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Akasa and other kindred ones arise in vain through Sankalpa merely. Therefore, oh Rama, you should, in your waking state, observe as in a dream this world. Strictly speaking, this world cannot be said to arise or perish at any time or place. From the standpoint of the one Real Jnana, all else are but illusory. 1 28 YOGA- VA'SISHTA . Being firmly convinced that this load of Samsara which is but the hole wherein crawl the great serpents of desires, is wholly unreal, may you, oh Rama, sever quite the bonds of Samsara and live immutably in the immeasurable Seat of Brahman. What does it matter to you whether the Gan- dharva city (of this world) which seems beautiful to behold, does exist or is destroyed ? Will it be for your good or evil ? What boots it to you, whether (your) wife, issues, &c., who but forge the bonds of Maya, prosper or not in this world ? The increase of longing for wife and wealth does but enchain you ; but if it is curtailed, who else than such a one will be able to reap the harvest of such a subjugation ? The very enjoyments which are the means of fanning the desires in an Ajmini and making him reel under them, thereby suffering from dire pains, serve a powerful Jnani to make his mind desireless and unobscured when he contemplates upon their sufferings. Through this beneficial course, when you are amidst the karmas ot Samsaric bond, you should perform them, enjoying things that you come by and not repining for things that do not fall to your lot, and thus reach the Jivan Mukti state. Not having an object at present, they will never think of enjoying it in the future ; nor will they disregard as stainful an object at present obtained. Oh lotus-eyed one, this is the true nature of full Jnanis. The bond of Maya will never affect those omniscient adepts who have eras5d off their minds all Vasanas, being convinced of the visibles as illusory. Having planted firmly your intelligence in the immaculate Seat of Brahman which is the neutral state between Sat and Asat, do not let it, oh Rama, be attracted or expelled by the universes, both exter nal and internal to the body. Being without love or hatred in all actions, Atma-Jnanis will never let their minds be affected by such actions, like water on a lotus leaf. If your mind, oh Rama, will but firmly abandon all the so-called pleasures arising from the sensual objects, you will then be a knower of Atma-Jnana, cross the Samsaric oceans and liberate your self from re-births. If you long for the Supreme Brahmic Seat, you should through the true Atma-Jnana destroy the mind of Vasanas like a flower losing its Vasanas (or odor). The enjoyment THE STORY OF DHA's'OORA. 129 without fear of (Brahmic) bliss constitutes the vessel which enables safe landing to those who are drowned in the Samsa- ric ocean full of the waters fluctuating with the base Vasanas. Those in whom Atma-Jnana has dawned directly will follow the worldly avocations and yet not be tainted by them. They will not refrain from the worldly actions and will not long even for the flower garden in Swarga. They will not feel pain even in deserted or desolate places. Like the sun, they will ever tirelessly perform their appointed duties and will- never derogate from the ordained Law. The supremely wise will never flinch doing all their duties. Therefore, oh Rama, you should conduct yourself thus." Thus said Muni Vasishta. Valmiki said — " Here me attentively, oh Baradwaja. At this description of Brahmic Seat by Muni Vasishta, Sri Rama became stainless with his mind annihilated ; his heart ivas rendered cool with the ambrosia of the incompara ble Tatwa-Jnana and was Plenum itself like the wax ing full moon." Then Vasishta again continued — ' At one period, all the universes Siva creates ; at another period, Brahma; at another period, Vishnu; then Munis, and so on. Sometimes Brahma is born in a lotus ; sometimes in water ; sometimes in the mundane egg; sometimes in Akasa. In one creation, the powerful trees will alone exist in this universe ; in another, man alone ; in another, the several mountains; in another, the earth alone ; in another, stones alone ; and in another, flesh alone, and in another creation, gold alone. Thus will it be in diverse ways. During the several crea tions, the foremost is sometimes the Akasa, sometimeg Vayu, sometimes Agni, sometimes Ap and sometimes Pri- thivi. Herein I have but briefly described to you the creation of one Brahma. The order of evolution will not be the same in all yugas but will vary with different yugas. Krita* and other yugas will again and again recur. There is no object in this world which does not again and again cycle round many times. Therefore in order to understand truly the great Maya of intense gloom in its glowing colors, you wilt have to hear, oh Rama, the story of Bhasoora well versed in the rare Vedas. In the country of Magadha where the gentle zephyrs- * Krita and other yugas — the four ytig-as. '7 I^O YOGA-VA SISHTA. breathed their cool fragrance in the flower garden?, the loveliest of all spots on earth, there lived a noble Muni by the name of Dhasoora on a pleasant mountain abound ing with plantain trees emitting camphor odor, Kadamba and Areca trees. This Muni was the son of Saraloma who was like the son of Brahma, being in the possession of Tapas fitting one for Moksha. He was like Kacha, the son of the Lord Brihaspati (Jupiter) in Devaloka ; among the mortals he was the supreme of men ; and in Tapas was unrivalled. After Saraloma had passed many yuj?as in the forest on these mountains along with his son, he extricated himself from his body, like a bird out of its cage and assumed Deva (celestial) form. Being left alone in the forest, Dhitsoora the son wept bitterly over his dear father's death like a nightingale parted from its mate and forgot to perform, with the purificatory water, all those obsequies that are ordained in the case of pure Brahmins. Whilst he was thus of a dejected heart at the separation of his parent, the sylvan Devata (goddess) commissera- ting greatly his pitiable condition and without making herself visible to him, addressed him (as a voice in the silence) thus—' Oh thou son of a great Muni, being thy self a Muni of an illuminated mind, do not despond through thy pains like the ignorant. How is it thou hast not, ere now, been impressed with the unreality of this ephemeral Samsara ? With birth, death is inevitable. Are there per sons in this world who are so insane as to maintain that the sun which rises in the East does not set in the West ? Do not play the woman and afflict thyself with grief.' So said the sylvan goddess unobserved by him. Having heard these words, the Muni shook off his sorrow and performed all ceremonies in water according to the Vedic injunctions and then longed for the Tapas leading to Moksha. Therefore he began to indulge in a love for the performance of religious ceremonies according to the mandates of the Veda to which he belonged. Being without full Jnana, he was not satisfied with the purity of the many spots of the earth he came across and so contemplated in his mind upon performing Tapas, like birds upon the top of a tree, as if such Tapas alone could conduce to real purity. THE STORY OF DHA's'OORA. 13! For this purpose, he reared a large fire, invoked the Deva hosts and so performed a Yajna by cutting into parts his body and offering them to the fire. Thereupon the resplend ent God, Agni finding that the flesh of the learned Brahmin, such as the throat, shoulders, &c.t was being offered through itself to the Devas and wishing to know its reason, appeared before the Brahmin and questioned him thus — " What is thy intention ?" To which the Muni with folded hands eulogised him and said thus — " As I am not able to find any pure place on this earth, please favor me with a seat in a tendril on the top of a tree." At which the God Agni granted the boon and dis appeared like the waves of an ocean- There was a Kadamba tree in the forest which reared its head high aloft in the Akasa, outstripping the sphere of clouds even. It was on a tendril on the top of this tree that Muni Dhasoora seated himself and performed a rare Tapas without any the least doubt of mind. Surveying first all the quarters in an instant, after seating himself in Padma posture, he controlled his mind from them even.