STORIES

FROM

VAASISHTA RAAMAAYANAM
OF

VAALMIKI MAHARSHI

by

Narayanalakshmi

[BOOK ONE]
 1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Narayanalakshmi (Maa Tejaswini)

Narayanalakshmi, also known as Tejaswini in her ascetic life spent most of her life in the
Himalayan terrain, engaged in the penance of knowledge. She is well-versed in all
philosophies and is a scholar in Sanskrit language. Her mission life is to retrieve the lost
knowledge of the ancient Rishis and offer it unblemished to all the seekers of the Truth.
She is from Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
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INDEX OF STORIES

STORIES WITHIN STORIES pg 3

RAMAS DEPRESSION AND DISPASSION pg 6

STORY OF SHUKA pg 12

VASISHTAS DISCOURSE BEGINS pg 15

STORY OF BRAHMAA pg 15

STORY OF VASISHTA pg 16

RAAJA VIDYAA pg 17

STORY OF AAKAASHAJA pg 18

THE TALE OF THE DOME pg 20

THE STORY OF KARKATEE THE GIANT RAAKSHASI pg 52

STORY OF AEINDAVAS pg 65

TWO TALES pg 80

STORY OF KING LAVANA pg 91

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STORIES WITHIN STORIES

STORY OF SUTEEKSHNA

Once there lived a Brahmin named Suteekshna. As his name itself suggested he was of a
sharp brain. He thought a lot. He questioned a lot. He had heard from his elders that
liberation was the goal of all those who were born as humans. But nobody could give a
clear-cut way of how to do it.
Some said you perform your daily rites and sacrifices without fail and you will enjoy
pleasures of the heavens for ever like the gods.
Some said that unless one attained the knowledge of oneself and the world, true liberation
was not possible.
Suteekshna was puzzled. He did not understand whose advice he should follow. So he
went to Sage Agastya and presented his problem to him. He asked the Sage, what was the
right course to follow, Karma or Jnaana (Action (rites) or Knowledge).
Should he work as if nothing was amiss or should he stop working and think?
Agastya related to him the story of a Brahmin named Kaarunya.

STORY OF KAARUNYA

Once there lived a Brahmin named AgniVeshya. He had a son named Kaarunya.
Kaarunya was very intelligent and mastered all the sciences under a Guru. He was well
versed in all the Vedas. After completing the studies he returned home. But he never
performed any rites or actions as ordained by the scriptures and remained doing nothing.
His father was irritated by his behavior and asked him as to why he was behaving like
this when scriptures proclaim that rites (Karma) alone bestowed the fulfillment of life.
Kaarunya answered that the scriptures on the one hand advised that a man should do his
daily duties as ordained by them which was known as the path of Pravritti, involvement
with the world. On the other hand it was mentioned in the scriptures that liberation was
not possible through any action, or begetting children or earning wealth; and that one
should renounce everything; and attain the eternal state. Since both statements were
contradictory to each other, he was confused and had abstained from all actions.
Agniveshya related to him the story of Suruchi, a divine damsel.

STORY OF SURUCHI

Suruchi was an apsaraa (divine damsel) residing in the heavens. Though surrounded by
various types of pleasures, she felt disinterested in them. She never missed an opportunity
to listen to the profound teachings of great Sages and spent her time in analyzing their
statements.
Once she had come to the earth along with her friends and all of them were sporting in
the beautiful forests situated in the Himalayan Mountains. Suruchi as usual had wandered
off alone lost in thoughts and was sitting on the peak of the mountain in solitude.
At that time she saw a messenger of Indra moving in the sky and called him to her side.
She asked him as to where he was going so urgently and for what purpose.
The messenger of Indra related to her the story of King ArishtaNemi.
 4

STORY OF KING ARISHTANEMI

There was a king named ArishtaNemi who was well-known as a Rishi among kings
(Raajarshi). He had no attachment to the world and desired only the liberation from
worldly existence (Samsaara). When his sons came of age, he left the kingdom in their
charge and went to the forest to perform penance.
At present he was living in the GandhaMaadana Mountain and was performing severe
penance. The messenger told Suruchi that he had gone to meet ArishtaNemi as ordered
by Indra the king of Gods.

Indra had been slightly apprehensive about the penance performed by the king.
Before ArishtaNemi had acquired merits enough to dethrone him, he had hurriedly sent
the messenger along with a huge retinue of pretty damsels, Gandharvas and Kinnaras,
accompanied the wondrous orchestra group of the heavens to invite the king to enjoy the
pleasures of the heaven unlimitedly.
The idea was that if the king succumbed to the temptation he would spend off all his
merits in the heaven; fall back into the earth again and get lost in the worldly
attachments. But the mission had failed. The king was not an ordinary person to fall for
Indras tricks.
He had asked the messenger straight away what were the advantages and disadvantages
of a life in heaven. The honest messenger had told him that there were various levels of
heavenly enjoyments and only the men of excellent merits had the fortune to enjoy the
excellent pleasures and he had also explained to the king that merits were like measures
of enjoyments and the meritorious souls retained all their vices and virtues of their mortal
identities and that they were pushed back to earthly existence once the merits were over
with.
The mortal king had then refused the invitation offered by the immortal king of the
heavens and had stated that he will continue the penance and give up the body like some
dirty skin discarded by a snake. He politely but firmly had sent the messenger back
disregarding all his pleadings to come to heaven.
The messenger had gone back to Indra and reported the kings refusal to enjoy the
heavenly pleasures. Indra had been surprised and pondered for a while about his next
course of action. If the king did not want heaven well and good! So he decided to offer
some help to the king who was after liberation from the Samsaara.
Indra had again sent the messenger to the king to inform him that he should immediately
leave for the hermitage of Sage Vaalmiki and request the renowned Sage to impart
knowledge leading towards liberation.
The king had likewise gone to the hermitage of the great Sage and told him that he had
come there at the behest of Indra and requested the Sage to impart him the Knowledge
Supreme so he could escape from the suffering of the worldly existence.
The ever-compassionate Vaalmiki told him to listen to the Great Ramayana where Rama
was instructed by Sage Vasishta about the same topic. The king had asked him who that
Rama was. Vaalmiki told him that Rama was Lord Vishnu born on earth because of a
curse.
 5

STORY OF LORD VISHNUS CURSE

One of the four sons of Brahmaa, Sage SanatKumaara the desire-less one, lived in
Brahmaas abode. Lord Vishnu once visited BrahmaLoka. He was worshipped by all the
residents of SatyaLoka and also by Brahmaa. SanatKumaara did not even move from his
seat. Vishnu cursed him to be born on the earth as SharaJanma and live a life succumbing
to passion. SanatKumaara cursed him back saying that if he was an all-knower, it was
better that he lost his knowledge for some time and lived as an ignorant man on earth.
Bhrgu had also cursed Vishnu once seeing his wife fallen dead, that Vishnu should also
suffer the pain of separation from his wife taking birth as a human being on earth.

Jalandharas wife Vrindaa had cursed Vishnu that he will be separated from his wife as
he had used deceit to have her company.
Devadattas wife who had died stuck by fear by looking at the terrifying form of
NaraSimha had cursed Vishnu that he should be separated from his wife for some time.
All these curses made Vishnu take birth as Rama on the earth and he was born as the
eldest son of DashaRatha the king of Ayodhyaa.

STORY OF BHARADVAAJA

Sage Vaalmiki recounted the conversation that took place between Sage Vasishta and
Rama to his close disciple Bharadvaaja. Bharadvaaja recounted that again to Lord
Brahmaa in the Meru Mountain. Brahmaa was pleased and told him to ask for a boon.
Bharadvaaja the noble one asked Brahmaa for some easily accessible knowledge by
which ordinary people could free themselves from all sufferings. Brahmaa told him to
request his Guru Vaalmiki to write the entire conversation that took place between Rama
and Sage Vasishta in the form of a scripture and spread it all over the world; and that the
unique nature of the stories in that scripture will liberate any one who heard them with
sincerity and devotion.
Brahmaa accompanied Bharadvaaja and went to the hermitage of the great Sage. He
instructed the Sage to write the same in the form of a scripture and help the world by
guiding the ignorant beings towards liberation. He vanished immediately.
Later Bharadvaaja told Vaalmiki about the boon he had asked from Brahmaa.
He requested his Master to write the second Raamaayana as a scripture imparting
Supreme Knowledge.
He sat at his Masters feet and asked him to explain as to how Rama attained liberation
after being born in this world as a human being.
Vaalmiki recounted to him the entire conversation that took place between Rama and
Vasishta and told him how Rama attained the Supreme state of the Self just by
understanding the truth through Vasishtas words without undergoing any hardships of
penance or austerities.
 6

RAMAS DEPRESSION AND DISPASSION

Rama completed his education and returned home. Though the days in palace were spent
in various sports befitting his royal status, his mind longed for a visit to all the sacred
resorts and hermitages in the country. He expressed his desire to his affectionate father
and permitted by him went on a long tour along with his brothers Bharata, Shatrughna
and Lakshmana accompanied by a huge retinue.
After returning from that journey there was a noticeable change in Ramas behavior. He
became very morose; avoided all enjoyments; talked less; sought solitude; ate almost
nothing; uttered words decrying his royal status and wealth; paid no attention to the
masters when they taught administrative sciences; became emaciated; did not bathe; did
not do his daily duties; kept his face stone-like without any expressions.
He just withered away slowly pining away for some unknown unattainable thing.
His brothers observed all these changes and they also were depressed.
His mothers observed all these changes and they also were depressed.
His servants observed all these changes and they also were depressed.

The harem where the young princes stayed wore a gloomy look as if a great calamity was
waiting at the corner.
Dasharatha also heard about all this and he consulted Sage Vasishta, his preceptor about
this. Vasishta brushed away the topic as if it was not of much importance and told the
king not to worry about it so much.

Rama was sitting alone. His eyes were wet. His lotus-like face looked pale and life-less.
He bit his teeth in frustration. The pale lips trembled trying to dam his flooding emotions.
Rama was angry; angry with himself; his body; his birth as a prince; his royal status; his
duties; his future life as a king; in short he did not want to be himself. He wanted to run
like mad towards some forest; fall at the feet of some kind Sage; serve him like an
ordinary student; contemplate on the Supreme state whatever it was; be away from all the
hustle bustle of the princely life and be a Sage doing penance! Was it possible? Never!
Again a flood appeared at the threshold of his eyes. He held it back for fear of getting
seen by his brothers in that awkward position.

(Yes! His brothers! He loved them a lot! If they knew what his thoughts were like, they will feel worried
about his mental health. If they see his tears, they will have broken hearts. His mothers were of course very
concerned; but how could he confide to them, all his weird thoughts. Yes! He had broken down once in
front of his younger mother Kaikeyi, the wisest woman ever-born! She had held him to her bosom and
listened to all his outpourings. She had melted like wax by just listening to his worries. She was surprised
that he wanted to live in a forest with matted locks wearing bark garments the rest of his life. She was
shocked to learn that he despised the throne of Ayodhyaa waiting for him, which will be his on his
forthcoming birth-day. She had also cried along with him and had hugged him to her bosom. She knew that
his tears were not the ordinary tears of a teenager bored of life. They were the tears of a trapped lion. She
knew at that moment that he was not an ordinary soul born to rule a puny land but some great Rishi of the
yore who was born to save the earth. She decided then and there that she would leave no leaf unturned till
Ramas desire for a forest-life was fulfilled. She had gently kissed his wet cheek; caressed his uncombed
hair and gone off immediately lost in deep thoughts. Rama wondered what her thoughts had been like. )
 7

Rama sighed hard! He decided there was no use in holding on to this body of a prince
anymore! He decided to kill it and be rid of the dirty bundle of elements labeled Rama,
the son of an emperor! What easy way to kill this fragile animal was there other than
starving it to death! Stop the food and one day it will remain lifeless. Better be a dead
prince if he cannot live the life of a Sage as an ordinary person! He quickly removed the
delicacies from the plate left there next to him by his dear servant and threw them to the
birds. The food vanished the moment it touched the ground. He threw a look of gratitude
at the crows which unknowingly helped in hastening his journey towards the world of
Yama! May be in his next birth he will be born as an ordinary son of an ordinary Sage
and do penance in a forest!
His dried up lips widened in a smile!

VISHVAAMITRA, THE OCEAN OF COMPASSION

Vishvaamitras heart gave a jump. Some uneasy feeling swept through his body. He felt
like crying. His dispassionate heart was melting suddenly with compassion. He dismissed
the students who were listening to his discourse on Brahman and entered his private
abode. He sat in contemplation and tried to find out the reason for the sudden sadness that
had taken over him. A pale dark handsome face floated in his minds eye.
Rama! Dear Dear Rama! Why was he crying? Why was he looking so forlorn?
The Creator of the Gaayatri Mantra peeped into the young princes heart and he was
shocked! The poor child was ready to give up his life and nobody knew about it!
Vishvaamitra felt as if a mountain was falling over him!
The Supreme Lord Vishnu who had come here to save the world from ignorance was
ready to give up life because he was ignorant!
And what Vasishta was doing, he wondered! Why was he not doing anything at all to
alleviate Ramas suffering?
No use in trying to fathom the mind of that great Brahmarshi! Better do something
myself! thought the great Sage and he started immediately for the city of Ayodhyaa!

DASHARATHA IS WORRIED

Dasharatha was sitting in the court room attending to his daily royal affairs. He felt
disinterested in everything. The whole palace was gloomy in mood. Nobody talked
much! Nobody laughed much! Play-grounds were silent! Dance arenas were gathering
dust! Even food had become very simple as if prepared for namesake rather than for
enjoying!

All because of Rama! What had happened to him, he wondered! What did he lack that he
should move about like an orphan deer lost in a forest full of lions and tigers!
He as a father had tried all means of pacifying him!
He had taken him to nearby forests to hunt wild boars and personally accompanied him to
all places! But Rama never even lifted the bow! He even released some of the trapped
animals shouting Be free! Be free!
 8

His behavior was very weird nowadays. He was always lost in some deep thinking!
He would suddenly laugh for no reason; and again for no reason tears would well up
inside his eyes!
He refused to wear the royal garments woven with the excellent gems and wore the
simple clothes of the ordinary people.
When the king had tried to discuss about the future life of his as the crown prince, Rama
had stared as if hit by a lightning and yet laughed aloud mumbling Ah the wealth and
riches! They are ephemeral and bind one to the Samsaara!

He hugged the servants and sat with them in their lowly chambers!
He looked at the varieties of delicacies offered to him like poison and moved away.
He pitied the dancing girls as if they were slaves imprisoned in the palace.

How many times he had tried to drag him into his embrace and ask the reason for his odd
behavior. Rama never said anything; just moved away saying nothing was the matter.
Vasishta, his preceptor only gave an understanding smile when he had discussed about
Rama to him.

Moreover even his three prime wives were looking forlorn and depressed.
Kaikeyi turned her face away as if she was very much in anger with him.
Kousalyaa was always in tears and had a lot to complain about Rama!
Sumitraa was the only one who managed to handle everything efficiently.
He sighed in relief as at least one normally acting person was there to handle things.

VISHVAAMITRA ARRIVES

Dasharatha was suddenly woken up from his reverie by the loud voice of the door-keeper
who was announcing that Sage Vishvaamitra was waiting outside the palace gates.
Dasharatha felt as if a million lightning had stuck him.
Why was that Sage here, now? What did he want? Was he there to curse? Had he done
anything wrong?
Dasharatha had no time to think! Vasishta was already there with his group of disciples
and Sages. Ministers had already arranged for a grand welcome for the renowned Sage.
DashaRatha quickly made his steps towards the palace gates; saluted by falling on the
ground as soon as the Sage was seen at a distance! He ran; fell at the feet; washed his
feet; offered flowers at the feet; held the royal umbrella for the old Sage; brought him
inside with all the auspicious ceremonies properly conducted; made him get seated on the
most excellent golden throne; and poured out words in a torrent!
O Great Sage! Why you took the trouble of coming here! One word from you and I
would have come to your hermitage to fulfill your wishes! What cannot be done to please
a great Sage like you! You are Brahman in person! You are the blessing incarnate that
has descended from the God-world! Tell me whatever you want! I will fulfill it in no
time!
And Vishvaamitra stuck him with another jolt of million lightning when he asked for
Rama to be sent with him to fight the demons!
 9

VISHVAAMITRAS REQUEST

Vishvaamitra wanted to see Rama immediately! He wanted to take him away to his
hermitage; make him sit on his lap and teach him the Brahmaa-Jnaana and remove the
pain in his heart. His heart was reciting the name Rama Rama continuously.
Where was his Rama? He suffered like a mother separated from the son!

And here was the king talking some meaningless words covering up all his fears and
apprehensions of seeing him! No wonder Rama feels lonely in a palace ruled by
ignorance!
What plausible excuse to give this king to remove Rama from his palace?
Vishvaamitra wondered!

A few days of personal training and instruction; Rama would be normal and can handle
the royal affairs in the future. But how can he explain the king what was going on in
Ramas mind? How could he tell him that Rama was ready to give up his life?
Vishvaamitra glanced at Vasishta! That cunning Sage was just hiding a smile at all the
dramas that were taking place in his presence!

Vishvaamitra suddenly found a reason to take away Rama with him! He informed the
king that he had to do some sacrifices for the good of the world (when did he not do?)
and that demons were disturbing the sacrifices (when did they not disturb?) and only
Rama could fight them and destroy those demons (as if he himself had no powers to
destroy those puny demons).

DASHARATHA BREAKS HIS PROMISE

Dasharatha refused outright!

What? Rama? Fight the demons! My poor child! Already weak and emaciated after his
tour of sacred places! Couldnt even kill a boar!
And he to stand in front of the blood-thirsty demons? No! Never!
His voice choked as he blurted out to the great Sage that he was not going to send Rama
anywhere! Rather he will bring his own army and fight the demons!

VISHVAAMITRA IS ANGRY

A volcano erupted!
Yes Vishvaamitra was unable to control his anger!
There the lord of the universe was ready to give up his mortal coil and here a stupid king
was blocking him from meeting his cherished God!
Why wouldnt he get angry! He felt like slicing the head of this king and rushing towards
his Rama withering away in the inner palace!
But he heard the soothing voice of Vasishta talking sense to the king.
 10

Soon the king was pacified and servants were sent to bring Rama there immediately. But
the servants came without Rama and just reported his odd behavior and pleaded with the
king to console their young master.
However Rama, the ever-perfect one had been informed of the Sages arrival and came
there with his brothers. He saluted the elders in the due manner. As Dasharatha pulled
him to his side affectionately, he avoided his hand and sat on the ground on a simple mat
spread out by his servants.

DASHARATHAS IRRITATION

Dasharatha was slightly shocked by Ramas behavior. He felt offended too.

Yet looking at the emaciated body of his pet son he could not give vent to anger at his
behavior. Instead he saved his own face just by advising Rama that it did not behoove a
prince of Raghus dynasty to pine away like this for no reason. Rama just had to take the
advice of his elders and do what they said and he would soon achieve the meritorious
states. He need not act so confused and worried and suffer unnecessarily like this.

What could that ignorant king who was given to the pleasures of senses and dreams of
heavenly life know of Ramas state of mind? What did he know about liberation? What
did he know what a pain it was if one knew that he was bound yet had no means to
escape? What did he know the torment of a Jeeva which was searching for its source?
How could he understand that a wave which felt separated from the ocean had no rest till
it became one with the ocean?!
He knew only heavens and tensions!

VASISHTA AND VISHVAAMITRA QUESTION RAMA

Vasishta looked at the king and signaled him to stop his stern speech. He looked at Rama
with extreme affection and asked-
My child! I know you are no more interested in the sense pleasures. You have succeeded
in conquering your mind! Yet why do you suffer like this thinking that you are ignorant?
You are not what you think you are!

Vishvaamitra had no patience for these round-about talks.

Poor child was suffering! And no one had the patience to ask what he was distressed
about!
He interrupted Vasishtas calm speech and questioned Rama directly.
Tell us Rama, what makes you feel so sad? What is gnawing your mind like a rat?
What worries can be there for a prince like you?
What do you want? What for are you pining like this?
Confide in us whatever thoughts you are having. We will see to it that you get what you
want without any difficulty! Never again shall you be tormented by worries any more!
I promise you for sure!
 11

RAMA POURS OUT HIS PROBLEMS

Rama raised his eyes slightly and saw the great Sage who was pleading like this! What
love, what affection poured out of those eyes, only Rama could understand it!
He felt hugged, caressed, consoled by the love oozing out of those eyes.
There was someone who could understand his feelings!
There was someone who would not laugh at his problems!
He felt reassured! He felt confident!
Like a child crying on the lap of the mother giving vent to all its pains, he poured out all
his thoughts at once in the benign presence of those two Sages!

He told them everything; every thought of his; how he had completed his education
without a flaw; how he had gone on a tour of all sacred centers of the country; how he
had visited many hermitages; how his thoughts had changed; how his life looked wasted
away; how his very identity of a prince was disgusting; so on and on!
He talked about the ephemeral nature of the world.
He described the worthlessness of wealth.
He ridiculed the stupidity of the childhood; the insanity of the youth; the sufferings of the
middle aged man with a family; the infirmities and helpless nature of the old age!
He described the desires which haunted every man and woman of the earth!
He tearfully explained his fear of this limited identity and death!
He confided his helplessness in front of the all-consuming god of death!
He said that life was nothing but a hell-fire masked as happiness.
He had nothing to live for; all relations and friends were just unreal entities; life had no
meaning; there was no use holding on to the ugly mass of flesh called the body.

And he finally concluded his detailed speech by announcing firmly that since nobody
could change his identity or limitations and since he will never find any answers to his
questions he will abstain from food and water; not bathe; not do anything and remain
stone-like till the body dies of itself and thus be free forever of bondage!

THE COURT WAS STUNNED

It was like the silence after a heavy thunder shower!

Dasharatha just sat there unable to understand the grief of his beloved son who did not
want the emperorship of the kingdom! He felt puzzled! Maybe Rama had been poisoned
in the mind by some wicked enemies and had lost his mind!
He looked again at his own son who looked a complete stranger to him!
He remained silent!
All the courtiers also remained silent!
The queens seated behind the screen also remained silent!
The birds in the garden also stopped their chirping.
It was as if the entire world was drowned in the ocean of dispassion.
A deathly silence prevailed.
 12

Before anybody knew what was happening, a huge shower of extremely fragrant flowers
rained in the court filling all those assembled there in the court with exhilaration.
All the courtiers heard the voices of Siddhas who were enamored by the words of Rama
and had come there to hear the answers for his questions.
And immediately they descended down with forms and stood before the two Sages.
(Siddhas were realized beings with great powers with no identity as such. Unless they
willed no one could see them with any form.)
Rama saluted the great beings with reverence. They praised him with exquisite words and
commended his beautiful words of dispassion.
After everybody was comfortably seated, Vishvaamitra spoke encouraging words to
Rama with extreme affection and told him the story of Shuka.

VISHVAAMITRA SPEAKS
ENCOURAGING WORDS TO RAMA

Vishvaamitra said-
My dear child! You are not an ordinary person! Everyone does not have the capacity to
think in this manner. You already seem to know everything! You just need a little
guidance; that is all! You must have heard of Sage Shuka, son of Vyaasa! He also was
like you. He needed no Guru to guide him! He just sat in solitude; pondered in his mind
about the reality of the world; and he knew the answers by himself.
You are no less than that Shuka. Listen I will tell you how he attained the Supreme state.

STORY OF SHUKA

Great Sage Vyaasa, the black-hued Sage lived in the Himalayan mountain region.
He had a son named Shuka. Shuka was a Jnaani (KNOWER) from birth.
Sitting in solitude he by himself pondered about the reality of the world, about his birth,
his identity as Shuka etc.
As he analyzed all these questions he realized the state of the Self and understood
everything instantly. He needed no teacher to guide him to such a state. By his own
discriminative power, by himself, he analyzed about all these matters for long and
understood the truth.

However, he could not verify the knowledge attained by his own enquiry with any one
else. He was doubtful of the validity of the knowledge attained without any hardship of a
penance. How could he attain such a supreme state extolled in scriptures just by simple
intellectual analysis? He felt dissatisfied. He could not ascertain firmly that, what he had
realized was the Ultimate Truth. But his mind was free of any wants and did not enjoy
any pleasures of the world, like a Chaataka bird does not care for any waters on the earth
but that which pours down from the clouds.

Once Shuka of taintless Knowledge approached his father Vyaasa who was performing
penance on the Meru Mountain and questioned:
O my father! How did this entire world of deluding character arise?
How can it be put an end to? Wherefore is it from, of whose, whence forth?
 13

Vyaasa the enlightened one explained everything he knew to his son in detail. But
Shuka felt nothing new about it. He already knew what his father had told. He was
disappointed by the whole discourse and remained silent with bent head. Vyaasa read the
thoughts in his mind through his penance-power and understood his sons predicament.

He said:
My dear son! I do not know much about all this. You go down to the Earth. There lives
a King of excellent wisdom named Janaka. He knows completely whatever is to be
known. You will get whatever you want through him.

Shuka went down to the Earth and reached the city of Videha, where King Janaka ruled
as the King.
The guards with sticks standing at the gateway stopped him there itself. They went to the
King and informed him that some young man named Shuka was waiting at the doors.
Janaka understood that Shuka was sent to him by Sage Vyaasa to get some lessons from
him. He decided to test Shuka in many ways. So he nonchalantly replied the guards as if
he did not care for the guest at all and said with a slight nod, Let him be there and went
off to attend to his normal duties.
Seven days passed.
Shuka patiently stood at the gates without any annoyance or irritation.
Then Janaka ordered his guards to allow him just up to the courtyard and leave him alone
there. Seven days passed this way. There was no perturbation in Shukas mind even then.
Then by the kings order the guards took Shuka to the inner harem of the ladies and left
him there saying that the King was still very busy in his administrative duties. Shuka
spent the next seven days in the inner harem (Anthahpura). He was provided all sorts of
royal entertainments; pretty girls surrounded him ready to fulfill any desire of his; foods
of exotic taste were offered to him; pleasures equal to heaven were ready to be shown to
him by the ladies residing there. But Shuka did not see anything or hear anything. He was
like a mountain unmoved by winds. He stayed in the bliss of his Self and did not waver in
his mind by the pleasures surrounding him. Janaka who was observing the young Sage
unknown to him was highly pleased by the dispassionate state of Shuka.

