R. K. SHRINGY

Yoga Awareness
October, 1978.

I
Yogavasistha is a voluminous work of about 32.000 verses, traditionally attributed to Valmiki. However, historical investigations reveal that, it cannot have been composed earlier than 6th century A. D. and later than 8th century A. D. The work attempts to present the abstruse pholosophical findings of the age in the concrete form of illustrrations from everyday life and stories impregnated with metaphysical truths and moral values.

Yogavasistha ranks, in the sacred lore of India, along with Ramayana and Srimad-bhagavata for the devotees, the Bhagavadgita for the Karmayogins and the Upanisads for the Jnana-yogins in its importance for spiritual realisation. In fact, many later Upanisads are directly influenced by Yogavasistha, and at least ten of them have either quoted extensively or have completely borrowed their text from it. These are Maha-upanisad, Annapurna-upanisad, Aksi-upanisad, Muktikopanisad, Varaha-upanisad, Brhatsannyasopanisad, Sandilya-upanisad, Yajnavalkya-upanisad, Yoga-kundali-upanisad and Paingala-upanisad. On the other hand, a portion of Yogavasistha is directly influenced by Bhagavadgita, so much so that about 27 verses are quoted verbatim out of it in the Arjunopakhyana ( the story related to Arjuna). This reveals the approach of Yogavasistha.

Yogavasistha is totally non-sectarian in its approach to the discovery of reality. It does not attempt to reject any system of thought outrightly and to demolish any philosophical or religious doctrine. On the contrary, ir takes the view that every viewpoint incorporates perception of reality in certain conditions of time and space, and every doctrine expresses that perception as conditioned by socio-cultural and the linguistic peculiriarities pertaining to the instrument of expression. Therefore, it projects the view that ultimately the end of every philosophical investigation, religious pursuit and spiritual quest is one and the same, only it is named differently according to the mental conditioning of the seekers.

The spirit of universal comprehension of mankind as a family and total freedom from the limitations of thought is highlighted by the attitude of loving concern for and the intelligent undestanding of the different levels of consciousness that naturally characterise different individuals. The view point adopted here is that the particular approach to life that is reponsible for spiritual progress in one’s life life, should nor be abandoned in favour of high ideals, for that leads to stagnation and not to happiness; neither is it fruitful or beneficial nor decent to do so.

This clearly shows that Yogavasistha is not impatient with anybody and tries to lead the seeker of whatever level, to the goal of human existence. It is primarily this approach which renders it equally important a source of spiritual enlightenment to the men and women of affairs and to the devotees, the active workers, the intellectuals, the elite and even the enlighted soul alike.

II
It is quite interesting as well as enlighting to see for oneself, how Yogavasistha expounds subtle spiritual truths by illustrating them through ingenious stories. One such example is given here to illustrate the peculiar style and approach of this stupendous work which opens with a diologue between a brahmana named Sutiksna and the sage Agasti. The subject of their discourse is the question whether liberation is attainable through Karma (Action) or Jnana (Knowledge). Agasti propounds that liberation is neither attainable exclusively through action nor obtainable exclusively through knowledge. Knowledge and action must complement each other like the two wings of a bird to enable the aspirant to move in freedom; and he illustrates this view by relating the story of Agnivesya and Karuna, his son.

Karuna, having completed his studies in Vedas and Vedangas (the sciences auxiliary to the Vedas),returned to his ancestral home and stayed without attending to his duties and to his everyday social obligations. His father enquired him the cause of his indifference and inaction. He, in his reply, expressed the doubt, if liberation could be attained through social commitment and activity consequent upon it. Agnivesya related the following story in order to remove his doubt.

Once upon a time a nymph called Suruci was observing the natural scenery of the Himalayas in one of its peaks when she found a messenger of Indra, the chief of gods, passing through in the aky. She asked him wherefrom he was coming and whereto he was going. The messenger thereupon related the following story to her.

