Skip to content
Yoga Vasistham
My Notes
Yoga Vasistham
More
Share
Explore
Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Section 1 - Divine Adoration.
यतः सर्वाणि भूतानिप्रतिभान्ति स्थितानि च ।
यत्रैवोपशमं यान्ति तस्मैसत्यात्मने नमः ॥ १ ॥
Hail The Eternal. Om, salutation to the self-same Reality, from whom all beings proceed, by whom they are manifest, upon whom they depend, and in whom they become extinct (in their end).
ज्ञाता ज्ञानं तथा ज्ञेयं द्रष्टादर्शनदृश्यभूः ।
कर्ता हेतुः क्रिया यस्मात्तस्मै ज्ञस्यात्मने नमः ॥ २ ॥
He is the knower, the knowledge and all that is to be known. He is the seer, the act of seeing, and all that is to be seen. He is the actor, the cause and the effect: therefore salutation to Him who is all the knowledge himself.
स्फुरन्ति सीकरा यस्मादानन्दस्याम्बरेऽवनौ ।
सर्वेषां जीवनं तस्मै ब्रह्मानन्दात्मने नमः ॥ ३ ॥
Salutation to Him who is supreme bliss itself, from whom flow the dews of delight as water springs from a fountain both in heaven and earth, and who is the life of all.
Section II - Narrative of Sutikshna
सुतीक्ष्णो ब्राह्मणः कश्चित्संशयाकृष्टमानसः ।
अगस्तेराश्रमं गत्वा मुनिं पप्रच्छ सादरम् ॥ ४ ॥
One Sutikshna, a Brahmana, whose mind was full of doubts, went to the hermitage of Agasti and asked the sage respectfully:—
सुतीक्ष्ण उवाच ।
भगवन्धर्मतत्त्वज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविनिश्चित ।
संशयोऽस्ति महानेकस्त्वमेतं कृपया वद ॥ ५ ॥
Oh great sage! that art informed in all the ways and truths of virtue, and knowest with certainty all the Sastras, I am in a great doubt about something which I pray you will kindly remove.
मोक्षस्य कारणं कर्म ज्ञानं वा मोक्षसाधनम् ।
उभयं वा विनिश्चित्य एकं कथय कारणम् ॥ ६ ॥
Tell me whether a man's acts or his knowledge or both of these, is in your opinion, the cause of his emancipation.
अगस्तिरुवाच ।
उभाभ्यामेव पक्षाभ्यां यथा खे पक्षिणां गतिः ।
तथैव ज्ञानकर्मभ्यां जायते परमं पदम् ॥ ७ ॥
Agasti replied:—
As the flight of birds in the air is effected by means of both their wings, so the highest state of emancipation is attained through the instrumentality of both knowledge and acts.
केवलात्कर्मणो ज्ञानान्नहि मोक्षोऽभिजायते ।
किंतूभाभ्यां भवेन्मोक्षः साधनं तूभयं विदुः ॥ ८ ॥
It is neither our acts nor knowledge alone that produces emancipation, but both together are known as the means of it.
Section III. - Anecdote of Karunya.
अस्मिन्नर्थे पुरावृत्तमितिहासं वदामि ते ।
कारुण्याख्यः पुरा कश्चिद्ब्राह्मणोऽधीतवेदकः ॥ ९ ॥
I will recite to you an instance on this subject from the old traditions, relating a Brahman named Karunya, who was learned in the Vedas in days of yore.
अग्निवेश्यस्य पुत्रोऽभूद्वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः ।
गुरोरधीतविद्यः सन्नाजगाम गृहं प्रति ॥ १० ॥
He was the son of Agnivesya and accomplished in the Vedas and all their branches, and after finishing his studies at the preceptor's, returned to his own abode.
तस्थावकर्मकृत्तूष्णीं संशयानो गृहे तदा ।
अग्निवेश्यो विलोक्याथ पुत्रं कर्मविवर्जितम् ॥ ११ ॥
He remained a sceptic at home, holding his taciturnity and inertness to acts: when his father Agnivesya saw his son so slack in his duties, he upbraided him thus for his good.
अग्निवेश्य उवाच ।
किमेतत्पुत्र कुरुषे पालनं न स्वकर्मणः ।। १२
अकर्मनिरतः सिद्धिं कथं प्राप्स्यसि तद्वद ।
कर्मणोऽस्मान्निवृत्तेः किं कारणं तन्निवेद्यताम् ।। १३
Agnivesya said:—
Why my son do you not discharge your duties, tell me how can you succeed (in anything) if you remain inactive, and tell me also the reason of your cessation from acts.