He ordered the guards to bring the young Sage to his private chambers. He welcomed the
Sage with proper rituals and said: Young Sage! You do not seem to have any action left
to be done in the world. You seem to have attained whatever there is to be attained. What
can I do for you?
Shuka said:
O Master! How does this delusion of the world- perception occur? How can it be
removed? Please explain to me everything as it is!

Janaka repeated to him everything exactly as his father had told him when questioned by
him in the past.
 14

Shuka said:
I already came to know all this by my own thinking. My father told me the same thing.
You, wisest among men, are also repeating the same thing. Even the scriptures speak the
same thing. I know for certain that this delusory world comes into existence by ones own
particular mental processes and disappears by the disappearance of those mental
processes. This burnt up world-appearance is worthless; this is for sure! But tell me what
is all this about? Put my puzzled mind to rest by ascertaining the truth which I have
attained by my own enquiry.
Janaka said:
There is no other truth to be ascertained any more, o Sage. You comprehended it by
your own efforts; you heard the same from your father. There is only the Supreme
Purusha (Conscious Principle), who is the undivided second less Consciousness.
One is bound by ones own volition; one becomes free by removing the volition.
You completely know that which is to be known. You have no craving for any sort of
pleasures of the world which are just appearances perceived by the mind.
Child! You are truly a person of courage; you have conquered your own mind and have
attained disinterestedness towards all pleasures which are nothing but chronic ailments.
What else is there for you to listen to?
This sort of a complete realization has not been attained by your own father who is
performing penance. You are a great treasure-house of Knowledge.
I am slightly better than Vyaasa; you are the disciple and son of Vyaasa. But you do not
even have the least interest in enjoyments of any sort.
By that you have proved yourself as a greater Knower than me.
You are a fulfilled mind. You will never slip down by any perception of the world.
You are a liberated one. Throw away this apprehension of yours.

Listening to the words of Janaka, the young Sage remained silent in the blissful state of
the Supreme Reality. He was bereft of sorrows, fears and anxieties. Without any more
desire in his heart, with his doubt cleared, he went to the peak of the Meru Mountain. He
settled himself in a solitary place and was absorbed in Samadhi for ten thousand years.
After that he restfully stayed in his own Self like a lamp without oil.
Being freed from the taint of the delusory world, bereft of any Vaasanaa (latent
tendency), he became one with the Supreme state of the Sacred Self like a water drop
dissolving in the ocean.

VISHVAAMITRA REQUESTS VASISHTA

After cheering up Rama, Vishvaamitra turned towards Sage Vasishta and said-
Lord Vasishta! Dont you remember that in the past both of us were imparted the
Supreme knowledge by Lord Brahmaa when we met him on the summit of Naishada
Mountain? Why dont you give the same instructions to Rama and guide him towards the
state of Supreme rest? He is already purified in the mind by the rise of dispassion and fit
to receive such knowledge.
All the others seated there supported his words.
Vasishta agreed to what Vishvaamitra said and began his discourse!
 15

VASISHTAS DISCOURSE BEGINS

BRAHMAA

Brahmaa is the lotus-born who lives in SatyaLoka. This Brahmaa is the Creator of the
world and appears in the lotus coming out of Naaraayanas navel. This Brahmaa is the
father of Sage Vasishta.
The first story is an account of how this Brahmaa created Vasishta and how he imparted
the knowledge to his son.

STORY OF BRAHMAA

From the Supreme principle of Chidaakaasha the conscious space Vishnu appeared
like a wave from the ever-vibrating ocean.
From his heart-lotus arose the Supreme Lord Brahmaa, the Creator.
He created all the perceived phenomenon of the world as per his ideas.
He created all types of beings in the Bharata-Varsha, in a corner of the Jamboo Dveepa.
{According to Puraanas, the entire Cosmos is divided into seven concentric islands (Dveepa) separated by the seven encircling oceans,
each double the size of the preceding one. Jamboo Dveepa is one of them. It has seven zones. Bharata Varsha is one of them (not just
the present India)}

Brahmaa observed all the created beings undergoing unending sufferings forced by
Vaasanaas (latent tendencies). His heart melted in compassion like the father is pained
when his children suffer. He started to ponder intensely about some means of alleviating
their suffering.
The Lord then created Tapas/Daana/Satya/Teertha (Penance/Charity/ Truth/Sacred
places) so that the created beings could use them to gain merits and thus be rid of their
sufferings.

Even then Brahmaa observed that the beings were not completely freed from their painful
states of mortality.

He again pondered for some time. He thought that by performing penance or any other
meritorious act, men could not attain the final state of liberation. He knew that knowledge
alone could cure their ignorance and bestow on them liberation. Other than knowledge
nothing could free the beings from their bondage. Having decided so, he created
Vasishta.
 16

STORY OF VASISHTA

The moment a conception appeared in the mind of Brahmaa, Vasishta stood in front of
him like a wave suddenly appearing in an ocean. He looked almost like Brahmaa except
for the mortal form he was endowed with. He held a Kamandalu (sacred water pot) in his
hand like his father; he wore a Rudraaksha (rosary) garland on his neck like his father.
He wore a deer-skin as his garment like his father. He too was an all-knower like his
father.

Vasishta saluted his father with reverence.

Lord Brahmaa called him affectionately to his side; held his hand and made him get
seated in the topmost petal of the lotus he was seated on.

Brahmaa said to his son-

Son! For a second your mind will be covered by ignorance like the taint covering the
moon and will be restless like that of a monkey.

{A doctor can prescribe the medicine only by gauging at the level of the particular disease in a person who
is actually diseased. He cannot experiment on a healthy person. Likewise, Brahmaa had to make Vasishta
suffer like an ordinary man of the world and according to his mental aptitude impart the knowledge. So he
had to make Vasishta ignorant first and then impart the suitable knowledge.}

Immediately Vasishta forgot everything he knew including his identity as the Self. He felt
that he was limited to a form and attained a pathetic state. He was like a rich man who
lost all his wealth in a second and owned nothing.
He felt that he was suffering in a worldly existence and no means of escaping the pains
were there ever.
Sad and distressed he stood there silently.

Brahmaa asked him-

Son! Why are you so sad? Whatever your trouble is, do confide in me; I will tell you
how to get rid of it.

Then Vasishta asked him for the cure for the disease of Samsaara.
He asked him-
How did this Samsaara come into being? How does it ever disappear?

Then Brahmaa taught him in detail the knowledge that will make one get freed of the
bondage.

Vasishta now freed of his ignorance shone like another Brahmaa by the new knowledge
imparted to him.
 17

At that time Brahmaa told him

I purposely made you ignorant for a second so that I could impart this knowledge to
you. Now you are enlightened by me. You are now purified by the fire of knowledge like
an impure gold burnt in fire. Now go to the Bhaarata Varsha situated in the Jamboo
Dveepa and remain there performing actions (rites) and instruct the proper rites to the
people. And to those filled with dispassion impart the knowledge I have given you so that
they can easily attain liberation.

From then onwards Vasishta remained in the Bhaarata-Varsha and gave this knowledge
to any one qualified enough to receive it.
(The term Bhaarata means Attraction towards Knowledge
Bhaa- Knowledge/Light; Rata -one who is attracted)

RAAJA -VIDYAA

Like Vasishta many others were created and sent to the earth like Naarada,
SanatKumaara etc. They instructed men about the rites (actions) to be performed by a
man and also the knowledge which will lead to the liberation.
At the end of KritaYuga, as all the Sages left the earth, kings were appointed in particular
regions to maintain law and order and guide the people towards their good. Various
Smritis, Yajnas were brought into vogue for the fulfillment of the four goals of life.
(Keep righteousness as the foundation of all actions and thoughts; earn the needed wealth; pursue your
ambitions; attain liberation.)
As the wheel of time rotated, as people were intent only on eating and reproducing, the
kings started to punish people who disobeyed the laws. As kings disagreed among
themselves and were dominated by the greed for land and wealth, wars erupted
everywhere for the least of the reasons. The kings also attained a pathetic state like the
ordinary populace of their country.
The realized Sages then started instructing the secret knowledge to all the Kings and tried
to guide them in the right path. So this knowledge of the Self is known as RaajaVidyaa
(Royal Science), Raaja-Guhyam (Secret Knowledge belonging to the kings).
The kings attained the knowledge and became free of all sufferings.
Such a king was Raghu. And on his lineage was born Dasharatha. And Rama was the
eldest son. So he was qualified to obtain this sacred knowledge because he was a prince.
One need not be born only in a Sages family to gain this knowledge.

THE DISCOURSE BEGINS

With such assurances, Vasishta starts instructing Rama about the qualities to be
developed by a person after liberation.
Then he relates the story of Aakaashaja, the Brahmin who never experienced the results
of his actions, though he performed all his allotted duties perfectly well.
Only when the idea of the limited I is there, the mine-ness can arise. Any action
colored by an I will give the result and the agent of the action enjoys the result of his
action. But the Brahmin Aakaashaja had no I sense. He had no mine-ness. So he had
no actions to his credit at all, though he is actually the Creator of the entire perceived
phenomenon.
 18

ABSTRACT THINKING

The first story of Vasishta is the beginning of the abstract thought processes.
After recounting the story of Lord Brahmaa and how he himself was born of Brahmaa,
Vasishta starts breaking up the solid world perceived by Rama. The first thing that gets the
hammer blow of Vasishta is the concept of Lord Brahmaa as a person with a solid body
sitting and creating worlds.
Though such a Brahmaa exists playing around with his creative ability, how did he arise
first of all from the changeless Brahman?
As an answer to this question Vasishta relates the story of Aakaashaja.

STORY OF AAKAASHAJA

Once there lived a Brahmin of great virtues. Nobody knew who he was or when he was
born. So he was known by the name of Space-born. He never moved out of his house.
He always spent his time in contemplation. He always wished for the good of everyone.
Nobody knew how long he had been living like this. Everyone wondered why he never
succumbed to death like the rest of them.
Even the all consuming Death got worried about this. He felt it was a blemish on his
successful career that one puny Brahmin kept on living presenting a challenge to his
mighty powers. Of course Death had tried many a times to kill that harmless Sage. He
had invented many a situations where that Brahmin could have died within seconds; but
usually nothing happened; rather no situations could be created in the Brahmins lonely
abode. That Sage lived alone. He had no relatives to speak off; he seemed to have no
possessions or properties. He never made friends with anybody. He never talked; he
never moved; he never ever opened his eyes. He was always absorbed in deep meditation.
Nothing could disturb him; nobody could wake him up.
Death wanted to report all this to his boss. But he wanted to have one last try before
accepting defeat at the hands of this strange little Brahmin. He stealthily entered the
Brahmins house. The house was like a picture drawn on the sky. He could easily go
through its walls. He saw in the centre the vague outlines of a person sitting on a lotus
seat. The Brahmin did not appear to have any physical body. His entire person was aglow
with light. The light emanating from that lustrous form actually blinded Death. But
undaunted he moved towards the Brahmin.
Immediately he was surrounded by huge flames engulfing him on all sides. Death himself
should have died; but he did not lose his courage. His desire to kill that Brahmin was too
strong. With extreme courage he tore open the fire wall and entered further inside the
house. Now he could actually see the clear image of the Brahmin. Controlling his urge to
fall at his feet in surrender, Death produced out of his person thousands of arms and tried
to catch the meditating Sage. But his hands just passed through that figure and he could
grasp nothing. He was surprised. He was seeing that Brahmin in front of him just a step
away. But yet he could not even touch him. Death pinched himself. He knew that it was
not a dream. His powerful hand went towards the Brahmins neck to strangle it and break
it. But there was nothing to hold. It was like empty space. Death tried and tried till his
own limbs were completely tired out.
 19

Death got really anxious. He decided to consult his boss DHARMARAAJA, (King of
Righteousness) or the Divinity commonly known as Lord Yama. Lord Yama was the
controller of all the events of who should die, when etc. and was rightly named the
Right thinking Chief.
In the mortal world everyone went on acting without a break and DHARMARAAJA had to
keep perfect calculations about every thought and every act of everyone and write down
the judgments correctly. Nobody ever escaped his sharp scrutiny. His heart was not filled
with compassion like other divinities and he could not afford to give way to any emotions
in his work. He was perfect in his job and perfect in his thoughts and actions. There was
nothing he did not know.
He was aptly named DHARMARAAJA; the king of Righteousness.
Death approached him with a forlorn look and reported his anguish. He asked his Master
to teach him some tricks to catch that Brahmin.
Yama was amused! He said that Death had not the power to catch anybody and
everybody and kill them. The actions performed by them alone should lead to such a
result. So he told Death to find out whether the Brahmin had done even a tiniest act
anytime in his life. If he had even breathed once, there was a chance of stopping that
breath and killing him. Actions alone kill a man, he advised Death.
Death felt relieved and tried to analyze the whole life of Brahmin and see where he had
acted even once. Whatever creations were approachable by him he searched them for any
incident or thought connected to that Brahmin. He was shocked to find out that there was
no information available anywhere about that Brahmin. He wondered about the fact that
the Brahmin never even thought about anything and he never ever desired for anything.
Now Death felt mentally exhausted. He returned with a forlorn face to his Boss and
reported his failure.
Lord Yama was also surprised. He closed his eyes and meditated for a while. He
understood what was happening. He advised Death that there was not in the least a
chance of killing that Brahmin. The Brahmin never performed any action. He had no
thoughts belonging to him. He did not even have a physical body which could be
destroyed. He did not even breathe; the breathing act was observed by others only. He
had no solid body which could be destroyed. He was made of empty space. He was like a
lighted up space; he was only Knowledge in essence.
How can knowledge be destroyed ever? Knowledge has no form or solidity.
The Brahmin was an abstract entity. If at least he was an effect of some cause, even then
there was a chance of killing him. But there seemed to be no cause for him.
He was deathless, informed DharmaRaaja and advised Death to leave him alone.
Death had nothing to say. He had too much work on hand now. Better get on with work
than worry about one who never seemed to exist he decided and entered the mortal world.
Immediately the earth was alive with deaths; some volcano erupted somewhere; earth
shivered somewhere; waters jumped elsewhere; fire danced somewhere; and of course
mortals fought everywhere.
Death felt relaxed and a smile lingered on his terrifying face. He will never go hungry for
a long time he thought and got ready to fill his ever-hungry belly.

(Aakaashaja is the quiver of perception in the Reality; it never ends ever.)

 20

THE TALE OF THE DOME

INTRODUCTION

This is the story of King Padma and Queen Leelaa.

Leelaa is a devotee of Goddess Sarasvati and prays for knowledge.
Goddess Sarasvati explains to her the illusory nature of time and space by giving Leelaa
the actual experience of journeying to her dead husbands past and future lives.
The term Dome or Mandapa plays a very important role in the story.
Leelaa travels huge distances to visit the past and future worlds of her husband inside the
tiny place of her bed-room dome. The tiny dome of her bed-room contains many domes
of created worlds of enormous sizes and covers vast distances.
This paradox is the main theme of the story.
The story is slightly mind-boggling and contains highly abstract truths.

[A BRIEFING OF THE STORY]

[Queen Leelaa is a devoted wife of King Padma. She wants her husband to be with her
even after his death. By the boon obtained from Goddess Jnapti (Sarasvati), she binds the
subtle Jeeva of Padma inside the tiny space of her bed-dome.
That very night she visits by the grace of Sarasvati, her husbands future world which
Padma is experiencing as a Jeeva inside the bed-dome. In that life she sees him as a
sixteen year old prince getting consecrated on the throne. He has a different form and
different personality there. His name is Vidooratha in the new life.

That very night Sarasvati takes her again to another Creation-dome where Leelaa had
lived and died as Arundhati, a Brahmin woman, the wife of Brahmin Vasishta.
There the sons are mourning the death of their parents.
Leelaa learns that she as Arundhati and her husband Vasishta (not Sage Vasishta)
had died there in that creation eight days back.
Arundhati again by the boon obtained from Sarasvati had bound her husband Vasishtas
Jeeva in that little room of that small cottage.

Leelaa is puzzled.
Inside the Brahmins tiny cottage-room, Vasishtas Jeeva was stuck.
Vasishtas Jeeva experienced the life of Padma in that tiny cottage room-space itself.

And again as per Leelaas wish the Jeeva of Padma was stuck in the bed room dome
of Padmas palace.
Padma was experiencing the life of Vidooratha in that bed room dome which was really
inside the tiny cottage-room of the Brahmin.

The tiny cottage room-space of Vasishtas house contained within it the world of Padma
and also the world of Vidooratha.
 21

Space is the projection of the mind. There is no absolute solid world anywhere.
Anyone can dream a huge world inside a bed room space.
After death also, life is experienced in the very same point of the previous life.
If we go on searching for the original point where all the life experiences started, we will
end up in Brahman, the point which contains all the manifest worlds within it like
perturbations.

To simplify the story, we can say that the Brahmin Vasishta in his hut dreamed that he
was King Padma. And as he was dreaming as King Padma he had another dream and
thought that he was king Vidooratha.
All the dreams are experienced only in the hut-space by Vasishta.
A dream within a dream within a dream!
If we mark the dream-change junctions with deaths, then we can say that Vasishta
died to become Padma; Padma died to become Vidooratha.
But because of Arundhatis boon, Vasishtas Jeeva was stuck in the hut.
All the experiences of Padma and Vidooratha occur in the mind of the Brahmin Vasishta.
However, Vasishtas body has been cremated already and Padmas body is kept
preserved and so the life-story of Padma alone continues in the end.

Time which is the counterpart of space also is a projection of the mind.

On the very night of Padmas death Leelaa visits Arundhatis world after some fifty or
sixty years of living as Leelaa in Padmas world.
But she as Arundhati had died only eight days back in that world, along with her
husband.
Within eight days, she had lived some sixty years as Leelaa in a palace!

Similarly on that very night of Padmas death, she visits Vidoorathas world two times.
In the first visit she sees Vidooratha (Padmas next life) as a youth of sixteen getting
consecrated as the king.
In the second visit she sees him as an old man of seventy or so, ready to fight his enemy
in a fierce battle.
She spends a night there watching the battle and its aftermath.
When she returns to her world of Leelaa, she finds that almost a month has elapsed in her
world.

There does not seem to be any match between the clocks and calendars of all the three
worlds past, present and future worlds of Padma; nor is there a sense in the space
measurements.

Leelaa understands the illusory nature of Time and Space. She now knows all the
worlds are just projections of the mind. She develops dispassion and goes off to
SatyaLoka with her deity Jnapti.
 22

STORY OF LEELAA AND PADMA

SARASVATIS TEMPLE

King Padma stood on the terrace garden. His eyes looked weary. A gentle wind rustled
his unkempt hair and bathed him in the intoxicating fragrance of jasmine flowers.
Melodious Veenaa music entered his ears from afar and soothed his tired brain. Far out in
the garden a bluish moon was shining competing with the satellite floating in the sky. But
this moon was a man made wonder constructed at the behest of Queen Leelaa as a temple
for her favorite deity Goddess Sarasvati.

The building was a real architectural marvel. It was a huge circular arena open on all
sides. An enormous dome covered the entire structure like the sky. Gigantic pillars clad
with variously shaped Lapis lazuli flowers supported the structure like mighty Gods.
Garlands strung with exquisite pearls decorated the roofs. Jasmine creepers of many
varieties grew all around the temple and had been allowed to cover the dome on top. A
small pond in the center of the hall was adorned with white lotuses and a few white
swans swam in complete abandon in those cool waters.

On the eastern corner a huge statue of Goddess Sarasvati had been placed. The statue was
carved meticulously in crystal opal. Instead of being adorned with Veenaa and other
accessories, this Sarasvati was seated on a huge gem-studded throne which threw colorful
panorama of lights all around it. The hands of the Goddess gently rested on both sides of
the throne. The statue was of immense height with the head of the Goddess almost
touching the roof. The Goddess was not adorned with a jewel crown. Her hair dropped
down profusely all over her back. A simple garland made of giant pearls embraced her
neck like the arms of a child. She seemed to smile at everyone who came before her. It
felt almost like she was about to come down and hug her devotees. The sculptor had
made the statue almost life-like and had worked hard to bring the required effect.

The hall was an arena for arts. It was a mini SatyaLoka, the abode of the Goddess in
heaven. The place was always busy with crowds of highly talented people who came
from far and near to exhibit their talents to the queen and get rewarded by her. Queen
Leelaa who though was a promoter of arts mostly encouraged scholarly discussions
which aimed at decoding the great truths contained in the Vedas and Upanishads.

Queen Leelaa herself was a great scholar. There was no art she did not master. And she
surpassed even heavenly damsels in her beauty. From childhood she was fascinated by
the Goddess of Knowledge and worshipped her with extreme devotion. Her only desire in
life was to know everything about the Creation and unravel the mysteries of Nature. No
Scriptures were left unread by her; no language was left untouched by her. She was adept
in the practice of Yogic meditations and breath-control also. There was nothing more on
earth she could master anymore. Most of the days and nights she spent in her temple
itself, contemplating on her deity and pondering about the mysteries of the Universe.
 23

KING PADMA

King Padma sighed impatiently.

He knew that he was the most fortunate man on Earth for having Leelaa as his wife. He
could not ask for more. But he always felt that she did not deserve him. Of course never
had she shown any arrogance or vanity on her part. He knew that she loved him more
than her own life. The time spent in her company was worthier than even the eternal post
of Indra. But he could never ever forget the fact that she was far above him in learning
and wisdom. Moreover she was not as interested in material pleasures as him.

Most of the nights were spent in her describing the various events that went on in her
temple and the philosophical truths that were discussed on that day. It was long since the
king ever had her as a companion in amorous sports. He even felt ashamed to even
indirectly suggest that he entertained a wish to enjoy her company.

Though he felt blessed to own the most beautiful woman on earth as his life-mate, he
never had the fortune to enjoy her company as he desired. She was an exotic fruit held in
the hand of the Goddess of Knowledge and he never had the courage to grasp it and eat it.
Of course countless maids of exquisite beauty served him day and night and satisfied his
unending demands of passion; but his cherished wife did not even have the least
inclination about his innermost fires of desires consuming him slowly. Except for this
flaw on her part for which no one but fate seemed responsible, she was the ideal
companion for the king in other matters.

Leelaa attended to all his personal needs herself; she attended the court with him daily
and helped in the administration affairs. Whenever the king was away on his amorous
adventures with pretty maidens, she took care of the kingdom and handled the matters
with extreme care. The ministers highly valued her advice on official matters and kept
her busy. People loved her like their own mother. She was easily approachable by any
ordinary member of the public and everyone adored her as Goddess Lakshmi incarnated
on earth.

The king was just name sake. He never had enough of pleasures and left the charge of the
kingdom to his ever wise wife and relaxed in sheer luxuries the post of the king had
offered him. Since the queen handled the chiefs of the neighboring states also with
extreme friendliness and goodness, battles and wars were mere words in the minds of the
people. Swords and spears were just toys used for sports of bravery and never ever were
stained by the blood of the enemies, because there existed no enemies for Padma under
the rule of the wise queen Leelaa. Moreover her family deity Jnapti, Goddess of
Knowledge kept her devotees world under her care and no calamity or tragedy struck the
kingdom at any time.
King Padma had nothing to complain about. He entrusted all the affairs of the kingdom to
his ever affectionate wife and spent all his time in seeking various pleasures his royal
status could provide. But he missed her company.
If only such a beauty had passion also inbuilt in it!
His heart cried like a child whose toy was securely locked in the safe.
 24

LEELAA, THE DEVOTED WIFE

Today King Padma had quickly got over all the urgent affairs of the State and had arrived
earlier than usual to the palace of his wife. But Leelaa was not there. Of course he knew
very well that she would be in the temple of Jnapti discussing some scripture or other
with some scholars. He tightened his lips in frustration.
What was there to know about the world, he wondered.
When God had provided all that one could ask for, why go after worthless query about
some abstract things, he asked himself.

He dismissed away with a frustrated look, all the girls waiting to serve him. He collapsed
on the bed tired and angry. The soft cool bed soothed his burning body. He closed his
weary eyes and entered his world of imagination. He pictured his wife without her
wisdom; pretty, passionate, a perfect company in love sports. The thought brought a
smile on his lips. The music from the Veenaa lulled him to a blissful drowsiness. He
relaxed on the bed and his eye lids shut the world out of his mind.
When he woke up he saw his lovely queen fanning him gently. He smiled with complete
satisfaction.
Leelaa smiled too! Was not she his reflection always!

HOW TO BECOME IMMORTAL?

The temple of the Jnapti was buzzing with activity hitherto unknown. Scholars and
learned men from various parts of the country had arrived there being specially invited
for the occasion. The temple which always shone like a recluse lady attired in white,
today wore the look of a colorful bride. Flowers of various hues decorated each and every
corner of the sacred premises. Another thing that made all the difference was a huge
jewel box placed at the feet of the Goddess.