A king named Aristanemi, having voluntarily transferred power to his son, set out for the Gandhamadana hill to practise penance. Indra was greatly impressed by the sincerity and the severity of his penance and sent for him his abode in heaven. Before entering the heaven of gods, the king enquired Indra regarding the nature of heavenly existence. Indra explained that residence in heaven was secured by virtue of good deeds. Souls having done good deeds on the plane of earthly existence enjoyed the pleasure of heavenly life with the status on due proportion to the virtue accumulated by them. Those with highest virtue to their credit were placed in the highest order and those with average virtue in the ordinary order and thosev with meagre virtue in a low cadre. Ordinary residents of heaven coveted the higher order and those with equal virtue vied with each other. Having enjoyed the fruits of their virtuous deeds, the souls were degraded and sent back to earth once again. Thereupon Aristanemi said that he did not wish to enter such heaven and that he would prefer to be left on the Gandhamadana hill on earth in order to be able to be relieved of the burden of his mortal body without any desire for enjoyment of any kind. Considering the state of his consciousness, Indra told him (the messenger) that the king was fit for receiving instruction in self-knowledge and therefore he should be sent to the hermitage of Valmiki. On approaching Valmiki, the king requested him to show him the way to liberation from bondage and the miseries of the worldly existence. Valmiki assured him that he will instruct him in self-knowledge which would enable him to liberate him even while living in this world. And he then narrated to him the discourse of Vasistha with Rama.

The king, at the very outset, enquired as to who was Rama, why he was instructed by Vasistha, and what instruction was received by him. Vasistha replied that Rama was an incarnation of Visnu (an aspest of the Hindu trinity) who had to take a human birth as an innocent mind due to a curse of Sanatkumara (a mythological personality of great spiritual eminence).

Once it so happened that God Visnu went to Brahmaloka (symbolising the highest plane of spiritual consciousness). Everybody stood up in his honour, but Sanatkumura kept on sitting undisturbed. Visnu got enraged and observed that he was proud of being motiveless in his behaviour. Therefore, in order to relieve him of his pride he cursed him to descend to earth in the form of a lustful king by the name Sarajanma. In response, Sanatkumara retorted that Visnu was proud of his omniscience and therefore he cursed him to descend to earth losing his omniscience for sometime, in the form of Rama, the son of Dasaratha. That is how Visnu came to incarnate as Rama and he had to live the life of an ignorant individual till he was instructed by Vasistha.

When Rama attained youth, he observed the state of earthly existence to be utterly meaningless. He found that man toiled in search of happiness but what he sought eluded him like the recenting waters of a desert. Everyone wanted to enjoy pleasure without the least of pain, but nobody ever was free from the strain of unhappiness in one form or other. So he was completely absorbed in the brooding over the mystery of life, the why and wherefore of it. He wondered what the significance of existence could be, and what constituted the ultimate end of life. He was so much engrossed in his instropection that he almost forgot to attend to his daily activities, his sports, his food and drink. Everybody around him got alarmed and the matter was finally brought to the notice of Dasaratha, the king. The king consulted the court priest Visvamitra who advised him to send for the sage Vasistha to instruct him.

The sage Vasistha hastened to the court of King Dasaratha on hearing the news of Rama’s state of mind and meeting was arranged, in which Dasaratha and Visvamitra were also present. To begin with, Vasistha enquired about Rama’s state of mind and on being pressed about it, he described it as follows:

‘As I began to emerge from my childhood, by and by, it dawned upon me that there is nothing significant in worldly existence. I fail to understand what happiness is attainable by man, by ruling a kingdom, by pursuing sensate values, by accumulating wealth, by keeping company with beautiful damsels, etc. Day in and day out, I observe that those who are blessed with these are also very unhappy. It is an illusion to expect delight in the possession of worldly things, just like the receding waters of a desert. Sensual pleasures are, in fact, the sources of misery and pain like the hood of a serpent. There is no peace for a man in this life anywhere and at any time. We do not know wherefrom we come and whereto we go after death. We do not know the how and why of this world. Briefly telling, I have no desire for anything in this world and find this existence utterly meaningless’.

Having opened his heart to all the elders, he requested Vasistha to impart him such knowledge, if he could, that might enable him to live in this world without being affected by its sufferings and he also declared that if Vasistha was not in a position to offer such a solution, he woul venture by himself to find out the answer, and that if he could not succeed, he would give up food, and his mortal body for good. Visvamitra and Vasistha were very happy to find Rama seized with such a keen desire for liberation and knowlwdge of reality that lead to it.Being pleased with his mental disposition, Vasistha instructed him in the art of intuitive understanding of the ultimate nature of reality, knowing which Rama became a Jivanmukta, a free individual living in this world without involvement, like a lotus floating on water. This discourse between Rama and Vasistha forms the subject matter of the Yogavasistha. An illustration of this discourse is given in the form of the story of Suka the son of Vedavyasa, the compiler of the Vedas, the Puranas and the Mahabharata.

