Yoga Vasistha

कृत्रिमो ऽकृत्रिमात् सर्गो न कदाचन जायते । न हि कारणतः कार्यम् उदेत्य् असदृशं क्वचित्

A contrived creation never arises from the uncontrived; for an effect never emerges from a cause that is dissimilar.

दृश्यते कारणात् कार्यं सुविलक्षणम् अम्बिके । अम्ब्व् आदातुम् अशक्ता मृद् घटस् तज्जस् तदास्पदम्

Indeed, O Ambika, we see that an effect is distinctly different from its cause: water cannot be drawn from clay, yet a pot, which arises from clay, serves as its vessel.

सम्पद्यते हि यत् कार्यं कारणैस् सहकारिभिः । मुख्यकारणवैचित्र्यं किञ्चित् तस्यावलोक्यते

Whatever effect comes into being does so with the help of cooperating causes; yet, in that, some peculiarity of the primary cause is always observed.

न च त्वद्भर्तृसर्गस्य किञ्चित् पृथ्व्यादि कारणम् । न भूमण्डलतो भूमिर् जाता तत्र वरानने

But in the creation of your husband, O lovely-faced one, there is no cause such as earth and the like; the earth there did not arise from the terrestrial globe.

गता चिद् इत उड्डीय कुतस् स्याद् इहभूतलम् । सहकारीणि कान्य् एव कारणान्य् अत्र कारणम्

Consciousness has departed from here, soaring away—so how could this earth exist here? What cooperating causes, what cause at all, is present in this creation?

कारणानाम् अभावे ऽपि यद् एति सहकारिणाम् । तत् पूर्वकारणान् नान्यत् सर्वेणेत्य् अनुभूयते

Even when causes are absent, that which arises from auxiliaries is nothing other than the effect of prior causes, as is experienced by all.

स्मृतिस् सा देवि मद्भर्तुस् तथा स्फारत्वम् आगता । स्मृतेश् च कारणं वेद्मि सर्गो ऽयम् इति निश्चयः

That memory, O Devi, belonging to my husband, has thus become manifest; and I know the cause of memory—this creation is its certainty.

स्मृतिर् आकाशरूपैव यथा तज्जस् तथैव ते । भर्तृसर्गो ऽनुभूतो हि स खम् एव तथाबले

Memory is of the nature of space; just as that arises, so too for you. The creation of the husband has indeed been experienced, and it is like space in its power.

स्मृत्याकाशमयस् सर्गो यथा भर्तुर् ममोदितः । तथैवेमम् अहं मन्ये स सर्गो ऽत्र निदर्शनम्

The creation, made of memory and space, as spoken of by my husband, I likewise consider this creation here as an illustration.

एवम् एतद् असत्सर्गो भर्तुस् ते भाति भासुरः । तथैवायम् इहाभाति पश्याम्य् एतद् अहं सुते

Thus, this unreal creation of your husband shines brilliantly; in the same way, this here appears—I see this, O child.

यथा पत्युर् अमूर्तो ऽस्मात् सर्गात् सर्गो भ्रमात्मकः । जातस् तथायं वद मे जगत्कुड्यनिवृत्तये

Just as from the formless creation of the husband, another creation arises, consisting of delusion, so too does this; tell me, for the removal of the wall of the world.

प्राक्स्मृतिर् भ्रान्तिमात्रात्मा सर्गो ऽयम् उदितो यथा । स्वप्नभ्रमात्मको भाति तथेदं कथ्यते शृणु

Previously, memory was merely of the nature of delusion, and thus this creation arose; it appears as a dream-delusion, so it is said—listen.

अस्ति कश्चिच् चिदाकाशे क्वचित् संसारमण्डपः । आकाशकाचदलवच् छादनाच्छादनाकृतिः

There is, somewhere in the space of consciousness, a pavilion of worldly existence, having the form of covering and uncovering, like the leaves of the sky-born lotus.

मेरुस्तम्भस्थलोकेशपुरश्रीसालभञ्जिकः । चतुर्दशापवरकस् त्रिगर्तो भानुदीपकः

He is like a statue supporting Mount Meru, a city-lord, a splendid salabhanjika, one of the fourteen guardians, a king of the Trigarta region, and a lamp illuminating the sun.