The box itself was studded all over with diamonds and gems of various hues. More
diamonds filled the box unto the brim. Any one who could answer the query of the Queen
today would be the proud owner of that treasure box. The crowd eagerly awaited the
arrival of their beloved queen.
Soon Leelaa adorned the court like a full moon shining amidst stars. She sat on the white
marble throne kept at the feet of the Goddess. She bent her head slightly revering all the
learned men who had assembled there at her behest. The crowd hailed her with respect.
The queen smiled back graciously. But her eyes couldnt hide her apprehension. Without
much delay she placed her question before the assembly and asked them to present a
perfect solution for her problem.

The query she presented was whether immortality could be attained by humans.
Was there any drug, or hymn, or austerity or penance which could make a man immortal,
she wanted to know and she warned the crowd that any false claim or an attempt to cheat
would be met with severe punishment immediately.
 25

The queen was well known for her compassion but she never spared anyone who acted
the wrong way. Especially those who slighted women were ruthlessly sent to the
dungeons.
She requested the assembly to find the answer at least by the end of the day and returned
to her private chambers.

LEELAA IS WORRIED

Leelaa took her favorite Veenaa and placed it lovingly on her lap. As her fingers
magically produced heavenly melodies from that inert instrument, her mind was absorbed
in serious thinking.

The king was not looking so healthy nowadays. He seemed to be disturbed by some
unexpressed grief and mostly spent his time relaxing on the bed. Since his sons were all
well-trained in the affairs of the kingdom, he could afford the long-awaited rest now. He
knew his ministers will guide his sons in the correct course always. He preferred to stay
in the bed most of the time. Leelaa also sat with him relaxing him with her melodious
songs or played music from her Veenaa. But nothing could soothe the disturbed heart of
her husband. His days were filled with anxieties and he never had restful sleep at nights.

His behavior towards others also had changed.

He was irritated with everybody; shouted at his subordinates; got angered for the smallest
mishaps. He drowned his depression in wine and intoxicating drugs. When senseless, he
blabbered about a daughter whom he never got, about his wife who always stole the
show, about his life which was just wasted away without enjoying anything.
He was not like this always. He was a king of blemish less character in his youth. There
was no one equal to him in courage, bravery and wisdom. The first few years of their life
were not less joyous than the life of Indra and Shachi in heaven. But slowly he had lost
his cheerful bubbly nature. He seemed to purposely avoid her company. When alone, he
spent his time brooding on something. Maybe he was disappointed that he had no
daughter, Leelaa thought. He always had desired a female child and unfortunately had
only five sons to carry on his name but no daughter. But now it appeared that he had lost
control over himself. All his suppressed desires and wants were bursting out as anger and
irritation. The unexpressed grief had led him to seek solace in intoxicating drugs and
pretty maidens. His unhealthy habits soon forced him to be a bed ridden patient.

Leelaa served him with complete devotion and humility. She felt apprehensive that he
may soon meet his death if he continued to live like this. She tried her best to console
him, but to no avail. If she could have given her own health and life to her husband to
make him happy she would have done so. She had no regrets about her death. After all,
any one who is born must die. It was a certainty enjoined by the cruel fate. But she could
not bear the thought of her husband dying. The king was her soul and life. Without him
she would be nothing. She had no identity bereft of him.
If he lived, she lived; if he died?
 26

She felt that she would not be alive the next second. But may be there were some Siddhis
or magical powers which make a dead one alive or keep the body from dying. Maybe
some potions had the power to ward of the decay of the body cells. Then she would make
her husband live for a long time and serve him always with devotion.
She desired nothing but his welfare.
Her reverie was broken by the arrival of a maid who announced that the scholars were
ready to meet her now. She wiped the tear drops that were forming at the end of her lotus
like eyes. With renewed hope she walked towards the abode of Knowledge.

NO ONE HAS THE REMEDY FOR DEATH

The noise subsided as the queen entered the arena of the temple. The queen sat on her
throne and looked at the crowd eagerly. One old Brahmin stood up and saluted her. He
explained the various methods suggested by many learned men to attain many Siddhis
and powers. But he woefully explained that immortality was a thing never fated for the
humans. Anyone born must die. Nobody can escape death whether he is a Sage or a king.
One could even live for long with some intake of chemical solutions, but death cannot be
avoided by any one. No penance, no austerities, no hymns had the power to bestow
immortality.
The queens face faded like a lotus hit by a snow fall. She thanked the scholars for the
trouble they had taken to answer her query. She instructed her personal maid to distribute
the gems in the treasure box to all the scholars assembled there equally and walked out in
a pensive mood.

PADMAS WOES

The moon was hiding behind the clouds.

The lamps in the room flickered by the sudden wind which blew from the window.
The king was fast asleep on his bed. Before he slept he had cried like a child on her lap
and confided in her all his suppressed feelings.

He had told her everything; how he felt inferior in her presence; how he strived hard to
develop interest in intellectual pursuits but was inadvertently drawn towards sense
objects always; how he craved for a daughter to console his troubled heart and so on.

As she caressed his unkempt hair soothingly, he had fallen asleep on her lap like a child.
Now he was sleeping on his own bed freed of his burden. He knew Leelaa would find a
way out of this depression for him. He knew she will somehow raise him to her level of
intelligence and make him reach the spiritual goal of liberation. He smiled in his sleep.

DOME

Leelaa did not sleep. She was sitting on her bed still thinking about immortality. She did
not want her husband to die. Of course all learned men of the country had admitted their
incapacity to give her a solution. But she did not give up. She decided to think it out.
 27

A human being is not just the body. Atman is the embodied Purusha.
Atman is the Self without any thought processes or particular identities connected with it.
But this husband of mine with the identity of Padma is the embodied Atman.
He is the Jeeva. After death this Jeeva may be whisked off to heaven or hell and I will
lose him forever. Even if he takes any other birth, I will never know of it.
He loves me so much. I should be his wife in all his future lives and serve him.
Leelaa thought this much and looked up as if some God will help her out.
All she saw was the golden dome studded with various gems covering their sleeping area.

Curtains made of exotic pearls hung all around from the roof of the dome blocking the
bed from the vision of others. On the four corners of the room huge golden lamps emitted
light continuously and acted as guards keeping the eerie darkness away. The bed looked
like a solid rainbow risen on earth colored by the reflection of the rays emanating from
the gems adorning the dome. Soft winds blew from the window filling the room with
exquisite scent of various fragrant flowers from the outside garden.

Leelaa took a deep breath and closed her eyes enjoying the peaceful security of the dome.
She wondered, how long will they both sleep under this sparkling dome? One day these
beds will be empty without them.
But of course we both will not die at the same time she said to herself.
If I die first, it would not matter; I will wait for him as a Jeeva wherever I am.
As a practitioner of yoga and meditation I can wait in this very space for him to die and
guide him in the after worlds. But if he dies first, lacking spiritual wisdom he will be lost
in some future birth and I may not be able to locate his Jeeva.
The best solution is to block his Jeeva from leaving this very dome above our beds.
If he is kept bound here, then after I die I will take care of his future births and will be his
wife in the next birth also. I can go on repeating this process, so forever we both will live
as husband and wife pair. I will somehow guide him in the spiritual path and we both will
together attain the goal of liberation mentioned in the Scriptures.

LEELAA DECIDES TO PLEASE GODDESS JNAPTI

Leelaa smiled. She felt like laughing aloud. She had found a way to cheat this cruel fate
which made death inevitable to mortals. But how this can get achieved, she again
wondered. As if in answer she heard the temple bells ringing from far.
Of course, her deity would help her out. All these days she had worshipped Goddess
Jnapti with devotion. But now she will perform more difficult austerities and gain her
favor.
She thought within herself again.
For that this husband of mine will prove an obstacle and may force me to give up such
hardships as I undertake for his welfare.
Therefore I will advise him in the morning to leave for a pilgrimage to all the temples
and hermitages all over the country. Let him be accompanied by a few of his favorite
friends and some men of medicine. It will take him a year or so to complete the tour.
By that time I will make Jnapti appear before me and make her give the required boon .
 28

Leelaa smiled satisfactorily. She lay down next to her husband wondering what
austerities were hard enough to please Jnapti. Padma turned towards her and embraced
her even as he slept. Leelaa patted his hand affectionately. She felt that she was
responsible for his future. She will not forsake him whatever happens. She will get that
Jnapti to appear before her somehow or other, she said to herself in a determined way.

The dome bathed her in its golden rays as if pleased by her decision. Leelaa nestled
closer to the cherished Lord of her heart. Soon her eyes closed in deep slumber. She slept
peacefully within her husbands strong arms, under the protective shelter of the dome.

Next morning she called for the meeting of the ministers and her sons. He explained to
them that the king should without delay leave for the sacred tour accompanied by a small
retinue and her sons should take care of the affairs of the State till he returned. She told
them also firmly that she will be busy worshipping the family deity till he came back and
that she should not be disturbed in any way.
Soon the king left on his tour with his trusted friends.

GODDESS JNAPTI APPEARS BEFORE LEELAA

What boon do you want my dear daughter?

Leelaa woke up with a start.

A golden light had flooded the entire room.
A huge form made of luster only, stood before her covering the region of the entire earth
and heaven.

Leelaa was dumbfounded.

Oh, the Goddess herself in person!

She could hear her own heart beats.

Was she dreaming, she wondered.

On that very morning after the decision was made, she had managed to send the king
away on the sacred pilgrimage. She did not want even a days delay in starting her
austerities. The king raised no objection for the pilgrimage plan. He was ready to do
whatever she advised. He felt that it would create a change in his mood and he would be
forced to give up all the bad habits he had developed. Simple food and company of the
wise would bring a turning point in his life, he thought.
The day after he left, she consulted some aged Brahmins, and as per their advice took to
pleasing her deity with various types of austerities.

She cleared a place in her bed room itself and got it ready for contemplation practices.
She instructed the maids not to allow any one inside the room when she was engaged in
meditation. Every morning she took a ritualistic bath and sat reciting the Mantra (sacred
chant) meant for Jnapti without a break for three days continuously.
 29

She fasted on all those three days. On the third day she went to the temple and fed
thousands of people. After everyone left she made a meal of whatever was left over and
spent the whole night in the contemplation of the Goddess. Next morning she again
started the recitation of the Mantra after the ritualistic bath in her bedroom. In this
manner she performed penance for hundred threefold nights. On the last night of the
penance, she sat in her bedroom contemplating on the form of the Goddess. Suddenly she
had heard a soft voice beckoning to her.

LEELAA ASKS FOR TWO BOONS

What boon do you want my dear daughter?

Leelaa felt as if she was drowning in the ocean of nectar. Her eyes became the
fountainhead of tears. Her entire body shivered in excitement. No sound came out of her
mouth. Her lips trembled like lotus buds swayed by winds. She did not know how to react
to such a benign presence. She just fell flat on the feet of the Goddess crying.

Two tender hands lifted her up gently.

Leelaa saw Jnaptis form now reduced to the room size.
She somehow blurted out-
O Mother! What can I ask you for except knowledge!
Though I would like to sit at your feet and forever keep learning from you all that has to
be learnt, at this moment my husbands welfare is of foremost importance to me. ..

Leelaa halted midway in her talks and quickly calculated within her mind.
If I ask for a boon and Jnapti disappears, then I will never be able to get another chance
to get any knowledge out of her. This Goddess must be kept as a constant guide for me.
So thinking she spoke to the Goddess.
Devi, O compassionate One! Kindly grant me two boons.
The first one is that my husbands Jeeva should not go away from the dome of the
bedroom in this harem after he dies.
The second one is that you should bless me with your vision whenever I want the boon.

Jnaptis eyes twinkled knowingly at the cleverness exhibited by her devotee. She smiled
graciously and said, Let it be so and vanished.

Leelaa blinked her eyes with disbelief. Did she really see the Goddess in person she
asked herself. An unearthly fragrance filling that room confirmed the visit of a Supreme
divinity. Leelaa laughed aloud. She had achieved her goal; her husband was now safe.
She completed the formal worship in the temple ending her austerities.

Soon the king returned from his pilgrimage. His face was radiant and flushed. His eyes
sparkled with some unknown joy. He had met many a learned sage on his tour and had
developed a keen interest in spiritual topics. He was eager to meet his dearest wife and
tell her all that he had seen and learnt. Leelaa came to meet him like the Ganges rushing
towards the ocean. Both melted into each other.
 30

DEATH OF KING PADMA

The king consecrated all his sons as heirs of the royal throne and gave them equal
positions in ruling the country. All had equal rights but decisions on anything had to be
made together under the guidance of the wise ministers. The sons were unblemished in
their character and promised their father that they will rule the kingdom, united as one.

The king and the queen spent most of their time in the temple premises nowadays. The
king started taking part in all the discussions and debates held at the temple arena.
He felt that had wasted all his life in worthless sense pleasures and tried hard to master
everything to the best of his ability in the last few days of his life.
But his body succumbed to ill health as a result of the sensuous life he had lived in the
past. Soon he was bed ridden.

Leelaa was heart broken. She served the king day and night attending to every personal
need of his like a maid.
Time rolled on unmindful of anyones joys or sorrows.
Death got ready to snatch the kings life away.

That fatal night was pitch-black. Icy winds blew chilling even brave hearts. Dark Clouds
covered the sky darkening the terrain even more. It was past midnight.
In the bedroom, Leelaa was seated next to the king massaging his chest gently. The king
was struggling hard to breathe. His breath came in bursts. His weak hands tightly held
Leelaas wrist as if afraid to let go. Fear lurked in his eyes. It was as if someone was
pulling him forcefully away from her. Leelaa stroked his head lovingly and consoled him
with soothing words. The kings cheeks puffed. He let out a cry Leelaa.
And that was all; he was no more.

His body lay motionless on the bed. The hand that held her wrist hung lifelessly. Leelaa
touched his face as if her touch could change the things. But his face was slowly turning
icy cold.
Leelaa sat stunned. Her eyes were fixed on the kings frozen face. The hand that held her
felt cold. The body was like a log covered in sheets. A few minutes passed in silence.
Even the wind had stopped its movement.
A scream pierced her throat echoing all over the palace.

JNAPTI APPEARS

Leelaa cried; fainted; wept; rolled on the floor; held on to the pillar; embraced the dead
body again and again; called him back to life !

Her maids, ministers, family, all consoled her in many ways. But Leelaa was not to be
consoled. She cried and cried, and requested them to leave her with the dead body alone
that night and conduct the funeral rites in the morning.
 31

Everyone obliged her and left her alone with her dead spouse. She locked the door from
inside. She sat in the seat reserved in the corner for contemplation and begged for the
Goddess to appear.

Jnapti was instantly by her side. This time she had a physical body of utmost charms.
She was fair hued. Like the statue in the temple she was adorned with just simple
ordinary white garments. A garland of pearls hung loosely from her neck. Two pearl ear
rings danced on her lovely ears. She appeared to be slightly taller than Leelaa and more
lustrous. She looked like a Yoginee just coming out of her penance.

She sat next to Leelaa and embraced her affectionately and kissed her on the forehead
like a mother. She silently led her towards the dead body. She stroked the head of the
king affectionately. The body immediately brimmed with the luster of life. She asked
Leelaa to arrange for a huge amount of flowers to be fetched from the garden.
When they were brought, they both covered the body with the flowers up to the dome.
Then Jnapti made her seated on the meditation mat and sat next to her. She tenderly
touched her face and said,
My dear daughter! Do not worry any more.
Your husbands Jeeva is safely bound in the space of the dome and his body will not
decay for long. In some future event he will rise up again healthy and young and rule the
kingdom as before.

WHERE WAS PADMA?

Before Leelaa could talk back, Jnapti vanished from sight. Leelaa returned to her bed and
sat on the small throne next to the bed. The kings face was now bright and alive as if his
body was kept in a suspended state. His Jeeva must be hovering inside the dome as Jnapti
promised, Leelaa thought. She observed carefully every point of space below that dome.
May be a streak of light, or a ghostly figure of the husband should be seen, she felt.

Nothing is here; nothing but the empty space under this dome.

Where is his Jeeva? It is neither inside the body nor outside. Where is my husband
hidden? I do not even feel the vibration of his thoughts. Everything is just empty space!
Pure void!

She got up from her seat; walked to and fro inside the room for a while; touched the face
of her husband; again walked for a while; again peeped inside the dome-space; nothing,
no sign of any Jeeva.

She sat on her meditation seat and called out to her divine guide. Jnapti was instantly
beside her. Leelaa held her hands and asked,
Where is the Jeeva of my husband?
What is he doing now? Show me where he is!
I cannot live even a second without him. Please take me to him.
 32

THE SILENCE BETWEEN TWO THOUGHT PROCESSES

Jnapti looked at her compassionately and said:

If you want to see him, you have to contemplate on the source of all the Jeevas.

L: What is the source of all Jeevas?

J: Empty space!

L: Space?
J: Yes; but not the ordinary gross space which contains all these various objects around
you; not even the space of the mind which contains all the conceptions of this world; but
that Supreme Space in which the gross space and mind-space both exist
undifferentiated.

L: How do I find it?

J: Very easy! Just concentrate on that silence which is in between two cognitions.

L: Explain a little more.

Jnapti explained to her patiently everything.

The mind does not continuously perceive objects. Perception of any object contains
successive states of cognitions which the mind later co-joins as one single perception
process. If you can concentrate in between these successive states and remain without
cognizing anything, you will reach the state of the Supreme Space.
Anyhow, do not worry. Just try your best to concentrate on what I said. By my grace you
will easily attain that state soon. For other beings it is attained only after practicing for a
long time.
Jnapti vanished.

LEELAA ENTERS HER HUSBANDS FUTURE LIFE

Leelaa closed her eyes and practiced contemplating on what Jnapti pointed out.
She soon lost the sense of her physical body. She felt she was floating out of the body.

Instantly she was in a huge city surrounded by mountains and rivers. She had no physical
form and floated like mist everywhere. The people who lived in that city never were
aware of her presence.
As she watched the roads, houses, and gardens, she felt that she was in familiar grounds.
She was certain that she was in her own city. But she soon found out that she was not.
She crossed the well-known streets and entered the palace premises.

The palace was huger than the one she lived in. It was surrounded on all sides by huge
stone walls which rose high like hills. On one side were kept the retinue of horses,
elephants and soldiers. All men were training vigorously in various fighting strategies. It
was as if they were preparing themselves for any unexpected enemy attack.
 33

On another side huge crowds of people thronged the inner hall to get the glimpse of the
king who was getting consecrated that day. The inner hall was filled with crowds of kings
and chieftains who had arrived there from various parts of the country to participate in
the ceremony. On another side groups of women in dressed in exquisite garments and
diamonds were busy commenting on everything excitedly.

Leelaa felt very curious.

Maybe her husband would be sitting on the throne and may be she had only dreamt of his
death. As she floated towards the throne, she saw all the ministers and courtiers of her
own kingdom. She rushed towards the throne almost crying out in joy; but lo; that was
not her husband Padma. The person who was sitting on the throne was just a sixteen year
old youth. By the shouts of the people she understood his name to be Vidooratha.

She floated closer to him and observed him closely. He looked so unfamiliar. But if what
Jnapti said was correct this was her husband Padma who was in this another world ruling
as a king.
Her head reeled.
She returned back to her own body in the harem bedroom feeling confused about her
whole adventure.

WERE ALL IN HER CITY DEAD?

Leelaa got up from her meditation seat. Not even a second had passed in this world.
Everything was as before. The kings body hidden under the flowers remained
motionless. She looked out of the window. Everything was absolutely quiet.

Maybe all the citizens, courtiers, ministers had died along with their king and gone to the
next life with him, she thought. A chill ran through her body. She felt that she was all
alone in that city. She had to personally see whether everyone was alive, she decided.

She opened the door of her bedroom and called out to her trusted maids. Seeing them
alive she felt relieved. She instructed them that the court will meet within a few minutes
and all the ministers, courtiers and citizens should assemble there without delay. All of
them were highly sympathetic to their queen who had lost her husband and were ready to
oblige any sudden whim of hers.

Soon the paths were lighted up with rows of lamps; the court-hall was swept and
decorated; all those who were sleeping got out of their beds, dressed up neatly and
arrived at the court without delay. The queen entered the courtroom, sat on her throne and
observed everyone carefully.

Everyone was fully alive. None had died, for sure. She looked at the throne where her
husband used to sit. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

She thanked the court in gestures and returned to her own chambers.
 34

WHICH WORLD IS REAL- THAT OR THIS?

Leelaa again locked herself in the bedroom; sat on her seat and started thinking about her
visions.
Which world was real? Both were so identical! Except for the king!
Was she in a dream or were they in a dream?

She remembered her friend Jnapti. The Goddess appeared the next instant and sat next to
her. Leelaa asked:
Dear Mother of all! What did I see? Where is that world situated?
Was that boy, another form of my husband? Why are all the people identical in both the
worlds? Which one is real - mine or his?

J: First tell me what you mean by real!

L: Well, I and you are sitting here and conversing. This is the real world!
The other one must be a dream-like vision!

J: But did you not feel that world as solid and real when you visited it?

L: Yes but it is different! It is not real! It is just a mirror image of this world.
It cannot be real.

J: How can you say so? If that world is a copy of this world then it must have risen out
of this world only. So this world is the cause of that world.
If this is real, that is real too! If this is unreal then that is unreal too!
The effect always has the same qualities as the cause.
Since you saw by yourself that your husband was ruling that world, that world exists as
much real as this world. Tell me now, how that world could have been caused?

L: Well, I believe he must have carried the thoughts of this world as memory and a
world might have been created to suit his ideas like in a dream!

J: Exactly! Then what do you think about this world?

L: If I apply the same logic, this world must also be a product of someones memory!
It all looks so confusing; tell me why and how all these things occur.

J: Since you are so much interested, let me explain everything to you in detail.
Come with me.
 35

THE DOME OF CREATION

Jnapti held her hand and Leelaa again floated out of her body. They both flew up into the
sky like birds.
They crossed the clouds, the solar system, galaxies, horizons and soon entered a layer of
dense darkness so dense that a needle could pierce through it.
There was nothing there; just empty space or rather spacelessness.
Leelaa could not understand whether they were moving or not moving. There was no
change at all. It was just darkness, darkness all around. Leelaa held Jnaptis hand tightly.

Soon Jnapti pointed out to a tiny flicker of light at the farthest distance like a ray of
knowledge in the world of ignorance. They both floated towards it quickly.
When they approached the flicker, Leelaa observed that, that one tiny flicker was actually
a lustrous point containing infinite number of flickers.
Jnapti took her hand and entered that tiny flicker of light like a streak of wind.

As they traveled further inside, the flickers just moved further and further away making it
appear like a star studded world. Jnapti just randomly selected one such point of shine
and entered it. Leelaa now found herself inside a huge domed structure like the ruins of
an old fortress.
But it covered the entire sky and the floors stretched beyond the horizons. Leelaa could
not find the end or beginning of that huge ancient dome structure. It was stuffy and dusty
all over. Cobwebs hung loosely everywhere. Jnapti told her to look around the place.
The roof of the dome had many small pores on its sides through which swarms of flying
insects whizzed out and in making strange buzzing noises. Leelaa went very close to
them and found out that they were not insects but Siddhas (realized sages with highly
miraculous powers) flying all over.

Amazed at the sight, Leelaa descended down slowly watching every tiny thing carefully.

Gigantic pillars with faded statues inbuilt in them supported the dome-structure.
Jnapti came near her and explained to Leelaa that they were the statues of the wives of
Gods.

As they descended down to the floor area, Leelaa heard a lot of commotion where many
unruly boys were chasing each other and fighting madly. Jnapti explained that they were
gods and demons fighting eternally.

From the inner most part of the domed structure there arose a droning noise which went
on without a break. Leelaa quickly floated inside to find a very old man huddled in a
corner. He looked very ancient. His beard spread out all over the place like a river. His
eyes were closed in deep thinking. His voice went on murmuring something. Jnapti who
had followed Leelaa told her that he was the owner of that particular dome and had been
here from the very beginning from when the dome arose. He was uttering the rules to be
followed inside the dome which were called by the humans as Vedas and when he
vanished the dome with all its contents would vanish forever.
 36

Leelaa came out not believing her own eyes. She observed the ground to see what went
on there.

The floor was muddy and tiny streams of water were flowing here and there creating
mires all over. Worms were crawling in those mires. Somewhere all the waters collected
at some low lying area and had formed a pool. Leelaa understood that those streams were
rivers and the pool was the ocean.

The corners were all covered with various shaped anthills. Ants crawled all over the
place. Jnapti explained saying that the worms were the highly ignorant beings always
stuck in the mires of foolishness and the ants were various Jeevas living all over the
Creation.

Leelaa hovered around for some time viewing more amazing things in that dome. After
she had enough of all, she requested Jnapti to take her back home.

LEELAAS PAST LIFE

Jnapti took Leelaas hand and soon they were back in the harem instantly.
Jnapti said:
What you saw is just one Creation of one Creator. Actually the flicker of light we saw in
the beginning is just one slight perturbation in the Supreme State of Reality, which gives
rise to infinite number of perturbations called Creations.
The dome you saw was just one tiny Creation. So many domes exist there that nobody
has the capacity to visualize all of them.
All domes are not of the same type. Some are very small like an anthill; some bigger than
what you saw; some are gigantic. Some do not have the old Brahmin at all; some do not
have those kids playing around. Some are completely empty. Some contain many smaller
domes inside them.
Anything that is possible exists as domes in that one tiny flicker of luster.

L: What was the dark region we went through?

J: The dark region is the state of ignorance where all possible Creations remain sleeping
as it were. When some perturbation arises as it were, all these possibilities become
realities.

L: Why you took me there?

J: The dome which we both visited is the dome of your past life.
In one tiny corner of that dome, in a small anthill, in one of its pores, inside a cavity in
that hole there is a range of hills. Many villages are situated at the base of those hills.
One of the villages is named GiriGraama (Hill-Village).
 37

In that village lived a Brahmin named Vasishta. His wife was Arundhati.
They had many milk yielding cows and lived in a small house surrounded by some trees
and plants.
They had a few sons and also a daughter whom the Brahmin loved with utmost affection.
The Brahmin couple was well respected in their own circles.

