Re: SAGE VASISTHA-Part 2
Rajaram Krishnamurthy
YOGA VASISHTAM
Chapter 31 — Rama’s Questions
1 Rama said:—
I have no trust in the durability of life which is as transient as a drop of water on the edge of a shaking leaf on a lofty tree, and as short as the cusp of the moon on Shiva’s forehead.
2 I have no faith in the durability of life which is as transient as the swelling in the pouch of a frog as it croaks in the meadow. Nor do I have any trust in the company of friends which is as dangerous as the treacherous traps of hunters.
3 What can we do under the misty cloud of errors that raise our tempestuous desires flashing forth in lightning bolts of ambition and bursting out in the thunder claps of selfishness?
4 How shall we save ourselves from the temptations of our desires that dance around us like peacocks? How shall we save ourselves from the bustle of the world that breaks in on us as thickly as the blossoms of the kurchi plant?
5 How can we fly from the clutches of cruel Fate who, like a cat in the twinkling of an eye, suddenly springs upon his prey and kills the living as if they were poor mice?
6 To what expedient, what course, what reflections, and what refuge must we have recourse in order to avoid the unknown tracks of future lives?
7 There is nothing so trifling in this earth below or in the heavens above which you gifted men cannot raise to consequence.
8 How can one relish this accursed, troublesome and vapid world unless he is infatuated by ignorance?
9 It is the fusion of desires that produces the milky beverage of contentment and fills the earth with delights like spring adorns it with flowers.
10 Tell me, O sage, how the mist of our desires, which darkens the moon of our intellects, is to be dispelled from our minds to make it shine forth in its full brightness.
11 How are we to deal with this wilderness of the world, knowing well that it is destructive both of our present and future interests?
12 Who is there who moves about in this ocean of the earth and who is not buffeted by the waves of his passions and diseases, and by the currents of his enjoyments and prosperity?
13 Tell me, O best of sages, how one who has fallen into the furnace of this earth may escape unburned like mercury.
14 How can one be rid of the world when it is impossible for him to avoid dealing with it, in the same manner as it is impossible for aquatic animals to live without their native element?
15 Even our good deeds are not without affection and hatred, pleasure and pain, just like no flame is unaccompanied by its power of burning.
16 Without right reasoning, it is impossible to restrain the mind from thinking on worldly matters, so therefore deign to communicate to me the dictates of sound reason for my guidance.
17 Give me the best instruction for warding off miseries, either by confronting or renouncing the affairs of life.
18 Tell me about that man of enlightened understanding who attained the highest state of holiness and tranquility of his mind, and the deeds and manner by which he achieved the same. 19 Tell me, good sage, how the ancient saints fled out of the reach of misery so that I may learn the same to suppress my false conceptions.
20 Or, if there be no such knowledge in existence or, if there is, whether it is to be kept secret from to me.
21 Should I fail to attain that highest state of tranquility, then I must remain inactive and avoid my sense of egoism altogether.
22 I will refrain from eating and drinking even water, and from clothing myself. I will cease from all my actions of bathing and making my offerings, as also from my diet and the like.
23 I will attend to no duty, nor care about prosperity or calamity. I will be free from all desires except that of the abandonment of this body.
24 I must remain aloof from all fears, sympathies, selfish feelings and emulation, and continue to sit quietly as a figure in painting.
25 I will gradually do away with the inspiration and respiration of my breath and outward sensations until I part with this trifle, the seat all of troubles, this the so called body.
26 I do not belong to this body, nor does it belong to me, nor is anything else mine. I shall be null and void like a lamp without oil and abandon everything to do with this body.
27 Valmiki said:—
Then Rama, who was as lovely as the moon and whose mind was well filled with reasoning, became silent before the assemblage of eminent men, like a peacock, in awe, ceases his screaming before gathering clouds.
Chapter 2 — Vishwamitra’s Speech
1 Vishwamitra said:—
Rama, now it is appropriate that you have your mind properly purified from its doubts, as it was done with Shuka, the son of Vyasa.