कारुण्य उवाच ।
यावज्जीवमग्निहोत्रं नित्यं संध्यामुपासयेत् ।
प्रवृत्तिरूपो धर्मोऽयं श्रुत्या स्मृत्या च चोदितः ॥ १४ ॥
Karunya replied:—
The offering of daily oblations, and performance of morning and evening devotions during life, are inculcated in the Veda and law as the active duties (of men).
न धनेन भवेन्मोक्षः कर्मणा प्रजया न वा ।
त्यागमात्रेण किंत्वेके यतयोऽश्नन्ति चामृतम् ॥ १५ ॥
But it is neither by acts or riches, nor by means of progeny, that one obtains his liberation, it is solely by self-denial that Stoics taste the ambrosia (of emancipation).
इति श्रुत्योर्द्वयोर्मध्ये किं कर्तव्यं मया गुरो ।
इति संदिग्धतां गत्वा तूष्णींभूतोऽस्मि कर्मणि ॥ १६ ॥
Tell me my father! which of these two ordinances is to be observed by me? Doubtful of this I have become indifferent to acts.
अगस्तिरुवाच ।
इत्युक्त्वा तात विप्रोऽसौ कारुण्यो मौनमागतः ।
तथाविधं सुतं दृष्ट्वा पुनः प्राह गुरुः सुतम् ॥ १७ ॥
Agasti said:—
Hear me my son, that Karunya after saying so held his silence; when his father seeing him thus, rejoined his speech.
अग्निवेश्य उवाच ।
शृणु पुत्र कथामेकां तदर्थं हृदयेऽखिलम् ।
मत्तोऽवधार्य पुत्र त्वं यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ १८ ॥
Agnivesya said:—
Hear me relate a narrative (to you) my son, and you having fully considered its purport in your mind, may do as you may choose that is best for you.
Section IV - Story of Suruchi.
सुरुचिर्नाम काचित्स्त्री अप्सरोगणउत्तमा ।
उपविष्टा हिमवतः शिखरे शिखिसंवृते ॥ १९ ॥
There was a damsel named Suruchi, the best of the Apsara nymphs, who was seated on the mountain peak of Himalaya, beset by peacocks around.
रमन्ते कामसंतप्ताः किन्नर्यो यत्र किन्नरैः ।
स्वर्धुन्योघेन संसृष्टे महाघौघविनाशिना ॥ २० ॥
Here Kinnaras inflamed by love sported with their mates, and the fall of heavenly streams (Ganga and Yamuna), served to expurgate the gravest sins (of men).
दूतमिन्द्रस्य गच्छन्तमन्तरिक्षे ददर्श सा ।
तमुवाच महाभागा सुरुचिश्चाप्सरोवरा ॥ २१ ॥
She beheld a messenger of Indra making his way through the sky; and then this most fortunate and best of Apsaras, addressed him thus:
सुरुचिरुवाच ।
देवदूत महाभाग कुत आगम्यते त्वया ।
अधुना कुत्र गन्तासि तत्सर्वं कृपया वद ॥ २२ ॥
Suruchi said:—
O you herald of gods, tell me kindly from where do you come and to where are you destined to go.
Section V - Account of Arishtanemi.
देवदूत उवाच ।
साधु पृष्टं त्वया सुभ्रु यथावत्कथयामि ते ।
अरिष्टनेमी राजर्षिर्दत्त्वा राज्यं सुताय वै ॥ २३ ॥
The divine messenger replied:—
Well now that you have asked Oh pretty browed maid, and I will tell you all as it is. Know, it to be Arishtanemi the royal sage, who has made over his realm to his son.
वीतरागः स धर्मात्मा निर्ययौ तपसे वनम् ।
तपश्चरत्यसौ राजा पर्वते गन्धमादने ॥ २४ ॥
He has now with religious indifference to the world, set out to the forest for practice of asceticism, and is performing his austerities on the Gandha Madana mountains.
कार्यं कृत्वा मया तत्र तत आगम्यतेऽधुना ।
गन्तास्मि पार्श्वे शक्रस्य तं वृत्तान्तं निवेदितुम् ॥ २५ ॥
I am now returning from there after discharge of my errand, and repairing to Sakra's (Indra's) palace to report the matter.
अप्सरा उवाच ।
वृत्तान्तः कोऽभवत्तत्र कथयस्व मम प्रभो ।
प्रष्टुकामा विनीतास्मि नोद्वेगं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २६ ॥
Suruchi, the apsara said:—
Tell me, my Lord, what matter has taken place there. I am with submission much inquisitive about it, nor should you cause me the pain of anxiety.
देवदूत उवाच ।
शृणु भद्रे यथावृत्तं विस्तरेण वदामि ते ।
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.