Once the Brahmin was collecting grass on top of the hill and he happened to see below,
the king traveling on the road with his huge retinue towards the hunting grounds at the
outskirts of the village. The sight of the grandeur of the procession and the wealth and
luxuries enjoyed by the king somehow had a deep effect on the mind of the Brahmin.

He, from that moment longed for the life of the king and slowly withered away in
depression. He pined away the rest of his life only with that one thought of desiring royal
pleasures and soon died due to ill health.

The wife was a devotee of mine. She had worshipped me and had asked for a boon that
her husbands Jeeva should not leave the house-space and should remain there only. I had
granted her that boon.
The Brahmins Jeeva remains in that house-space only, in that village, at the base of the
hill, in that Creation!
It is eight days since that Brahmin died.
Arundhati also died the very instant the husband breathed his last.
You are that Arundhati and your husband Padma was that Brahmin named Vasishta.

LEELAA WANTS TO VISIT HER PAST-LIFE WORLD

Leelaa sat up with a jerk. She looked at her friend accusingly and asked,
Is this a joke you are playing on me?

Jnapti laughed aloud.

She said:
No, not at all! Why should I entertain myself with such cheap gimmicks?
What I am telling you is the truth.

The Jeeva of Vasishta is bound in that house-space in that small village.

This world of yours exists in his mind in that very house-space of the Brahmin.

Your husband Padma is dreaming another world similar to this world inside the harem
space of your bedroom.

But both these worlds are inside the house-space of that village only.

Leelaas curiosity was kindled. She requested Jnapti to take her to that village so she
could find out for herself the truth of all these events.
 38

J: But you cannot go with your physical body there.

You have to completely get rid of the identity with your body, your family and yourself
too.
You must be ready to act without any form at all when you visit those places. Can you?

Leelaa was thoughtful.

She asked:
Suppose I remove my identity with my body and it vanishes off?

J: So what? You can recreate it later on if necessary.

After all forms and shapes are creations of the brain. They are not real.
Every second the brain draws pictures in the empty space and believes it to be a solid
object. So do not bother. Forget the body and come with me.

JNAPTI AND LEELAA TRAVEL IN THE SUBTLE MIND-SPACE

Leelaa again sat off in meditation as instructed by Jnapti. Soon she was in the state of the
Self. She discarded the body like a snake slithering out of its dry skin.

Immediately without delay both the maidens ascended higher and higher in the sky as
formless entities holding hands like two friends.

This time Jnapti and Leelaa entered a space which was highly lustrous. Unlike the dark
region they had encountered last time, this region was dense with luster.

Jnapti explained to her that the lustrous region was the state of Knowledge. Again Leelaa
did not feel any movement in space.

Soon they saw a dark black point in the farthest region. Jnapti held Leelaas hand tightly
and entered that dark point. They were immediately caught in a giant whirlpool and soon
ended at the very bottom of that dark hole. Leelaa saw many tunnels like apertures there.
Jnapti randomly entered one tunnel holding Leelaas hand tightly. Instantly the scenario
had changed. Soft winds blew from somewhere. The space itself was soft and tender as
they moved. Now they were in a huge region of sky from where they could see
everything that existed in that space.

Somewhere Leelaa saw Siddhas hurrying fast. At yet another corner she saw weird
creatures with animal faces dancing in glee. Somewhere she saw divine damsels floating
in their air vehicles. She saw suddenly Sage Naarada crossing their path and disappearing
into the dense wall of the space.
Somewhere fragrant winds blew making her extremely joyous.
Somewhere she heard screams and yells of pain sending a shiver through her heart.
Somewhere else melodious music lulled her to peace.
There was no end to the things she saw, the worlds she passed through, the diverse people
she met on her journey.
 39

LEELAA SEES HER SON OF THE PAST LIFE

Soon Jnapti and Leelaa entered a region filled with huge mountains.
They descended down till they reached a tiny hillock in some remote corner of that
mountain range. At the base many tiny villages surrounded the hill.

Jnapti took her to one village close to the hill and entered a small house with thatched
roof. Leelaa saw that the people in the house were very sad and seemed to be mourning
for some ones death.
She was curious to know the facts and willed that they both should be seen by the people
in the house as ordinary maidens.

Suddenly the people in the house saw in front of them two ladies of lustrous beauty.
One middle aged Brahmin got up from their midst; offered some flowers at their feet and
saluted the ladies. Others all stood up with respect.
Leelaa asked him why were they all in such depressed moods.

The Brahmin explained that about a week back both his parents had died at the same time
and all of them were mourning their loss.
Leelaa touched his forehead and uttered words of blessing.
She said, May you all live long and happy.

Instantly all the people in that house felt light hearted and were filled with indescribable
joy. All of them saluted the ladies with reverence. They all believed that the two maidens
must be deities of the forests, come around to bless them.

LEELAA HAS MANY QUESTIONS TO ASK

Leelaa and Jnapti vanished from their midst and came out of the house. They entered a
wild garden that was at the back of the house and sat under a tree for a rest.

J: Now are you convinced?

In that very house-space, your husbands Jeeva is contained.
There alone exists your world which contains your harem and the dead body of
Padma. There alone exists the world of king Vidooratha.
Though others who live in that house have no idea of anything that has happened and see
nothing but empty space around them, that house-space alone is the dome of your
world and Vidoorathas world.

Leelaa was sitting silently. Her head rested on Jnaptis shoulder. Jnaptis arm held her
close to her like a mother. Jnapti did not say anything. She left her devotee to think it out
all by herself.
A few minutes elapsed.

Leelaa released herself from Jnaptis arms and sat facing her.
 40

She said:
Mother! Let us not waste time. Since all the three worlds connected to me exist in this
very house, come on; let us go and see my husband now. It will not take much time to
jump into other worlds. It is just inside the house space!

[Brahmins House]

A. Vasishtas Dome. B. Padmas world .C. Vidoorathas world.

J: No! We cant jump like that.

Though it appears that all the worlds are inside that small house-space, they all exist
unconnected to each other at enormous distances. Each world has its own space-time
boundaries. Every atom point of space contains countless universes inside it.
But this space is not the gross space but the space of Consciousness.
Though they seem to exist at the same point of Consciousness, they all exist entirely un-
connected with each other.

Moreover you mentioned that you wanted to meet your husband!

Which husband did you mean?
Eight days has passed since one (Vasishta) died; a few hours have elapsed after another
(Padma) died; the other one (Vidooratha) may be getting ready to die!
All three have different forms; different mentalities; different personalities!
The last one (Vidooratha) is highly ignorant and is immersed in the worldly affairs like
the frog in the mire.
T
here are other life experiences you had previously where you were yourself a husband to
someone and you also lived as wives to many others in different lives.
Which one do you choose to call as your life partner?

Jnapti lightly touched the forehead of her devotee.

Immediately the life experiences of all her previous incarnations passed before Leelaas
mental eye.
 41

Leelaa exclaimed:
So many lives! Some good; some bad; some evil; some noble; sometimes as an animal;
sometimes as a plant; sometimes as an insect; sometimes inert like a rock; sometimes as
a female; sometimes as a male; so many painful existences; so many joyous experiences;
which one is real, which one is false? Who is a relative and who is not?
And all these worlds where I experienced pain and pleasure still exist now in different
time modes! Which one shall I call my own?

ARUNDHATIS LIFE

Jnapti got up from the garden seat and told Leelaa to discard the form conceived for the
sake of Vasishtas family.

As misty waves they both floated through the village grounds. Leelaa remembered the
entire life she had led as Arundhati from birth to death.
She wandered all over the place identifying every object she had touched and every piece
of ground she had walked on as Arundhati.
She understood that she was just an ordinary Brahmin woman in her previous life. She
had spent all her lifetime just performing various house chores serving her husband and
children. Except for a few minutes spent in praying to Goddess Sarasvati, she had not
much to boast about any spiritual practice.

She as Arundhati had requested the Goddess that her husbands Jeeva should not move
out of the house-space. As Leelaa also she had repeated the same request.

The Jeeva of Vasishta after his death was experiencing the life of Padma as per his
cherished desire for royal life, in that very house-space; and there itself dying again as
Padma, he was experiencing the life of Vidooratha now.
All worlds existed inside the tiny space of the Brahmins house.

Leelaa was lost in deep thoughts.

As Arundhati she had died and followed him to the next world of Padma. But she had not
followed him to Vidoorathas world.
Who would be his wife there she wondered.
And how many lives would he keep on experiencing in that house-space itself?
If everyone who died were experiencing worlds after worlds repeatedly as per the desires
of the heart, then where was the end?
As a wife of Vasishta or as the wife of Padma, should she also accompany him as his wife
and suffer endlessly?
Since she has understood the dream-like nature of lives now, would she be able to again
go through the delusory life of a wife and love him as before?
 42

LEELAA VISITS VIDOORATHAS WORLD

Leelaa saluted Jnapti and asked her to guide her from now on. Jnapti understood that now
Leelaa was full of dispassion and suggested-
Come on, now we will see what Vidooratha is doing.

Leelaa now felt lighter and like a practiced traveler she flew up as a misty form away into
the sky. After crossing many a wind tunnels, dark holes, universes, god worlds, dark
regions, lustrous regions, at last they both descended down into the world where
Vidooratha ruled.

Leelaa was surprised to see that the king had now turned almost seventy and looked worn
out and tired. Jnapti told her that the king was not an efficient ruler but had spent his time
mostly with his dear wife; had now become a target for an enemy king who was
conquering all the lands that he could lay his hands on; and he was now getting ready to
battle Vidooratha. Vidoorathas army was in a bad shape as he was not prepared for this
war and he had no hopes of winning.

Jnapti took Leelaa to the place where the battle was getting fought. They both watched
the gory battle from above seated in a beautiful air vehicle conceived by Jnapti.
In the evening the battle was stopped as per the rules set for the war and Vidooratha
returned to his palace. Tired and worn out he collapsed on his bed and closed his eyes in
sheer exhaustion. Soon his eyelids became heavy and he fell asleep forgetting everything.

Jnapti and Leelaa passed through the solid walls easily and entered the room where the
king slept and stood before the sleeping king.

VIDOORATHA IS OLD AND BATTLING AN ENEMY

Leelaa observed the king closely.

She felt slightly odd seeing him. He looked so different; so unlike Padma.
He looked more aged than he actually was. He was almost bald and whatever hair was
there had completely turned white. His face was creased with anxiety lines. The body was
slightly plump and proved the lethargic life he had led as a king. Too much of sexual
indulgence had left him a physically unfit man she understood.
Jnapti woke him up.
Vidooratha got up and was surprised to see two Goddesses in front of him in the middle
of the night. He saluted them with reverence.
Jnapti called out to his minister who was sleeping next to him and asked him about the
identity of the king. The minister dutifully reported the ancestry of the king and explained
that Vidoorathas father had left the kingdom in Vidoorathas hand when he was just ten
years old and had gone off to perform penance. Since then Vidooratha had ruled the
kingdom, he informed Jnapti.
Jnapti dismissed the minister and explained to Vidooratha his past life as king Padma.
She informed him that he will die in the battle and his Jeeva will re-enter Padmas body
after the death in the battle field.
The king was rather happy that his life as a king would continue as Padma.
 43

As they were conversing, a soldier rushed inside and informed that the enemies had set
fire to the city and the entire city was burning. They could hear the screams of people
getting burnt and the sound of blazing fire swallowing the city fast. The king rose up in
anger and got ready to face the enemy in the battle.

As he was leaving, a group of womenfolk belonging to the palace entered there hurriedly.
One maid informed the king that the enemy soldiers had entered the palace and were
ruthlessly attacking all the ladies. Some trusted soldiers had fought them bravely and
rescued the queen and his daughter. A few maids including herself had managed to bring
the queen there with utmost difficulty.
The king had no time to console them.
He saluted Jnapti and requested her to take care of his family and rushed out to face the
enemy. A chariot was waiting for him outside. Gathering whatever army was left, he
made his way to the battle ground.

LEELAA SEES ANOTHER LEELAA

Leelaa who was watching everything silently looked at the anxious crowd of women who
were huddling in that room. The maids had meanwhile made the queen rest on the bed
where the king had been sleeping. A small girl clung to the neck of the queen and had
fainted in her arms. The child was placed comfortably on the bed. The queen was crying
silently. She did not see the divine maidens.
But Leelaa saw her and was in for a shock.
The queen of Vidooratha was her own image. It was like seeing herself in a mirror. It was
as if she was standing herself as a queen there.
She turned towards Jnapti for an explanation.

{Vasishta as a Brahmin had a desire to become a king and enjoy royal pleasures.
So he lived as king Padma in his next life.
But he had developed more desires now. He wanted a passionate wife, a daughter, and more pleasures.
So after he died as Padma, he was again a king in his next life.
Since he loved the form of his wife Leelaa, but not her character, he got a wife exactly looking like Leelaa
but completely different in character.}

LEELAA QUESTIONS JNAPTI

L: Mother! What is this? Who is this? Is it me standing there? Have I split into two?

Jnapti smiled and answered.

J: That is not you my child. It is a different person looking exactly like you. When your
husband Padma died, he was thinking of you so much that the next instant after death he
was standing next to an image of you created by his mind as per his conception.
This Leelaa is more passionate and not spiritually inclined. She is not very keen on any
learning and is only interested in serving her husband and child.
Infatuation for her beauty alone has landed the king now in such a sad state.
 44

Whereas in Padmas world, you took care of the kingdom wisely and kept it safe from
enemies, here in Vidoorathas world, his wife has kept him bound by passion and has led
to his downfall.

The desires which arose in Vasishtas mind are only fructifying still. The king still has
not fully satisfied his desires. But for your boon, he would still be experiencing many
more worlds seeking sense pleasures and will be forever caught in the wheel of births and
deaths.

His present wife also being an ignorant woman will have to go through many lives with
him or without him till her ignorance gets destroyed which may not be very soon.

L: You told me that the very next instant of death as Padma, king Vidooratha in his new
incarnation, stood as a young man next to a recreated image of mine as another Leelaa.
How is it possible? Did he not get born, grow in his other life?
You yourself heard the minister saying that the king had an ancestry line, was born, grew
up and from the tenth year itself is ruling the kingdom.

J: My dear daughter, understand that time is an illusion. What you think as past is just a
collection of few ideas arising in the brain. Whichever dominant Vaasanaa (latent
tendency) is manifesting through the Jeeva; it instantly creates a field of experience with
a suitable past at that very instant.

At the time of death, king Padmas dominant Vaasanaa was for a life with you who was
not spiritually inclined but who would be a suitable partner in sense pleasures.
Accordingly he woke up after the death-swoon as a young man with an image of you as
his wife. She was a newly arisen Jeeva whose only thought was to make her husband
happy. As a Jeeva conceived for that purpose she exactly acted as he wished for.

She also instantly had the idea of her past with her birth, growth, marriage etc.
The whole life of any Jeeva takes only an instant; but always it is deluded by the idea of
passage of time and it imagines its life as long and eventful.

Each and every moment, a Vaasanaa manifestation occurs with its own space-time
boundaries with a past as already happened and with a future to be unfolded.

Every Jeeva is a point in the Supreme state with all the past, present and future fused as
one experience of a lifetime.
Just like you can see the whole river from its place of origin to its joining the ocean as
one whole, yet visit different points of the same river and say that here it originates; here
it runs; here it joins the ocean and so on; similarly you visited different points of
Vidoorathas life experience at different points; one at his sixteenth year and one at his
seventieth year; whereas for him. His mind alone experiences the company of his wife
always from the moment he died as Padma till now. The rest of the narratives are just
conceived ideas of his brain.
 45

As Arundhati your Vaasanaa at death time was to accompany your husband and you
instantly were with him as a queen with your own past as if already occurred.

But when king Padma died your Vaasanaa for unraveling the mysteries of the universe
was more dominant and you did not accompany him to his next life by dying as Leelaa.
Instead you were seeking my company always to have your doubts cleared.

So king Padma in his next life had a wife who looked exactly like you but who is in no
way comparable to you in wisdom!

L: Even all the events where I spent my time with you are illusions of the mind?

J: Yes! I am just the wish fulfilling power of a Jeeva. What the Jeeva desires, I see to it
that it gets fructified at a suitable time.
The events you spent with me are also just ideas of your mind.
The knowledge which you craved for and attained alone is the truth.
For the attainment of knowledge the narratives are coined by your mind to make it appear
as if it occurred over a long span of time.

Leelaa remained thoughtful and silent.

JNAPTI AND ENLIGHTENED LEELAA

APPEAR BEFORE VIDOORATHAS LEELAA

Jnapti willed that the new Leelaa should see them both.
The new Leelaa was surprised to see two divine damsels in front of her and she saluted
them with reverence. The enlightened Leelaa now had a different form and was shining
lustrous like a Goddess.

Jnapti briefly explained to the new Leelaa that her husband was going to die in the battle
field and his Jeeva will enter Padmas body of the previous life.

The new Leelaa was shocked. She was also a devotee of Sarasvati and had prayed that
she should never become a widow. Now she fell at the feet of Sarasvati and begged that
she should accompany her husband in his next life and the daughter also should be taken
there as her father could not live a moment without her. Leelaa also begged that she
should go there with the same physical body. Jnapti agreed.

The enlightened Leelaa was silent. She had no likes or dislikes now. She just let the life
take its own course. Her friend Jnapti knows best. She watched everything as if she was
witnessing a drama on stage. She was just curious about everything that happened and
got her doubts cleared from Jnapti again and again.
 46

THE BATTLE

All the three now saw what was happening in the battlefield from there itself by the
power of Jnapti.
Vidooratha and his enemy king named Sindhu were fighting a fierce battle.

The enlightened Leelaa asked,

Mother! Vidooratha is also your devotee. But why would he lose the battle and die?

Jnapti laughed. Jasmines bloomed all over the earth.

She said,
Because the enemy king Sindhu prayed that he should win, and Vidooratha wanted to
somehow raise above all worldly passions and get liberated.

Leelaa again became silent and thoughtful. She watched the proceedings of the battle
with amusement.

Sindhu was a ruthless killer. His hatred for Vidooratha was burning like a fire in his
heart. Many a times he had attacked the city and had returned home a loser. But this time
Sindhu had decided to make a surprise attack on Vidoorathas country.

Vidooratha was not at all prepared for the enemy and now the battle was on the losing
side for his army. Sindhu meanwhile had entered the city at night with his trusted
followers and had set fire to the buildings and houses. He had watched the people burning
like a drama getting played for his entertainment. He was disappointed that the queen had
escaped with her daughter. He would find them somehow and chop them to pieces he had
vowed. But now he had to first kill this foolish king who had always managed to
safeguard his city against his attacks. He wanted to cut the king into pieces and smear his
blood all over himself. He was fuming with rage.

Vidooratha was fighting desperately. His chariot, horses, driver were all in pieces. A new
chariot arrived to help him. As he climbed it, Sindhu stuck at his knees violently.
Vidoorathas legs were broken and he started to fall out of the chariot, like a tree felled
by an axe. The charioteer quickly held him back from falling and tried to take the king
away from the battlefield. Sindhu ran madly behind the chariot and hit at Vidoorathas
neck. But the sword missed and could only slice half of Vidoorathas neck. Vidoorathas
head hung from the body like a fruit ready to fall. Blood flowed profusely.
The charioteer made high speed and quickly entered the palace grounds. Sindhu chased
him in another chariot. But he was blocked at the entrance by the divine shield provided
by the Goddess all around the palace. The charioteer carried the body to the presence of
the queen and left immediately.

The new Leelaa, seeing the horrible condition of the king, let-out a piercing scream; and
fell lifeless next to her husbands body. The daughter who was lying unconscious on the
bed also breathed her last at the same instant her mother died. Vidooratha was suffering
immense pain but had not died yet. He was in a painful swoon.
 47

LEELAA AGAIN QUESTIONS JNAPTI

The enlightened Leelaa watched all this. She felt pity for the king and asked the Goddess
was there anyway to reduce his pains.

Jnapti explained to her,

J: My dear daughter, I fully understand what you are feeling. But who can do what!
This is a dream of king Padma who is in the dream of Vasishta.
You are also a dream character.
Even I am a dream character.
The war is an illusion. This city is an illusion. This Leelaa is also an illusion.
What exists is only the state of unperturbed Consciousness. It is the sum total of
knowledge, bliss and existence. All that we see here are, just conceptions of our mind
only.

L: Is there not a God or divinity that controls all our lives?

J: My dear daughter!
Nothing exists but the state of Supreme Reality, in which all these delusions occur as it
were. Even if you believe that these narratives are real and one should strive for
liberation, then sincere efforts alone can lead one towards the goal; not any unseen fate or
divinity.
Jeeva projects his own mind to create a divinity to take care of him or performs penance
or austerities and terms the results as the power of those rituals.
Nothing gives results except ones own effort.
There is no second person as a divinity or unseen fate which controls the lives of beings.
When nothing but the Supreme state exists undifferentiated, how can a second person
arise as a god or fate?

L: If everything is a conception of the mind, then what caused these restrictions that
humans or animals should be of such and such height; one should grow and become old;
one should get born, die etc.?

J: At the beginning of each Creation of any particular Creator or Brahmaa, that Creator
himself sets the rules for his Creation and till the dissolution time these rules control the
system. These rules cannot be transgressed by anyone; not even gods can disobey these
rules. Even if one believes in deaths or god or fate, even those belief systems are there
because of the rules set at the beginning of Creation.
Fire should burn, water should flow etc. are all there because of the rules ordained by the
Creator of that particular Creation. In different Creations rules may differ.
But these Creations do not ever affect the state of the Supreme Brahman. It remains the
same whether Creations occur or not.
Each Jeeva conceives and projects its own world like a dream.
 48

L: You are saying that this world of Vidooratha is a dream of Padma.

If, as you suggest everything is dream-like in nature, then are all these people here in this
city ruled by Vidooratha unreal?

J: What is real, what is not real?

When you dream, this waking state is unreal for you; when you are awake, dream is
unreal for you.
Everyone dreams of the other and a network of dream characters arise confirming the
reality of each other.
They all believe that they are living in a solid world hard as diamond. But the elements,
hardness, forms, names are all conceptions of the mind and are not real.
I am in your dream as the Goddess guiding you; you are in my dream as a student
learning from me. We are both real for each other. But in truth we both are delusory
appearances only.

Leelaa remained silent for some time.

Then she asked what happened to the other Leelaa.

Jnapti explained to her that the other Leelaa had imagined that a daughter of Jnapti will
guide her and so she had the vision of a young maiden who guided her towards the mind-
world of Padma.

L: She had prayed that she must go to Padmas world with her physical body of this
world in tact; did she really go with her physical body through all these strange paths?

J: How can she?

Physical body is a picture drawn by the brain. As per the rules ordained at the beginning
of the Creation by Brahmaa, the bodies of one dream world cannot enter another persons
dream world. They vanish by the logical process of death as it were.
See her body lying here lifeless next to her husbands body.

But after the swoon of death she woke up outside of it and instantly was endowed with a
beautiful body as pictured by her brain.
She believes that it is the same body and is happily waiting there in your world for her
husband to become alive in Padmas body.

L: What happened to her daughter?

J: The daughters Jeeva is now in a suspended state. She will join her parents after
Vidooratha wakes up in Padmas body.

As they were conversing like this, the king groaned slightly. He breathed very hard once
and immediately became lifeless.

Leelaa wanted to know what his Jeeva would do.

They both followed that Jeeva without his knowledge.
 49

ENLIGHTENED LEELAAS BODY

GETS CREMATED AWAY IN HER ABSENCE

The king Vidooratha had his own after-death experiences according to the belief systems
he had cultivated in his mind.

{Belief systems are not truths. Truth is something which does not disappear when you stop believing in it.
Everyone experiences what they believe. Ghosts are real for a person who believes in them. But they are
not absolute realities existing outside of ones mind.
Vidooratha believed in Yama and his world. So he experiences Yamas world as an after-death experience.
Ignorant Leelaa believed that a daughter of Jnapti will appear and guide her in after-death experience. She
experienced the same as her reality. (Jnapti had no daughter!)
Enlightened Leelaa wanted only knowledge and she got it from the Goddess of Knowledge herself.}

Vidooratha had the vision of his body getting cremated; the funeral rites getting
performed; he getting a form because of all these religious rites; Lord Yamas men
carrying him off to Yamas presence; Yama checking his merits and demerits and letting
him go as he was blessed by Jnapti.
Immediately he left Yamas world and entered his previous world of Padma. But before
he could enter the body, Jnapti held his Jeeva back by her power.

She descended down to the harem of Leelaas palace with her dear devotee Leelaa. They
both entered the room where Padmas body was kept covered in flowers.

The other Leelaa was sitting there next to the body and fanning it affectionately. She
decided that the sleeping one was her husband Vidoorathas next incarnation and waited
patiently for him to wake up.

Enlightened Leelaa asked Jnapti where her own physical body which was contemplating
in the room was.

Jnapti flashed a smile.

J: Oh that? When you left the body you forgot its existence completely. After fifteen
days the body just rotted and fell dead. So everyone cried for you and burnt the body with
ghee and sandalwood.

Leelaa remained silent!

Should she feel happy or sad; she did not know!
Leelaa did not mind the death of her physical body. Actually she felt relieved. A life on
earth with another husband-like character was unthinkable now.
She smiled back at Jnapti and asked how would the people around react to all this?

J: People? Mostly all are ignorant including the ministers. They will just think that you
have come back from the world of dead and worship this Leelaa as their Goddess. The
story of this miracle will spread all over the country and this Leelaa is going to be
famous. She would not mind it though!
 50

DEAD PADMA BECOMES ALIVE

Now Jnapti released the Jeeva of the king.