2 You see, O great sages, how perfectly the knowable is known to Rama, whose good understanding has learnt to feel a distaste for worldly enjoyments as if they were diseases to him. 3 You well know that the fixed principle in the mind of one knowing the knowable is to haven aversion to all the enjoyments of life. 4 The desire of results chains a man to the earth. Knowledge of the frailties here serves to dispel his darkness.
5 Rama knows that curtailing desires is what the wise call liberty, and the attachment of our desires to earthly objects is our confinement here. 6 Spiritual knowledge is easily obtainable by most men, but a distaste for (pleasurable) objects is hard to be had. 7 He who fully comprehends a thing is said to know it, and who so knows what is knowable is called a learned man. No earthly enjoyment can be delectable to such high minded men. 8 The mind that has no zest for earthly pleasures, except the glory of disinterested deeds, is said to be liberated even in the present life.
9 As no vegetable grows in a sterile soil, no disinclination to worldliness grows until one comes to know the knowable reality. 10 Hence know that this supporter of Raghu’s race has truly known the knowable, which has made him disgusted with his princely enjoyments. 11 I tell you great sages that whatever Rama has come to know by his intuition requires confirmation by Vasishta for the tranquility of his mind. 12 For his repose, Rama requires only a reliance upon Unity, just as the beauty of autumn depends upon clear skies.
13 Let the venerable Vasishta reason with the high minded Rama and restore the peace of his mind, 14 for he is the master and family teacher for the whole race of the Raghus. Besides, he is all knowing and all seeing with a clear insight of the three times.
15 Then addressing himself to Vasishta, Vishwamitra said:—
Sage, you well remember the instruction given us of old for pacifying our mutual enmity and promoting the welfare of the high minded sages, 16 when our lord the lotus-born Brahma, seated on the tableland of Nishadha Mountain and shaded by sarala trees, delivered his wise lectures to us and the sages. 17 Through that knowledge of liberation, our worldly desires are dispelled like the darkness of night by sunbeams. 18 Now please, O brahmin, communicate that rational knowledge of the knowable to your student Rama, whereby he may gain the peace of his mind.
19 It will not be difficult for you to teach the spotless Rama, whose mirror-like mind is quite clear to take the reflection. 20 The wisdom of the holy, their learning of the scriptures, and the scholarship of the learned are only praiseworthy when they are communicated to a good student and those who are disgusted with the world. 21 But instruction given to one who is neither student nor disgusted with the world becomes as polluted as milk stored in a hide vessel. 22 Again, the instruction given by one devoid of passions and affections, fear and anger, pride and sin, serves to infuse tranquility into the mind.
23 At these words of Vishwamitra, the son of Gadhi, the assembled sages Vyasa, Narada and others honored his speech with exclamations of “bravo”, “well said”, and the like.
24 Then the venerable Vasishta, brilliant like Brahma his father and sitting by the side of the king, spoke in reply. 25 “O sage, I will perform what you have commanded me to do without fail, for who, though mighty, can refuse to perform the requests of the good and wise? 26 I will destroy the mental darkness of Prince Rama and others by the light of knowledge, just like we dispel the gloom of night by the light of a lamp. 27 I well remember the instructions for dispelling the errors of the world that we were given of yore by the lotus-born Brahma on Nishadha Mountain.”
28 Having said so, the high-minded Vasishta made up his mind, as one girds up his loins, to deliver his lecture to Rama in order to dispel his ignorance and show him the state of supreme joy.
Chapter 4 — Results Come from Effort, Not Fate or Chance;
Acts of the Present Life Are Stronger than Those of Previous Lives
1 Vasishta said:—
I know, gentle Rama, that liberation of the soul is the same whether in its embodied or disembodied state, just like seawater and its waves are the same liquid substance. 2 Liberation, whether of embodied or disembodied spirits, consists in their detachment from the objects of sense. Hence the soul unattached to sensual gratification is liberated, having no idea of objects of the senses.
