YOGA VASISHTHAM -VAIRAGYA PRAKARANAM -SARGA 2

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                संक्षिप्तयोगवासिष्ठम्
             वैराग्यप्रकरणम्- द्वितीयः सर्गः
           (वाल्मीकि-भरद्वाजसंवाद वर्णनम्)
                     
दिविभूमौ तथाऽऽकाशे बहिरन्तश्च मे विभुः
यो विभात्यवभासात्मा तस्मै सर्वात्मने नमः ॥ १॥
Salutations to that Brahman (The Ultimate
Non-dual Reality)  which shines in all
beings in Heaven and Earth and the Sky, inside and outside.

अहं बद्धो विमुक्तः स्यामिति यस्यास्ति निश्चयः
नाऽत्यन्तमज्ञो नो तज्ञः सोऽस्मिञ्छास्त्रेऽधिकारवान् ॥२॥
This science is for those who are determined to free
themselves from the bondage of this world, who are not totally ignorant but who
have not fully realised the Atmatattwa (the Truth about the Atman,soul)
कथोपायान्विचार्याऽऽदौ मोक्षोपायानिमानथ
यो विचारयति प्राज्ञो न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥३॥
The wise man who contemplates the means indicated in
the story of Sriram (Ramayana) and the means to salvation explained therien will
never again take birth (as an embodied soul)
अस्मिन् रामायणे रामकथोपायान् महाबलान्
एतांस्तु प्रथमं कृत्वा पुराऽहमरिमर्दन ॥४॥
शिष्यायाऽस्मि विनीताय भरद्वाजाय धीमते
एकाग्रो दत्तवांस्तस्मै मणिमब्धिरिवाऽर्थिने ॥५॥
तत एते कथोपाया भरद्वाजेन धीमता
कस्मिंश्चित् मेरुगहने ब्रह्मणोऽग्र उदाहृताः ॥६॥
Valmiki tells the king ”In this Ramayana I described
the strong character and conduct of Sriram and imparted this knowledge to the
wise and humble Bharadwaja like the ocean gifting a jewel to one who begs.  Bharadwaja explained this in front of Brahma
in a cave of the Meru.
अथाऽस्य तुष्टो भगवान् ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
वरं पुत्र गृहाणेति तमुवाच महाशयः ॥७॥
भगवन् भूतभव्येश वरोऽयं मेऽद्य रोचते
येनेयं जनता दु:खान्मुच्यते तदुदाहर ॥८॥
गुरुं वाल्मीकिमत्राऽऽशु प्रार्थयस्व प्रयत्नतः
तेनेदं यत्समारब्धं रामायणमनिन्दितम् ॥९॥
तस्मिञ्छ्रुते नरो मोहान् समग्रान् संतरिष्यति
सेतुनेवांबुधेः पारमपारगुणशालिना ॥१०॥
Brahma, the grandfather of the worlds, was pleased by
this and asked Bharadwaja what boon he would like to have.  Bharadwaja said “ O Lord of all that is past
and all that is yet to come! I would like to have a boon by which you will tell
me the means of releasing these people from all sorrows and miseries.  Brahma replied:  “Son, 
you take the trouble of requesting your guru Valmiki who has written
this blemishless epic Ramayana full of good things hearing which man will cross
over all his delusions effortlessly as one would cross the ocean by a bridge (setu).
 
