Vasiṣṭha's teaching (Mahārāmāyaṇa) 4.2

4.2.p1

dvitīyaḥ sargaḥ 2

Vasishtha said:—
1. [Sanskrit available] Now Rama! that best knowest the knowable, I will tell thee in disparagement of thy belief in the separate existence of the world; that there is one pure and vacuous principle of the Intellect only, above all the false fabrications of men.

4.2.1

śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca .
athaitadabhyupagame vacmi vedyavidāṃ vara .
samastakalanātīte mahācidvyomni nirmale .. 1

Second Chapter: 2.

4.2.2

jagadādyaṅkurastatra yadyasti tadasau tadā .
kairivodeti kathaya kāraṇaiḥ sahakāribhiḥ .. 2

Śrī Vasiṣṭha said: / Now, even granting this [view], I shall speak, O best of knowers of the knowable: / in the immaculate, great sky of Consciousness, beyond all conceptualization, // 1

2. [Sanskrit available]
If it is granted, that there was the germ of the world in the beginning; still it is a question, what were the accompanying causes of its development.

4.2.3

sahakārikāraṇānāmabhāve tvaṅkurodgatiḥ .
vandhyākanyeva dṛṣṭeha na kadācana kenacit .. 3

if the initial sprout of the world exists there, then tell [me]: / by what auxiliary causes does it arise? // 2

3. [Sanskrit available] Without co-operation of the necessary causes, there can be no vegetation of the seed, as no barren woman is ever known or seen to bring forth an offspring, notwithstanding the seed is contained in the womb.

4.2.4

sahakārikāraṇānāmabhāve yadyavoditam .
mūlakāraṇamevāṅga tatsvabhāvasthitiṃ gatam .. 4

In the absence of auxiliary causes, however, the rising of a sprout / is like the daughter of a barren woman—never seen here by anyone. // 3

4. [Sanskrit available] If it was possible for the seed to grow without the aid of its accompanying causes, then it is useless to believe in the primary cause, when it is possessed of such power in its own nature.

4.2.5

sargādau sargarūpeṇa brahmaivātmani tiṣṭhati .
yathāsthitamanākāraṃ kva janyajanakakramaḥ .. 5

If it is said to arise in the absence of auxiliary causes, / then, my dear, the root cause itself must have passed into the state of its own nature. // 4

5. [Sanskrit available] It is Brahma himself who abides in his self, in the form of creation at the beginning of the world. This creation is as formless as the creator himself, and there is no relation of cause and effect between them.

4.2.6

atha pṛthvyādayo'nye vā kecidatropakurvate .
sahakārikāraṇatvaṃ tatpūrvaṃ cātra dūṣaṇam .. 6

At the beginning of creation, Brahman alone remains in Itself in the form of creation; / as it is, formless—where is the sequence of what is produced and what produces? // 5

6. [Sanskrit available] To say the earth and other elements, to be the accompanying causes of production, is also wrong; since it is impossible for these elements to exist prior to their creation.

4.2.7

tasmātpade jagacchāntamāste tatsahakāribhiḥ .
cittātprasaratītyuktirvālasya na vipaścitaḥ .. 7

Or if earth and others, or any others, assist here / in the role of auxiliary causes, the previous flaw applies here as well. // 6

7. [Sanskrit available] To say the world remained quiescent in its own nature, together with the accompanying causes, is the talk proceeding from the minds (mouths) of boys and not of the wise.

4.2.8

tasmādrāma jagannāsīnna cāsti na bhaviṣyati .
cetanākāśamevāśu kacatītthamivātmani .. 8

Therefore, the world abides tranquil in that state; that it spreads forth / from the mind through auxiliary causes is the statement of a child, not of a wise man. // 7

8. [Sanskrit available] Therefore Rama! there neither is or was or ever will be a separate world in existence. It is the one intelligence of the Divinity, that displays the creation in itself.