3 We see before us the living liberated sage (Vyasa) as an embodied person, yet we have no doubt of the detachment of his inner soul from this body. 4 The difference between embodied and disembodied souls, when they are equally enlightened and liberated, is like that of the seawater in its calm and billowy states. 5 There is no more difference between liberation in the body and without the body than there is between the air in motion and at rest. 6 Liberation, whether with or without the body, produces unselfishness. We have lost our selfishness ever since we have come to the knowledge of an undivided unity.
7 Therefore attend to the true doctrine that I am going to deliver to you, which will be a jewel to your ears as it will dispel the darkness of ignorance. 8 Know, O son of Raghu, that everything in this world is obtainable by our efforts being properly employed.
9 This knowledge — that there is no other way to gain results except by our efforts — rises like the moon in the human mind and sheds its cooling and delightful influence to the heart. 10 It will become evident that we see the results of our efforts, and that nothing comes from what the dull and mistaken call chance or fate.
11 An effort, when directed according to the counsel and conduct of the good in the exercise of the action of the body and mind, is attended with success. Otherwise it is as vain as the freak of a madman. 12 Thus he who hopes to acquire riches and perseveres in its acquisition surely succeeds in gaining them, or else he stops short midway.
13 It was by means of their efforts that some particular persons obtained the paramount dominion of Indra over the three worlds. 14 It is by effort that one attains the rank of the lotus-born (Brahma), and some by effort even gain the inner joy of the state of Brahma. 15 It is by virtue of effort that somebody becomes the best among men, even as he who bears the flag of the eagle (Vishnu among the gods). 16 It was by the exertion of one’s efforts that some succeeded to obtain the form of Shiva accompanied by his female power and adorned by the crescent moon as his crest.
17 Know our actions to be of two kinds, namely those of former and present lives. Know that the acts of the present life generally supersede those of the past.
18 Know also that energy joined with constant practice and supported by wisdom and some stimulating force is able to break down Mount Meru and the demerits of acts in men’s former lives. 19 The exertions of a man proceeding from his good efforts and countenanced by the law lead to his success, or else they either go for nothing or turn to his disadvantage.
20 A man laid up in a state of disability is unable to twist his figure to hold a little water in the hollow of his palm to drink. Meanwhile there is another who (by his well-directed efforts) gets possession of seas, islands, mountains and cities for himself, supports all his dependents and relations, and does not think this earth too great for him.
I shall now describe to you the mode of worship
appropriate to enlightened people like you. The Lord fit to be worshipped is indeed the one who upholds the entire creation, who is beyond thought and description, who is beyond the concepts of even the ‘all’ and the ‘collective totality’. He alone is referred to as ‘God’ who is undivided and indivisible by space and time, whose light illuminates all the objects, who is pure and absolute consciousness. He isthat intelligence which is beyond all its parts, which is hidden in all that is, which is the being in all that is andwhich robs all that is of their being (i.e., which veils the truth). This Brahman is in the middle of being and nonbeing, it is God, and the truth that is indicated as ‘OM’. It exists everywhere like the essence in a plant. That pure consciousness which is in you, in me and in all the gods and goddesses alone is God. Holy one, even the other gods endowed with form are indeed nothing but that pure consciousness. The entire universe is pure consciousness.
That is God, that ‘all’ I am; everything is obtained from and through him. That God is not distant from anyone, O Holy one, nor is he difficult to attain: he is for ever seated in the body and he is everywhere like space. He does everything, he eats, he holds everything together, he goes, he breathes, he knows every limb of the body. He is the light in which all these limbs function and all the diverse activities take place. He dwells in the cave of one’s own heart. He transcends the mind and the five senses of cognition; therefore he cannot be comprehended nor described by them—yet for the purpose of instruction, he is indicated as ‘consciousness’. Hence, though it appears as though he does everything, he does nothing. That consciousness is pure and seemingly engages itself in the activities of the world to the same extent as the spring does in the flowering of trees.