कोणस्थभूतवल्मीकव्याप्तपर्वतलोष्टकः । अनेकपुत्रजरढप्रजेशब्राह्मणास्पदम्

He is like a mountain stone covered by an anthill at the corner, a dwelling place for many sons, elders, rulers, and brahmins.

ऋक्षौघकोशकाराढ्यव्योमोर्ध्वतलकालिमा । नभोनिवासिसिद्धौघमषकाहितघुङ्घुमः

He is like a treasury filled with constellations, dark at the uppermost sky, a buzzing swarm of perfected beings dwelling in the heavens, and the humming of mosquitoes.

पयोदगृहधूमोग्रजालावलितकोणकः । वातमार्गमहावंशस्थितवैमानिकक्रिमिः

He is like a corner enveloped by the dense smoke of cloud-mansions, an aerial insect settled on the great bamboo of the wind's path.

सुरासुरादिदुर्बाललीलाकलकलाकुलः । लोकान्तरपुरग्रामभाण्डोपस्करनिर्भरः

He is filled with the playful chatter of gods, demons, and other children, and crowded with the vessels and implements of cities, towns, and worlds.

सरित्स्रोतोऽब्धिसरसीजलोक्षितमहीतलः । पातालभूतलस्वर्गाभोगभासुरकोटरः

The earth there is washed by the streams of rivers, ocean waves, and lakes, and its cavities shine with the enjoyments of the underworld, earth, and heaven.

तत्र कस्मिंश्चिद् एकस्मिन् कोणापवरकोदरे । शैललोष्टतले ऽस्त्य् एको गिरिग्रामकगर्तकः

There, in the hollow of a certain corner, on a mountain stone, there is a small pit belonging to a mountain village.

अस्मिन् नदीशैलवनोपगूढे साग्निस् सदारस् सुतवान् अरोगः । गोक्षीरवान् राजभयाद् विमुक्तः सर्वातिथिर् धर्मपरो द्विजो ऽभूत्

In this place, surrounded by rivers, mountains, and forests, there lived a brahmin, always with his wife and sons, healthy, possessing cows and milk, free from fear of kings, hospitable to all, and devoted to righteousness.

वित्तवेशवयःकर्मविद्याविभवचेष्टितैः । वसिष्ठस्येव सदृशो न तु वासिष्ठचेतनः

In wealth, appearance, age, actions, learning, and grandeur, one may resemble Vasiṣṭha, but not possess the consciousness of Vasiṣṭha.

वसिष्ठ इति नाम्नाभूत् तस्याभूद् इन्दुसुन्दरी । नाम्ना त्व् अरुन्धती भार्या भूमिव्योमन्य् अरुन्धती

He was called Vasiṣṭha by name; his wife was Indusundarī by name, but on earth and in the heavens, she was known as Arundhatī.

वित्तवेशवयःकर्मविद्याविभवचेष्टितैः । समेव साप्य् अरुन्धत्या न तु चेतनसत्तया

In wealth, appearance, age, actions, learning, and grandeur, she too was like Arundhatī, but not in the essence of her consciousness.

अकृत्रिमप्रेमरसा विलासालसगामिनी । सास्य संसारसर्वस्वम् आसीत् कुमुदहासिनी

She moved with the playful grace of unfeigned love, her beauty radiant; she was his entire world, seated like a lotus.

स विप्रस् तस्य शैलस्य सानौ सरसशाद्वले । कदाचिद् उपविष्टस् सन् ददर्शाधो महीपतिम्

Once, that sage sat on the grassy slope of a mountain near a lake, and saw a king below.

समग्रपरिवारेण यान्तम् आखेटकेच्छया । महता सैन्यघोषेण मेरोर् इव बिभित्सया

The king was traveling with his entire retinue, seeking the pleasure of the hunt, with a great clamor of his army, as if intending to conquer Mount Meru.

चामरैः कीर्णचन्द्रांशु पताकाभिर् लतावनम् । कुर्वाणं खं सितच्छत्रमण्डलै रौप्यकुट्टिमम्

With yak-tail fans, moon-bright banners, and garlands of creepers, he made the sky appear as if adorned with a circle of white parasols, like a silver pavement.

अश्वीयाग्निपृषत्पूरपूर्णरेण्वभ्रवर्णवत् । हास्तिकोत्तम्भितकरवाटाट्टालकगोपितम्

The dust raised by horses and the multitude of chariots resembled clouds; the city was hidden by tall mansions and gateways, raised by elephants.