4.2.9

atyantābhāva evāsya jagato vidyate yadā .
tadā brahmedamakhilamiti tadrāma nānyathā .. 9

Therefore, Rāma, the world never was, nor is, nor will be; / the sky of Consciousness alone instantly shines forth thus in Itself. // 8

9. [Sanskrit available]
So Rama! there being an absolute privation of this visible world, it is certain that Brahma himself is All, throughout the endless space.

4.2.10

pūrva pradhvaṃsanānyonyābhāvairyadupaśāmyati .
na śāmyatyeva taccitte śāmyatyeva tu dṛśyate .. 10

When absolute non-existence of this world is present, / then this all is Brahman; it is so, O Rāma, and not otherwise.

10. [Sanskrit available] The knowledge of the visible world, is destroyed by the destruction of all its causalities; but the causes continuing in the mind, will cause the visibles to appear to the view even after their outward extinction (like objects in the dream).

4.2.11

atyantābhāva evāsya bhāvairyadupaśāmyati .
na śāmyatyeva saccitte kva śāmyatyeva dṛśyatā .. 11

That which is brought to quiet by prior non-existence, destructive non-existence, or mutual non-existence, / does not truly quiet in the mind; it only seems to be quieted, yet is still seen.

11. [Sanskrit available] The absolute privation of the phenomenal, is only effected by the privation of its causes (i.e. the suppression of our acts and desires); but if they are not suppressed in the mind, how can you effect to suppress the sight?

4.2.12

atyantābhāva evāto jagaddṛśyasya sarvathā .
varjayitvetarā yuktirnāstyevānarthasaṃkṣaye .. 12

When it is quieted through the absolute non-existence of its entities, / the true does not truly quiet in the mind; where could visibility quiet at all?

12. [Sanskrit available]
There is no other means of destroying our erroneous conception of the world, except by a total extirpation of the visibles from our view.

4.2.13

cidākāśasya bodho'yaṃ jagadbhātīti yatsthitam .
ayaṃ so'hamidaṃ nāhaṃ loke citrakathā yathā .. 13

Therefore, setting aside the absolute non-existence of the visible world in every way, / there is indeed no other means for the complete destruction of misfortune.

13. [Sanskrit available] It is certain that the appearance of the visible world, is no more than our inward conception of it, in the vacuity of the intellect; and the knowledge of I, thou and he, are false impressions on our minds like figures in paintings.

4.2.14

idamadyādi pṛthvyādi tathedaṃ vatsarādi ca .
ayaṃ kalpaḥ kṣaṇaścāyamime maraṇajanmanī .. 14

This consciousness of the space of consciousness—that which stands as 'the world shines'— / is like a varied tale in the world: 'This is he, I am this, I am not that.'

14. [Sanskrit available] As these mountains and hills, these lands and seas and these revolutions of days and nights, and months and years and the knowledge that this is a Kalpa age, and this is a minute and moment, and this is life and this is death, are all mere conceptions of the mind.

4.2.15

ayaṃ kalpāntasaṃrambho mahākalpānta eṣa saḥ .
ayaṃ sa sargaprārambho bhāvyabhāvakramastvasau .. 15

'This is today and so forth, earth and so forth; likewise this is a year and so forth; / this is an eon, and this is an instant; these are death and birth;

15. [Sanskrit available] So is the knowledge of the duration and termination of a Kalpa and Mahakalpa (millenniums &c.) and that of the creation and its beginning and end, are mere misconceptions of our minds.

4.2.16

lakṣmāṇīmāni kalpānāmimā brahmāṇḍakoṭayaḥ .
ete ceme parigatā ime bhūya upāgatāḥ .. 16

this is the onset of an eon's end; that is the great eon's dissolution; / this is the commencement of creation, but that is the sequence of what is to be and its cause;

16. [Sanskrit available] It is the mind that conceives millions of Kalpas and billions of worlds, most of which are gone by and many as yet to come. (Or else there is but an everlasting eternity, which is self-same with the infinity of the Deity).

4.2.17

imāni dhiṣṇyajālāni deśakālakalā imāḥ .
mahācitparamākāśamanāvṛtamanantakam .. 17

these are the marks of eons; these are crores of cosmic eggs; / these have passed away, and these have come back again;

17. [Sanskrit available]
So the fourteen regions of the planetary spheres, and all the divisions of time and place, are contained in the infinite space of the Supreme Intellect.

