attain Jnana thereby (through not falling into their wrong path). If the minds of persons should sportively associate themselves with Ajnana (or worldly things) without any impediment, then the pains of existence arising through such Ajn£na, will never affect them. Therefore you should not follow the path pur sued by the above three Asuras. Here Rdma questioned Vasishta thus. — " How did the three Asuras arise from Parabrahm" ? To which Vasishta replied thus — The fearful D'dma and others had their bodies as only the manifestations of the Supreme. Like D'ama and others who had their bodies as mere appearances, we who are here are no other than Chidakas itself. Therefore, thou redoubtable warrior, the conceptions of "I" or " thou" or D'ama and others are no other than untrue. The Brahmic light manifesting itself visibly as the All-pervading Atmic (Sakti) potency -became agi tated through the potent thought of the A sura, $ambara. It n6 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. then assumed the three forms of D'ama and others and be^an O its sportive pilgrimage in such forms. Therefore neither these persons having- the above attributes nor we are really existent anywhere (as such). That which really is, is Para- brahm which is the knower of all as the witness, the know ledge itself, the immaculate, the all and the quiescent without heterogeneity or dawning or setting. The Chit (Sakti) potency of that All-full Principle is this universe. All the heterogeneous visibles, perceived through the organs of sense, are only unreal ; but that which is real is the one Brahmic Principle. May you rest happy in it. THE STORY OF BHEEMA, BHA'SA AND D'RUL-HA. Summary. — Having given out in the previous story that the three Asuras were defeated through Ahankara, the author gives out this story to show that success will result in the case of non-Ahankara. Not even an iota of benefit will accrue to those who dote upon their sons, lands and other worldly possessions as their own. Pains will not in the least affect those men of large hearts who regard, as a mere paltry bauble, all the imperishable (objects of the) world, like a stag that does not care for pre cious objects but contents itself with mere hay. Those, who have cognized in their hearts Brahman full of all potencies, will ever be protected by the guardian angels of the eight quarters just as the vast universes are. Those only can truly be styled Men who are possessed of true love, bent upon a ceaseless enquiry and ever engaged with true efforts for the realization of "That" which enables one to discern Truth. The rest of mankind are brutes merely. Though sore pressed by dire afflictions, one should never perform actions which ought not to be done. In drink ing even nectar through ways forbidden, Rahu* had to suffer greatly from it. But in the case of the wise who have reached a high state through their good qualities, all things impossible before of subjugation are now encompassed by * Rjlhu, the serpent and one of the two nodes had to suffer in the churning of the ocean by having his head cut off.