Reading section 55

13. From every form of argument you are to understand the intelligible (that is explained to you); but the confounded disputant is blind both to right and false reasoning.

14. The notion of self (soul or God) being clear (self-evident) in the sphere of our consciousness within the mind. Any one who prattles meaninglessly about this truth, is said to be defective in his understanding (_i.e._ our consciousness of self-existence according to the maxim “_Ego sum qui cogito_,” is an undeniable truth).

15. It is partly by pride and partly by their doubts, that the ignorant are led to altercate about their cognitions, and thereby they obscure the region of their inward understanding, as the clouds overshadow the clear firmament.

16. Of all sorts of proofs it is the evidence of perception which forms their fountain-head, as the sea is the mainspring of all its waters. It is this alone which is used in this place as you shall learn below.

17. The substance of all sensations is said to be the supersensible apprehension (or inward knowledge of things) by the wise; and it is verily their right concept which is meant by their perception.

18. Thus the notion, knowledge and certainty (of things) as derived from words, are styled the triplicate perception as we have of the living soul.

19. This soul is consciousness and egoism, and is of the masculine termination, and the cognition of the object whereby it is manifested to us, is called a category. (Viz. _samvid_, _samvitti_ and _padártha_).

20. It becomes manifest in the form of the passing world by the multifarious acts and shifts of its volition and option, as the water exhibits itself in the shape of its waves and bubbles.

21. It was uncausal before, and then developed itself as the cause of all in its act of creating at the beginning of creation, and became perceptible by itself.

22. The causality was a product of the discrimination of the living soul, that was in a state of inexistence (before); until it became manifest as existent in the form of the material world.

23. Reason says, that the self-same being destroys the body which was produced of itself, and manifests itself in its transcendental magnitude (of intelligence).

24. When the reasoning man comes to know the soul, he finds by his reason the presence of the indescribable being, before him.

25. The mind being free from desire, the organs of sense are relieved from their action, the soul becomes devoid of the results of its past actions as of those it has left undone.

26. The mind being set at ease and freed from its desires, the organs of action are restrained from their acts, as an engine when stopped in its motion.

27. It is sensuousness which is reckoned as the cause that puts the machinery of the mind to work, just as the rope tied to the log and fastened about the neck of a ram, propels him to fighting.

28. The sight of external objects and the purposes of the internal mind, set all men at play, as the inward force of the air puts the winds to motion.

29. All spiritual knowledge is holy wherever it is found in any one: it adds a lustre to the body and mind like that of the expanded region of the sky.

30. He sees the appearances of all visible objects, and maintains his own position among them. He views the spirit in the same light in which it presents itself in any place.

31. Wherever the universal soul appears itself in any light, it remains there and then in the same form in which it exhibits itself unto us.

32. The universal soul being alike in all, the looker and the object seen are both the same being. The looker and the looked being one, their appearance as otherwise is all unreal.

33. Hence the world is without a cause (because it is an unreality and not caused by any one). All existence is evidently Brahma himself, the perceptible cause of all. Hence perception (_pratyaxa_) is the basis of evidence, and inference and others as analogy and verbal testimony are but parts of it (_anumána_, _upamá_, _sábdah_).

34. Now let the worshippers of fate who apply the term destiny to all their exertions, cast off their false faith; and let the brave exert their manliness to attain their highest state.

35. Continue O Ráma, to consider the true and lucid doctrines of the successive teachers (of mankind), until you can arrive to a clear conception of the infinitely Supreme being in your own mind.

CHAPTER XX.

ON GOOD CONDUCT.

It is the society of the respectable and reasoning with them, that leads most efficiently to the improvement of the understanding, and next to the making of a great man, with all the characteristics of greatness.

2. Whatever man excels in any quality here, he becomes distinguished by it: therefore learn it from him, and improve your understanding by the same.

3. True greatness consists in quietness and other virtues, without a knowledge of which it is impossible, O Ráma! to be successful in anything.

4. Learning produces quiet and other qualities, and increases the virtues of good people; all which are praised by their good effects on the mind, as the rain is hailed for its growing the new sprouts of plants.

5. The qualities of quietude and other virtues serve to increase the best knowledge (of men); as sacrifice with rice serves to produce felicitous rains for the harvest.

6. As learning produces the qualities of quiet and the like, so do these qualities give rise to learning; thus they serve to grow each other, as the lake and lotuses contribute to their mutual benefit (excellence).

7. Learning is produced by right conduct as good conduct results from learning; thus wisdom and morality are natural helps to one another.

8. The intelligent man who is possessed of quietude, meekness and good conduct, should practise wisdom, and follow the ways of good people.

9. Unless one should bring to practice his wisdom and good conduct in an equal degree, he will never be successful in either of them.

10. Both of these should be conjoined together like the song united with percussion, as it is done by the husbandman and his wife in sowing the seeds and driving away the (seed-picking) birds from their fields of grain.

11. It is by practice of wisdom and right conduct (as causes of one another), that good people are enabled to acquire both of them in an equal degree.

12. I have already expounded to you, O Ráma, the rule of good conduct, and will now explain to you fully the way of gaining learning.

13. Learning conduces to renown, long life and to the acquisition of the object of your exertion; therefore should the intelligent learn the good sciences from those who have studied and mastered them.

14. By hearing (these lectures) with a clear understanding, you will surely attain the state of perfection, as dirty water is purified by infusion of the _Kata_ fruits.

15. The sage who has known the knowable, has his mind drawn insensibly to the blissful state; and that highest state of unbounded felicity being once known and felt (in the mind), it is hard to loose its impression at any time.

YOGA VÁSISHTHA

BOOK III.

UTPATTI-KHANDA.

EVOLUTION OF THE WORLD.

CHAPTER I.

CAUSES OF BONDAGE TO IT.

SECTION I.

EXORDIUM (BHÚMIKÁ.)

It is both by means of words and lights (_Vágbhábhis_ _i.e._ the words of the scripture and the lights of nature and reason), that the knower of the Great God (Brahmavid), perceives the spirit of Brahma appearing within himself as in a dream. And he also knows him as such, who understands him according to the purport of the holy text. “What this is, that is the self.” (_i.e._ He is all in all).

2. This passage shows in short, the visible world to reside in the vacuous bosom of Brahma at its creation: it is now to be known in length, what this creation is, whence it takes its rise, and wherein it becomes extinct at last.

3. Hear me, O intelligent Ráma! now expound to you all things according to my best knowledge of them, and agreeably to their nature and substance in the order of creation.

4. One conscious of himself as a spiritual and intelligent being, views the passing world as a _Somnum_ (swapnam) dream: and this dreaming simile of the passing world, applies equally to our knowledge of _ego_ and _tu_ or _non-ego_ (which is as false as our cognitions in a dream).

5. Next to the book describing the conduct of the seekers of liberation (_mumukshu-vyavahára_), then follows the book of evolution (_utpatti_), which I am now going to propound to you.

SECTION II.

WORLDLY BONDAGE.

6. Bondage consists in our belief of the reality of the visible world (and our relation with its phenomena, Gloss). So our release depends on the negation of phenomenals. Now hear me tell you how to get rid of the visible (fetters of our minds).

7. Whoever is born in this world, continues to progress, till at last he obtains his final liberation (his _ultimum_ and _optimum_ perfection); or rises towards heaven or falls into hell (under the subjection of his righteous and unrighteous actions (Gloss)).

8. I shall therefore expound for your understanding every thing relating to the production and continuance of things, and their prior states as they were.

9. Hear me Ráma, now give you an abstract of this book in brief, and I will here-after dilate upon it, as you may wish to know more of this (theory of production).

SECTION III.