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The ^eternal Vedas will arise suited to the intelligence of every age. They will be understood more and more with the increase of intelligence. So also are worldly actions marvellous. Though the several Pura'nas are read in different ways, yet they convey one significance only. Every Yuga, Jnana-Sastras will be embodied in the shape of the stainless Ramayana. Like Rishi Valmiki who recited the Ramayana now, there have been 12 Yalmikis who brought out the same before. Bharata, the second of the Itiha- sas, though composed by the nobleVyasa, is considered by some as a Khila (supplement to the Vedas). In this creation, Sri Rama incarnated for the eleventh time on this earth. He * Vinayaka is Ganesa the son of S'iva as is Subbrahmanya. Bringhi is a Rishi. These show that these names of Rishis are titular only. t Hiranyaksha is the Asura who stole the earth to Patala which was recovered by Vishnu in his Varaha (boar) Avatar. £ This refers to the burning of Tripura or the three worlds, golden, silver and iron governed by Taraka, Vidhyunmali and Kamalaksha. § This refers to Daksha's Yajna when his son-in-law (S'iva) wroth at the treatmentaccorded to his wife, sent Vivabadhta who decapitat ed Daksha and put a ram's head instead. || The fight between Arjuna and Siva as a hunter as recorded in the Mahabharata. 238 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. will incarnate again in the wealthy house of Vasudeva. All these illusions of the world will at one time manifest them selves and at another time not. All these illusory visibles will be latent in the one Jnana-Atma, like foams in an ocean and will again revive and again perish. All the eight quarters, mountains, the sun, the moon, the stars, the seat of Meru and others differ with every fresh creation. All these have fallen under my direct ken. Each of these four yugas have got their respective peculiarities of Dharmas (duties), &c." Here Vasishta interposed — ' How didst thou manage to get out of the clutches of Yama (Death), engaged as thou wert in worldly actions r' The Yogi said — " What good results will accrue to those who will not act up to the injunctions of the Great ones ? Though thou knowest this, I shall explain it to thee, inas much as thou hast asked of me. Yama will not in the least approach those whose minds have cast off the beads of the pearls of stains strung in the string of pains. Yama will not approach those minds without any chafings — which chafings are to the mind, like a sword to the tree of certitude or cor roding vermin to the body. Yama will not approach those wise persons who do not nourish in themselves the hissing serpent of desire which rests its head in the mind and twines itself round this tree of perishable body. Yama will not ap proach those Jnanis who are not bitten by the serpent of greed in the hole of their mind and emitting the venom of love and hatred. Yama will not approach those persons who have era dicated the root of anger in the ocean of the body without making the Vadava fire to spread itself without making the waters of discrimination to dry up. Yama will not ap proach those whose minds are not inflamed by Kama (passion) but are crushed like sesamum seeds in an oil-press. Yama will not approach those who attain quiescence in the imperishable and immaculate Nirvanic Seat without any pains through excessive meditation. It is the stains abovementioned that form the germs of existence. But they will not affect those great minds that have become non-dual and without any differences (of conception). Those pains which arise through mental disease and produce all illusions will not even go near that non-dual mind divest THE STORY OF BHUS'UNDA. 239 ed of all differences. They \vill not come in contact with that non-dual mind devoid of all differences, wherein the heart-Akasa isjnot obscured, and Raga and Dwesha (love and hatred) thoughts are destroyed. They will not in the least enter that non-dual mind which is free from bad thoughts, words, qualities or actions and whichever looks equally upon all." " The mind should be rendered fit for salvation to reach the seat of ' That' without delusion, vehicle or stains. It should be made to reach the seat of ' That' wherein the ghosts of the impure differentiations do not reside, having previously been stripped of fear, its long standing associate. When Atma is known through it, all pains will be annihilated ; and then there will be no compeer to it in all the realms. It is difficult of attainment (even) to those like myself. Such a subjuga tion of the mind will enable one to reach a goal far above all actions. How can such a seat be attained by an intelligence steeped in ignorance ?. Through the Madhyagata (neutral) Jnana which is tantamount to Jnana — vision and leads to the development of Jnana, I have developed one attribute which destroys all pleasures and pains and conduces to bliss. It is the control of Prana which paves the way for all the non- cognition of all the externals and is the cause of the arrest of death." Here Vasishta, though familiar with the control of Prana, asked him what he meant by it. To which the Yogi went on thus — "In the cool lotus of the heart within this visible tenement of flesh composed of the five elements, there are two Vayus, Prana and Apana commingled in it. Those, who tread smoothly and without any the slightest effort the path of these two Vayus, will become the sun and the moon themselves in the heart-Akasa and will rove in the Akasa and yet be animating and carrying their fleshy tabernacle. These Vayus will go up and down to higher and lower states. They are of the same nature in the waking, dreaming and dreamless sleeping states, and permeate all throughout. 1 am moving in the direction of these two Vayus and have rendered nilall my Vasanas (inthe waking state), like unto those of the dreamless sleeping state. Divide a filament of the lotus stalk into a thousand times and you will find these 240 YOGA-VA SISHTA. Vayus more subtle than that. Hence it is, it is difficult for me to treat about the nature of these Va"yus (and their vibrations). Of these, Prana does ceaselessly vibrate in this body with an upward motion both externally and internal ly ; while Apana, having the same fluctuating tendency, vibrates both external and internal to the body, having a downward motion. It will be beneficial if the Prana ex haled (to the extent of 16 digits) is inhaled to the same extent.* Those who have brought to experience this (viz., the equalisation of Prana in exhalation and inhalation) will enjoy infinite bliss." "Now hear about the characteristics of Pranas. The inhalation, to the length of 12 digits, of the Prana which has been exhaled is called (the internal) Puraka (inhalation.) It is also called the (internal) Puraka, when Apana Vayu re- enters the body from the outside without any effort. When Apana Vayu ceases to manifest itself and Prana gets absorbed in the heart, then the time occupied in such a state is (the in ternal) Kumbhaka (cessation of the breath). Oh Rama vers ed in all Vedas, Yogis are able to experience all these. When the Prana in the Akasa of the heart manifests itself externally (to the heart within) in diverse aspects with out any affliction to the mind, then it is called (the internal) Rechaka (exhalation). When the externally fluctuating Prana enters the nose and stops there at its tip, then it is called the external Puraka ; but if passing from the tip of the full-blown nose, it goes (down 12 digits, then it is also called the external Puraka. When Prana goes arrested without and Apana within, then it is called the external Kumbhaka. When the shining Apana- Vayu takes an upward bent within, then it is styled the external Rechaka. All these practices lead to Moksha. Therefore they should ever be meditated upon. Those who have understood and practised well all the exter nal and internal Kumbhakas and others will never after be re-born. All the 8 courses I have given out before are capable of yielding Moksha. They should be sought after by day and by night. Those who are associated with these practices smoothly and control their minds by not letting them run in * Only 12 digits are inhaled. THE STORY OF BHUS'UNDA. 241 other directions will, in course of time, reach Nirvana. Such practitioners will never thirst after material pleasures, like Brahmins who will not defile their hands by the touch of a dog's skin.