इत्युक्त्वा स भरद्वाजं परमेष्ठी ममाश्रमं
अभ्यागछत् समं तेन भरद्वाजेन भूतकृत् ॥११॥
तूर्णं संपूजितो देवः सोऽर्घ्यपाद्यादिना मया
अवोचन्मां महासत्वो सर्वभूतहितेरतः ॥१२॥
रामस्वभावकथनादस्मात् वरमुने त्वया
नोद्वेगात्स परित्याज्य आसमाप्तेरनिन्दितात् ॥१३॥
ग्रंथेनानेन लोकोऽयमस्मात् संसारसङ्कटात्
समुत्तरिष्यति क्षिप्रं पोतेनेवाऽशु सागरात् ॥१४॥
वक्तुं तदेवमेवार्थमहमागतवान् स्वयं
कुरु लोकहितार्थं त्वं शास्त्रमित्युक्तवानजः ॥१५॥
Valimiki says “Having said thus, Brahma the creator
came to my hermitage along with Bharadwaja. 
Welcomed and honoured by me with arghya (water for washing the
face), padya (water for washing the feet) etc, Brahma, powerful and
always engaged in doing good to all beings 
spoke to me thus: “O Maharshi!, You have commenced writing this Ramayana
wherein you have brought out the conduct and character of SriRam.   You should not leave this effort until it is
completed in spite of whatever emotions passing through your heart.  By means of this grantha (Ramayana)
people will be able to cross this ocean of samsara quickly in the same
way a sea is crossed by means of a ship. It is only to tell you this that I
have come myself.  Please write this book
for the benefit of the mankind”.
मम पुण्याश्रमात्तस्मात् क्षणादन्तर्धिमागतः
मुहूर्तादभ्युत्थितः प्रोच्चैस्तरंग इव वारिणः ॥१६॥
तस्मिन् प्रयाते भगवत्यहं विस्मयमागतः
पुनस्तत्र भरद्वाजमपृच्छं स्वस्थया धिया ॥१७॥
किमेतद्ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं भरद्वाज वदाऽऽशु मे
इत्युक्तेन पुनः प्रोक्तं भरद्वाजेन तेन मे ॥१८॥
एतदुक्तं भगवता यथा रामायणं कुरु
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय संसारार्णवतारकं ॥१९॥
“Brahma disappeared from my holy hermitage as quickly
as waves rise and disappear in the sea. When Brahma had left I was wonder-
struck by what had happened and, composing myself, I asked Bharadwaja ‘ O
Bharadwaj! please repeat to me what Bhrama has told’.  Bharadwaj told me “Brahma wanted you to write
this Ramayana which will help cross the ocean of samsara for the benefit
of all the worlds.”  
मह्यं च भगवन् ब्रूहि कथं संसारसङ्कटे
रामो व्यवहृतो ह्यस्मिन् भरतश्च महामनाः ॥२०॥
शत्रुघ्नो लक्ष्मणश्चापि सीताचापि यशस्विनी
रामानुयायिनस्ते वा मन्त्रिपुत्रा महाधियः ॥२१॥
निर्दु:खितां यथैते तु प्राप्तास्तद्ब्रूहि मे स्फुटं
तथैवाऽहं भविष्यामि ततो जनतया सह ॥२२॥
