YOGA-VASISTHA, THE STORY OF KING ARISHTANEMI

The Yoga-Vasistha,  according to Swami Sivananda, first sets out the doctrinaire in all of its aspects before utilising engrossing tales and fables to make it abundantly evident. 

a. The lines of doctrinaire highlights on the universe are a manifestation of thought and mind that itself is transitory and ephemeral. It is only an idea and a conception of the mind. Yoga-Vasistha: “Water in the mirage does not come into being and go out of existence; even so, this world neither comes out of the absolute nor does it go anywhere. The creation of the world has no cause, and therefore it has no beginning. It does not exist even now; how can it reach destruction?”

b. Space and Time are not absolute. 

Space and time do not have any absolute meaning, being relative to the standpoints of observing centres or perceptual contents. Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda in his commentary on Yoga-Vasistha says that "space is the relation of the coexistence of ideas, and time is the relation of the succession of ideas."The spatiality, temporality, regularity, and objectivity of the world are as real as those observed in the world of dreams. As the dream-world vanishes in waking, the waking world vanishes in the experience of the Absolute. Goddess Saraswati explains, “Just as the world and its creation are mere appearances, a moment and an epoch are also imaginary, not real. Even as in a dream, there is birth, death, and relationship all happening in a very short time, and even as a lover feels that a single night without his beloved is an epoch, the jiva (soul) thinks experienced and non-experienced objects in the twinkling of an eye.”

c. Innumerable universes. 

Sage Vasistha tells the uncanny truth while explaining the variety of existence. He says, “Rāghava (Sri Rāma), just as in this universe there are countless beings of various species, in other universes, too, there are similar beings, with different bodies suited to those universes.” The relativity of the cosmos, according to Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda in his commentary on Yoga-Vasistha, implies the existence of worlds within worlds and worlds interpenetrating one another without one being aware of the existence of others. Everyone is locked up within the processes of his own mind, and hence, worlds that exist outside the purview of a particular set of thought processes cannot be known to exist. The number of worlds, therefore, cannot have any limit. It is infinity moving within infinity. But the worlds, though they are all made up of the same stuff as the mind—individual or cosmic—differ in their makeup and contents. Some of them may be almost similar in nature, but mostly they differ completely and may be inhabited by different kinds of individuals who cannot be even adequately imagined by our present state of mind. The evolution of the world goes on due to the impetus it has received from the mind of Brahmā, and the process of creation continues even in individuals, though in a misplaced and distorted manner, quite at a tangent from the original Will of the Creator.

d. No divine dispensation or fate.

Sage Vasistha explains that there is nothing called fate. Escapists escape through the route of fate. He says, “Fate is merely a convention that has come to be regarded as truth by being repeatedly declared to be true. If God or fate is truly the ordainer of everything in the world, of what meaning is any action? In this world, except for a corpse, everything is active, and such activity yields its appropriate result.” He goes on to declare the fatalist brainless. “The one who says fate is directing me to do this is brainless, and the goddess of fortune abandons him.”

e. The mind is a great mystery. 

Sage Vasistha says, “The mind has no self, nobody, no support, and no form; yet by this mind, everything is consumed in this world. This is indeed a great mystery. To say that one can be hurt by a mind that is inert, dumb, and blind is like saying that one is roasted by the heat of the full moon!” Only through the life force within can the mind perceive the world and think. Yet, its functions come to a stop when the life force is gone. With no form and no permanent and independent support for its existence, the mind is as good as dead!

f. Mind and miseries.

Sage Vasistha says our miseries are due to our minds. Only through the life force within,  the mind perceive the world and think. Yet, its functions come to a stop when the life force is gone. With no form, no permanent and independent support for its existence, the mind is as good as dead!

g. Relativity of life.

The relativity of life, according to Sage Vasistha, points to the fact that it is not possible for one to be satisfied with a desire for any object. The relative nature of things implies that there is no permanence in the structure of any objective form.

Every desire, therefore, is an attempt at the impossible, for no fulfilment or satisfaction can be had from objects that are not enduring things but situations or contexts of experience, commented by Sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda in his commentary on Yoga-Vasistha. The desire for life in the body is due to the misconception that reality is confined to individuality. The wrong notion that the body is reality leads to further errors in the form of the belief that the things of the world are meant for one's enjoyment or utilisation in different ways. The conclusion that the world, with its contents, is not to be used as a means to the selfish ends of any particular individual is the right knowledge. But ignorance assumes vain importance and meddles with Reality to the doom of the ignorant individual. The unfulfilled desires of individuals cast them into a series of transmigratory lives involved in the chain of causation. The death of the body is the change brought about in the form of individuality, and so it is not something to be feared. If death means the cessation of oneself, that would indeed be welcome, for death would then put an end to all pain at one stroke. And if death is the process of evolution, it will still be welcome, for it is desirable that the soul evolve for perfection. There is no extinction of the soul in death. When the physical body is cast off, the soul moves with a subtle body (Ativahika-Sarira) consisting of the mind, senses, and pranas. After a period of unconsciousness during death, the soul invested with the subtle body made up of desires becomes conscious of the world into which it is born. This process continues till the soul attains liberation in the realisation of the Existence-Absolute (Satta-Samanya). This realisation is moksha, which is the transcendence of name and form in Eternal Being.