The streak of vibration named Vidooratha, who was just a collection of ideas, thoughts
and beliefs entered the body of Padma.

Immediately the body of Padma became filled with blood and he started breathing
normally. He got up as if from sleep pushing away all the flowers. He did not remember
anything, neither Padmas life or Vidoorathas life.

The enlightened Leelaa wished herself to be seen as the previous Leelaa and stood next to
the ignorant Leelaa.

The king was puzzled by two identical images standing in front of him. He asked them
who they were.

Enlightened Leelaa briefly explained to him her own identity and new Leelaas identity
as much as he could grasp. She said that as she was now a personal maid of Jnapti, and
the king now can live happily in the company of the other Leelaa and rule the kingdom
with her as the queen.
She requested Jnapti also to appear before the king. The king and his new queen saluted
the Goddess humbly.
Jnapti blessed them both and vanished from sight.

Enlightened Leelaa took leave of the new king and queen. She said that she would be
available any time they wished for her guidance and floated up.

A VAASANAA FOR KNOWLEDGE NEVER CAN GET FULFILLED

The new Leelaa looked at the vanishing Leelaa.

Why was she not like her, she wondered.
Can I also aspire for a state like hers; she thought ruefully. But she could not think for
long. Two strong arms were tightening their grip around her shapely body. She closed her
eyes enjoying the warmth of the closeness of her husband.

It will be many births before they both could even remember a word like liberation. But
one day they will surely develop dispassion and get liberated. The other Leelaa will see to
it. In every one of their dream life she will be there trying her best to teach them
knowledge. She was not a person who will ever accept defeat. She looked down at the
two passionate figures seated under the bed-room dome of her harem.

What all had happened within a night!

Almost a month had elapsed in this world since the king had died here. So Jnapti had
informed. There Vidooratha had died just now. In another world Vasishta had died eight
days back.
She laughed.
 51

What time what space? Everything was just a dream of a mind.

What was mind? It was just a vibration in the Supreme state.
Who was real? Who was not real? There was nobody actually.

From a worm to a god all were just appearances only. Everything was just a wave in the
Chit, the Supreme state of Consciousness.
Death was a myth. Birth was a myth. Form and name were myths.

What was she? She was just a vibration; a Vaasanaa for knowledge. And as long as she
wanted to learn, Jnapti would be always there teaching her. Knowledge had no end.
She was eternal in some way. Her Jnapti was also eternal.
She will be always asking questions. Jnapti will always be answering her.
What more joy can be there other than learning?
She smiled.

JNAPTI AND LEELAA BECOME CLOSE FRIENDS

As she floated up Leelaa saw a lustrous air-chariot waiting for her at the outskirts of the
sky. Jnapti was humming some melody happily.
Leelaa climbed aboard the chariot and sat next to Jnapti. Jnapti embraced her
affectionately. The chariot flew away into empty space.
People in Padmas city saw a streak of light flashing across the sky.
They said some noble soul has left this world and saluted the sky.
Jnapti smiled.
Jasmines bloomed all over the earth suddenly.

END?
 52

THE STORY
OF
KARKATEE THE GIANT RAAKSHASI

INTRODUCTION

This is the story of a demoness who was brainless, animal-like and cruel. When
performing penance to satiate her basic needs, she realizes the Self as a natural process.
She becomes so good that she is revered by all as an auspicious Goddess. Self-realization
is not the sole property of Sages and well-versed Yogis. Even the worst category of
people can attain the Supreme State of the Self through sincere effort.

CRAB-LIKE DEMONESS

Long long ago, upon the Himalayan Mountains covered with dense forests, various kinds
of creatures and demons had made their home. These demons always kept watch for
unwary humans to cross the jungles and fed on them ruthlessly. This meat-eating clan
came in various colors and shapes. One of them, shaped like a giant crab was known as
Karkata (crab). He had a daughter who exactly looked like him, (crablike) and she was
known as Karkatee.

Karkatee was extremely black in color, so black that she looked like a huge statue carved
out of a mountain of collirium. She wandered like a black mountain come alive.
Her eyes were red and glaring like lightning.
When she stood up, clouds got entangled in her matted black hair.
Her legs were like palm trees.
Her body was hard like a rocky mountain.
Her nails were huge like winnowing baskets and sharp like diamonds.
When hungry, she walked through any region inhabited by humans and made a hearty
meal of them.
She strung their skeletons and wore them like a garland. She decorated her body with the
limbs and parts of the corpses.
She chilled the hearts of people like a vampire. Terrified of her, people residing in those
mountain regions fled to the plains.

The mountain region had become empty and deserted.

KARKATEE IS HUNGRY

Poor Karkatee had to go food-less for many days. She was forced to hunt for rabbits and
lions now. Soon the mountain-forests were empty of animals too. The mountains were
silent like the dead. No living being moved there except Karkatee.
 53

Hunger gnawed the demoness like a rat. Her belly was burning fiercely for want of food.
She could not bear the pain any more. She decided to invade the cities in the plains and
eat off the entire human clan and satiate her hunger. But she knew it was impossible.
People had their own way of warding her off. They propitiated gods, performed penance,
recited sacred chants and kept her away.
Her huge body was a hindrance in achieving her goal, she thought in despondence. Even
when she was miles away, people saw her and hid themselves in caves and under ground
tunnels away from her reach. She wished she was small, so small that she should be
invisible to one and all; so small that people would never even know if she ate their flesh
and sucked their blood; so small like a needle; a living needle; but not a metallic needle;
she should be non-metallic yet be sturdy like a metal.

KARKATEE MEETS A YOGI

She nodded her head in appreciation of her own intelligence.

If she was like a living needle, then she would make a meal out of all the bodies that
exist on the earth and be ever happy. Nobody would escape her deadly presence. In this
manner she could always keep her belly filled up. She will never go hungry again. People
will never know of her existence.

She chuckled within herself. But the problem was in getting such a body.
She who had never thought so much in her life felt her head reeling. She would have
almost fallen out of the mountain drilling a hole through the entire earth and got up on the
other side, but for the pleasant smell of some food moving in that mountain. Her heart
beat in excitement. She peered across the trees and rocks to observe her delicacy
properly. She could not believe herself. Her food was walking towards her. She waited
patiently. Her body became motionless like a rock. She even stopped breathing, lest the
stormy winds coming out of her nose cast the food afar.
The food walking towards the demoness was a handsome young recluse. He was attired
in just an animal skin. His whole body was covered with ashes. He looked like a young
Shiva descended from the Kailaasa Mountain. He saw a huge black rock blocking his
path suddenly. He just let out a scornful laugh and started walking around the rock to
climb the mountain.
The rock moved.
A huge hand descended down like a serpent trying to grasp the Yogi (adept in ascetic
practices). But it was hit by an invisible wall as it were, which shielded the Yogi from all
the sides.
After failing in repeated attempts to grab him, the demoness felt defeated. She assumed a
normal female form and blocked the path of the Yogi. The Yogi stood there watching her
silently. Mischief gleamed in his eyes. Karkatee observed his calm disposition and
somehow felt that the solution to her problem would be found in him. She saluted him
and cried out her troubles to him. She told him about her hunger; lack of food; and her
desire to assume a needle-form.
The Yogi listened patiently to all that she said. He just asked her whether she would be
happy being a needle. She nodded her head in the affirmative.
 54

The Yogi looked at her pityingly. However he explained to her that she should perform
penance to achieve such a goal. Only the Creator was capable of granting her wish. He
told her not to break her penance whatever happens and instructed her, the Sacred Chant
which she should repeat till the Creator appeared before her. Karkatee could not believe
her good fortune. She fell at his feet in gratitude.
The next instant the Yogi was gone.

KARKATEE PERFORMS PENANCE

Karkatee became her original self. She could only appear like a human for a few minutes
on rare occasions; but she could not retain such forms for long. She cursed her huge form
and wondered what to do next.

She had to find a place for penance now. It had to be unapproachable to any humans or
animals. No one should harm her body in any way when she was absorbed in penance she
thought. She decided to climb the highest mountain there and do penance on its peak.
Like a black mountain climbing a white mountain, she slowly dragged her gigantic form
up the icy paths. At last she found a rocky ground on the peak. The place was too
dangerous for any human or animal to wander about.

She somehow managed to bathe her gigantic form in some huge waterfall there. Then she
climbed a rock in the middle of the mountain river. She stood on a single foot; lifted her
two serpent-like arms in salutation and started repeating the Mantra (Magical chant) taught
by the Yogi.
She had not much trouble in controlling her thoughts. After all there was only one
thought in her mind i.e., food. She suppressed it and concentrated on the Mantra.

Days, weeks, months, years passed.

From far away, people heard the humming sound from the mountain.
The whole mountain trembled as it were with the continuous sound rising from its top.
Everyone kept away from it thinking that the mountain itself had become an evil ghost.
Karkatee never moved even a little. Her mouth continuously chanted the Mantra.
Her hair spread all over the sky keeping the Sun hidden.
Clouds rested on her head as if on the top of a dark mountain.

But this dark mountain slowly became thinner and thinner for lack of food.
The skin covering the body became loose and hung like a cloth with many folds and
fluttered in the stormy winds blowing across her.

Thousands of years passed.

 55

LORD BRAHMAAA GIVES THE BOON

Eight Thousand years had passed.

Lord Brahmaa appeared in front of her.
He addressed her in a thunder like voice louder than hers so that she could hear his
words.
He asked her compassionately what boon she desired for.

The demoness without opening her eyes calculated in her mind as to what sort of boon
she should ask for. She worded her request carefully.
She said, O Lord! Make me a living needle, a SOOCHEE. But I should not be metallic
like an iron needle. I should at the same time be hard like a metal so I dont get crushed
by anything. I should have two types of needles as my body. I should be a living needle
and enter all the peoples hearts through the medium of winds; should be able to suck
their blood and flesh; and satiate my hunger. I should also be able to pierce through
every body as a non-metallic, yet metallic needle and enter their insides; then I would be
able to eat off their flesh continuously without a break and fill my stomach.

Brahmaa granted her the boon she requested for; but he put forth a condition that she
should attack only wicked people, people living in unhygienic conditions, people who
always took to sinful paths, people who ate improper food, people who were foolish etc.
He told her that she will become a needle spreading deadly diseases and will be known as
cholera, the VISHOOCHIKAA. He also created a magical hymn for the sake of the good people
to ward off her attack. He gave that Mantra to the Siddhas who wandered all over the
earth and ordered them to protect the good people from the disease brought about by the
living needle namely Karkatee.

Lord Brahmaa vanished from sight.

KARKATEE BECOMES A LIVE-NEEDLE

Karkatee instantly reduced from her mountain sized body to a needle of an atomic size.
She was completely invisible. But she did not lose her own thoughts about her identity.
She though miniature in size had all the body parts as before but was shaped like a
needle.

Among so many conceptions, she was just another shape newly conceived in the state of
Brahman.
Karkatee was the same demoness (in her mind) appearing in the form of a needle. She
joyously floated through the sky and entered the well populated areas. She mixed with
the wind; entered the bodies of all the people; became a disease virus sucking their blood
and flesh. As a needle she pierced people walking on unclean grounds and afflicted them
with cholera.
When thinking she glistened like a needle of gem.
When in sunlight she shone like a diamond.
When carried by wind she was like a creeper of a cloud dense with blackness.
 56

Subtle holes acted as her eyes. She had a subtle soft tail at the end.
She had obtained the needle shaped body through penance and was satisfied fully.
Yet again it was as if she took the vow of silence now to fulfill the one and only mission
of her life- that of satiating her enormous hunger; for, she had no ability to produce
sounds in her new form. How can a needle have a throat?
Anyhow she was invisible to the naked eye of others as she had wished.

She happily took to enjoying her new life. She hunted men and women everywhere; she
spared no one if they were negligent in hygiene. Piercing the humans as a sharp needle on
the one hand and afflicting them as a cholera virus on the other hand, she passed many
years trying to satiate her hunger.

KARKATEE SUFFERS AS A NEEDLE

But the foolish demoness soon found out the futility of her boon.

She was the same demoness with the same enormous hunger pangs but with the shape of
the needle. She had actually reduced her consumption rate to a minimum and what she
sucked out of humans was negligent compared to her hunger rate. She would have met a
better fate as dead than trying to fill her demonic belly with the subtle hole of the mouth
of the needle; there was no belly at all in the needle form. Whatever she sucked seemed
to vanish into nothing. There was no satisfaction at all after years of her life as a living
needle!
She missed her old form.
She remembered every part of her old body and cried out for the lost limbs. She
compared the enormous amount of flesh she ate as a demoness and the micro drops of
liquid she sucked now as a needle. She cursed herself for being so foolish. She felt it was
better to die than live such a horrid life. Instead of wandering in the great mountains she
was now wandering in stinking places, dirty mires, and diseased crowds. She felt
disgusted with herself. She stopped herself forcefully from eating anymore.

Karkatee decided to go back to the Himalayan Mountain peak to perform penance again.
But lo! She had no date-tree-like legs now which could transport her body within a few
steps to the mountain region. She had no way of seeing her own needle form. She was
now only the form of wind and life.

She entered the body of a young vulture through the air it inhaled. Affected by her
presence and diseased as a result, the vulture helplessly did what her mind commanded.
That vulture brought her to the mountain peak as she desired and fell on the ground.
Soochee, the needle came out of its body. The vulture was suddenly freed of the disease
and flew away.
 57

KARKATEE PERFORMS PENANCE AGAIN

Karkatee had high hopes of getting back her original form of the demoness through
penance. She chose an area burnt by a heavy forest fire. No insect or animal moved there.
The ground was very hard. The place was covered with dust. Not even a blade of grass
grew there. She floated down and tried to stand on the ground. Stand on what? How?
She somehow managed to fix the edge of her body on the ground disturbing just a single
dust particle there. She looked like a dried up grass edge suddenly sprouting on the desert
lands. She stood there on the edge of her body.
As she could not stand on one leg for lack of two legs, she imagined herself as standing
on one leg and performed penance. She removed her glance from all sides and kept
staring upward. She avoided even taking in any dust particle or pollen dust that chanced
to float near her. She was not to be moved by pouring rains or stormy winds or blazing
fires or sinking mires or hail stone showers or lightning strikes or the thundering clouds.
Even after thousands of years she stood just like that, un-moving in her body or mind.
As she had destroyed all thoughts about the outside world, Knowledge of the Supreme
dawned on her naturally. She became taintless and supremely sacred in her mind. When
all the results of her sinful actions vanished by the severe penance, she knew what was to
be known through her own intellect. She now had realized her own Self and was in the
Nirvikalpa Samaadhi.
She performed penance like this for another thousand years. The fourteen worlds
trembled by the severity of her penance. The whole mountain was set on fire as it were by
the heat of her penance. The entire world was affected by the terrible heat rising out of
her penance. The snakes struggled to breathe; the mountains melted; the airborne
creatures fell to the ground; the clouds became dry; all the space was filled with smoke
which covered even the sun.

INDRA IS WORRIED

God Indra became anxious about the fate of the three worlds and asked Sage Naarada
about the cause for such a heat. Naarada explained to him that Soochee has been doing
the penance for the past seven thousand years; but now she had the essence of the
Supreme as her nature and that fact only caused the heat in all the three worlds.
He advised Indra that he should somehow get her desire fulfilled or the three worlds were
sure to burn away by the heat of her penance.

Indra was curious about all this and sent for his trusted friend Vaayu, the Lord of the
Winds. He requested him to visit the place where the penance was going on and asked
him to find out the true facts. Vaayu immediately left on his errand. He reached the snow
peak where Soochee was performing penance. He was amazed by what he saw.

No animal or insect moved there.

The place was as empty as the void sky. Nothing grew there because of the burning heat
pervading the area. It was as if the sun had left the sky and was residing there on that
peak. The whole area was covered with dust.
 58

He took the form of a bee and after searching for a long time reached the exact point
where Soochee was contemplating. Exhausted, he sat down and saw her, the invisible
needle point, absorbed in contemplation and shaking the entire creation! He was awe-
stuck!
He observed Soochees needle-form like another sharp tiny peak poking out of the centre
of the Mountain peak. He saw her standing on one leg; her entire face dried up by the
heat rising from her head portion; the skin on her stomach dried up because of her not
eating anything; her body dried up by the sun and shattered by the winds; her not moving
even a little from her place.

The Wind-god was highly surprised and saluted her from far. Though he was curious
about why she was performing the penance, he was afraid of disturbing her. He just kept
wondering about her and returned to Indras palace. Indra embraced him with affection
and questioned him about what he had seen.

The wind god said,

In the Jamboo Dveepa, theres the Himalayan Mountain. On the northern side on the
highest peak, the Soochee, with a needle like form performs very severe penance. She has
stopped even the cool air from entering inside her by blocking her mouth with a dust
atom. By her penance the snow mountain no more is covered with snow but is like a
blazing fire. Therefore let us all join together and go to Lord Brahmaa and request him
to fulfill her wishes. Or her penance will destroy all the worlds.

All the Gods then went to the Lotus-born and prayed. Brahmaa promised all of them that
he will immediately attend to their request. They all returned to their own worlds.

BRAHMAA APPEARS

Lord Brahmaa descended down to the earth. He saw there on that peak, three needles -
the needle of heat, needle of her shadow and the needle of her Self. The very dust
particles in that place were sanctified by her presence.

Lord Brahmaa asked her-My daughter, what boon do you want?

Soochee did not reply.

She thought within herself.
I am complete now. I have no doubts now.
What will I do with the boon? I feel peaceful. I am unattached to everything around me.
I am in a blissful state. Whatever is to be known has been known.
All doubts have been completely cleared up. My understanding is in full blossom.
What use do I have for anything else? I will remain as I am.
I have known the supreme state of reality.
What do I need anything else for? All these days I was foolish.

Deciding thus, she remained silent.

 59

Brahmaa himself spoke:

Dear daughter. Accept this boon. Enjoy the world for some more time and later on after
the death of the body, you will reach the Body-less Supreme state.
You have to live out the life ordained for you. This is the restriction imposed in this
creation. Your wish will be fulfilled. You will get back your original gigantic form.
Wander in the forests as a demoness. Eat to satiate your hunger.
Live the rest of your life as a liberated person.

So saying, he vanished from sight.

KARKATEE HAS NO DESIRES ANYMORE

Soochee immediately became demoness Karkatee.

Remaining in the state of the bliss of her own Self, she had lost all the characteristics of a
demoness. She sat there itself in the lotus posture, for some more time. After six months
she woke up from her trance. Immediately she felt the pangs of hunger. Observing that
the body never loses its own nature, she wondered what to do about her food.

She thought,
How can I eat other beings? How can it be justified! If I do not consume these beings
and death results, what does it matter? What does death or life mean to me? I am now in
the state of the mind only. The physical body is an illusion. Even changing from the
needle body to the giant form is an illusion.

She remained silent and was getting ready to again enter the trance state.
Then a voice spoke from the sky. It was the Wind-God!

He said-
Karkatee, go from here and enlighten the fools of this world.
The great ones should help the ignorant to evolve.
He, who does not get enlightened by you, deserves to be destroyed; so it is fully justified
that he becomes your food.

Hearing this, Karkatee said-I am blessed indeed.

She got up from her seat and climbed down the mountain. She reached the base of the
mountain where the hunter clan lived. She decided to live there and eat any idiot who
passed her way and settled down there making it her permanent home.

KARKATEE SEES TWO MEN IN THE FOREST

The night was completely black with densely packed darkness. At that time, the king of
the hunter clan began his night patrol accompanied by his trusted minister. It was his duty
as a king to take a walk now and then to hunt for any vicious creature or demon hiding in
the forest to ensure the safety of his people.
Karkatee, who was waiting for some food to walk towards her, saw those two men
wandering in the forest.
 60

She was happy and thought-

Two fools are coming my way only to satiate my hunger.
Body is a burden for the ignorant. The fool lives always suffering, with destruction
awaiting him here and hereafter. So it is better that he perishes for his own good.
One who does not realize his own self is dead though alive.
If he dies at least, he will not commit more sins.
The Lotus-born has made the rule at the beginning of the Creation that a non realized
fool should become the food for people like us.
These two are to be indeed eaten by me now.
I will be an idiot if I forego an object easily fallen on my lap.
I do not trust these two to be of noble characters. But if they are really endowed with
noble qualities then it is not right for me to eat them.
I rather will test them and find out the level of their wisdom. I will never hurt good men.
The noble ones should always be served with all humility and respect.
Even if I die of hunger, I do not care; I will not kill any one with good character.
The noble ones who have realized the Self are a boon to the world. They spread
happiness to one and all. I would rather give up my life if I have to save their lives.
I do not have any botheration about death.
I would be happy if I can converse with the noble souls for a few minutes.
Let me test them with some questions and see what they are like.
If they are foolish and ignorant I will punish them by death. But if they are good, they
should not be hurt in any manner.

KARKATEE TRIES TO FRIGHTEN THE TWO MEN

Karkatee first just made a thundering noise, echoing all over the forest.
The king and his minister stopped midway in their journey. Their wooden torches did not
reveal much of anything. The night was too dark and the black form of the demoness was
not seen by them. They just looked upwards surprised at that noise.
Immediately they heard the sounds of a harsh voice hitting them like rocks falling from
the sky.

The voice said-

HOHOHOHO! Who are you both? Are you both Sun and moon visiting the Earth or
worms crawling on the ground? Good or bad? Whoever you both are, you are fated to be
my food; get ready to die, you fools.

The king and the minister did not waver.

The king shouted with his full voice,
HOHOHOHO Ghost! What are you? Where are you standing? Show yourself.
Are you frightened of us? You cannot fool us with your humming noise.
Do not make a big show of threatening us.
If you want anything, tell us, we will fulfill it. Instead do not try in vain to frighten us.
Or I think you are afraid of meeting us. Quickly make us see your form.
Delay never does good to anyone.
 61

The demoness was pleased by their reaction. But still she made frightening noises and
laughed aloud. Her sound echoed all over the mountains. They saw her teeth glittering
bright, lighting up the whole region; her eyes shining like stabilized lightning streaks;
the black neck shivering as the thunderous noise came out of it; her teeth making a weird
unearthly noise; her legs filling up the entire sky; the hair on the head scattered all over;
the breath from her nostrils creating stormy winds; on the whole she was like the dark
night appearing with a body filled with flesh.
But the king and the minister were not in the least affected by her sight.
The minister spoke this time.
O great demoness! Stop this comical show. You are either making an exaggeration of
your own might or just hiding your worthlessness behind this great show. It does not suit
you. The wise do not waste their time in advertising their actions. If you are intent on
frightening us only, then do not bother, we have crushed mosquitoes like you in countless
numbers. Stop all these weird noises and tell us what your intention is. We have never
sent a beggar empty handed any time in our lives, not even in dreams.

KARKATEE TESTS THE TWO MEN

The demoness started thinking,

These two men do not appear to be ordinary. Their faces and speech show their inner
determination. May be they already have an idea about my true nature, like I have
understood their character. These two might be realized souls. They are imperishable as
the Self. I will not kill them. I will anyhow ask them a few questions and get them to
answer me.

She stopped all her demonic actions and asked-

Who are you both? You both are very brave. I am of the opinion that you will act
friendly and talk to me properly.

The minister replied,

This one is the king of the hunter clan. I am his minister. We both are patrolling the
forest at night to destroy creatures like you who harass our people.

The demoness first chided the minister for his arrogant answer and said-
You both seem made for each other. A good minister only can make a good king.
A good king and a good minister make the citizens also good.
But of all the qualities a king should cultivate, the Knowledge of Brahman is the best.
Knower of Brahman alone can perform his duties well, be it a minister or a king. Only
who is adept in this royal learning (Self-realization) can have good administrating power
and have equal concern for all. If you both are like that, then it is good for you.
Otherwise you will have to meet dire consequences.
As my nature impels I will have to eat you both. Stand on one side of me and answer my
questions. I hope you kids can at least have the ability to understand my questions. There
is no other way to escape the fate of being my food. This is what I want from you O king!
O minister! Answer my questions.
 62

I hope you will not break your promise and refrain from answering them. A person who
breaks his promise never can escape destruction.

The king said, Ask any question you like.

The demoness shot forth then, highly abstract questions about the Self and Brahmaan.
The minister and the king answered them all without a single flaw. As she was absorbed
in listening to their talk on the Supreme Reality, her mind was cleansed of all restlessness
and envy. She was filled with a unique sort of bliss.

KARKATEE TELLS HER STORY TO THE KING

As her questions could not be answered well by just quoting texts but only through sheer
experience, the demoness understood them to be realized souls. She was extremely
pleased and asked them what they wanted of her.
The king explained to her that the people in his country were afflicted by heart trouble
and affected by cholera.
He said,
I am now in search of the sacred chant which will cure the patients when the ordinary
medicines fail to cure them.
He continued:
My job is to kill people like you who afflict the innocent. Promise me that you wont hurt
anybody any more.

The demoness promised him that she will do likewise and will never hurt any living
being from that very moment.

The king understood what her words amounted to. Her very nature was to eat raw flesh of
humans. If she withheld herself from eating humans then she would indeed starve to
death, he thought. Overwhelmed with compassion, he asked her what she will eat in
future.

The demoness replied that she was in perturbation-less trance all these years. When she
woke up she had felt hungry as a natural requirement of her body. She informed him that
she will now return to the very same peak where she performed penance and spend the
rest of her life in contemplation of the Self like a living statue.

The king wanted to know more about her past life, and she told him all her life events
briefly. She recounted to him her whole life story where she had troubled people in the
past as a live-needle foolishly. She said that she knew the Mantra given by Lord Brahmaa
to cure the cholera.