“Please also tell me how Rama behaved and
conducted  himself in this difficult and
troublesome samsara.  Also tell me
how Satrughna, Lakshmana, the reputed Sita, the followers of Rama, and the wise
sons of the ministers conducted themselves and attained a state of mind devoid
of sorrows.  By following them I and the
common people can attain a similar state of mind devoid of  sorrows and worries.”  
भरद्वाजेन राजेन्द्र वदेत्युक्तोऽस्मि सादरं
यथाकर्तुं विभोराज्ञामहं वक्तुं प्रवृत्तवान् ॥२३॥
शृणु वत्स भरद्वाज यथापृष्टं वदामि ते
श्रुतेन येन सम्मोहमलं दूरे करिष्यसि॥२४॥
तथा व्यवहर प्राज्ञ यथा व्यवहृतः सुखी
सर्वार्थाऽसंसक्तया बुद्ध्या रामो राजीवलोचनः ॥२५॥
लक्ष्मणो भरतश्चैव शत्रुघ्नश्च महामनाः
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च सीता दशरथस्तथा ॥२६॥
कृतास्त्राश्चाविरोधश्च बोधपारमुपागताः
वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च मन्त्रिणोऽष्टो तथेतरे ॥ २७॥
धृष्टिर्जयन्तो  भासश्च सत्यो
विजय एव च
विभीषणः सुषेणश्च हनुमानिन्द्रजित्तथा॥२९॥
एतेऽष्टा मन्त्रिणः प्रोक्ताः समनीरागचेतसः
जीवन्मुक्ता महात्मानो यथाप्राप्तानुवर्तिनः ॥३०॥
अपार संसारसमुद्रपाती लब्ध्वा परां युक्तिमुदारसत्त्वः
न शोकमायाति न दैन्यमेति गतज्वरस्तिष्ठति नित्यतृप्तः  ॥३१॥
Valmiki continues “O King! Thus told by Bharadwaja with
due respect, I set about doing what was ordered by Brahma. I said to Bharadwaja
“ O son, Bharadwaja, I shall tell you whatever you asked me hearing which you
will be rid of all delusions.  You
conduct yourself, O wise one!, in the same way as lotus-eyed Rama did with an
unattached mind under all circumstances. Lakshmana, Bharata, the large-hearted
Satrughna, Kausalya, Sumitra, Sita, Dasaratha, purohits of Rama
Vasishtha and Vamadeva and the eight ministers of  Rama and others had attained the highest
knowledge by this means.  The eight
ministers are Dhrishti, Jayanta, Bhasa, SatyavadiVijaya, Vibhishana, Sushena,
Hanuman and Indrajit.  All of them had an
equanimity,  devoid of attachment or
revulsion, and content with whatever came their way.  They were all jeevanmuktas, liberated
souls while still in the embodied state. A large-hearted person of sattwic temperament
who has fallen into this vast ocean of samsara will, by following this
path,  never again feel sorry or
miserable and will ever remain content and free from the feverishness of samsara
     