The LORD continued: Somewhere this consciousness functions as space, somewhere as a , somewhere as action, somewhere as substance and so forth, but without intending to do so. Even as all the ‘different’ oceans are but one indivisible mass of water, this consciousness, though described in different ways, is but one cosmic mass of consciousness. In the body, which is like a lotus, it is the same consciousness that imbibes the experience which is like honey gathered by the restless mind which is like the bee. In this universe all these various beings (the gods, the demons, mountains, oceans and so forth) flow within this infinite consciousness even as eddies and whirlpools appear in the ocean. Even the wheel of ignorance, which causes the wheel of life and death to revolve, revolves within this cosmic consciousness whose It was consciousness, in the form of the four-armed ,that destroyed the demons, even as a thunderstorm equipped with the rainbow quenches the heat that rises from the earth. It is consciousness alone which takes the form of an image, of the creator and the numerous other beings. This consciousness is like a mirror which holds a reflection within itself, as it were, without undergoing any modification thereby. Without undergoing any modification in itself, this consciousness appears as all these countless beings in this universe. The infinite consciousness is like a creeper. It is sprinkled with the latent tendencies of countless images. Desires are the buds. Past creations are the filaments. The sentient and the insentient beings are parts of the creeper. The one appears as many, but it has not become many. It is by this infinite consciousness that all this is thought of, expressed and done. It is the infinite consciousness alone which shines as the sun. It is the infinite consciousness which appears as the bodies which are in fact inert and which come into contact with one another and derive various experiences. This consciousness is like the typhoon which is unseen in itself but in which sand-particles and dust rise and dance as if by themselves. This consciousness casts a shadow in itself, as it were, and that is regarded as tamas or inertia.
In this body, thoughts and notions generate action in the light of this very consciousness. Surely, but for this consciousness even an object which is immediately in front of oneself cannot be experienced. The body cannot function nor exist but for this consciousness. It grows, it falls, it eats. This consciousness creates and maintains all the movable and the immovable beings in the universe. The infinite consciousness alone exists, naught else exists.
Consciousness alone has arisen in consciousness. continued: Thereupon I asked the Lord: “If this consciousness is omnipresent, how then does one become insentient and inert in this world? How is it possible that one who is endowed with consciousness loses consciousness?”
The LORD applauded the question and replied: The omnipresent consciousness, which is all in all, exists in this body both as the changing and as the unchanging and unmodified one. Just as a woman dreams herself to be another with another as her husband in that dream, thesame consciousness believes itself to be of another nature. Just as the same man when he is under the influence of uncontrollable rage behaves completely differently, even so consciousness assumes another aspect and functions differently. By stages, it becomes insentient and inert.
Consciousness thus becomes its own object, creating space and then air and their respective qualities. At the same time, it evolves within itself time and space, and becomes followed by individualised finite intellect and mind. From this arises the cyclic world-appearance and notions like ‘I am an untouchable’, etc. The infinite consciousness itself thus becomes apparently inert, just as water becomes crystal. Thereafter the mind becomes deluded, entertains cravings, falls prey to lust and anger, experiences prosperity and adversity, suffers pain and pleasure, clings to hope, endures terrible suffering and is filled with likes and dislikes that perpetuate the delusion. Thoroughly deluded, it goes from error to error, from ignorance to greater ignorance.
K Rajaram IRS 19226 from Venkatesan Nanda- Ramakrishna mutt book on this special day of Ramakrishna
--SAGE VASISTHA-Part 2
Dear friends,
This posting about sage VASISTHA is compiled from Google search by asking many questions curious to me and posted in my style which is desired by a few members than as QA posting. Information relevant from Wikipedia is also included.
This posting is least intended to all knowing and criticizing and fault finding members.
Hope the postings will be interesting and informative to many of my friends. Since the information is more it is posted in parts. This is SECOND part of the posting about Sage Vasistha.
Gopalakrishnan 18-02-2026
Rivalry with sage Vishvamitra
Vasishtha is known for his feud with Vishvamitra. The king Vishvamitra coveted Vasishtha's divine cow Nandini (Kamadhenu) that could fulfil material desires. Vasishtha destroyed Vishvamitra's army and sons. Vishvamitra acquired weapons from Shiva and incinerated Vasishtha's hermitage and sons, but Vasishtha baffled all of Vishvamitra's weapons. There is also an instance mentioned in the Mandala 7, of the Rig-Veda about the Battle of the Ten Kings. This battle was fought as King Sudas of Bharata tribe appointed Vashishtha instead of Vishvamitra as his main priest.
