The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki, Vol. 1 (of 4)

Vasishtha continued:—

I have thus related to you fully about the descent of knowledge on earth, with the reason of my birth and the intention of the lotus born Brahmá (in making me his apostle).

2. Now Ráma, as you are eager to learn the transcendental knowledge, and feel so great an anxiety for it in your mind, it must be the effect of your pristine merit.

3. Ráma said:—How was it sir, that the Supreme lord felt a desire to send down knowledge on earth after his creation of it (and not along with it?)

4. Vasishtha replied:—This Brahmá is in his own nature the same with the Supreme Brahm, and is born in him, as a billow is born of the waters of the deep. (The co-eternal logos).

5. This great lord saw the imperfection of his creation, and saw its whole course (at one view) in times past, present and future. (The perversion of mankind subsequent to their fall).

6. He saw the decay of ceremonial rites after the end of the Satya (golden) and other ages, and considering the error to which men were to fall afterward, he felt pity for their states (for want of sacrifices).

7. Then the Lord thought of endowing me with true knowledge, and sent me on the surface of the earth for dispelling the ignorance of mankind.

8. Like me he has sent also some other great sages here, as Sanat Kumára, Nárada and many others also.

9. He has sent them all for the redemption of mankind from the fetters of their ignorance by a series of meritorious acts, and their progress in divine knowledge also.

10. These great sages seeing at the end of the past golden age, the gradual decay of the holy ritualistic rites on earth:

11. They created the rulers of earth at different divisions of the land, for regulating the course of duties, and observing their proper limits (of action).

12. They have made many works on the traditional law and sacrificial rules to be observed on earth, and many appropriate provisions for the accomplishment of religious and temporal duties (in the smritis).

13. But in the revolution of time, all these duties became slack in their course, and men have no other thought except that of seeking their daily maintenance.

14. Every day disputes are rising among the land-owners on account of their estates and properties, and the people are subjected to various penalties in large numbers.

15. In such a state, it is not possible for the rulers to rule over their states without fighting with one another, when they with their subjects are inevitably reduced to wretchedness (by warfare).

16. In order to remove the impotence (of such princes), and to lead them to a comprehensive view of things, we have prescribed to them many excellent precepts of knowledge.

17. It was the spiritual knowledge which had been at first propounded to princes; but it came afterwards to be known under the title of royal science (polity).

18. This royal science is of a recondite nature, and is also the best kind of spiritual knowledge. Many kings have been set beyond the reach of calamity by a knowledge of this science.

19. It is after many such fair-famed princes that have gone by, that your mighty self was begotten by the present king Dasaratha.

20. O slayer of your enemies, I find a very agreeable and holy kind of apathy growing spontaneously in your most clear understanding.

21. There is another kind of cold-heartedness, O Ráma, which is caused (by some sorrow) in the minds of the virtuous and reasonable men, that is styled their casual indifference.

22. But your unprecedented and astonishing apathy, which is produced without any cause and by your reason only, is called real stoicism by the wise.

23. Seeing the obnoxiousness of worldly things, what man will not grow averse to them? The best displacency to them, is what rises in the mind of one from his own judgment.

24. They are reckoned as great men and greatly wise also, whose indifference springs without any cause (of detestation to the world), and whose minds are clear (of all gloomy thoughts).

25. One whose mind feels a disgust (to the world) from its own judgement and nice discrimination (of things), is as graceful to see as the youthful bridegroom adorned with chaplets of flowers.

26. They are esteemed as the best of men, who betake themselves to indifference after judicious consideration of the worldly troubles.

27. It must be by one’s repeated and judicious examination of the inward and outward illusions (of this world), that he should forcibly withdraw himself from them.

28. Who is there that feels not an aversion to worldliness at the doleful sight of a funeral event? It is that aversion however, which is born of itself that is highly commendable.

29. I see you are sincerely indifferent, and reaching the acme of true greatness. You are worthy of the best knowledge as is the moist earth of receiving the seeds.

30. It is by the grace of the Lord God and Supreme spirit, that a lucky understanding like yours, naturally inclines to reason.

31. It is by performance of ritual duties and observance of the prescribed rules, that the demerits of former births are expunged.

32. Upon expurgation of former demerits, the understanding turns of itself to take cognizance of spiritual matters, like the simultaneous flight of the crow towards the falling fruit of the palm.

33. But those that are devoted only to ritual acts, are like persons plunged in an eddy, wherein they are whirled up and down until they come to perceive the state of supreme (felicity).

34. Seeing this (illusory) state of the world, a man must shake off the delusion of his worldly-mindedness, just as the elephant breaks loose from his fetters.

35. It is too intricate, O Ráma! to understand the course of this boundless world, and not even the greatest of embodied beings (as man) can know it without true knowledge.

36. Know, O support of Raghu’s race! that men of great understandings have got over the unfordable ocean of the world by means of the raft of their knowledge and reason.

37. Now hear with attention and steadiness of your mind, this rational knowledge for your deliverance from the flood of this world.

38. The unceasing excitements of the senses and the fears and miseries of the world, will continually disturb the mind, without the remedy of right reason.

39. There is naught beside rational knowledge, that can enable holy men to endure the afflictions of the opposite extremes of heat and cold and wind and rain.