YOGA VASISHTHAM – VAIRAGYA PRAKARANAM- RAMA’S LAMENTATION

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योगवासिष्ठम्– वैराग्यप्रकरणम्-सर्गः१२
Rama’s Lamentation
 
A sea change comes over Rama after he returns from a pilgrimage he
undertakes on completion of his studies. 
He becomes indifferent to worldly affairs and his daily routines. When
reminded by his attendants he carries out such duties half-heartedly.  He eats something only when prodded by his
attendants, that too with the utmost indifference and without enjoying the
food.  No enjoyment of the senses, common
among young people of his age, interests him. His attendants report these matters
to King Dasaratha who becomes worried about his son.  During this period Maharshi Vishwamitra
approaches Dasaratha requesting that Rama be sent with the former to fight the
rakshasas defiling and thwarting the yangna being performed by the
Maharshi.  Dasaratha is stunned by this
request. He pleads with the Maharshi to spare Rama who is too young to fight
the powerful Rakshasas and he (Dasaratha) himself would fight the demons. Sage
Vishwamitra insists that Rama be sent with him and Vasishtha convinces
Dasaratha that, protected by the Maharshi, no harm would come to Rama.  Thus consoled, Dasaratha describes to the
Maharshi the condition of his son and sends his attendants to fetch Rama to their
presence.  Rama comes and, questioned by
sage Vishwamitra, he pours forth his heart to sages Viswamitra, Vasishtha and
others. 
इति पृष्टो
मुनीन्द्रेण समाश्वास्य च राघवः|
उवाच वचनं
चारु परिपूर्णार्थमन्थरम् ॥
भगवन्
भवता पृष्टो यथावदधुनाखिलम्।
कथयाम्यहमज्ञोऽपि
को लंघयति सद्वचः ॥
Thus questioned by the sage, Rama composed himself and slowly
uttered sweet and soft words full of meaning thus: “Bhagavan!  Though I am an ignorant person, I shall, to
the best of my ability, reply to all your questions.  Who can transgress the words of the good and
the noble ones?”  
अहं
तावदयं जातो निजेऽस्मिन् पितृसद्मनि ।
क्रमेण
वृद्धिं संप्राप्त प्राप्तविद्यश्च संस्थितः॥
ततः
सदाचारपरो भूत्वाऽहं मुनिनायक।
विहृतस्तीर्थयात्रार्थमुर्वीमम्बुधिमेखलाम्॥
एतावता
तु कालेन संसारास्थामिमां हरन्।
समुद्भूतो
मनसि मे विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥
विवेकेन
परीतात्मा तेनाऽहं तदनु स्वयम् ।
भोगनीरसया
बुद्ध्या प्रविचारितवानिदम्॥
O Maharshi!  Born and
brought up in my father’s palace and having completed my education, I went on a
pilgrimage to all the holy places on this earth encircled by oceans.  During this period the thoughts arising in my
mind made me lose interest in this samsara.  Led by a discriminating mind I have lost
interest in the pleasures of the senses and my thoughts are something like
this:
किं
नामेदं बत सुखं केयं संसारसंततिः|
जायते
मृतये लोको म्रियते जननाय च ॥
अस्थिरा
सर्व एवेमे सचराचर चेष्टिताः|
आपदां
पतया पापा भयदा विभवभूमयः ॥
अयः
शलाका सदृशाः परस्परमसङ्गिनः|
श्लिष्यन्ते
केवलं भावा मनः कल्पनया स्वया ॥
मनः
कामायत्तमिदं जगदाभोगि दृश्यते |
मनश्चाऽसदिवाभाति
येन स्म परिमोहिताः ॥
What are these pleasures? What is this samsara, this cycle
of births and deaths? People are born to die and they die to be born again. All
these pleasures of the senses, including all the activities of beings, are
ephemeral and sources of misery and fear. 
Like rods of iron they are not attached; any attachment is only an
imagination of the mind.  This mind is
controlled by desire and this world appears to be full of pleasures.  The mind, by which people are deluded, seems
itself to be non-existent.    
असतैव
वयं कष्टं विकृष्टा मूढबुद्धयः|
मृगतृष्णांभसा
दूरे वने मुग्ध मृगा इव ॥
न
केनचिच्च विक्रीता विक्रीता इव संस्थिताः|
बत
मूढा वयं सर्वे जानाना अपि शम्बरम् ॥
किमेतेषु
प्रपञ्चेषु भोगा नाम सुदुर्भगाः|
सुधैव
हि वयं मोहात् संस्थिताः बद्धभावनाः ॥
अज्ञातं
बहुकालेन व्यर्थमेव वयं वने |
मोहे
निपतिताः मुग्धाः श्वभ्रं मुग्धाः मृगा इव ॥
Alas! We are fools to be attracted by non-existent things just as
the simple animals of the forest deluded by the mirage for water where there is
no water, only the appearance of water. 
We have not been sold to anyone but we behave as if we have been
sold.  What is there in the pleasures of
this phenomenal world which are really not at all pleasurable?  But we are deluded into thinking that these
are like nectar because of our attachment. Just like an animal falling in a pit
and staying there for a long time without knowing it, we have been deluded into
this samsara and have wasted our life for long without knowing it.
किं
मे राज्येन किं भोगैः कोऽहं किमिदमागतम् |
यन्मिथ्यैवास्तु
तन्मिथ्या कस्य नाम किमागतम् ॥
What have I to do with the kingdom or with objects of enjoyment?  Who am I? Where have I come from?  Whatever is non-existent let it be non-existent.  Who should bother about it?

एवं विमृशतो ब्रह्मन् सर्वेष्वेव ततो मम |
भोगेष्वरतिरुत्पन्ना
पथिकस्य मरुष्विव  ॥
Thus
reflecting I have developed aversion to all objects of enjoyment just like a
traveller in a desert.