She took them both to a nearby river bank and instructed the Mantra to both of them
through the performance of appropriate rites.
 63

THE KING OFFERS TO HELP KARKATEE

Then the demoness took leave of them and started to move away.

The king stopped her and said,

You have taught us the sacred chant and become our Guru. You are our dear friend
now. Moreover you are a realized person. O beautiful one! Come and have food in our
house. Do not disregard this invitation. Do not ignore our affection. Change yourself into
a form of a pretty young woman and accompany us. Live with us happily.

The demoness asked,

You can feed the pretty womans form; but how can the real demoness be satiated with
such ordinary food?

Do not worry, the king said in an assuring voice;

I have a plan. You come with us as I suggested earlier, changing your demonic form
into a human form. Appear to others like a pretty lady well decked in gold and diamonds.
You stay with the other women-folk of my palace as long as you wish.
I will leave tomorrow itself for hunting all the wicked and sinful people of the country.
I will collect them all and give them to you.
Then you discard your human form, change back into a demoness, carry them to your
familiar snow peak, and eat your fill. Sleep awhile and be in the trance state of the Self
for some time. When you wake up, come here immediately.
Take another batch of prisoners with you.
This will not be considered as a sin. Those prisoners will be wicked enough to be
punished by death. So you will not be doing an unrighteous act.

The demoness was happy to hear of his plan. She agreed to his words.
She instantly changed herself into a beautiful woman adorned with many types of gold
and diamond ornaments.

KARKATEE EATS HER FILL

All three of them went to the palace of the king.

The night was spent happily as they conversed about many interesting topics sitting
together like close friends. In the morning the king left her in the company of the
womenfolk of the palace and went away in search of thieves and murderers. By the sixth
day he had collected three thousand people from his own and other cities belonging to
other kings. He delivered them to her promptly.
In the middle of the night, when everyone slept, the demoness donned her own original
form, took leave of the king, carried the prisoners on her shoulder and went back to the
snow peak. She made a hearty meal of those people, slept for three days. When she woke
up, she remained in the trance state of the Self. Waking up in the third or fourth year, she
went to the kings palace again. She spent some time conversing on many intelligent
topics with the king, then again took the next batch of prisoners to the mountain peak and
ate them all. She had no more desires.
 64

With the help offered from the compassionate king she had enough food to fill her belly.
Living as a JeevanMuktaa, even now she can be seen wandering in that mountain or
absorbed in contemplation on the peak.

KARKATEE BECOMES A GODDESS

Of course Karkatee had a longer life-span than her human friends.

She maintained the same friendship with the kings, as new ones became rulers and died.
All other evil spirits and wicked demons kept away from their region fearing Karkatees
wrath. Karkatee also had the power to cure diseases of any kind being a Yoginee of the
highest sort.
She was offered by the kings, all the punishable humans as food regularly. She was
worshipped as a goddess by one and all. Her statue with the name of Goddess
KANDARAA and MANGALAA was installed in temples in all the villages surrounding the
mountain and she was revered by all. Every king who ascended the throne of the hunter
clan installed the statue of Kandaraa Devi and worshipped her as the family goddess.
Those foolish kings, who did not do so, never ruled for long and became victims of the
peoples anger. The people attained whatever they wanted by her worship. If any one did
not worship her, he always met with calamities led by his own evil tendencies.
She was worshipped by offering wicked people as food to be consumed by her.

Even now her statue can be seen in those regions fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.

END
 65

STORY OF AEINDAVAS
BRAHMAA

Lord Brahmaa woke up!

What is waking up for one who was always awake!
But the beings created by him had their own way of describing him.
They even had a life-span calculated for him.
They tried to understand him through their own limited viewpoints.
They had nights and days; so they believed that all others, be it gods or demons had days
and nights too. They slept exhausted at nights; so they believed that their Creator also had
to feel exhausted after his work, and sleep at night.

These humans seemed to be unaware of the fact that sleep was just one of the steps
invented by Nature to safeguard the species from predators. The earth beings had even
invented terminologies for his day and night. They called it a Kalpa. They said that the
beginning of the Kalpa was the dawn for the Creator. The dissolution of the Creation was
termed as the end of his day. Later he was supposed to sleep like them exhausted and
tired!

Brahmaa smiled!
He did not mind all these vague words surrounding his life. He had learnt to live with the
ignorance of his own created beings. Ignorance was the clay he used in making the pot of
the Cosmic egg! If everyone was realized, how could the Creation go on?

000

What was Creation actually?

He himself had no words to describe it!
He knew his very identity was the Desire to create. Why? There was no answer!
He was a thought of the Supreme state of Consciousness (Chit), which just wanted to
create! Actually there was no process involved at all!
He was there; instantly all the worlds were there!
It was as if he became at once every being and every object of the created world, and had
the experience of existing as everything.
He existed as all; experienced as all; was all!

The Sages had coined a name for his existence; they called him HIRANYA-GARBHA, the
Golden-wombed! He contained the entire Creation within himself!
Again what was he? Just a thought in Para Brahman which wanted to create!
Instantly as the thought rose up randomly, he was there as everything, experiencing
everything!
The world was a dream he experienced. He knew that very well.
But it was a dream which was fully under his control.
At the very instant of his existence, he just knew what rules should govern his world.
 66

A vague memory of elements and objects from deep inside him arose immediately
manifesting as the entire world of Creation.
It was natural for him to know everything. Like the fire knows how to burn, he knew the
rules and characteristics of the world he created.

He also knew that he was just a tiny vibration in the Supreme Consciousness, CHIT!
He wondered how many Brahmaas existed in that vast ocean of CHIT in which he was
just one tiny bubble!
He had no way of knowing other worlds. His vision was centered to his own world.
He sometimes took part in his own dream world drama as Lord Brahmaa and instructed
people about the Knowledge of the Supreme!

In reality, he had no form. But the people pictured him as a four-faced God seated on a
huge lotus with countless petals. They usually mixed up the identities of the god-world
resident Brahmaa with him and called that tiny god also as the Creator.
He did not mind what form he had! Whatever his creature-denizens wanted him to look
like, he appeared to them as that. They named him the Lotus-born, because the
Brahmaa of the God world was born out of the lotus appearing from the navel of Lord
Naaraayana who had the function of maintaining the Creation.
Brahmaa, the first perturbation of the CHIT, the Space-born (AAKAASHAJA) did not mind
by what name he was known as! What does it matter, which modification of sound
waves, as a name referred to him!
Actually, he had no name, no form; he was just a tiny wavelet of CHIT, the Supreme
Consciousness.

000

Brahmaa was a perturbation in the Chit accompanied by so many unfulfilled brain

signals (SMRITIS) or incomplete thoughts or possibilities or potentialities which
randomly became his. He dreamt their fulfillment.
That dream was known as Creation by his dream characters.

The world was a dream! Brahmaa knew that!

But he enjoyed his dream, like an author enjoys the life of the characters in his book.
And like an author he wanted his Creation to be perfect. After all he was the father of all
the beings in his Creation.
He created sons (Naarada, SanatKumaara and others) to increase the population.
He created Knowledge (Vedas) to guide the populace. Feeling apprehensive about the
ignorance pervading the Creation, he created Sage Vasishta to spread the Knowledge of
the Self to one and all.

Of course it was all just a game. No one was real including himself. There was only a
mixed state of all conscious states and the potential perceptions. There was no real
individual. His identity itself had no meaning.
 67

He was there for an instant with the creative instinct; in an instant countless brain signals
reached their fulfillment and he was no more. His life was just a streak of lightning
flashing across the cloud-line of CHIT.

He was just a rising wave containing some random water drops of possibilities; as soon
as they became realities in his dream and poured out as rains, his identity was finished.
Another thought with another collection of possibilities rose as another Creator and
dreamed its own dream for an instant.
There were no successions of Brahmaas; there was no Time factor in CHIT.

At the same instant, simultaneously all the possibilities existed as realities. The
channeling process for changing all the Possibilities into Realities was called
Brahmaa.

The infinite ocean of CHIT contained countless Brahmaas as waves and wavelets.

000

The created beings of any particular Creation were bound by their own time/space ideas.
They never had the capacity to think beyond space and time.
In this creation, these beings believed that they had physical forms and they identified
themselves with those forms. They believed that their Creator also should have a form and
had made him a Four-faced God with hands and feet!
They believed that one single Brahmaa continued forever creating and dissolving
Creations. They called the beginning of the Creation as the morning of Brahmaa and the
dissolution time as the night of Brahmaa. They said that Brahmaa slept through the night in
exhaustion!

What beginning, what end? (Nonsense!)

The beginning itself began only at the beginning of the Creation.

The end itself ended when there was no one to dream the world-dream.
But how could the ignorant creatures, who identified themselves with forms, ever
understand the formless state of their Creator?!

For these beings, the instant-dream of Brahmaa was of a very long duration. Their brains
could not even imagine how long that long time lasted!
How will they ever understand that all that they called as a day of Brahmaa, was just an
instant flash in the CHIT-computer; and they themselves did not even last as much time as
a flash of lightning in the cloudy sky!

They were all just continuously changing patterns in the instant flash of the mind called
Brahmaa! Life was just an on-flow of change (Samsaara)! Nothing was there as anything!

Brahmaa sighed; if you can imagine a thought as sighing!

000
 68

That thought called Brahmaa woke up.

Before the instantaneous world appearances began appearing, the thought detected
some disparity. The void arena where the dream of Creation had to occur was not
completely void. The thought named Brahmaa looked all over and detected some
created-worlds already existing as some one elses dream!
By observing closely, this Brahmaa-thought discovered ten Creations of ten Lotus-born
Brahmaas already going on in full-fledged manner.

Like a programme in the computer getting stuck with some bug, this Brahmaa-thought
was stuck unable to proceed in its Creation-work. There was only one way to find out the
origin of the bug.
The Brahmaa-thought wished for one of the Suns from those new created worlds to
appear in front of it.

The thought-Brahmaa now had a form. He was seated on a lotus and had a lustrous
body.
Immediately the Sun-god stood before him. He saluted and praised the Lotus-born
Brahmaa. Brahmaa questioned him about the ten Creations which were going on without
a break, even before he himself had started the real Creation process.

The Sun explained everything about the AEINDAVAAS, the ten sons of INDU.

AEINDAVAS

In some Creation, as usual there was a Kailaasa mountain.

At its base was the Jamboo Dveepa.
In that Dveepa was a city named SUVARNA JATA, (Golden Locks); it was also known by
the name of SUVARNA TATA, (Golden Bank). It overflowed with riches and prosperities.
The fortunate people of the city lacked nothing. Everyone was happy; everyone except a
Brahmin named Indu. He had a wife who served her husband with complete devotion.
The couple was respected by one and all for their good character. But they were not
happy in the least.
They had no children. They felt their lives were wasted. What use were their bodies if
they could not produce children to carry their name to posterity!

They decided to perform penance; please Lord Shiva; and get their wish fulfilled through
him. They bid farewell to all their well-wishers and climbed the Kailaasa Mountain.

Reaching the peak they selected a place filled with trees and bushes. They took their
purificatory bath and stood in the midst of trees with their hands raised in salutatory
posture. They both chanted the sacred Mantra of Shiva continuously without a break.
They had taken the vow to perform the penance living like trees. In the evening after
sunset, they drank just a handful of water and continued their penance undaunted.
Three Yugas passed.
Lord Shiva blessed them with his vision pleased by their penance.
 69

Shiva asked them what boon they wanted.

Indu the Brahmin was very clever. He knew the story of Maarkandeya!
Maarkandeyas father had asked for one son who was intelligent but short-lived.
Indu carefully coined his words and requested Shiva that he should be blessed with ten
sons, who would be highly intelligent, long-lived and would never be the cause of
grievance to the parents in any manner.

Shiva said, Let it be so and vanished.

000

Aeindavas, the ten sons of Indu were highly intelligent.

By their seventh year they had mastered all that was there to be learnt. But being born
many Yugas after their parents birth, they had no relatives or friends in their vicinity.

They were highly attached to their parents and devotedly served them with affection.
There was no happier couple than Indu and his wife. They both enjoyed every second of
their life with their dear sons. They always advised them to achieve the highest state in
life facing any challenge that stood in their paths. The sons promised them that they
would make the name of Indu eternal.

Years passed.

Indu and his wife knew that they had to leave the mortal coils and attain liberation by
meditating on their Self. Satisfied that they had given the world ten worthy sons who will
make their name eternal, Indu and his wife gave up their bodies through Yoga and were
liberated.

Aeindavas suddenly found themselves all alone in the friendless world.

The ten sons of Indu were shocked.
Death of course was a myth they knew; but they missed their parents. Each and every
corner of the house reminded them of their parents. They did not want to live there
anymore. They decided to go to the peak of the Kailaasa Mountain, where their parents
had performed penance.
They slowly ascended the Mountain with heavy hearts.
Cold winds blew as if reflecting their sadness.

000

The ten Brahmin youths walked all over the mountain as if their parents foot steps had
sanctified the whole area. After wandering aimlessly for some time in the mountain
forest, they sat down exhausted. They started speaking out their minds to each other.
 70

One of them reminded that their parents had wanted to make their names eternal in the
world. Another said that, that target could be achieved only by attaining the most exalted
state in the world.

Now the discussion turned towards the most exalted position in the world.

Maybe we can use our learning abilities and become rich, one said.

No, whatever we earn, that is nothing compared to the wealth a king accumulates,
another objected.

Even a king offers tributes to an emperor, announced one.

Leave out the human world; Indra is the King of Gods! proclaimed another one.

Even Gods are created by Brahmaa! So the Creators state is the most exalted state
concluded the eldest.

000

Yes, they had found the answer to their problem.

If they achieved the position of the Creator, they could create riches, not just own them!
They could create their parents and Aeindavas in their own Creation and make them
deathless.
All agreed unanimously to the wise words uttered by the eldest.

But how to become a Creator? they asked the eldest one.

He thought for some time and suggested a plan.

He told them all to sit in solitary places and contemplate on themselves as Brahmaas.
He told them that since Brahmaa was seated on a lotus, they must each imagine
themselves as a four-faced God seated on a huge thousand-petal lotus and perform the
process of Creation. They must never entertain any doubt about their identities as
Brahmaas and must forget their human identities completely.
The younger brothers agreed.

They all chose some solitary places and sat on the straw mats.
They meditated with single mindedness on their identities as Lord Brahmaa, the Lotus-
born, seated on the Lotus.
Soon they forgot their human identities.

Each one was now a Brahmaa creating a world. Thought by thought they carefully
selected and created slowly each and every thing.
They followed the exact course of Creation mentioned in the Vedas.
They created Marichi and others as their sons.
 71

They created Gods, demons, snakes, humans etc. exactly as they had studied in the
Scriptures. Their worlds had their own Yugas, years, months, weeks and days.
Kalpas came and went.
They slept at the end of the Kalpa and woke up at the beginning of the Kalpa.
That is what they had heard Brahmaa did and they imitated Brahmaa in all their thoughts.
Their bodies were completely forgotten by them.
Their physical attires withered away without food; dried up and decayed; and became
food for some birds and animals.
But the ten Brahmin boys were never aware of all that had happened to their physical
bodies.

They had now become Brahmaas in their minds and were fully absorbed in their play of
Creation.

TEN BRAHMAAS

The Sun God continued:

The worlds you see in your mental space are the Creations of these ten Aeindavas
acting as Brahmaas.

They are so firmly established as Brahmaas, that in every wave of CHIT that appears as
Brahmaa, they also continue to exist as Brahmaas in the real Brahmaas mind-space and
perform their work of Creation.

Like all Creations have Gods, elements etc. as their ingredients, these Aeindavas also
have become a part of every Creators mind. I am one of the Suns from their worlds.

Brahmaa was amazed. He asked innocently,

When already worlds exist created by these Brahmaas, why should I create any more?

The Sun replied:

O Lord! You know everything, yet you ask me to tell you everything.
My Lord! Creation is just a game for you.
These Aeindavas are not beings existing outside your mind-space.
They are in your own mind as part of you. You are the one who dreams the existence of
these Aeindavas.
How can they exist without you?
They have become eternal parts of the Creation process of any Brahmaa who arises in
the CHIT with the desire to create.
They are desires to create existing inside the desire to create which is you!
It is akin to creating dolls which create dolls.
You must be proud of them. You must be pleased by their existence.
They are a wonder adorning your mind-space.
Their worlds cannot be seen by any one but you, because they are part of your own
mind.
Brahmaa had to accept the truth in his statements.
 72

The Sun continued:

O Lord!
Mind alone is the Creator.
Mind alone is the destroyer.
Mind alone is the real doer.
Body is an inert mechanism; it is not bound by any action.
I will relate to you another narrative explaining the power of mind to you.

Sun narrated the story of Ahalyaa (not the wife of Sage Gautama) and Indra (not the king
of Gods) to Brahmaa.

INDRA AND AHALYAA

Indra and Ahalyaa!

Who does not know them?
Every one who has studied Ramayana has a vague idea that there was a stone on the road
where Rama was walking with his brother Lakshmana and the revered Guru
Vishvaamitra; his foot touched the stone; immediately the stone turned into a beautiful
lady; and she was redeemed of a curse given by her husband for her unfaithful act.
But what were the real events that happened?

000

Ahalyaa means one without any deformation.

Once, Brahmaa wanted to create a perfect female form. He remembered every beautiful
object conceived by him in his Creation and joining all the conceptions together, he
created a lovely figure of a young girl. She was a perfect beauty.
All the Sages, gods and humans coveted her. Brahmaa was in a dilemma.
He cleverly put forth a condition that anyone who went round all the three worlds fast,
could own her. Only Indra, the king of Gods could do that and he finished his task in no
time. But he was thoroughly disappointed when he found out that Ahalyaa had been
given off to Sage Gautama as he had walked around a cow giving birth to a calf, which
amounted to going round the three worlds.
Indra went back fuming, but he could never forget the lovely form of Ahalyaa.

Maybe Ahalyaa would have been happy married to a king of Gods, but she took to her
new life without complaints.
But married to a Sage who had time only for penance and austerities, she felt her beauty
wasted. However she served her husband with complete devotion.

000
 73

Indra could not bear the agony of passion which burnt him like blazing fire. Ahalyaas
beautiful form pierced his heart like a spear.
He could wait no more.
He came down to the earth and observed the routine followed by Sage Gautama. He
understood that Sage Gautama went off to bathe in the mornings when a cock in the
hermitage crowed.

Next morning, Indra mimicked the crowing of the cock in the morning earlier than usual.
Sage Gautama got up and went off to bathe in the river. Indra took the form of the Sage
and appeared before Ahalyaa.
Ahalyaa immediately knew that it was not her husband and moved away.
But Indra would not give up. He appeared before her in his original form.
Ahalyaa was awe-stuck by his handsomeness. For a moment her mind wavered. She felt
gratified that her beauty could attract even the king of Gods. She did not know what
happened afterwards. She succumbed to Indras passionate pleadings.

Sage Gautama had understood that the cock had crowed at the wrong time. Feeling
apprehensive, he hurried home and found out what had happened. He cursed Indra to
have marks of the female sexual organ (vulva) all over his body. That was a fit
punishment for coveting a wife of another person he thought.

He felt compassionate towards his wife who had erred in the vanity of her beauty. He
instructed her to perform penance for a long time and get rid of her sin.
He told her that since she had committed a passionate act as an adoration of her own
beautiful body, she should keep a vow of not appearing before anybody during the
penance. Ahalyaa begged him to make her look like a stone to every one who chanced to
see her. Gautama granted her request and told her that when she would be seen in her
original form by someone, her curse would be redeemed.
Ahalyaa thanked him in gratitude.
Gautama went off to far away mountains to perform penance.

000

Ahalyaa began her penance.

She sat on a straw mat and remained absorbed in the contemplation of her husband, her
real God. She appeared like a stone to one and all; and people pitied her saying that the
Sage had cursed her to become a stone. But invisible to others, Ahalyaa performed
penance waiting for the magic touch of a God.

When Rama accompanied Sage Vishvaamitra with his brother Lakshmana, the Sage took
him to the hermitage of Sage Gautama and pointed out to him a stone in the corner of the
hermitage. But Rama did not see a stone; he saw a beautiful lady seated in the lotus
posture absorbed in contemplation. He saluted the lady in reverence.
After all, she was the wife of the great Sage Gautama.
 74

Ahalyaa was redeemed of her curse. Purified in mind and body, she rejoined her husband
and became renowned as one of the PATIVRATAAS, the acclaimed devotees of their
husbands.

Indra meanwhile went through a shameful period of remorse. Unable to show his ugly
body to any one and burning with shame, he performed penance on Shiva. Shiva
confessed his inability to nullify the curse of the Sage and instead turned all the vulva
marks on his body into eyes. Indra returned home with eyes spread out all over his body.
He was known as SAHASRAAKSHA, the Thousand-eyed god.

Even before getting cursed, he was praised as SAHASRAAKSHA in the Vedic hymns, a
God having thousand eyes which carefully watched over the citizens, guarding them. But
unfortunately, the very term eulogizing him became a term embarrassing him forever.
He never dared look at any other female other than his wife with eyes of passion.

Indra became a warning sign to erring gods and humans not to covet women who
belonged to others.

AHALYAA AND INDRA

The story related by Sun-God to Brahmaa is also about another handsome Indra coveting
anothers wife. But here it is not a story of passion but of love unsurpassed.

This Indra was a Brahmin youth. He was extremely handsome and all the girls were
inadvertently drawn to him because of his magnetic personality. A girl felt herself
fortunate if he even flashed a side-glance at her. He was not king of gods but a king of
flirts. He took life easy and enjoyed every moment of his life in sensuous pleasures. He
had no high goals set for him and wasted his youth in meaningless pursuit of sense
pleasures. He would have gone on in his life like a street dog searching for nothing, if he
had not seen her.
From the moment he saw her, he had changed.
Her name was Ahalyaa. She was the wife of king Indradyumna.

000

Indradyumna was a noble king. He was a devotee of Lord Vishnu.

He was highly respected for his righteous ways and strict moral values. He never swerved
from the path of Dharma and expected his family members and even citizens to be chaste
in their behavior.

And he thought that all his merits of previous lives had resulted in giving him a wife like
Ahalyaa. He felt that his wife was a storehouse of all good qualities, and was proud to be
the husband of such a beautiful damsel.

Ahalyaa was very beautiful. It was as if the Creator had made her out of filtered
moonlight. So blemish-less was her beauty that the king, afraid of her beauty getting
 75

tainted by the passion-filled glances of other men, had banned her from going out of the
harem itself. When Ahalyaa complained about this, the king had related to her the
mythical story of Ahalyaa and god Indra.

He confessed to her, that he did not want to lose her to any Indra. Ahalyaa had laughed
aloud and had made fun of his fears. However she did not strictly adhere to the rules set
by the king. Without his knowledge, she managed to skip out of the harem now and then
and wandered the streets disguised as an ordinary woman.

She had even wondered whether she would also be met with the same fate of the mythical
Ahalyaa and be seduced by another handsome Indra.
And she met her Indra soon.

000

VASANTOTSAVA! Spring Festival!

The whole city wore a festival mood! It shone like Indras Amaraavati, city of Gods!

The king as usual was never interested in such juvenile pastimes and had gone off to visit
some renowned Sages residing in the Sacred Mountains, accompanied by his Preceptor
Sage Bharata.
Left alone, the queen entered the city dressed as a common citizen and participated in the
festivities conducted at the temple of God Manmatha (God of love).

Without disclosing her married status she joined the group of young girls and boys,
dancing and singing to her hearts content. In that group of youthful men, Indra was also
present shining like a moon in the midst of stars.
Ahalyaa chanced to see him. Instantly her heart was lost to him.
Unable to express her feeling outwardly she had returned to her palace with a heavy
heart. The beautiful palace, the diamonds and gems adorning every corner of her harem
appeared to be mocking at her loneliness. She felt disgusted with her royal life. She felt
she was just a doll decorating the palatial grounds. The king had visited her only on rare
occasions to enquire about her welfare like a kind guardian. He never had enough time
for the simple pleasures of the family life and was busy attending to the administrative
matters of the city or improving his own spiritual state. He had tried to drag Ahalyaa too
towards spiritual pursuits, but had given up after a few tries.
Now the unattended creeper of his palace was searching for a tree to hold on to.

Ahalyaas mind was at present filled with the thought of the handsome Indra. Her entire
body was burning in passion. She felt herself as if set on fire. She withered on her bed
like a fish thrown on embers. She cried, wept, rolled on the floor and was even ready to
give up her life.
What was her life without attaining the company of the handsome Indra! What use was
her beauty if she did not unite with the man who had stolen her heart in one glance!
 76

Her maid who was her trusted companion in all her hidden exploits consoled her and told
her that she would somehow get that Indra to meet her that very night. She went out of
the palace gates unseen by anybody and met Indra at his house.

Even that young man Indra was in a similar condition as Ahalyaa. He had met hundreds
of girls in his life; but never had he seen such a lovely woman like Ahalyaa. He felt his
life was a waste if he did not enjoy the company of that heavenly beauty born on earth.
He did not even know who she was.

His eyes had met her eyes just for an instant as the crowd was dancing in full abandon.
He had seen so much thirst and love in those deep dark eyes; he had rushed towards her
unable to control himself. But she had vanished like a streak of lightning.
He had left the crowded arena immediately and had gone back dejected.

The whole world had changed for him. He had forgotten all his friends, all pleasures and
all other beautiful girls who hovered around him begging for his attention. His mind was
now fully occupied by the beautiful form of that lovely lady. He sat alone in his house
suffering as if his whole being was set on fire.
However his suffering did not last long.
Like a shower of nectar from heaven, the maid arrived to report to him the condition of
her queen. Though surprised at first when getting informed about the marital status and
her queenly position, Indra brushed aside all those factors as meaningless. What was
important was a meeting with her! Who cares who she is! He did not love her because of
her name and form. It was a unique attraction that drew him towards her. He loved
Ahalyaa for what she was. He just loved her more than his own life. That was all that
mattered.
Indra followed the maid without further delay to a pre-planned place. Ahalyaa was
waiting for him like a chaataka bird longing for the heavenly waters.

