YOGA

VAASISHTA

A PHILOSOPHICAL TREATISE

COMPOSED BY

VAALMIKI MAHARSHI

q~ 9*


*
ESSENCE OF YOGAVAASISHTA
Compiled by
1
Tejasvini


91

~9

*
91

FIRST HALF OF SECTION SIX

FINAL EMANCIPATION


PART THIRTEEN


[STORY OF BHRINGISHA]

In this part of the sacred text, Sage Vasishta sums up the characteristics of a JeevanMukta
through three terms- MahaaKartaa, MahaaBhoktaa and MahaaTyaagee.

A JeevanMukta is the greatest performer of all actions, a MahaaKartaa, because he never
has any doership, attachment or anxieties about the actions and their results.
There is no duty that belongs to him; or anything that he has to avoid doing. Anything
that has to be done at any time as per the position and station of his life, he will do it to
the utmost perfection. He is a great doer.

Similarly, a JeevanMukta is the greatest consumer of all experiences for he never
experiences anything as the limited ego; but is the witness Self which though
experiencing everything, still remains unaffected.

Similarly a JeevanMukta is the greatest renouncer because he never identifies with the
limited ego. By renouncing the mind along with all its perception-panorama, he becomes
the greatest renouncer.

Actually all the three terms refer to the liberated Yogi who lives through the
world-experiences, remaining always established in the Self-state

OM TAT SAT



[STORY OF BHRINGISHA]


*
Vasishta spoke

4 c
q c7 +

Hey Anagha!
Become a great doer, a great eater, a great renouncer,
throwing off completely all the doubts, taking recourse to eternal courage.



Rama spoke

4 +4

9

Which qualities make one a great doer and a great renouncer?
Which qualities make one a great eater?
Please explain Hey Prabhu!


*
Vasishta spoke


Rama! These three austerities were instructed by Lord Shiva to Bhringisha, by which he
was freed of the fever of delusion.

Long back in the past, Lord Shiva was seated on the northern peak of Meru Mountain,
near the fire, along with all his people.
Bhringisha of great luster who had not fully in the acquisition of knowledge, questioned
him, with his hands folded in salutation.


q

Hey God of Gods! Hey Supreme Lord! Hey All-knower!
Please answer this question of mine.
Bereft of the rest in the Supreme truth, I am deluded by looking at this created world
which is fragile like the wave.
Which blissful state should I firmly hold on to, so as to remain in this old ruined house
called the world, without the fever of delusion?


Shiva spoke

q c7 +
4 c

Completely get rid of all doubts.
Take shelter in eternal courage and
become a MahaaBhoktaa (Great Eater),
a MahaaKartaa (Great Doer),
and a MahaaTyaagee (Great Renouncer),
Hey Anagha!

q

4 +4

9

Which qualities make one a great doer and a great renouncer?
Which qualities make one a great eater?
Please explain Hey Prabhu!








Shiva spoke


{MAHAA KARTAA/ONE WHO DOES EVERYTHING}

l qH
9

Hey Good one!
He is known as a MahaaKartaa,
who performs both ordained and not ordained actions of the scriptures,
that belong to his position in life,
completely freed of all anxieties.

A MahaaKartaa performs his actions without attachment and remains unaffected in
situations of scriptural injunctions, ordinary actions, love or hatred, gain or loss.

He is silent in the mind. He has no ego. He is taintless. He has no malice.

He performs his duties without apprehension.

He never gets disturbed in any situation, good or bad.

He has no attachment to anything or anybody and stays like a witness through all the
events of his life.

He performs his actions without prompted by desire.

He always has equanimity in the mind. He does not get over-excited by any happy event.

He never is distressed by any untoward event.

He does his actions at proper times with full efficiency without attachment.

He is calm by nature and never swerves from the state of equanimity, doing auspicious
(with friend) or inauspicious actions (with those who harm him).

He, whose mind is equal (as the Self) in events like birth, life or death, or rise and fall of
five changes in the bodies, is known as MahaaKartaa.




{MAHAA BHOKTAA/ONE WHO CONSUMES EVERYTHING}

q* qH
q

4

He is known as a MahaaBhoktaa, who does not hate anything or desire anything,
and consumes all that come to him (through Praarabdha).

Though absorbing the sense experiences, he does not absorb anything.
Though doing actions, he does not do anything.
He consumes; yet does not consume anything.

Like a witness, he observes all the activities of the world without getting affected and he
is always without desires.

In joy and sorrow, in victory and defeat, in loss and gain, he does not stumble through
delusion.

Old age, death, kingdom, poverty, everything is pleasant only (like a golden tiger/ as he
sees everything as the Self).

He absorbs even the greatest joys and sorrows equally, like the ocean absorbing the
waters.

Non-violence, equal-ness, satisfaction, all these emerge out of him, like the rays from the
moon; yet they do not. (He is the essence of all and even these virtues are only
appearances that he has, when dealing with the world.)

Food which is bitter, sour, salty, tangy, tasteless, or tasty or lowly gets consumed by him
with equanimity. (He eats food to keep his body healthy and consumes simple food. He
has no craving for varieties of foods. He is not bothered about satisfying the watchman at
the gate (tongue); but eats to live healthy and happy.)

He observes equally beautiful and ugly things; passionate and non-passionate acts.
Whether salty or sweet, auspicious or inauspicious, he consumes all food (experiences)
equally.

He does not discard something or hanker after some thing; but eats whatever is there.
Calamity, or prosperity, delusion, or bliss is equally consumed by him.




{MAHAA TYAAGEE/ONE WHO RENOUNCES EVERYTHING}

l

7
c4 c

He is known as a MahaaTyaagee,
who completely renounces
the ordained, not-ordained actions,
happiness and sorrow,
deaths and births,
through his intellect.

He renounces through his intellect, all the desires, all doubts, all wants, all decisions.

He has indeed discarded the pains connected to the body, mind and senses with the
knowledge of their unreality.

He has the affirmed knowledge that- This body is not mine. I do not have birth. I do not
have to attain anything. I have no actions belonging to me.

He has renounced in his mind, the righteous and unrighteous divisions of actions, and the
thoughts of likes and dislikes.

He, who has completely renounced all that is perceived, is indeed a MahaaTyaagee.


*
Vasishta spoke

Hey Rama! This is the instruction given by Shiva to Bhringeesha, in the past.
You too understand this and remain without the fever of delusion.

7c4c 7 c
c T7 1c q1

Nothing different ever anywhere happens at all,
including even the existence and non-existence!
O Good Rama!
With a firm ascertainment of this truth within,
remain peaceful without any doubt.




PART THIRTEEN OF
SECTION SIX - NIRVAANA PRAKARANAM
COMPLETE














About the Author:

Maa Tejasvini

The author spent many years doing research on ancient Sanskrit texts in the Himalayan
region. She was exposed to many unique spiritual experiences which are beyond human
comprehension.
Her mission in life was to translate all renowned spiritual texts and literature of Sanskrit
and bring them to the light of the public.