English
" " Having a firm grip of your Reality, the self-shining Atma, may you look upon this universe as your all-full form. Only when Jnana dawns thus in your heart as non-dual, without any heterogeneities — only then can you free yourself from re-births and become Parameswara (the supreme lord) himself. Know also the fact that I am also working my way up to merge into this Jnana which Brahma, Vishnu, the victorious Rudra and others with their five* Krithyas (actions) attain, after merging into the one Tatvva. What ever appearances take place at stated times and whatever truths are said to occur therein, — all these are no other than the sweet sport of Jnana. Those wrho are of a stainless mind and have conquered time (death), having the attribute of Chinmatra, will have none to compare with them in the alt- full bliss they enjoy." " Know that this universe neither exists nor non-exists ; is neither of the nature of Atma nor non-Atma. When the Reality is reached, Maya existing from the archaic period will perish. But Moksha has neither space nor time in itself; nor is there (in it) any state, external (or internal). If the illu sory idea of ' I' or Ahankara perishes, then the end of Bhavana (thoughts) which is Maya is Moksha. He alone will earn Salvation who does not undergo the diverse pains arising from the study of Sastras which do entail ever-fluctuating pleasures in trying to understand their meaning. Such a person will ever be in his indestructible and equal Atma and enjoy bliss. He alone will shine as an emperor over all the world, who is indifferent as to what he wears or eats or where he sleeps. Like a lion escaping from its iron cage, free thyself from the castes, orders of life and the Dharmas of the world, and having lightened thyself of the load of worldly concerns, reach that state which is indestructible and free thyself from re-births, with an incomparable quies- * The five Krithyas are creation, preservation, destruction, dis appearance and grace. 3 26 YOGA-VA'SISHTA, ccnce of mind, like a clear sky. Then thou wilt be like a deep and crystal water in a mountain ravine. Then thou wilt enjoy within thyself the essence of Brahmic bliss without any the least disturbance of the equilibrium of thy mind." " Such a person will be indifferent to all fruits of actions. He will be all-full without any deterioration. He will be proof against the attacks of the Vikalpas of actions, virtuous and sinful. His mind will not cling to any. Like a crystal which, though reflecting the five colors, is yet not discolored by it, so though in his mind are reflected the fruits of actions, yet it will not be tinged with them. In common with other men, he will be worshipping with true devotion ; and though his body is cut asunder through malice, he will be unaffected by pleasures or pains, they being merely like reflections in his mind. Though engaged in worldly actions such as eulogies (to God) and the celestial sacrifices, whether worshipped by others or not, he will ever be conforming to the dictates of the Vedas and be utterly disconnected in mind with worldly concerns. He will neither be the object of fear to those with whom he comes in contact nor will be terrified by any in the world, Such a full-minded person will rest in the Supreme Seat, whether he associates or not with desires, anger, fear and contentment, whether he refrains from being in the state menrioned before or is in a childlike state or whether he dies in Benares or in a Chandala's (the lowest casteman's) house." " Persons should worship this lofty soul, seeing that with the reaching of the Absolute Consciousness in Moksha, he has destroyed his mind and that inasmuch as bondage is caused by the gloom of Ajnana, he has destroyed this gloom. There fore it is the duty of those who wish to destroy re-births, to venerate such an exalted personage by ever praising, salu ting, worshipping, glorifying and visiting him with entrea ties. Not even Yajnas or ablutions, Tapas or gifts will confer, on one, the same effects as those derivable from the services rendered with true love to those who have glorified themselves in a state of never-fluctuating Jndna, free from Samsaric-existence. " Having thus taught him with true love, Lord Bra/hma now passing under the pseudonym of Manu, departed to his THE STORY OF A MUNI AND A HUNTER. 327 effulgent mansion in Satyaloka. Oh Rama, with feet tinkling with bells, thus did the famous King Ikshwaku cling fast to this kind of vision and rest in the certitude of Atma." So said Vasishta. THE STORY OF A MUNI AND A HUNTER. Summary. — This story is meant to illustrate the Turya enjoyment. On being questioned by Rama as to what the wondrous traits are in those Jivanmuktas who have worshipped the eternal Brahman through their great wisdom (but without the psychical powers of Anima, &c.) Vasishta said thus — The in comparable intelligence of a Jna"ni will ever find wonders (or delight) in the non-dual Atma. With stainlessr.ess, fullness and quiescence, the Jivanmukta will be in Atma only. What wonder is there in walking in the skies and other psy chical powers developed out of Mantras, Tapas and other means? Anima and other powers accrue only to those persons who expand their minds gradually in this world with intense efforts. But Atma-Jnanis long not for these Siddhis. There is one thing peculiar to them. They have not the minds of the base. Their minds are immaculate, being free from desires. Without the characteristics of caste and orders of life and through the freedom from the trammels of the delusion of the longstanding births and deaths, they will be the enjoyers of partless bliss. Besides, desires, anger, pains, greed, accidents, &c., full of Vasanas, will daily dwindle into nothing. Vasishta continued again : — Like a Brahmin who after giving up his noble status, degrades himself into a Sudra, Es'a (the Lord) degrades himself into a Jiva. The myriads of Jivas will, at every creation, shine beyond number. Through the flutter of that causal ideation, the Jivic Eswaras will be generated in every stage (of evolution). But the cause is not here (in this world). The Jivas that arise from Eswara and flourish thereby, subject themselves to repeated re births through the Karmas perfomed by them. This, Rama, is the relationship of cause and effect, (though there is no cause for the rise of Jivas), yet existence and Karmas, are reciprocally the cause of one another. All 328 YOGA-V.VSISHTA. the Jivas arise, without cause, out of the BVahmic Seat ; yet, after their rise, their Karmas are the cause of their pleasures and pains. And Sankalpa arising from the delusion of the ignorance of Atm;i is the cause of all Karmas. As thus the cause of bondage is Sankalpa, you should root it away from you as completely as possible. The des truction of this primeval (cause) Sankalpa is itself Moksha. This destruction of Sankalpa should be intelligently prac tised. Where there exists the conception of the objects anil the enjoyer of the samer thou shouldst, my son, gradually and at all times destroy this Sankalpa without losing* sight of the same. Do not become of the form of objects or the knower, enjoying tlie same. Having destroyed all the slight ed Sankalpas, mayest thou become That which remains. When the five organs get into objects (along with the mind), the desires engendered therein do constitute bondage ; but the non-attraction towards them is Moksha. If thou art even in the least tinged with the desires of objects, then it will involve thee in the meshes of existence. Oh beautiful Rama, if thou are not pleased with obj-ects, then thou wirt be free from existence. Do not in the least bestow any de sires upon the hosts of objects, movable and fixed, from straw up to gold. Where there is no desire, what is there to feed upon or to perform or abandon ?' Thou art neither the agent nor the enjoyer. Thou art alone the quiescent personage with thy mind extinct. Again, the wise will never grieve for things past, or about things of the future ; but they will perform their present Karmas duly, and be a master of them. Pride, illusion and desires ar2 so many binding- cords of the mind. Through the discriminative mind, the lower mind is power fully mastered by the wise. Having developed much dis crimination, may you destroy the delusions of the heteroge neous mind through the one pointed Manas (mind), like an iron severing another iron.