Reconcile with Vasisitha
However later, Vishvamitra betook severe penances for thousands of years and became a Brahmarshi. He eventually reconciled with Vasishtha.
Arundhati, wife of sage Vasistha insisted him to make sage Viswamithra as Bramarshi, once he became least pride.
Arundati- Pathivratha
Sage Vasishta is primarily recognized as having one wife, Arundhati, who is synonymous with loyalty and virtue in Hindu tradition. While Arundhati is the commonly cited spouse, some Puranic sources also refer to her as Urja or mention her as the daughter of Kardama. Other interpretations, based on the three births of Vasishta, mention different, though similar, narratives of his marriage.
Arundhati, the wife of the sage Vashistha, appears prominently in both the Vedas and major Hindu epics, where she is revered as an ideal of womanhood, fidelity, and wisdom. She is often described as an equal to her husband, the Rishi Vashistha, and in many traditions, she is considered equal in status to the Saptarishis (the seven sages).
Arundati- Appearances in Scriptures
Vedas (Vedic Literature): She is mentioned in the Grihya-sutras (such as the Gobhila-grihya-sutra and Apastamba Grihya-sutra), where she is invoked as a pattern of conjugal excellence during wedding rituals. She is also identified as a star in the Taittirīyāraṇyaka.
Ramayana: In the Valmiki Ramayana (specifically in the Uttara Kanda), she plays a significant role in caring for Sita after her abandonment by Rama. She is also mentioned as having many sons who were cursed by Vishvamitra.
Mahabharata: She is described as an enlightened soul and a powerful ascetic who was capable of giving spiritual discourses to the Saptarishis themselves. In this epic, she is portrayed as having unsurpassed chastity, to the point where even the wife of Agni (fire god) could not replicate her form.
Puranas: She is mentioned in numerous Puranas, including the Shiva Purana (where she is identified as the reborn Sandhya), Bhagavata Purana (as the daughter of Kardama and Devahuti), and Vishnu Purana.
Significance and Symbolism of showing Arundati.
Wedding Ritual (Arundhati Darshan): As part of Hindu marriage rites, the newlywed couple is shown the star Arundhati (Alcor) along with Vashistha (Mizar) in the Saptarishi constellation (Ursa Major) to represent a lasting, stable, and devoted marriage.
Chiranjeevi Vasistha
Based on Hindu scriptural accounts, particularly the Puranas and the Mahabharata, Sage Vasistha is a Chiranjeevi (immortal) or a Manasaputra (mind-born son) of Brahma who experiences multiple births and deaths across different Manvantaras (cosmic ages).
Disciples
Sage Vasistha had numerous disciples, and his hermitage was known to be a place of learning for thousands of students. As a revered Brahmarishi, one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages), he guided countless aspirants in the Vedas and dharma.
His disciples included royal figures, sages, and aspirants. Notable among his disciples were Lord Rama and his brothers, King Harischandra, Bhishma, Nahusha, Rantideva, and King Samvarta.
Thousands of Disciples: References indicate that his ashram required significant resources, such as milk and ghee from his divine cow, Nandini, to feed thousands of his disciples and guests.
Preceptor of Ikshvaku Dynasty:
Vasistha served as the family preceptor (Kulapati) for the Ikshvaku clan, teaching generations of kings, including Manu.
Teacher of Wisdom: In the Yoga Vasistha, he imparts profound knowledge to Lord Rama regarding the nature of existence, mind, and liberation.
His role as a teacher was integral to his life, with daily routines involving imparting knowledge to a large, diverse group of seekers.
Children
In Hindu mythology, Sage Vasishta and his wife Arundhati had several children, often cited as seven or eight sons, including sage Śakti.
Some accounts indicate that they had a hundred sons who were ultimately lost.
Children mentioned: sage Śakti, Citraketu, Surocis, Virajas, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhrdyana, and Dyumat.