III
Observing the spirit of renunciation, power of discrimination and the desire for knowledge of the ultimate reality in the consciousness of Rama, Visvamitra assured him that he was ripe for instruction in Self-knowledge and that the veil of his ignorance was so thin that merely by listening to Vasistha’s instruction he would be free of his doubts and others thereafter lead the life of a liberated soul, setting an example for others in this world of confusion and conflict. Therupon Rama earnestly enquired about the historical background of Suka’s attainment of the knowledge of the ultimate reality, and Visvamitra related the story as follows:

Suka, the son of Vyasa, having attained proficiency in all tre disciplines of learning of his time once thought within himself, ‘I have attained the knowledge of all the subjects, and yet I have neither enjoyed the bliss of unmixed happiness, nor do I know how this existence comes into being and how is it dissolved’. Brooding thus, he approached his father for instruction who directed him to King Janaka, the ruler of Mithila, who was renowned for his subtle understanding of reality and existence.

When Suka arrived at the gate of Janaka’s palace, the guards informed the king of his arrival. Knowing that Suka had come for instruction in the nature of ultimate reality, he directed to let him wait. After one week he enquired about Suka’s wherabouts and he was told that the guest was still waiting at the entrance. He then directed him to be received by the ladies of the court and to be entertained by beautiful damsels with song and dance and delicious dishes.

Suka remained for one week under these pleasant environments but he was not moved from his resolve.He neither showed any signs of being happy or unhappy, neither he loved nor hated any situation.This was reported about his behaviour, and on the eighth day he was summoned in his presence. Sukadeva repectfully approached Janaka who too received him affectionately and enquired of the purpose of his visit. Suka reverently replied, ‘Sir, I want to learn how this existence comes into being, what sustains it and how it is dissolved. And I also want to know if there is a way out of this process leading to the undisturbed enjoyment of peace and equanimity’.

The King replied, ‘O! Suka, this existence arises in consciousness and also it dissolves in consciousness when the mind, emptied of determination, becomes quiet. It is sustained by the determination of mind in consciousness. As long as there is craving for experiencing the objetive world, so long the world is experienced. When desire is totally worn out, there is self-knowledge, and that establishes or transforms consciouness into the infinity of joyful awareness’.

IV
The whole episode, it may be observed, opens with the debatable question regardind the appropriate means for liberation. It is, obviously, assumed throughout that, liberation from the limitations or bondage of worldly existence is the end of individual existence. The problem, which seems to have been the burning topic of the day, considered, is whether liberation is attainable by renouncing action (implied in social relationship) and exclusive devotion to the pursuit of knowledge, or through action only to the exclusion of the pursuit of knowledge. The solution offered is that, ‘liberation is not attainable exclusively by knowledge or by action, both must be synthesised to function in coordination like the two wings of a bird in flight’. The stories subsequently related have obviously been offered in order to illustrate this principle.

Thus, the synthesis of karma and jnana, action and knowledge, forms the main theme of the Yogavasistha. Accordingly, its concept of liberation too is fundamentally different. Liberation is not the annihilation of life, rather it signifies the transcendence of the limitations imposed on consciousness through the instrument of choice, through personal likes and dislikes, hope and despair, love and hate – all the pairs of opposites. In other words, liberation has a positive meaning, and it signifies the advent of a higher consciousness in man, which transforms his egocentric activity into the spontaneous action of pure intelligence unhindered by the mental conditioning of desire and attachment to sensate values. Biological evolution of man is yet in the making. Development of individuality, characterising the present stage of development in the history of the psychological evolution of man, is obviously not the climax of human destiny; for humanity is still struggling to establish a harmonious relationship between individuals and the various groups of individuals, large and small. Besides, on the individual level as well, the problem of unhappiness yet remains, as ever, to be solved.