The river rushed towards the ocean and all the waters became one.

000

Like ghee increasing the intensity of the HOMA fire, the fire of passion between Indra and
Ahalyaa grew with every meeting. They met for the first few times secretly. But soon
they were bold enough to meet even in public places. Ahalyaa had lost all sense of shame
and modesty; she did not bother about the ridicule attached to her behavior. She spent
most of her time in Indras company in his house itself. She did not care for the
comments of her people or family.
Soon the news of their illicit affair reached the ears of the king. He tried his best to instill
sense into the infatuated mind of his wayward wife. But Ahalyaa was adamant in her
behavior. She continued meeting her lover despite the warnings of the king. The king was
extremely hurt by her behavior. He became worried about the public scandal and decided
to take firm action against the erring lovers to safeguard his own honor.

000
 77

Ahalyaa and Indra were chained and dragged to the court in full view of the public.
They were made to stand in front of the king for judgment. They both were accused of
carrying on an affair condemned by scriptures.

The king stared at his pretty wife standing accused along with a worthless son of a
Brahmin. Her face did not show any remorse. A scornful smile played on her rosy lips as
if defying the entire world with its moral codes and ethics. Indra appeared as if absorbed
in some deep thoughts. He did not seem to notice the courtiers or the king.

The king felt humiliated by their arrogant stand. Embarrassed by the whole thing, he
somehow managed to control his rage and said-
Throw them into the lake.

The order was carried out without delay. They were thrown into a lake filled with icy
waters. The two were happily smiling when they were thrown into the lake; they were
still smiling when they were taken out of the lake.

The king was visibly irritated. His eyes fiery with anger he asked them both.
Did not the freezing waters of the lake hurt you both, in any way?

They both answered in unison;

We carry in our minds the taintless faces of each other at all times.
Never for a second do we forget each other.
Every moment the thought of the beloved brings us immense joy.
We are not aware of our physical bodies at all.
There is only one unbroken flow of thought in us; that is the thought of the lover.
No other thought disturbs us. We do not have any sensation of the body at all.
We are together even in punishments; that is enough for us.
We do not care how you punish us.
Slice our limbs with swords if you like; but we will never be hurt in the least!

The king fumed!

He would make them cry and fall at his feet somehow, he vowed in his mind.
How dare these morally corrupt worms defy him, the greatest devotee of Vishnu, he said
to himself in anger.
He made a list of punishments and told his servants, not to stop their tortures till those
two wicked souls cried out in pain. The servants dragged the prisoners away to fulfill the
order given by the king.

000

The lovers were thrown into heated frying pans. Their smile did not fade.
The lovers were tied to the feet of the elephants. Their smile did no fade.
The lovers were whipped hard. Their smile did not fade.
The king invented more and more punishments and got them tortured. But their smile did
not fade.
 78

The king felt defeated!

He stood silently before them not knowing how to make them suffer.

Indra and Ahalyaa were lying at his feet, their bodies bleeding, limbs broken, mutilated in
all their body parts; but they were smiling still absorbed in some indescribable joy.

He again asked in an irritated voice-

How do you both manage to remain happy though you have been tortured in so many
ways?

Indra laughed aloud even in that shattered condition and answered in a feeble but
arrogant voice-
O king! The whole world is filled with my beloved.
She sees me filling the entire world. Nothing else exists for us.
We see every person, every object as each other. We are never aware of anything else.
We do not even know what punishments you order for us.
I only remember her; she remembers me.
We are always experiencing the pleasure of union continuously.
You can break our bodies; but you cannot break our minds.
You have no control over what we think.
My beloved is my goddess seated in the sanctum sanctorum of my heart. She wards off all
pains by her presence.
We both are not the bodies as you think. Ahalyaa is a mind; Indra is a mind. Both minds
are joined together and looped into each other.
She exists because of my thinking about her; I exist because she is thinking of me; we
both are deathless. We will live as eternal minds just thinking of each other in love.
O king! There is nothing in the world that gives happiness like love.
You boast that you are a devotee of god. Do you think of your beloved god as we think of
each other? With so many worldly thoughts, anxieties running in your mind, how can you
call yourself as a great devotee?
We have no pretentions of morality and ethics. We are not bound by the rules of the
world. For us, love is enough. You can do whatever with our so called bodies. As far as
we are concerned, we do not have bodies at all.
You do not have the power to control one single thought that rises in our minds.

Indra laughed again and embraced the shattered body of his beloved with extreme
affection.

The king fumed hearing his words. He could not inflict any more torture, for their bodies
were almost breathing their last. He looked at his preceptor and requested him to throw
curses on them. The preceptor just cursed them to die and released them from the
bondage of the bodies. The bodies rested on the ground like two fallen leaves. The king
walked away in frustration.

000
 79

Indra and Ahalyaa went through many lives later on. Bodies were many; but their love
never changed. They cherished the same love for each other.

Sometimes they wandered the forest as deer; another time as birds; later they united in
another life as a Brahmin couple.

They performed penance and attained the state of self- realization.

Now freed of any bondage, they both exist together eternally just experiencing the joy of
love. By their yogic powers, they take on any form and make love to each other.
They live as minds alone.

Mind alone is the real doer; not the inert body.

MANU

The Sun Continued-

O Lord, so you cannot destroy the Aeindavas in any way. Their bodies exist no more.
They remain now only as the Creation-Vaasanaas.
You even as Brahmaa do not have the power to annihilate them. They will go on creating
worlds forever.
They existed in the previous Creation of the Brahmaa. They are in your mind also now.
They will continue to exist in the mind of every Brahmaa who rises in the Chit.
They have become part of the Chit as the ever-existing Vaasanaas of Creation.
Why do you bother about them? You do your Creation work as you like. They are no
hindrances to you in any way.
{NOTES: In Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the originator of mankind, the Maanavas.}

Brahmaa had to agree to the wise words of Sun. Having continued in many Creations of
Aeindavas, the Sun seemed to be extremely intelligent and wise. Brahmaa did not want to
lose him. He decided to make him a part of his real Creation he was about to do. He
requested the Sun to be the Manu, first person in his Creation and create the world as
per his liking.
Sun agreed.
He split himself into two. One half of him remained as the Sun and went back to the
Creation of Aeindavas. The other half changed into the form of Manu and created
wonderful worlds under the supervision of Brahmaa.

END
 80

TWO TALES
FIRST STORY

FOREST

A forest!
Very big one!
You can never find the beginning or end of it.
It is so huge that even if you walk thousands of miles there, you would not even manage
to cross over a single point in it.
All sorts of trees grow there. Name it and it is there!
Banyan tree, Neem tree, Pongam tree, Mango tree, Coconut tree, Banana tree, Bodhi tree,
Peepul tree, Jack fruit tree ; List is too long!
Just think that any tree you can think of is found in that forest.
Moreover, all these multifarious trees do not grow there, hither and thither as a sample;
but each and every variety is a wild grove growing like weeds covering huge areas of the
forest. With such uncontrolled growth, the forest always looks as if it is in eternal night.
Suns rays never can penetrate inside and light up anything.
The forest indeed is a black hole which can never absorb any light any time.
And you guessed right! No living thing dares enter that forest for fear of getting lost.

I ENTER THE FOREST

Uph! So many trees, so many branches, so many roots; never could you see the end of it!
But I am going to visit that forest now. I am not a cowardly chap like you!
I know what is right and what is wrong!
I have X-Ray eyes which can penetrate through any darkness!
I can see through any deceit, any magical feat, and any miraculous power!
At my very sight, fools tremble and give up their life at my feet.
I have busted so many religious rackets, miracle mania and terrorizing ghosts!
Great, you say!
But you will be surprised to know that no one wants my services though it is free!
People wrinkle their noses when I enter any crowd.
They even beat me up and throw me out like unwanted garbage!
All I do is telling people how to find things in darkness. But nobody wants to know what
is where! Idiots all!
Now I am searching for a job here in this dark black hole of a forest!
Ah! The cruel fate!
(For your ears only Fate does not exist at all; it is just a myth! I know it as a fact. Dont
tell others, they will nail me on a cross!)
 81

THE WEIRD CREATURE

Anyhow I have decided to enter this forest and try my luck here.
Fearless, I go inside, find my way easily through all those thorny bushes and sit under a
Bodhi tree and close my eyes.
It feels really good to be under this tree. You can try it some time.
I relax fully. An unknown joy fills my being. My eyelids close by themselves.
I am almost slipping off into a blissful slumber; but something suddenly jerks me out of
my peaceful state.
I hear some screams and shouts. Someone in danger!
I am up on my feet immediately. I quickly reach the place where the sound was heard.
And what do I see? I am shocked!
I stop halfway and hide behind a tree lest I get attacked by that creature!

Yes it was a creature! Of course it looked human enough to have a face and body like a
man. But wonder of wonders! It had thousands of arms and thousands of eyes!
You ask me, how such a thing can exist? I do not know! The creature was for real.
Believe my words; I never lie! Trust me! I always see through lies!
Its face was full of eyes and it had arms all over. Surely their number should exceed
thousand, I know! I never make a mistake, be sure!
And in all those thousand hands it held heavy spiked clubs. It was beating itself with
those clubs and screaming in pain.
Before I could bring some sense to its mad brain, the creature started running in panic.

DEEP HOLE

The Creature was beating itself, screaming in pain and running away from itself!
I wanted to shout, Stop beating! Stop running!
But before the sound reached its ears, it was thousands of miles away!
I was not a weakling. No body could outrun me in a race.
I ran behind it wanting to catch my first customer!
Business is business; mad or foolish, a customer is a God in person!
I ran behind him keeping him in my view always.
Suddenly there was no sound! That creature had vanished! I was shocked!
Where did it hide so soon? I searched the area thoroughly inch by inch! And I found the
place where it had disappeared!

Hidden under the foliage of trees, there was a deep hole in the ground and surely that
creature must have slipped into it!
I looked down inside it carefully.
It was too dark as if draped with a black cloth.
I dropped a stone to find out how deep it was. I waited for hours; no sound of the stone
reaching the ground was heard.
I did not lose heart.
With thousand arms and clubs the creature must surely come out of that deep dark well
somehow. I decided to wait and sat under a close-by tree.
 82

Many hours passed! I must have dozed off.

Because when I heard some sound, the creature was running away at a distance.
He looked uglier now. His whole body was covered with slime and dirt. But he had not
stopped beating himself yet. His screams echoed all over the forest.
Poor guy!

THE THORNY BUSHES

I wanted to stop his mad act.

But when I was close to him, I saw him entering a grove of thorny trees.
I stopped outside and peered into the dark areas of that grove.
I saw that creature running through thorny bushes. He was falling on thorns; sometimes
hugging the thorny trees; sometimes plucking even thorny sticks to beat himself.
The screams were more painful now.
I waited outside the grove trying not to sleep off. I had to save him somehow I decided.
Soon he came out.
His whole body was now full of scratches and cuts. He was bleeding all over. I politely
addressed him, Sir, if you will please spare me a few minutes...
I did not complete my sentence. He was gone.
I followed him undaunted.

PLANTAIN GROVE

He had crossed thousands of miles again, still beating himself, still screaming!
My eyes were wet actually, though in business matters you are not supposed to show
your emotions to others. I followed him now with more concern for his health than for
the profit I was after.
This time he was in a different part of the forest.
Some cool winds blew from the nearby grove. By the smell I understood it to be the
plantain grove.
The creature-fellow entered inside and was gone. I could not resist the temptation. I ate
some fruits and sat under the cool shade of those tall banana trees. I knew the fool will
soon come out. Banana or thorn meant the same to him. He did not stay anywhere long.
His only mission in life was to hurt himself and scream in pain.

I ADVISE HIM

When he came out, I was ready. I pounced on him, held him tightly in my strong arms
and asked him,
Wait, Sir, Wait! Why are you acting like this? Listen to me. I will tell you how to escape
from pain. First drop those clubs off

Again I did not complete my sales talk. He removed my hand forcibly and looked at me
with disgust and ran away only to fall into a deep well again. Anyhow after many tries
from me, he at last spared a few minutes to speak to me.
I asked him what made him act that way.
 83

He stood there quietly and observed his own limbs one by one. His body was bleeding
and wounded all over.

He said-
What am I doing? Nothing! What has happened to my body?
Youyou have done something to me! You are an enemy out to destroy me.
Ah! Ah! You idiot! You have seen me!
You have made me lose everything. I cannot feel any pain now! Nor can I feel happy!
What shall I do!
I was happily beating myself. Now you have spoiled my life!

He looked at his body again. He saw the horrible state it was in.
He broke down completely and started to cry.
He went on lamenting-
Ah! I am ruined! Where will I go now? I cannot feel any pain.
Why did I meet you?

He wept, rolled on the floor, even managed to make a small stream with his tears.
I was watching helplessly, not knowing what to say.
I was thinking that he would be happy if he did not beat himself; but here he was crying
because he could not feel the pain.
But to my good fortune, he stopped crying soon. He got up and laughed aloud.
He jumped in joy; let out screams of joy.
And wonder of wonders! His limbs were all falling off one by one.
First to fall was his head; then his arms; then the chest; then the stomach.
At last, he vanished from sight.

SO MANY CREATURES!

I was shedding joyous tears. Wiping my face, I walked away from that place.
But soon I found that the forest was full of such mad creatures.
I decided my mission in life was here. Profit or no profit, I will remain in this forest and
cure their madness.
Many I could catch and question about their actions; and many lucky ones discarded their
limbs and vanished off as the first one had done.
But not everyone was so lucky.

Some creatures that had fallen into the dark deep well, never ever came out, though I
waited months for them to come out.

Some other creatures when stopped by me almost got ready to hit me with their clubs.
They shouted back saying, You wicked man! Keep away! and ran away from me.
They did not understand even a word I uttered!
 84

Some creatures which entered the banana grove also never came out. I believe the cool
medicinal effect of those trees should have cured their madness and they must have
vanished there itself without my help.

Some creatures were lost in the thorny groves and never found their way out.
Poor things! Rivers of blood must be flowing there! I wiped my tears!

Why are you laughing? Do you think it is a tall tale I am weaving? I am not a person
given to imagination and lies. Really there is a forest like that and countless mad
creatures wander there beating themselves with clubs.
You must also have seen it! Even from the time you were a baby learning to say mama
or papa you must have seen it.
You do not remember?
You must have forgotten!
Well, wait a second!
Let me see your face properly.
Ah! What is this? This is that forest! And you?
Oh! Oh! You are that mad.!
I barely heard a thump before I blacked out!

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

Who am I?
The power to discriminate between Right and Wrong; the power to discriminate between
real and unreal! the so-called VIVEKA accompanied by VICHAARA, Proper Enquiry.

What is the forest?

This world!

What are the dark deep wells?

Hells, or tragic situations where ignorant minds end up in.

What are the thorny groves?

Worldly life and attachments!

What are the banana groves?

Heavens or happy situations, where meritorious minds end up in!

Who is the mad creature?

Mind! It reaches everywhere with its countless arms and sees everything as if with
countless eyes. It continuously goes after anything and everything and ends up always in
painful situations. To escape from pains it goes after harmful pleasures, or family and
friends, and tries to gain merits through acts like charity, religion etc.

Why did the creature shout at me and cry?

Because his interest in pleasures was disappearing!
 85

Why did he laugh and lose his limbs?

He lost his head Ego!
He lost his arms stopped reaching for outside pleasures.
He lost his chest lost his attachments.
He lost his stomach he stopped enjoying anything other than his self.
He vanished he was now a JeevanMukta and the physical body ceased to exist for him.
He laughed because of the bliss of the Self.

Who pushed me away and ran off?

Those fools, who did not know that they needed my help, rejected my services and
continued their suffering.

ANOTHER STORY
THE CHILD WANTS A STORY

Mummy, tell me a story! A child was pestering its mother.

Mother smiled patiently at the child and asked:
Shall I tell you about Rama and the ten headed demon?

No! I have heard it umpteen times

Krishna?

I have my picture story book about Krishna!

Demon?

I know already
Mummy was silent.

Tell me a new new story which I have never heard before. pleaded the child.
Mummy had no more stories to tell, so she invented a story.

MOTHER TELLS THE STORY

Once upon a time there were three princes in a city, mummy looked at her child.

Hmm. A bored expression lingered in the eyes of the child.

But you know what!

The city was not there at all.

Oh! The childs eyes glowed with sudden interest!

Mummy now knew what the tale had to be like.
She continued.
Yes! There were these three princes, brave, handsome and noble.
 86

But they lived in a city which was not there at all.

It was empty like the sky you see above.

But you know what?

Of the three princes, two of them never got born at all.
One of them never even lived in a womb like you did!

The child opened its eyes wide.

They were very unhappy being alone in that city.

They had no friends, no relatives, and no people. Not even dogs and cats lived there in
that city. The princes decided to leave that city and go elsewhere to seek their fortune.
They had no horses and no chariots. So they walked on the muddy road.
The sun was hot and there were no trees anywhere.
Their bodies were burnt in the heat. Their feet got blisters. Their mouth dried up.
Poor princes!
Their bodies were so delicate that they almost cried in pain.
They were soon covered by dust and dirt.
They walked the whole day and at last found three huge trees on the roadside.
The trees were filled with fruits, flowers and birds.

But you know what?

Two of the trees never ever grew out of their sprouts.
One of them did not even have a seed to sprout from.

They ate the fruits as many as possible. They made juice out of the remaining fruits and
drank them again and again. They plucked flowers; made garlands and wore them
happily. Again they started on their journey.
But since they had packed some fruits for the journey, they did not feel so tired.
Soon they reached an area where three rivers were flowing with great noise.

But you know what?

Two of the rivers had no waters at all and one was completely dry.

They bathed in the dried up river and washed away the dirt from their bodies.
They played in the waters to their hearts content, drank the water till they could drink no
more and again started on their journey.
Soon they reached a city.

But, you know what?

The city was not at all built. It was supposed to be built in the future.

They heard the citizens conversing inside the city.

The three princes felt excited for they knew that this city would be the best place to live.
They entered the city and looked around.
They saw three beautiful mansions.
 87

The mansions were made of gold and decorated all over with diamonds and gems.

But you know what?

Two were not built at all and one had neither walls nor pillars!

The three princes entered the mansion without walls.

They rested there for a while. But they were feeling hungry and decided to explore the
house a little. After some search they found the kitchen.
They saw three pots made of burnt gold kept there.

But you know what?

Two pots had big holes in them and the third one was broken into pieces.

They took the broken pot and cooked a variety of dishes.

They found hundred freshly made leaf cups in the store room.

But you know what?

The leaf cups were short of a hundred and had many holes on them.

They prepared many tasty dishes and filled the cups with them.
Since they were good princes, they invited three Brahmins to eat the food prepared by
them.

But you know what?

Two of the Brahmins had no bodies at all and the third one had no face.

The three Brahmins ate all the food kept in the leaf cups.
After they left, the princes ate off the left-over food.
Since they were so good they were made the rulers of that city.
The three princes lived happily ever after in that city which was to be built in the future.
Even now that city is there.
The princes daily go out for hunting in the forests.
Some day I will take you there.

The child was very much satisfied with the story.

It exclaimed Super; hurriedly placed a kiss on the mothers cheek and ran away to
share the story with its friends.

WHAT IS ALL THIS ABOUT?

Our life narratives are not less foolish than this story related to a child!
Look around.
What do you see? Buildings, roads, trees?
 88

You know what?

There are only atoms floating in and out and no objects at all!
The buildings, roads, trees etc. are just pictures projected by the brain.

Who are all sitting around you? Mother, father, brother etc.?

You know what?

If you never shared some chromosomes with these, you would not share even a cup of
water with those beings!

You believe that you live inside a huge solid world?

You know what?
Unless light rays fall on your eyes and draw lines of objects, you will see no world at all.
All the shapes you see around you are supported by light rays with a fixed speed!
A slight disparity in its speed, you will have a cartoon world around you.

You see a pictorious colorful world with countless objects around you with your eyes and
believe that a great God gifted these two holes to you?
You know what?
The eye which is just an evolutionary gimmick captures a very minute point of an object
in one instant and only the brain manages to concoct a complete picture of the object and
prove the reality of the pictures for you.

You hear sounds, you see colors?

You know what?
Brain alone codes the air pressure as sounds and electromagnetic wave-frequencies as
colors. In truth there exist no color, no sound outside of the brain.
All is in the brain!
Whatever exists is whizzing electric charge!

Whatever exists is a pattern in the void, including your body!

The cherished I is jut a label for the moving atom pile connection or the cell colony
which you call your body.

The adored I is just a point of self-awareness, an assessment we make of all the data
that is collected in the store-house of Brain.

We move, eat, shout, scream, reproduce, because the chemicals oozing in the brain make
us do those things.

These brains again follow the command of the genes.

Gene is nothing but a chemical traveling through our bodies towards eternity.
 89

As servants of that inert chemical, we love, hate, kill, and so we survive, or rather help
the gene survive.

You place an objection that you always think independently and you are always above
the chemical commands?!

You? Independent? Free? (Never ever!)

See a cake inside a shop window; your saliva starts leaking.
Smell the fragrance of a delicacy; you want to rush to the dining table.
See the opposite sex -young and beautiful; your reproductive system gets ready to act.
Let someone make a derogatory comment, your eyes become red, your mouth throws out
dirty words even before you know it.

See even a shining car-window pane; you adjust your looks immediately.
Is there any moment in your life where you act beyond the level of chemicals?
You are a slave to the chemicals!
Do you ever think before you act?
Like an earthworm, you react to the object in front of you even before you know what
you are doing. Earthworm has no brains, true!
But you, the human, never use your brain; how much do you differ from that worm?!

If evolutionary rules suggest that the limbs not used fall away, surely the future
generation of humans would revert back to brainless plant existence!

No harm in saying that you are just a tiny part of the chemical scum spreading all over
the earth! A chemical fungus!

Where is the precious I?

Like the princes you were not born at all.

It is the gene which commands the brain to produce chemicals to suit its survival.
Where are you in this chemistry lab?

It is the whizzing electrons appearing here and there.

Where are you in this Physics lab?

It is the cell colony which takes the label of your name and walks about.
Where are you in this Biology lab?

Signals appear in the brain randomly and actions occur.

Where are you in this Neuroscience lab?

Every thought that appears in your brain is there because of chemistry, physics, biology
and psychology.
 90

You are Consciousness?!

What is Consciousness?
Have you spared even five minutes a day to enquire who you are?
Have you even analyzed what is Consciousness?
Have you read Dennett or Hofstadter to find out what is the meaning of the word
Consciousness?
Have you tried to stop the flow of thoughts even for a minute as Ramana instructs?
Have you tried to love God as Ramakrishna shows?

You never have time for anything and keep the discrimination or enquiring power away.
You run after million things and have made anxiety and apprehension as your innate
parts. You cannot breathe a moment without worrying about something.
If nothing is there, you worry about fictitious characters of unreal stories.

Our life stories are also unreal and invented by the brain.
Lest we know about the unreality of our own existence and the world, we keep the
enquiring power away and keep beating ourselves with clubs and try to forget our pains
in cheap and harmful entertainments.

What do you know?

Neither am I real, nor you, nor this world.
Only a sum total of all brain signals or perturbations or Vaasanaas exist painting the
picture of the world. Or even they do not exist, for who is there to see what?
Only Silence exists watching itself!

NO DIFFERENTIATION EXISTS WHATSOEVER.

 91

STORY OF KING LAVANA

INTRODUCTION

Lavanas story tells again about the illusory nature of the space/time phenomenon.
King Lavana experiences a life of sixty years as a Chaandaala within an hour or so in his
mind, as he is seated on his throne. He also sees the people connected to his Chaandaala
life real and living.
This paradox is explained by Sage Vasishta.

KING LAVANA AND THE SORCERER

VISITOR TO THE COURT

King Lavana looked at the visitor skeptically.

The visitor was boasting too much about his magical abilities and his power to create
illusions of any sort.
Lavanas face was expressionless. He smiled within himself.
He, the terror of the enemy kings, the mighty Lavana as if could be deceived by the
illusory power of this weird looking man!

Lavana, the emperor of UttaraPaandava kingdom was well known for his courage and
valor all over the earth. As much as he was a terror to the wicked ones, he was overly
compassionate to the needy and poor. People had nothing to fear under the shelter of his
mighty arms. He had mastered all the scriptures under the guidance of Sage Vasishta and
even practiced the contemplative methods of Self-realization.
His character was blemish-less; his actions were perfect; his thoughts were noble!
On the whole there was nothing in the world that could un-stabilize his calm disposition
and disturb his tranquil state. He had nothing to fear from any illusory power of any
creature from heaven or hell.

King Lavana smiled within himself.

SORCERER

Lavana looked at the faces of the people seated in his court.

His ministers also had the same skeptical look in their eyes. But others seated in the court
reacted in different ways to the sorcerers presence. Some trembled and recited the names
of their favorite deities; some laughed to hide their fears; some closed their eyes; some
looked at the king for support.
The king again looked at the weird looking man with scorn.
 92

The sorcerer had requested permission to present his talent before the king.
He wore a head-dress made of colorful feathers. His face was painted red as if to hide his
identity. A black moustache covered half the face. The eyes were red and glared with
abnormal brightness. His whole body from the neck to the toes was covered by a long
skirt woven with many colored feathers. A talking parrot of fine colors sat on his
shoulder and repeated the last word of whatever sentence he uttered in a screeching voice
adding more abnormality to the scene. The sorcerer held a bunch of peacock feathers
tightly in both his hands as if afraid that the slightest movement of those feathers could
prove dangerous to one and all.