Losing 100 sons by sage Vasistha
The narrative of Sage Vasistha losing 100 sons, despite other accounts mentioning only seven, stems from different Puranic, epic, and mythological interpretations, where the "hundred sons" represents a symbolic or expanded lineage destroyed by Vishwamitra (or his influenced demons). In many traditions, the eldest son, Shakti, is killed, followed by the remaining sons, leaving only the unborn child of Adrisyanti (Parasara) to continue the line.
Here are the key details regarding this discrepancy:
The Conflict: Vishwamitra, out of jealousy over Vasistha's Kamadhenu cow (Nandini), cursed Vasistha’s sons.
The Incident: Vishwamitra empowered a demon to possess King Kalmashapada, who then killed all 100 sons of Vasistha.
The "hundred" sons often represents a larger group in the Ramayana Chapter 35 and other Puranic versions.
Therefore, the "100 sons" is the commonly accepted number in the context of the feud with Vishwamitra as described in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, whereas the "seven" represents a different tradition or specific grouping
Puthrakameshti Yaga
Sage Vasistha advised King Dasaratha to have sage Rishyasringa perform the Putrakameshti Yagam primarily because Rishyasringa was uniquely qualified, having the specialized knowledge of the Yajurveda required for this specific ritual, and he possessed exceptional purity and powers.
Additionally, Rishyasringa was considered auspicious for the ritual's success.
Key reasons to have sage Rishya Sringa for Puthra Kameshti Yaga not Vaistha himself
Specialized Expertise: The Putrakameshti Yagam (sacrifice for children) was a complex ritual requiring profound knowledge of the Yajurveda, which Rishyasringa, a saintly figure, held.
Unique Purity: Rishyasringa lived a secluded, highly ascetic life (living only with his father), making him pure and free from worldly attachments, which was essential for such a significant, holy ceremony.
Divine Intervention: The goal was to secure divine intervention, which was believed to be guaranteed through the spiritual authority of Rishyasringa
Divine Connection: As noted in this Basti government website page, Rishyasringa was also married to Shanta, who was considered the daughter of King Dasharatha and Kaushalya, establishing a familial connection.
Although Vasistha was the Kulaguru, he chose to delegate this responsibility to ensure the Yagam's success was guaranteed by the most qualified rishi for that specific purpose, as stated on this Indic Today page.
My note- Some searches shows sage Rishya sringa was NOT MARRIED while conducting the Yagam.
Dasaratha and his daughter
Based on some versions of the Ramayana tradition, Sage Vasistha, as the kulaguru of King Dasaratha, played a role in advising on the adoption of Shanta, daughter of Dasaratha and Kausalya, by the childless King Romapada of Angadesh.
Vashistha suggested this to bolster alliances and for the welfare of the dynasty.
Background of Shanta: Shanta was the elder sister of Lord Rama, born to King Dasaratha and Queen Kausalya, but was given in adoption to Romapada (a friend of Dasaratha) and his wife Vershini (Kausalya's sister).
Vashistha's Role: Vashistha was the sage who oversaw the spiritual and political decisions of Ayodhya. Some accounts state he advised on the adoption.
Subsequent Events: Shanta grew up, married Sage Rishyasringa, and later it was this same Sage Rishyasringa whom Vashistha and Dasaratha invited to perform the Putrakameshti Yagna to help Dasaratha, who was then childless, have sons.
Some accounts state that Rishyasringa did not have any children before or while conducting the Putrakameshti Yagya for King Dasaratha; his marriage to Shanta (Dasaratha's adopted daughter) occurred later, and he was chosen for his purity and power to perform the ritual. He was the son of Sage Vibhandaka, not the Kulaguru of Dasaratha.
Key Details Regarding the Question:
Rishyasringa's Children: The narrative focuses on his marriage to Shanta to bring rain to Anga Desha and his role as a sage, but does not highlight his own children during the ceremony.
Role in Yagya: Rishyasringa was a revered sage with immense spiritual power, specifically requested to perform the sacrifice.
I will continue in next posting.
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