Birth and death are due to the operation of the law of karma, which is the principle of reaction to selfish actions. Selfishness is the result of individualised existence separated from the Absolute. Though no such separation is really possible, imagination assumes it falsely and creates an artificial bond for the individual. Liberation is therefore rethinking on the right lines and resting in the consciousness of one's identity with the Absolute. Evolution and involution are the processes of rising from and setting into the Absolute of phenomena due to the activity of universal mentation, which is called Brahmā or the Creator.

1. Outline

Sri Rāma is saddened when he understands the pointlessness of life and the suffering it entails in the world, comments of Swami Sivananda in his commentary on Yoga-Vasistha. King Dasaratha seeks solace in Sage Vasistha for Sri Rāma, who is in first line of succession to the throne. During a conversation between Sage Vasistha and Sri Rāma was later recorded in the scripture Yoga-Vasistha, the enlightened Sage leads him to the ultimate state of truth. The timeless conversation, which is laced with profound tales, reveals startling realities about this life and ends Sri Rāma's suffering.

Sage Valmiki, the author of the Rāmāyana, who is attributed to the compilation of Yoga-Vasistha, relates the whole of this magnum opus to Sage Bharadwaja as it passes between Sage Vasistha and  Sri Rāma. When Sri Rāma realises the meaninglessness of existence and the misery it brings with it, he becomes depressed. Sage Vasistha provides King Dasaratha with comfort because Sri Rama is the heir apparent in the first line of succession. The enlightened Sage guides Sri Rāma to the ultimate level of truth during a dialogue that is eventually documented in the text Yoga-Vasistha. The timeless dialogue, filled with deep stories, puts a stop to Sri Rama's suffering and discloses shocking truths about this existence. 

2. Scriptures

The Yoga-Vasistha is replete with stories within stories to elucidate a point of discourse. This is a story from Yoga-Vasistha, based on the doctrinaires of detachment, knowledge, and action. The first story starts with Sutikshna and Sage Agastya. One Sutikshna, a brāhmin, whose mind was full of questions, went to the hermitage of Agastya and respectfully asked the sage, “O great sage! You are informed in all the ways and truths of virtue, and know all the scriptures with certainty. I am in a great doubt, and I pray you will kindly remove it. Tell me, in your opinion, whether liberation results from a man’s acts, his knowledge, or both.” Sage Agastya replied: As the birds fly in the air with both wings, so the highest state of emancipation is attained through both knowledge and acts. Neither our acts nor knowledge alone produce liberation, but both together are the means.  Agastya replied: As the birds fly in the air with both wings, so the highest state of emancipation is attained through both knowledge and acts. Neither our acts nor knowledge alone produce liberation, but both together are the means. To elaborate his answer, the Sage elaborated his answer by telling another story about the father-son duo Agnivesya and Karunya. Karunya, the son, after finishing his studies with his teacher, returned to his own home. He remained a sceptic at home, reluctant and impassive to do anything. When his father, Agnivesya, saw his son so slack in his duties, he upbraided him for his good. Agnivesya said, “My son, why do you not discharge your duties? Why are you not observing the daily rituals and the injunctions of the holy scriptures? Tell me, how can you succeed in anything if you remain inactive? How can you attain salvation? Tell me why you are not doing anything.” Karunya replied, “The offering of daily oblations, and the performance of morning and evening devotions during life, are inculcated in the Veda and law as active duties. But it is neither by acts or riches, nor by means of children that one obtains his liberation. It is solely by self-denial that the great souls taste the ambrosia (of emancipation). Tell me, my father! Which of these rules am I to observe? Doubtful of this, I have become indifferent to acts.” After so saying, Karunya held his silence. His father, seeing him quiet, continued speaking.Agnivesya said, “Hear me, My Son.” “My son, let me tell you a story... When you have fully considered its meaning, you may do as you like…”

Agnivesya Started Speaking:

There was a lady named Suruchi, the best of the apsara, or nymphs, who was seated on the mountain peak of the Himalaya, surrounded by peacocks. Here, kinnaras inflamed by love sported with their mates, and the fall of heavenly streams (Gangā and Yamuna) served to cleanse the gravest sins of men. She saw a messenger of Indra making his way through the sky. Then Suruchi, this most fortunate and best of apsaras, addressed the messenger.

