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* Thou shouldst be acquainted with his story also. Rama asked — Please throw light upon the path through which Kacha came into direct cognition of '.he JSupreme. Vasishta replied — Muni Kacha, the son of Brihaspati, who had known the substratum of all things through a know ledge of the higher seat, approached the Devaguru, his father for enlightenment upon the best means of divorcing the dire elephant of Prana from the Keddha of mundane exist ence. Devaguru said thus — "This large expanse of the ocean of births, wherein do live the countless hosts of crocodiles, fish es, &c., can be bridged over only by the incomparable power of all-renunciation, involving great troubles and responsibili ties." At these words of his father/Kacha abdicated all things and retiring into the forest, lived there 8 years, at the end of which period, he was visited by his father. Having accosted his father with due respects, he asked him the reason why in spite of the renunciation of all for about 8 years, his mental pains had not subsided- To which his father replied merely that he should give up everything and departed. After the departure of his father, he denied himself of even the barks of trees, cloths, &c., he had on. Thus was he stark naked, like a clear sky in the autumnal season, when the sun, moon, stars, &c., are clearly visible in the skies. Again did Kacha visit his father and having prostrated himself lovingly before him, laid before him in plaintive tones the fact of his * Brihaspati, Jupiter is the jfurn or priest of Devjis. THE STORY OF KACHA, 3!! inability to get quiescence of mind, albeit the complete renunciation of all things. Thus did he consult his father who gave him the following advice — "It is the opinion of the great that the mind is the all-in-all and that its mastery leads to the renunciation of all. Through such a mental abnegation it is, that thou wilt be able to free thyself from ail pains." So say ing, Brihaspati (Jupiter) vanished. Thereupon the resplendent Muni Kacha soliloquised to himself thus — "I have been inquiring as to what mind is and have not been able to come to any conclusion. If the body with its parts is different from the mind, then all our efforts to separate them both are useless ; for how can the separation take place between the mind and the body, while they are themselves different from one another?" All his doubts about mind not being resolved, he again applied to his father to aid him in the solution of his doubts. Brihaspati said thus — "The wise who have understood what mind is, say that it is no other than Ahankara (the idea of ' I'). The idea of 'I' existing within all creatures is the stainful mind." Kacha asked — 4< It is indeed difficult to avoid this idea of ' I'. How is this adamant to be splintered to pieces ?" Brihaspati replied — All excruciating pains do not really exist. It is very easy to remove this Ahankara. Within the time taken in the squeezing of a flower or the twinkling of an eye, this AhankSra can be easily eradicated. No long dissertation is necessary in this topic. One only Principle alone is, which is the non-dual, the endless, the supreme Jnana, the immaculate, and the Plenum purer than Aka.sa. Meditate upon It without fluctuation of mind and free thy self from all pain with true calmness of mind. Being quite unreal, Ahankara will perish (through efforts). How ran Ahankara grow in the atmosphere of the meditation of the eternal ? Can dust arise out of the waters, or waters, out of the fire? Contemplating upon the Eternal, mayest thou be free from the differentiated conceptions of * I,' ' he,' &c. Tatwa Jn&na is that non-dual one which is subtle, imma culate, the supreme self-light, and the all which is not sub ject to the forms generated by the quarters, time, &c., and ^12 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. is not obscured or sullied by pains, &c. Mayest thou be in this certitude of Atmic Reality." So gave out Brihaspati the highest of mysteries. May you be, Oh Rama, in that self-same desireless state in which Muni Kacha was, who having abandoned the idea of "I," "thou," &c., and destroyed all internal attractions, was full of Atmic meditation as a Jivanmukta without any Vikalpas in his mind. In Kaivallya (or emancipation), this Ahankara is nothing but unreal. Therefore do not set your heart upon giving or taking it up. Whoever will ever dream of taking hold of or letting go the horns of a hare which are nothing but unreal. Here Rama asked — How in the Plenum of Brahma-Jna*na did there arise an element foreign to it ? Vasishta replied — The laying hold of heterogeneous ideas which are unreal tends to the paltry re-births ; but the merging of the ideation into the one Reality without any doubts is the emanci pation from re-births. THE STORY OF MITHYA'-PURUSHA — THE ILLUSORY PERSONAGE. Summary — This Ahankara is concreted in the shape of a MithyA-Purusha and illustrated. May you attain Atma-Jnana and enjoy supreme bliss after giving up all conceptions of diversities. Do not afflict thy self, oh Rama, like the Mithya-Purusha. So said Yasishta, when RAghava asked him thus — How did Mithya-Purusha rove about with an afflicted heart and without the least bene fit to himself? Please explain it to me lucidly ; however sur feited it may be, with the ambrosial Jnana. Yasishta continued — This story will be provocative of great laughter and marvellous in its incidents. In a certain retired nook of Chidakas where there is not the universe, a certain male personage arose. He was accoutred in full with the panoply of Maya and replete with Ajniina. He was base in his tendencies, puerile and of dull head with the lowest intelli gence. He arose like rolls of hair appearing in the Akasa or water in a mirage. He was nothing1 but a void out of a void. THE STORY OF KACHA, 313 He went by the name of Mithyd-Purusha. Unobservant of his own growth and the Chit (Consciousness) that manifests itself as if distinct from the universe, he contracted the Sankal- pa (or thought) of creating the highest Akasa without any impediments and did create one. Then in order to set a limit to it, he constructed (an enclosed) abode. With the idea that the Akasa was pent up and protected by him in that habitation, his desires were bound by that Akasa as identical with it. In course of time, it began to grow dilapidated and at last gave way, like a hill worn away by (Manwantaric) gusts of wind or like rain ceasing with the close of the rainy season. Then this Mithya-Purusha bewailed the disappear ance of the Akasa in the following manner, — " Oh Akasa, in an instant hast thou vanished with the disap pearance of my house. Where hast thou gone to ?" " Hav ing finished his lamentations over this house Akasa, he created a fresh well and entering into it without any disturbance from without, became fondly attached to the Akasa therein. Being disappointed as ever in this second effort of his, when the well became quite useless with time and was gradually filled up, he again was afflicted in mind and cried aloud. Then again to preserve the Akasa, he created a fresh pot ; and enamoured with its beautiful struc ture, he gladly entered it and was chained in it with affection. Time, oh sable coloured Rdma, set again its Rudraic hands on this vessel and disposed of it. Finding that all the things, he created with great belief in their permanency, became the victims of time, he dug a pit in the ground and becoming greatly attached to the Akasa therein, lived in it, as if per manent. Even this was done away by the elephant of time, like light dispelling darkness. Crying over its loss as usual, he built again a circular abode with the four quarters in it and dwelt in it with great joy. When the time of destruc tion arrived for doing away with this house and all the other mundane eggs, he drooped like a dry leaf in a whirlpool of wind. The usual cries being over, he created a grange for the Akasa, which having served him for a time succum bed to time. Thus did he grieve for a long period over the loss of these many creations of his, mz.^ house-Akasa, well- Akasa, &c. Now this personage was no other than an 40 ; 314 YOGA-VA'SISHTA, ignoramus in that he enclosed the Akasa within an earthly tenement and having identified himself with the house, &c., fancied he worked and lived and died with it. Rama asked — What do you drive at, in this story ? What do you mean by enclosing the Akasa?