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In this beautiful one are to be found the sacred marks of lotus, dis cus and conch. f It may be said to be in the Sushupti state. All the universes awe no other than Jnana itself, like parts of a rock which are no other than the rock itself. The wise say It will ever be as It was before. Though, like the granite rock, there are absorbed in the heart heterogeneous univer ses with their various marks, yet Chit is non-d '.al without any differences. Like the analogy of a forest of lotuses ap pearing (at a distance) like one stone, all the universes with out being differentiated in Jnana are one replete Chit. Have you ever seen lotuses and the like hatched or generat ed out of a big rock ? Similarly are the three worlds, (not born * A kind of sacred stone said to be typical of Vishnu and found |in the river Gandaki. t The symbols of Vishnu. 256 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. out of and absorbed into Jnana) but the light of Jnana only. As in fhe afore-mentioned illustration of the marrow of the Bilwa fruit, the many mundane eggs that have differentiat ed merge into the one Chit. But you should not conclude therefrom that it is many. The Sat-aspect of Brahman mani fests itself as this grand motley universe of forms which are like lotuses in a granite Then they will reach the seat of Atma conquered through Sushupti, quiescence and equality of mind and Jnana. All these ephemeral creations are of no avail and will not ever be composed of these diverse forms. THE STORY OF ARJUNA. Summary. — Even wars, &c., will not create differentiations in the mind, if it longs not for the results of actions. At these words of Vasishta, Rama said thus — I have known all that should be known. I have seen all that should be seen. And yet I have to put another question to you in order that bliss may be enjoyed in full. Please describe the form of this Puriashtaka body which, like an image in a glass, creates this universe many times over and over again. To which Vasishta replied — Brahman which is without beginning or end and which is the seed of the universe, becom ing differentiated, is Jiva ; subjecting itself to the idea of separateness, it becomes Ahankara ; with Manana (contem plation), it becomes Manas ; with the certainty of intelli gence, it becomes Buddhi ; then the (five) .objects (sound, &c.), through Indryas (the organs). With the thought of the body, it becomes the body itself; with the'thought of a vessel it becomes the vessel itself. A form (or subtle body), having such a nature, is called by the wise Puriashtaka body (com posed of the eight Manas, Ahankara, Buddhi and the five objects of sense, sound, &c). The speedy transformation of the pure knower, or actor, or enjoyer and witness into the Jiva consciousness is called Puriashtaka body. Through the newly engendered Puriashtaka body, dreams upon dreams will pile up and this universe will appear (real) with the many creations of illusion. Now therefore hearken to the path pointed out by Lord Krishna who strode the earth. Just as Vijaya (Arjuna) will THE STORY OF ARJUNA. 257 pass his time fearlessly, so also, Oh Rama, shalt thou pass thy time. There Rama queried — When will Arjuna (Vijaya) be born ? And what will Sree Krishna, the Lord of Lakshmi initiate him into ? Then Vasishta related the path pointed out by Sree Krishna to Vijaya in the following manner :— Yama (death) will, at the end of every four Yugas, brood over the carnage of Jivas (egos) perpetrated by him during the Yugas and therefore will perform Tapas, At one period, he will sit at it for eight years ; at another, for ten years ; at another, for twelve years. Sometimes he will sit for five years ; again for seven years ; again for sixteen years, and so on. While Yama thus performs Tapas without slaying any Jiva, the Jivas will become so great in number that the earth will be thickset with them. It is at this juucture that the Lord has been relieving the earth of its burden through proper means from the very commencement. Then will the four Yugas, the countless Jivas, the universes and all else will perish. In conformity to this universal law, Yama, the son* of the sun will retire into solitude for the performance of Tapas for twelve years, satiated with the carnage of Jivas, in order to attain a state free from the trammels of pains. Then the goddess of earth unable to bear the load of the multitudinous hosts of non-deceased Jivas will fly for asylum to Vishnu. Vishnu, exhorting her to return with the promise that he would incarnate on earth in two forms, one as the son of Vasudeva and another as the son of Pandu will fulfil his promise by passing under the two names of Vasudeva (Krishna) and Vijaya (Arjuna). Then the victorious sons of Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana and others along with their kith and kin willf wage an unjust war with Arjuna and his hosts. In the battlefield, melting with compassion at the prospect of the death of his innumerable kinsmen, Arjuna will relax his hold over his bow and faint. On account of which, Krishna will initiate him into Jnana. Now mark well the truths which Krishna, the Sariri (the spirit within the body) will impart to Vijaya, the Sarira (the body). * The present sun of ours is called Vivaswan, the father of the pre- sent Manu. f This shows that the incidents herein were before the Bhurata war. 33 258 \OGA- VA'SISIITA. They are thus — "Now Arjuna, cognize, without any fluctuation of mind, the Atmic Reality which cannot be known through the mind and which is without beginning or end. It will be without stains. You will, thereafter, not be born or die in this fleshly tabernacle. You will be Sat only. There will be no birth or death then ; no form then to differentiate with the terms, "I," " thou," etc.; no ego to reincarnate then. Though in the body of this eternal and ancient Principle, you will never be destroyed. Without omitting to perform your actions, do them without the least longing after their fruits. If you tread the in destructible path of Brahmarpana (relegating all things to Brahman), you will, in an instant, be of the nature of Brahman. Ascribing all things to the Lord, may you be come of the form of Eswara himself ; and having become the Lord of all Jivas under bondage, may you reach Moksha without the hold of Sankalpas and with equal vision over all, of quiescent mind and with Tapas, Sannyasa (renunciation) stainless Yoga and Jnana." Arjuna asked : — "Oh red-eyed one, what dost thou mean by the destruction of Sanga (association or attraction), the relegating of all things to Brahman or Eswara, Sannyasa and the undifferentiated Jnana and Yoga ? Krishna replied : — " The wise say that the Brahmic Princi ple is "that" which is devoid of Sankalpas, pains or thoughts. The efforts at attaining the non-dual Brahman is Jnana. Such efforts are also termed Yoga by the wise. The cognition, after true discrimination of the identity of the universe and " I" with Brahman is Brahmarpana. The renunciation of the fruits of Karmas (actions) is Sannyasa. The destruction of the painful Sankalpa of the mind is the destruction of Sanga in the eyes of the great. The giving up of the conception of duality through the idea that there is one only Eswara in all our thoughts is Eswar£rpana (or Brahmarpana). If after contemplating upon and worship ping me you attain unto me with due prostrations and eulogies, then the true Reality of " I" will shine within you with its full light. " I have two forms (or aspects), one the ordinary or the lower and the other the Supreme. The ordinary is where I THE STORY OF ARJUNA. 259 am represented with a body having hands with discus, conch, etc. In the other, I am Brahmic Reality of a non-dual and an imperishable nature without any beginning or end. All that are stated in this world to be Brahman, Param, &c., are no other than the latter. This is the supreme aspect of mine. So long as your mind is weak enough not to grasp this aspect of mine, you better engage yourself in the worship of a god with four hands. Through such a worship, your Jnana will become full in you and you will then attain my supreme form. Then the disease of existence will not afflict you. Being freed from (Abhimana) identifi cation of self with objects, Ajnana and all other attractions, those Jnanis will ever continue in the path of Brahmic seat, who worship my supreme reality, indifferent to plea sures and pains and devoid of all desires.