तदेतत्
भगवन् ब्रूहि किमिदं परिणश्यति |
किमिदं
जायते भूयः किमिदं परिवर्धते ॥
O Sage! Tell
me whether all this will perish?  Will
they be born again and will they grow?
जरामरणमापच्च
जननं संपदस्तथा|
आविर्भावतिरोभावैर्वर्धन्ते
ते पुनः पुनः ॥
Aging, death,
misery, birth, health and wealth – all these grow by appearing and vanishing
again and again 
भोगैस्तैरेव
विविधैः तुच्छैर्वयममी किल |
पश्य
जर्जरतां नीताः वातैरिव गिरिद्रुमाः ॥
By these
different enjoyments of no substance we have been led into decay and senility
just as trees on a hill are felled by strong winds.
अचेतना
इव जनाः पवनं प्राणनामभिः|
ध्वनन्त
संस्थिता व्यर्थं यथा कीचकवेणवः ॥
People breathe
the air calling it Prana and vainly produce a sound just like inanimate
things such as bamboo plants making noises in the wind.
शाम्यतीदं
कथं दु:खमिति तप्तोऽस्मि चिन्तया|
जरद्द्रुम
इवोग्रेण कोटरस्थेन वन्ह्निना ॥
When will
this misery come to an end?  This very
thought is burning my inside like a tree which is being burnt by the fire in
one of its hollows.
संसारदु:खपाषाण
नीरंध्रहृदयोऽप्यहम्|
निजलोकभयादेव
गलद्बाष्पो न रोदिमि ॥
Though my heart has been completely occupied by the stone of
miseries of this samsara I do not cry shedding tears because I fear my
people (will start crying with me).
शून्या
मत्सुखवृत्तीस्ताः शुष्करोदननीरसाः|
विवेक
एव हृत्संस्थो ममैकान्तेषु पश्यति ॥
All my so
called joyful activities are devoid of pleasure resulting in empty cries. In my
solitary moments, it is discrimination that fills my heart. 
भृशं
मुह्यामि संस्मृत्य भावाभावमयीं स्थितिम्|
दारिद्र्येणेव
सुभगो दूरे संसारचेष्टया ॥
I am deluded  by remembering
(reflecting on)  the states of existence
and non-existence of material things just as a wealthy person who is
impoverished is deluded by recalling his erstwhile status as a rich
person.  
मोहयन्ति
मनोवृत्तिं खण्डयन्ति गुणावलिम्|
दु:खजालं
प्रयच्छन्ति विप्रलम्भपरा श्रियः ॥
The riches of
the material world,  which have a
tendency to leave us in the lurch, delude our thinking, destroy our good
qualities and give us pain only.
चिन्तानिचयचक्राणि
नाऽऽनन्दाय धनानि मे|
संप्रसूतकलत्राणि
गृहाण्युग्रापदामिव ॥
Wealth and riches are nothing but cycles full of worries and they
do not give me joy or happiness,  like
houses full of women giving birth to many children. 
विविधदोषदशापरिचिन्तनैः
विततभंगुरकारणकल्पितैः।
मम न
निर्वृतिमेति मनो मुने
निगडितस्य
यथा वनदन्तिनः ॥
O Sage! My mind is restless and does not attain a state of
calmness,  worried as it is by imagining
various problems arising from different transient causes, just as an elephant
freely roaming in the forest is restless when it is shackled in chains.  
खलाः काले काले निशि निशित मोहैकमिहिका-
गतालोके लोके विषयशतचोराः सुचतुराः ।
प्रवृत्ता प्रोद्युक्ता दिशि दिशि विवेकैकहरणे
रणे शक्तास्तेषां क एव विदुषः प्रोज्झ्य सुभटाः ॥  
The world is enveloped in the mist of delusion of ignoble desires
which create the darkness of ignorance. 
Hundreds of different types of sense enjoyments are bent upon snatching
away the discriminating faculty of men like skilled thieves.  Who else except men of wisdom and knowledge
are capable of fighting these thieves?