4.2.18

yathāpūrvaṃ sthitaṃ śāntamityevaṃ kacati svayam .
paramāṇusahasrāṃśubhāsa etā mahāciteḥ .. 18

these are constellations of spheres; these are the divisions of space and time.' / The supreme space of great consciousness, uncovered and endless,

18. [Sanskrit available] The universe continues and displays itself as serenely in the Divine mind, as it did from before and throughout all eternity; and it shines with particles of the light of that Intellect, as the firmament is as full with the radiance of solar light.

4.2.19

svayamantaścamatkāro yaḥ samudgīryate citā .
tatsargabhānaṃ bhātīdamarūpaṃ natu bhittimat .. 19

abides as before, tranquil; thus it shines forth by itself. / These are the rays of a thousand subtle atoms of the great consciousness.

19. [Sanskrit available]
The ineffable light, which is thrown into the mind by the Divine Intellect, shows itself as the creation, which in reality is a baseless fabric by itself.

4.2.20

nodyanti naca naśyanti nāyānti naca yānti ca .
mahāśilāsu lekhānāṃ sanniveśā ivācalāḥ .. 20

The wonder within that is poured forth by consciousness itself, / appears as the manifestation of creation; this is formless, without any canvas.

20. [Sanskrit available] It does not come to existence nor dissolves into nothing, nor appears or sets at any time; but resembles a crystal glass with certain marks in it, which can never be effaced.

4.2.21

ime sargāḥ prasphuranti svātmanātmani nirmale .
nabhasīva nabhobhāgā nirākārā nirākṛtau .. 21

They do not arise and do not perish; they do not come and do not go; / they are motionless, like the patterns of lines on great boulders.

21. [Sanskrit available]
The creations display of themselves in the clear Intellect of God, as the variegated skies form portions of the indivisible space of endless vacuum.

4.2.22

dravatvānīva toyasya spandā iva sadāgatau .
āvartā iva cāmbhodherguṇino vā yathā guṇāḥ .. 22

These creations gleam in the pure Self by the Self, / as portions of space [gleam] in space, formless in that which is formless,

22. [Sanskrit available] These are but properties of the Divine Intellect, as fluidity is that of water, motion of the wind, the eddies of the sea, and the qualities of all things. (Creation is coeternal with the Eternal Mind).

4.2.23

vijñānaghanamevaikamidamevamavasthitam .
sodayāstamayārambhamanantaṃ śāntamātatam .. 23

as fluidity in water, as motion in the perpetual wind, / as whirlpools in the ocean, or as qualities in a possessor of qualities.

23. [Sanskrit available] This creation is but a compact body of Divine wisdom, and is contained in the Divinity as its component part. Its rising and setting and continuance, are exhibited alike in the tranquil soul.

4.2.24

sahakāryādihetūnāmabhāve śūnyato jagat .
svayaṃbhūrjāyate ceti kilonmattakaphūtkṛtam .. 24

This stands thus as a single mass of consciousness alone, / having the rising, setting, and commencement, endless, tranquil, and pervasive.

24. [Sanskrit available] The world is inane owing to its want of the accompaniment of secondary (i.e. material and instrumental) causes and is selfborn: and to call it as born or produced, is to breathe the breath (of life) like a madman (i.e., it is foolish to say so).

4.2.24_2

praśāntasarvārthakalākalaṅko
nirastaniḥśeṣavikalpatalpaḥ .
cirāya vidrāvitadīrghanidro
bhavābhayo bhūṣitabhūḥ prabuddhaḥ .. 25 ityārṣe śrīvāsiṣṭhamahārāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye de0 mokṣopāyeṣu sthitiprakaraṇe sthitibījopanyāso nāma dvitīyaḥ sargaḥ. 2

25. [Sanskrit available] Rama! purify your mind from the dross of false representations, and rise from the bed of your doubts and desires; drive away your protracted sleep of ignorance (avidya), and be freed from the fears of death and disease with every one of your friends in this Court.