Also known as Mahārāmāyaṇa, Vāsiṣṭha Rāmāyaṇa and Ārṣa Rāmāyaṇa
The Yoga Vāsiṣṭha is the teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha gave to Prince Rāma. Back from a pilgrimage, the young Rāma has lost his taste for the world: he sees that pleasures end in sorrow and asks the assembled sages how the mind may find peace. The rest of the work is Vasiṣṭha's answer.
Its teaching is that the world is a projection of the mind, as real as a dream, and that liberation is the end of the mind's false imaginings, reached by one's own inquiry and effort rather than by fate. Vasiṣṭha teaches through argument and through many stories within stories, such as those of Līlā, of the demoness Karkaṭī and of Queen Cūḍālā.
The text is told within a frame: the sage Vālmīki tells it to his disciple Bharadvāja, as the story of how Rāma was freed. It is also known as the Mahārāmāyaṇa, the "great Rāmāyaṇa".
Attribution
Traditionally ascribed to Vālmīki, the poet of the Rāmāyaṇa; it presents itself as Vasiṣṭha's teaching to Rāma, told by Vālmīki to Bharadvāja.
Where it belongs
Advaita Vedānta, the teaching of non-duality, given in dialogue and story.
Text and numbering
Six books (prakaraṇas), each with its own sargas (chapters), and the verses numbered within each sarga as handed down; a verse is cited as book.sarga.verse.
Translation and commentary
Translation, word-by-word meanings and explanations prepared for Tantra Yoga Vidya from the Sanskrit, compared with the traditional translations and commentaries, published sarga by sarga.
Last revised
6 prakaraṇas · 2 published so far, the rest coming soon
Prakaraṇa 1 · 33 sargas
Vairāgya Prakaraṇaवैराग्यप्रकरणम्
On dispassion: Prince Rāma, back from pilgrimage, sees through the pleasures of the world and asks the sages how the mind may find peace.
Salutation to that Reality, the Self, from which all beings shine forth, in which they abide, and in which alone they come to rest.
Word by word
yataḥ
from which
sarvāṇi
all
bhūtāni
beings
pratibhānti
shine forth, appear
sthitāni
abide
ca
and
yatra
in which
ēva
alone
upaśamaṁ
(upaśama) rest, cessation
yānti
go to
tasmai
to that
satya
the real
ātmanē
(ātman) to the Self
namaḥ
salutation
Meaning
The opening salutation names Brahman by its three marks: that from which the world appears, by which it stands, and into which it dissolves, as the Upaniṣad says ("yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante"). The commentary notes the word chosen: beings "shine forth" (pratibhānti) rather than "are born". It already hints at the teaching of the whole work, that the world appears in consciousness.