What Yogavasistha aspires to achieve through the synthesis of knowledge and action is intelligent action i.e. action liberated from the conditioning limitations of a self-centred consciousness. In other words, it propounds a philosophy of intelligent action as a means of living the life of a Jivanmukta (liberated soul) which is positioned as the ultimate end of human existence. However, a Jivanmukta is not averse to the world of everyday affairs, he participates in it without getting involved in the alteration of opposites in any way. His action proceeds not out of narrow self-interest, but out of love for life as a whole. Since he perceives the unity behind the apparent diversity, he works in order to preserve that unity; and thus preservation of the unity in diversity becomes his function in life. How a Jivanmukta performs this function in different existencial conditions of being is illustrated in many other episodes that follow in the entire work. But for the time being, it would be interesting to discover the symbolic significance of the present illustration.

V
The enquiry, subsequent to the dialogue of Sutiksna and Agasti opens with the concersation between the messenger of Indra and a nymph loiteringon the slopes of the Himalayas. The word sutiksna attributed as the personal name of the brahmana who sets for enquiry is also symbolic. Literally, sutiksna means sharp, suggesting that a sharp intelligence is one of the pre-requisites of the enquiry. Then the conversation between the messenger and the nymph seems to have been brought in order to stress the authority of Valmiki and through him the popularity and respect commanded by Vasistha as an adept in spiritual affairs. It may be observed that the main drive of the stories appended to Vasistha’s teachings to Rama reproduced above is to point out the adhikari, i. e. the ‘deserving candidate’ for receiving instruction in self-knowledge, and also the qualifications and attainments of the sage who is capable of imparting such knowledge. This is quite in keeping with the Indian tradition. Indeed, it is true to maintain in principle as well as practice that knowledge imparted to an undeserving candidateis likely to poison his mind, or knowledge imparted by an incompetent teacher is likewise dangerous, for spiritual knowledge is meant to be absorbed by the mind as food is absorbed through the stomach.

To turn to our illustrations once again, we find that the king Agnivesya is an embodiment of the spirit of renunciation. He has already handed over his kingdom, we are told, out of his sweet will, to his son in order to practise penance. That itself , makes him an extraordinary personality; for, in the first instance, having enjoyed power, it is difficult to part with it; and to do so for practising austerities is ordinarily well nigh impossible. Further, we are told that his renunciation is not momentary or effected in an emotional fit; for he is not tempted to enter the portals of heaven, to which all the ordinary folks aspire. He rejects sensate values and transitory enjoyments of earth and heaven equally. That shows that his renunciation is firmly grounded in the underatanding of the nature of sensual pleasure at whatever level and in his determination to liberate life from the bondage of desire for any enjoyment of objects.

Reverting to the illustration of Rama’s story of enlightenment , we find that on the highest spiritual plane, self-identification with such virtues as desirelessness and omniscience leads to subtle ego, and consequently involvement in the worldly existence of opposites, in order to get rid of them. Rama’s mental condition is such that he has realised the utter insignificance of sensate values, worldly possessions and the rest of the way of the world. It, therefore, suggests that, as long as one is not disillusioned about the way of the world, and is completely free of preoccupation with worldly pursuits, one does not have the required frame if mind to enter into the enquiry regarding the ultimate nature of reality and the true significance of existence. But, given this frame of mind, one, by virtue of it, earns the association of a competent teacher who helps to lift the final veil of ignorance, which has already become opaque or even transparent to reflect life,’as it is’.

Finally, Vasistha says that this existence is rooted in desire, in craving and is sustained by desire and can be dissolved by transcending desire. He also points out that this process of desire takes place in consciousness, and thus it forms the ultimate ground of the worldly existence. So consciousness provides the key for all the problems os existence, and it is through the understanding of the consciousness, through self-awareness and silence of the mind that one is able to rise above the pull of opposites and to lead a life of Jivanmukta, a liberated soul, living in this world without involving himself in any of its affairs, embodying in his life and action, consciousness free from the bondage of egocentric existence.

That is how Yogavasistha introduces abstruse philosophical truths to the common people of every description and penetrates their consciousness by arresting their attention through effective illustrations and stories. Indeed, it would be very beneficial to all the people of the world, of every age, profession and temperament to read something from or to listen to something from this book everyday.

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