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so the Chit-Sakti arising out of Brahman, the Atmic Be-ness, shines as this universe. It is only through a slight motion in the immaculate Jnana-ocean, all the hosts of Jivas and Eswa- ra shine. Having cognized without doubt through your divine vision that the one Brahman alone is partless, may you drown yourself in the Jnana-ocean. Through a slight motion in the one Jnana, the Jnana- Sakti in it becomes transformed in a moment into various Saktis of many powers when they are associated with the three (Saktis) potencies of Space, Time and Karmas. Though resting in its eternal seat of Brahmic Reality, this Jnana- Sakti will contemplate upon itself as conditioned. While contemplating upon itself thus, there will come upon it, in its train of ideas, the conception of the limitation of names and forms. Associated as it then is with excessive Vikalpas, it is bound by the conceptions of space, time and actions. It is at this stage that the Jnana Reality passes under the appellation of Jiva. This Jiva generating manifold pains be comes tinged with Ahankara This never-bending Ahankara manifests itself as the stainful Buddhi leading to certain knowledge. Then this Buddhi suffused with illusions becomes the Manas of thought. This Manas of great fancies becomes gradually the Indryas (or organs). It is these ten Indriyasof hand, &c , that are termed this body of flesh. Thus it is that the Jiva through its association (with the universe), gradually de bases itself, being bound by the cord of Sankalpas and enmesh ed in the snare of pains. Thus is the mind, which was original ly the one reality itself, bound by desires through its Ahan kara like worms caught in their own chrysalides. Through the THE STORY OF DHA's'oOKA. 125 Tanmatras (rudimentary properties) produced by itself, it is bound by the snare of its own internal (mental) actions and will ever be afflicted at heart like an undaunted male lion in a forest bound in fetters. Thus has the one principle been dubbed by the great ones with different appellations of Manas, Buddhi, Jnana, Karmas, Ahankara, Yatana (suffering) bodies, Prakriti, Maya, the base Mala (impurity), Karma, Bondage, Chitta, Avidya, desires and others. Hence all these diverse things of the world which have appeared as many in different places through the bondage of our desires, do not confer even the least iota of benefit to the (real) mind in the heart. All these things are like a huge banyan tree with its long branches, &c., latent in a banyan seed. The mind will ever be tossed in the ocean of desires, being scorched by the fire of pains and devoured by the boa- constrictor of anger. Losing all equilibrium through its in tense sufferings, it becomes quite oblivious of its own reality. It is this mind you should try to lift out of Maya, like an ele phant sunk in mire. Oh Rama, the very incarnation of Grace, those are Rakshasas in the guise of men who do not relieve their minds reeling under the fiery poison of the terrible births and deaths as well as in the presence of their two enemies good and evil. Thus have the Jivas, which are nothing but a disport of Chit, arisen through Bhavanas (thoughts) as separate enti ties out of the one Brahman, as countless as drops of water trickling down from the Meru heights. Some of them have subjected themsslves to one, two or three births. Some of them have undergone more than a hundred births. Some have attained births beyond number of Kinnaras,* Gandhar- vas, Vidyadharas or the hosts of Uragas. Some are born as the sun or the moon or Varuna : some as Brahma, Vishnu or Siva ; some as Brahmins or kings or Vysias or the ser viceable Sudras ; some as beasts, birds or reptiles ; some as tendrils, unripe fruits, fruits, roots or straw. Some monads are born as the mountains, Mahendra, Sahya, Meru or * Kinnaras — Elementals of Buvarloka or intermediate space having the body of a human being and the head of a horse. Gandharvas — Ele mentals of the same regions which are musicians, and hence preside over sounds. Uragas— Serpent Elementals. Vidyadharas are elemen- tuls of another order. 126 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. Mandara ; some as the trees, Kadamba, Lime, Palmyra, &c. ; some as the grand septenary seas of salt, curd, ghee, milk, sugar-cane-juice, honey or pure water* ; some as the different quarters or rivers and other objects, high or low. Like a ball tossed to and fro by the hand, these Monads are played about by time, enter various bodies and attain dis crimination through repeated fluctuations ; but the ignorant subject themselves to the ever-recurrent cycle of re-births. It is only through the illusory Maya which is in the one Rea lity of Brahman like the waves of an ocean that the whole universe expands itself, being created and preserved through this Ajnana. After the all-illuminated Vasishta had concluded thus, Sri Rama questioned him as to how this Jiva though associ ated with Manas is yet able to secure the name of Brahman. To which Vasishta replied thus — " Having heard my reply to this question of yours, you will be able to also know the means by which all the worlds came into existence. May you be blessed with discrimination on hearing from me all these The imperishable Atma through the force ot quarters, time, &c., assumes to itself bodies made up of the above quar ters, &c , through its Chichakti (Chit-Sakti) in order to disport itself therein. Then at once through dint of the Vasa- nas synonymous with this Jivatma, the stainful fluctuating mind is generated. Then this potency of mind which was in a neutral state with Karmas and non-Karmas commingled, now becomes active ; and the moment it becomes at first imbued with the Bhavana of the Tanmatra of Akasa, viz., the subtle sound, it immediately through such fluctuating power becomes dullened with the nature of Akasa. Then imbued with the Bhavana of the Tanmatra of Vayu, vis.j the subtle touch, it through the fluctuating power of Vayu becomes of the nature of Vayu. Though commingled with Akasa and Vayu, it pursues the same process lower down and imbued with the Bhavanas of the Tanmatras, form, taste and smell, it becomes of the nature of Agni, (fire), Ap (water) and Pri- thivi (earch), respectively. Thus does this Atma appear as of the nature of this all-pervading universe, being envelop- * This refers to the 7 seas by which the seven Dwipas are stir rounded. THE STORY OF DHA'S'OORA. 127 ed with the ideations of the five Elements and live Tanmatras. It alone manifests this body (of ours) in the Akasa like a flitting tire-spark. It shines in the heart lotus of all, mani festing itself as this eight-fold body composed of the five Tanmatras with Ahankdra and Buddhi (and Manas making it eight). Through excessive Vasanas is it, that this body is generated through thought. Chitta having become con crete, it engenders the gross body like a Bilva (Bel) fruit. Then with the radiance of a spermatoza darting into womb, it shines with a form by its own power with a head above, feet below, hands at its sides and a belly in the middle. Through the potency of the primeval time, an externally visible form arises gifted with intelligence, cleverness, power, nobleness, true Jnana and wealth. Such a one of form is the illuminated Brahma called Viswa. This Brahma first beheld his own person which was very lovely and transcendent. Endowed, as he was, with the imperishable good gunas and able to dive into the three periods of time, he looked into the Param-Akasa which is non-dual, illimitable and of the nature of Jnana to see what existed before. Then he of stainless full Jndna-Vision saw the rise (and tall) of myriads of previous evolutions, of which he himself was the author. Therefore knowing all (the previous) Varnas (castes), race, Dharmas, &c., he again created them anew as if in sport. In the same manner, did he also bring into existence innumera ble Veda Sastras to enable all Jivas to attain salvation — Jivas who arose through Sankalpa like an ephemeral Gandharva city. Through this Brahmic mind, all the creations of the five subtle elements blossomed out into physical ones, like buds blooming in spring. All the heterogeneous Devas and men fell into cycle of births through their own Sankalpas. If persons in this world should know thus their origin and then annihilate their Sankalpa, then they will not be subject to the trammels of birth, like a lamp without the ghee (or oil).