Suruchi said, “O you messenger of gods, tell me kindly from where you come and what place are you going at present?”

The divine messenger replied, "Well, have you asked, O pretty browed maid, and I will tell you all as it is. The royal sage, King Arishtanemi, has given his realm to his son, and with religious indifference to the world, he has set out to the forest to practice asceticism. He is performing his austerities in the Gandha-Madana Mountains. I am now coming from there after discharge of my errand, and returning to Indra’s palace to report the matter.”

Suruchi said, “Tell me, my lord, what has taken place there? I am humbly very curious. You should not cause me the pain of anxiety.”

The messenger replied:— Hear me, gentle maiden… I will describe everything as it has occurred.

On hearing that King Arishtanemi was practicing the utmost rigours of asceticism in that forest, Indra, the lord of gods, asked me to take this heavenly car and proceed at once to the spot. “Take this car,” said Indra, “bearing the apsaras equipped with all their musical instruments, and furnished with a band of gandharvas, Siddha spiritual masters, yakshas, and kinnaras. Convey them,” said Indra, “with all their string instruments, flutes, and drums to the woodland mount of Gandha-madana. There, having placed King Arishtanemi in the car, bring him to the enjoyment of heavenly delight in this city of Amaravati, the seat of immortals.”The messenger added instructions from Indra, and taking the car with all its equipment, I proceeded to that mountain. Having arrived at the mountain and advanced to the king’s hermitage, I delivered the orders of the great Indra to him. Hearing my words, O happy lady, King Arishtanemi reluctantly spoke to me, saying, “I wish to ask you something, O messenger, which I hope you will answer. Tell me what good and what evil are in heaven, so that I may decide whether I want to settle there.” I answered, saying, “In heaven there is ample reward for merit, conferring perfect bliss (to all); but it is the degree of merit that leads one to higher heavens. By moderate virtue, one is certainly entitled to a middle station. The virtue of an inferior order leads a person to a lower position. But one’s virtue is destroyed by impatience at the excellence of his betters, by haughtiness towards his equals, and by joy at the inferiority of others. When one’s virtue is thus destroyed, he must enter the abode of mortals. These and the like are the effects of good and evil in heaven.”Hearing this, O good maiden, King Arishtanemi answered, “O divine messenger, I do not like heaven that has such conditions. Henceforth, I will practice the most austere form of asceticism and abandon this unhallowed human frame in the same way a snake abandons his time-worn skin. Be pleased, O messenger of the gods, to return with your heavenly car to the presence of the great Indra from where you came. Travel in good fortune.”

You are the greatest of those who know the knowable. The very sight of you has given me all that I desired, and therein is all my welfare. Great sage, I wish to learn from you how I may escape the miseries that arise from one’s connection with this world. I hope you will reveal this to me without reserve.”

3. Remarks

It highlights the one and inseparable qualities of the Self and Cosmic Self one indivisible in the face of all life's hardships. It makes multiple suggestions for the unification of the Self and the Cosmic Self. The relationship between light and its source is comparable to that between the Self and the Cosmic Self. This whole universe with all of its different entities, laws, time, and locations, according to Yoga-Vasistha, is merely an idea that originated in the mind, or thought. 

Consciousness creates all elements. The creator and the created are one and the same because she models all that she produces. Just as the water's whirling motion produces a profound swell, so too do all these nothings exist in reality, much like a fairy appears in a dream. This shifting being is nothing. Anything will appear that way, no matter what angle we view it from.In a false dream, reproduction is prohibited since, despite what ignorance may lead one to believe, such production does not occur in reality.

Consciousness is the creator of all elements. She creates everything according to her model, hence creator and creation are one and the same. As the backward and forward whirling motion of water makes a deep swell, and as a fairy appears in a dream, so all these nothings are in reality. This entity with its change is nothing. In whatever manner we look at an object, it will appear in the same manner.The rule of the false dream is not to reproduce because the production is not in the world, but owing to ignorance, it appears so. (Yoga-Vasishta VI.1.61.13-16)

 Viraj represents the dreaming man who has been with us since the beginning of creation. This entity, whose aerial body resembles both the sleeper and the dream, is positioned in the open. I've used the word "dream" and shown it to you as an illustration of how to describe the phenomenal world. It is should be understood as "BRAHMĀN" alone, not as a reality or an unreality. (Yoga-Vasishta VI.2.62.33-34)

 -Asutosh Satpathy