King Lavana at last broke his silence and addressed the sorcerer.
So you think I can be deceived by you through some illusion?
A scornful smile peeped from the corner of his mouth as if challenging the man and his
bunch of peacock feathers.

The sorcerer was unaffected by the critical look of the king and smiled at the king with
more disdain and said, Would you dare give me permission?

The king looked at his ministers as if asking for their opinion. They also showed disbelief
in the words of the sorcerer and flashed knowing smiles at the king.
The king decided to amuse the common populace seated in his court. Any entertainment
like this from a road-side vagabond would not harm anybody he decided and nodded his
agreement to the magical show that the weird man promised to present.

THE MAGIC

The sorcerer saluted the king with a great show of pretentious humbleness.
He passed his eyes all round the court throwing fiery glances at any one who dared to
think low of his talents. Then he walked forward a few steps and stood close to the steps
which led towards the throne placed on a high pedestal.

The king was comfortably seated on a huge golden throne decorated with the choicest
gems available in the world. The sorcerer fixed his eyes on the kings face for a few
moments. The king also returned the stare without batting an eye lid. He had decided to
humor the poor creature playing with the bunch of peacock feathers.

The people in the court watched every action of the sorcerer carefully so as not to miss
any amazing magical feat that he might produce.

The court was silent.

Only the humming noise from the sorcerers mouth filled the quarters. There was an eerie
atmosphere all around. Some with weak hearts trembled as if expecting the entire world
to vanish the next second.
 93

The sorcerer was uttering some strange sounds in a very low voice. The pretty maidens
who waved the chowries on both sides of the king shivered a little as if some cold wind
had passed through them. They closed their eyes in some unknown fear.

The sorcerer suddenly lifted the bunch of peacock feathers and waved it violently in front
of the king. Immediately the whole place was filled with colorful sparks of light all over.
Nothing could be seen except the colored light drops floating everywhere.

A few silent apprehensive minutes passed.

The sparks vanished all at once suddenly bringing a normal vision to all the courtiers.
The sorcerer was nowhere to be seen. The people sighed with relief.
Nothing notable had happened really. Only a spectacular sight of colorful lights!
That is all!
And the sorcerer had been acting as if he had the entire world under his control.
A smile lit up all the troubled faces in the court. But smiles did not last long.
They were all shocked at what had happened to their dear king.
The king..?
THE KING?

The king had become frozen like a statue on the throne.

His eyes were open and staring at some invisible thing in front of him. He never even
blinked. The eyes were fixed like the eyes of a portrait.

The old minister who had known the king from when he was a child ran up the throne
and touched him with alarm.
The king was alive. The heart beats had not stopped; the breathing was deep and slow.
But the body did not move even slightly.
The minister shook the king hard and called out his name many times.
The king did not respond in any way. He looked as if he was lost in some deep thoughts.
The minister came down the steps of the throne slowly, unable to fathom the events of
the day.

He lifted his hands and gestured the common populace to keep quiet.
All the OOHs and AHs of the people stopped instantly.
The court was silent.
Everyone kept watching the king.

The ministers discussed something in low voices and sat on their chairs helpless to do
anything. All of them waited anxiously.
Some two hours passed this way.

Suddenly the king moved and his whole body shivered a little. It was as if he was trying
to get up and jump into something. His unconscious body was falling out of the throne.
The body guards who were watching the king with all alertness jumped forward and held
the king in their mighty arms.
 94

They slowly seated the king on his throne. The king gradually regained consciousness.
His eyes looked all around as if searching for something.
He did not seem to recognize anybody there. His face was creased with worry. He looked
confused and bewildered. He was sweating profusely.
All the ministers stood around him anxious about the kings well-being. Some courtiers
even got ready to hunt that evil sorcerer and slice him into pieces.

The king mumbled something incoherently. He looked slightly frightened of all the
people surrounding him.

The old minister understood the confusion in the kings mind and sent away all but two
or three very close friends of the king.

The king asked the kind old minister-

Who are you all? Where am I? Whose court this is?
Where are my wife and children? What have you people done to them?

The minister consoled him with kind words.

He got the maid to bring a mirror to the court. He made the king see his face in the
mirror. The king at first was shocked by the handsome face that stared at him from the
mirror. But suddenly his eyes shone with understanding and he started laughing aloud
uncontrollably.
He was his own self now.

THE KING PRAISES THE SORCERER

The king was sitting in his own private chambers.

He had taken some refreshments and felt at ease now. His close friends and ministers
were seated at their respective places. They were eagerly looking at the face of the king
waiting for an account of his experiences.

The sorcerer was sitting on a special golden chair provided for him as a respectful gesture
from the king. He had appeared in the court room as soon as the king had woken up fully.
Now he was sitting silently and was observing the king with amusement. His red eyes
smiled with hidden mischief.

The king addressed him directly!

Well done my dear friend! I do appreciate your power of delusion. You are not less than
Lord Naaraayana himself in deluding others.
Your magic is indeed great.

He signaled his minister with a slight nod of his head.

Next moment, hundred maids came into that room with huge golden plates filled with
precious gems and diamonds. They placed all the plates in front of the sorcerer and
retired to the corner of the room.
 95

The king addressed the sorcerer again-

Sir, your act deserves more than these gifts. Please accept them as my humble offerings.
Ask me for anything that you desire for. I will try my best to fulfill your wish.

The sorcerer stood up. He saluted the king and said-

Lord, I do not need all these. I have performed only my duty.
Now please permit me to go.
So saying, he waved his bunch of peacock feathers once more.
A blazing light arose where he stood and he was gone.

THE KING TELLS HIS STORY

The minister seated next to the king asked-

Lord, what is all this? What happened to you? Please be kind and tell us everything.

The king, who was staring at the place where the sorcerer stood with surprise, turned his
face towards the anxious friends. He closed his eyes for a few moments as if trying to
remember everything that had happened at the time of his swoon.

Then he opened his eyes and said-

You all must have seen the sorcerer waving his bunch of peacock feathers and the
colorful sparks filling the court room.
After the mist of colorful light-drops cleared, I saw myself standing next to a very
beautiful horse. It had all the qualities that Indras horse Uccheishravas is said to have.
It was so tempting that I decided to ride the horse for some distance and come back.
I had no other thought in my mind. The court room, sorcerer, country, everything was
forgotten. I just wanted to ride that magnificent horse.
The moment I sat on it, I understood that I had made a mistake in trusting that horse.
It immediately sped with the speed of lightning and I had to hang on to it for life.
I could not control it in any way. I do not know where it went or how much time elapsed.
I was feeling tired and hungry. But the horse kept on running as if set on fire.
I could not even know which cities or villages I was passing through. Only when the heat
of the Sun dried me up and hot sand hit my face, I understood that I was in a huge desert
land. It had no end or beginning. I felt I was riding the fiery Sun across the sky and felt
scorched by the heat of the land.
After some eternity I felt suddenly very cold. I understood that I was in a wild forest
region filled with giant trees and countless shrubberies.

It was now or never, I thought and jumped on to a branch under which the horse went
through. As I hung with both my hands to a creeper covering the huge branch, the horse
disappeared into the dark interiors of the forest. It was already becoming dark. I could not
even see my own hand in the enveloping darkness. I somehow managed to climb on to
the upper side of the branch and held on to the creeper tightly for fear of falling down. I
heard some hissing sound and felt something cold as some rope like thing moved close to
 96

me. I even stopped breathing to avoid dangers and remained like a statue for the rest of
the night.

It was the longest night I had ever lived. Each moment was equal to a Brahmaas day.
The cold wind froze my limbs already frozen in fear. I had completely forgotten who I
was. My head was blank.

I was filled with fear like a deer lost in the lions dominion. My teeth were chattering in
the cold wind. Various types of insects were biting all the open places of my body. I was
hungry, tired and exhausted. My mouth had dried up. All I needed was some food and
water. I would have done anything for a morsel of food. Forgotten were all my hard
acquired knowledge; forgotten were my warring abilities. I did not even remember my
name or family or country. I was like a human animal only wanting to survive.

THE KING IS LOST IN A FOREST-LAND

After the never ending night vanished at the sight of the Sun, I could see where I was.
The ground was very near and the tree was a huge Jamboo tree spreading its branches all
over that area like a spider spreading out its legs. I saw also many huge snakes sheltering
in the hollows of the tree.

I quickly jumped out of the tree. My clothes were in bits. I somehow managed to cover
my lower part of the body properly; the sense of decency was still alive somewhere in my
heart.
I had scratches all over my body; some parts were bleeding; some parts were swollen.
One of my eyes was closed and swollen. Some passing branch might have poked the eye,
I thought.

I slowly got up and started walking!

Walk where? There were only thorny bushes and giant trees everywhere. Somewhere far
above I heard some birds chirping. Insects hovered around my wounds trying to suck the
blood out of me. I took a thorny branch and waved them away as I walked.

I had only one thought in my mind- food. I tried eating some leaves and found them
horribly bitter and irritating to the mouth. My tongue got swollen by their poisonous
juice. I had no tears to cry even. Thorns pricked my feet; creepers got in my way; snakes
rushed past me.

I walked and walked.

I would fall down exhausted and swoon. Then I would be frightened that some wild
animal may eat me alive and I would get up and walk again.
 97

THE CHAANDAALA MAIDEN

How long I went through the forest, I have no idea. I decided to walk till death. There
was no goal other than death now. Food was an impossible thing that never could be
found in that forest. I did not even pray to the gods; I had no idea of the gods or heavens
then. I was just an animal in human shape.
At some point I think I sat down under a huge tree and had fallen into a swoon like sleep.
Some noise nearby woke me up. I peeped through the bushes.

Wonder of wonders! I saw a girl walking on a forest path.

I did not see her dark black skin. I did not see her short fat body. I did not smell the
horrifying stink coming out of her body. I did not see that the pupils of her eyes were
continuously moving making her look more grotesque. I saw only the basket in her hand
and inhaled the smell of food coming from it.

I pounced like an animal and stood in front of her. Shocked by my sudden appearance she
let out a scream. I gestured to the food and begged her like a dog pleading at the master.
She scrutinized me from top to bottom. She even pinched my cheeks hard to see whether
I was real. I screamed in pain and yet went on begging for food touching her feet covered
with dust. She just laughed, kicked me away and started walking away. I followed her
like her shadow and begged for food wherever she stopped. She now eyed me differently.
Her face was red and made her look more devilish. She turned towards me and said that
she was taking the food for her father working in the fields. She could not dare give it to
anyone else.

I dont know how, but I understood all her words as if I belonged to the same village
where she was born and brought up. I showed her my shrunken stomach and begged her
again.

She looked at me now with pity and said-

Look! I can share this food only with my husband! Will you be the father for my future
children?
I hesitated a little.

She again said-

My father is the chief of the Chaandaala (despised group of outcastes) village I belong
to. If you marry me, you can have three times a day as much food as you can eat. You will
live like a prince with me.

The talk of so much food made my mouth wet again. I felt I was reborn. I wanted at that
time only food. I did not care about anything else then.
I nodded my head in agreement.

She took a little bit of the raw meat from her basket and fed me like feeding a pet dog. I
gulped it in one mouthful and looked at her for more. She laughed and dragged me with
her fat hand like a prize catch towards the field where her father was ploughing the field.
 98

She now and then threw a piece of meat towards me as if playing a game. I caught it
instantly and swallowed it like a delicacy from heaven.
I followed her obediently only intent on eating food from her hand.

THE MARRIAGE

The father who was like a dark devil risen from hells saw me; he approved the fair hued
human animal; he patted my back; I was given more food; we three went to the village at
the base of the mountain; the whole village was stinking; meat pieces were strewn
everywhere; sliced flesh parts of pigs, crows, dogs, horses, monkeys were spread out on
the ground for drying in front of the huts; dirt-covered children with devilish faces were
sucking blood from freshly cut meat pieces and oozing blood from their mouths; all the
black hued villagers looked at the fair hued catch that followed their chieftains daughter
obediently like a dog; many young maidens were envious of her good fortune; some
stroked me like petting an animal and laughed at my uncomfortable-ness; my future wife
saved me from all those ugly maidens and took me inside a house; I was given more
food; I was placed in the special hut of the chieftain; I was introduced to my future
mother-in-law who was squint-eyed; she also gave me some food; next day I was married
to the chieftains daughter in all grandeur; wine and meat were abundantly consumed; I
was now the official husband of a Chaandaala girl; I was pampered with lot of food; I ate
and ate and became a fat fair hued Chaandaala in no time; within five years I was the
father of a girl and two sons.

THE FAT CHAANDAALA

I learnt to hunt animals; I learnt to cut the fleshy limbs of the animals; I learnt to take care
of goats and sheep; I learnt to be dirty and stinking like all others; I learnt to drink
intoxicating drinks and shout; I learnt to fight for the smallest piece of flesh or land;
I learnt to scream at my family; I learnt to walk out in anger and live far from my family;
I learnt to return and apologize desiring the company of my wife; I learnt to love her ugly
looks; I learnt to treasure my children like my lives; I learnt to get frozen in winter;
I learnt to get drenched in rains; I learnt to get scorched in the hot sun; I learnt to eat
live-snakes; I learnt to suffer the mosquito bites; in short I was a perfect Chaandaala.

THE FAMINE

The Wheel of the Time moved on.

I grew old; I was nearing my sixties; white beard covered my dried up chin; my face
became creased with worries and anxieties; I was irritated with everyone; I fought with
everyone; I was beaten up and wounded; I beat others and wounded them.

Life went on.

 99

And a famine stuck; all animals died; all plants dried up; a forest fire destroyed the forest
region in its entirety; the ground became hot like embers; there was no food anywhere;
there was no water anywhere; many died; many committed suicide by jumping into fires;
many left the village and died elsewhere; I too left my old parents-in-law and went away
from that village accompanied by wife and three children.

THE DEATH

We walked and walked; I carried my younger sons on my shoulders.

There was only dry land everywhere. At last at the end of the day we reached the borders
of the mountain region and found a few Palmyra trees. My wife and daughter fell down
there exhausted. I dropped my sons down and sat down to rest.

I did not know what to do or where to go; I knew death was the final destination waiting
for us; already my wife was struggling for breath and had fallen into a painful swoon; my
daughter was sleeping like a dried creeper fallen on the ground; my eldest son lied down
next to me hugging my legs; his eyes were dry and unseeing; my youngest son somehow
crawled towards me and pleaded Give me meat! Give me meat. I want blood to drink.

I consoled him; I reasoned with him; he would not stop his crying; I got wild and told
him to eat my flesh and drink my blood; he said Give it now, I am hungry.

I decided to die and give them my fried body as food; I lighted a fire with the dried leaves
fallen there; and as the fire blazed high, I jumped into it.

The king paused for a second.

Deathly silence filled the room.

. then I fell here out of the throne.

Then the king laughed aloud and walked out of that room still laughing.

The ministers and friends of the king who were listening to the story intently were sitting
like statues made of flesh. They could hear the kings loud laughter from far.
They got up slowly and walked out of the room.
They did not even feel like discussing anything anymore.

LAVANA VISITS THE CHAANDAALA COLONY

The next day the king announced that he was going to the Vindhya Mountains. He
wanted to visit the Chaandaala colony if it ever existed.

Why would not it exist? He had experienced the life in the mountains second by second,
minute by minute. He knew every stone that stood there; he knew every particle of sand
that rolled there. He dismissed the advice of his ministers who tried to convince him that
he had dreamt the whole thing and it could not have happened in reality.
 100

He had only asked permission from his Guru Vasishta. The wise Sage had nodded his
agreement.
No harm in searching for truth; no attempt goes waste when in search of facts,
he had said.

Now the king was on his way to the Vindhya Mountains with his retinue.

He searched far and wide in that wilderness, till he reached a place he recognized as burnt
by the forest fire. He saw some old women rolling on those ashes. One very old woman
was crying and weeping loudly. She was lamenting for her fair-hued son-in law and her
dark hued daughter; she was calling for her grandsons and grand daughter.

The king got down from his horse and approached her. He enquired her about her family.
Amidst her weeping and crying sessions she managed to tell the whole story of the fat
Chaandaala son-in law, which the king had experienced in the court room as an illusion.

The king was amazed; he arranged for their comfortable living till death and moved
away. He wandered for some more time visiting all the places he had seen as a
Chaandaala in his illusory experience.

Thinking deeply about all that had happened he returned home with many questions
burning his mind.

THE RAAJASOOYA SACRIFICE

The king was seated on the ground on a deer skin spread for him. A pair of white cotton
garments covered his handsome body. He had not worn any ornaments. He was now in
the hermitage of Sage Vasishta.

His Master Vasishta was seated on a wooden seat placed slightly high above the ground.
His eyes were closed in contemplation. He was thinking about the questions asked by his
royal disciple.

Who was that sorcerer? Why did he create this illusion? Why I had to suffer like this
even in a dream, when I have not performed any wrong action in thought, word or deed?
How did the illusion in my mind become a reality? How could my experience of two
hours be equal to many years of life in a Chaandaala colony?

The king was waiting like a chaataka bird to get answers to his questions. He knew only
Vasishta the son of the Creator could have answers to all these paradoxes. He need not
have to wait long.

The Sage broke the silence, to silence the mind of his dear disciple.
My dear Lavana! Do you remember the RAAJASOOYA YAJNA performed by you in your
mind long back?
 101

Lavana thought back.

Yes, he remembered that incident very well. He had heard that his ancestor Yudhishtira
had performed the Raajasooya Sacrifice (a sacrifice performed by a monarch as a mark of
his subduing all other Kings) and attained heavens.
He also decided to do the same; but he did it in the arena of his mind.

Yes! He had the power to concentrate on anything for a long time. So he sat in his
meditation room and performed the Sacrifice in his own mind. Without forgetting even a
smallest detail he had enacted the Sacrifice mentally. He had collected all the materials in
his mind; invited the Sages and Brahmins in his mind; had offered a lot of charity in his
mind. By the time the Sun set, he had gone through a years experience. After getting up
he had forgotten all about it thinking it as an amusement enjoyed by the mind.

He answered politely, Yes Lord! I had done so!

The Sage smiled and said-

Dont you know that one who performs the Sacrifice undergoes a lot of suffering in his
mortal life? Since you had performed the Sacrifice in the mind, you experienced the
suffering in your mind alone.
Indra, the Lord of Gods sent his messenger here in the guise of a sorcerer to give you
that suffering in your own mental arena.
That is all!

Lavana smiled sheepishly and bent his head down.

TIME IS IN THE MIND

The Sage continued his talk.

And you have the doubt about the Time factor too! What is Time after all? There is
no absolute Time and Space in the world, inside which events occur.

Every event has its own Space-Time boundaries.

You yourself said that when you clung to the branch and spent the night in that jungle,
every second passed for you as a Kalpa, Brahmaas day! But if the same had been a
pleasant experience even a Kalpa would have passed off in a second! Long and short
spans of Time are just the measures concocted by the mind as per its whim and fancy.

Every one lives in his own Space-Time arena in this world; when met together the ideas
of the mind are exchanged and an illusion of an Absolute Time which is similar to one
and all, is ascertained as a fact.
 102

In the courtroom the courtiers watched you frozen on your throne for two hours, or so
they say. But each person who watched you would have experienced the Time-span
differently. Those who loved you most, for them each second would have been like a
year. They would have suffered a lot in their minds worried about your safety.

If a child had been there which was engaged in some game, two hours would be just two
minutes for it.
All is in the mind, Lavana!
What the mind decides that alone becomes the experienced Time-span. The measures
we use for Time and decide the hours are for the sake of conducting our daily affairs in
a united way. It is just a practical solution to avoid confusions. But in reality there is
nothing called Time. The experience alone is real.

The mind itself stretches the Time or contracts it based on the quality of the experience.
The Chaandaala Lavanas experience was a period of extreme suffering and your mind
measured it as many years.

King Lavanas experience was just an amusement as concocted by the sorcerer. So the
Time in the court was decided by those assembled there as two hours.

But in truth years, months, days are all just demarcations invented by the society for
conducting their daily affairs. Time as such is an illusion and is not real!

LIFE IS JUST AN EXPERIENCE IN THE MIND

Lavana was absorbing the words of his Guru like nectar.

Vasishta continued:
And before analyzing the amazing fact of whether the illusion experienced by you in the
court had really occurred in the Chaandaala village, first tell me what is real and what is
not real?

When you dream, you experience so many events within a span of few seconds, but still
if questioned, you will give a very detailed account of the events in the dream as if it had
happened for years. This is because the mind is capable of concocting stories as per its
whim.

It can remember what has not happened as happened, or it can remember what has
happened as not happened. Its job is to present a coherent story to you so you will feel
comfortable in your life and feel certain that your life is an occurrence in Absolute Time
and Space.

All this is because of the ignorance factor. If you had attained higher states of
realization like many great Sages, you would have dismissed any life narrative as unreal.
You would have looked at both Lavanas kingly experiences and Chaandaala experiences
as just concoctions of the mind and dismissed them away. But you wanted it to be true in
 103

the waking world also. Your own mind fulfilled that wish by presenting to you the village
of Chaandaalas where you are supposed to have lived.

Or if this answer does not satisfy you, then still it is reasonable to say that when you went
to the Vindhya mountain, your own thoughts reflected in the minds of the Chaandaalas
and they all felt that a king had lived in their midst as one of them .

Or, a story like that could have happened there with some other king who had gone
through those experiences and your mind reflected that story in your mind with you as
that king.

Or, the sorcerer could have equally affected both you and the Chaandaala people by his
illusory powers and their minds and your mind both experienced the same thing.

My dear Lavana, know one thing

As long as you do not realize your true identity as the Self Supreme, you will be affected
by the patterns around you.

You as king Lavana are not a solitary person. Your Atman or essence as Lavana
includes your body, your family, your friends, your country, your palace and so many
countless things that go to make a king Lavana. You are a totality of all that. Even if one
pattern is slightly altered you will feel lost and troubled in mind.

But look at the illusion you experienced. You as Lavana lost all your surrounding
patterns in an instant and lost your identity completely. You became a different person
and lived as a Chaandaala. You never ever thought of your other lost identity because in
the mountain village, your pattern of the dark wife, children, hunting, all became your
identity. When you woke up again as a king you were not happy to be king Lavana; you
were again confused.

As long as you identify yourself as a pattern bound by other patterns, you will be
fooled by the events of the world. But once you detach yourself from the surrounding
patterns of body, family, house, country etc, and realize your true nature as Brahman, the
delusory power can never make a fool out of you.

The Supreme Brahman alone exists as the individual self and suffers, like you the king
Lavana suffered as a Chaandaala. Like the Chaandaala who forgot his true identity of
King Lavana, the individual self has forgotten its true identity of Brahman. This worldly
existence is the village of Chaandaalas. Every unenlightened creature is a fat Chaandaala
here who has forgotten his royal status.

Lavana! Even your identity as Lavana is false. This very royal life you are living also is
an illusion. Here the sorcerer is not Indras messenger but the delusory power of
Brahman. The horse that took you far is like the Vaasanaa which blindly takes us away
from the Truth and throws us into illusory life experiences.
Come on, wake up Lavana and understand the illusory power of the mind.
 104

King Lavana saluted the Sage with reverence and returned to his palace.

He pondered well over the facts mentioned by his Guru and soon realized the Supreme
state of Brahman through proper methods.

END
 STORIES
FROM

VAASISHTA RAAMAAYANAM
OF

VAALMIKI MAHARSHI

by

Narayanalakshmi

[BOOK TWO]
 1

INDEX OF STORIES

STORY OF SAGE SHUKRA pg 2

SHAMBARAS STORY pg 11

THE SAGE WHO LIVED ON TOP OF THE KADAMBA TREE pg 22

THE RIDDLE STORY pg 29

KACHAS SONG OF ECSTASY pg 37

KING JANAKAS STORY OF REALIZATION pg 39

STORY OF PUNYA AND PAAVANA pg 45

KING BALI pg 47

KING PRAHLAADA pg 57

STORY OF BRAHMIN GAADHI pg 64

 2

STORY OF SAGE SHUKRA

The three-dimensional world we see outside us is just a projection of the brain. We

ourselves are a part of that projection inside which we are seeing a world outside us.

Sage Vasishta explains this abstract concept with an event that occurred in the life of
Sage Shukraachaarya, the renowned preceptor of Asuras or Non-gods.

THE DOE-EYED GIRL AND SAGE SHUKRA

USHANAS, THE PROTECTED CHILD

The beautiful Mandara Mountain!

The magical Mountain which served as a churning rod for the Gods when they churned
the ocean of milk!
Now it was a sacred mountain used by great Sages to perform penance.

Sage Bhrgu, one of the Saptarshis (Seven Sages, extolled in Vedas) had chosen the
mountain to remain absorbed in Nirvikalpa (unperturbed) Samadhi. His only anxiety was
about his son Shukra, or Ushanas born through his wife Ushanaa.

The child was his heart throb.

The Sage who was famed for dispassion and Knowledge was extremely fond of his son.
As soon as the child could be freed of his need for the mother, he had brought him off
with him to the summit of Meru. He wanted his son to shine as a great learned Sage like
himself.

He had selected a rocky place atop the mountain summit for his penance.
But in order to protect his child from outside influences, he created a magical shield as a
fence around his place of penance. A thickly interwoven grove of Kadamba trees
surrounded the area of penance. No one could enter through that grove, nor could the
child get a glimpse of the outside world.

Sage Bhrgu initiated the child in the art of contemplation and gave him strict instructions
of disciplines to be followed when he himself was absorbed in the trance state.

In order that the child may not lack any comforts, the father created a virtual world for
the child to play around. Beautiful birds and animals rose out of empty space to act as
friends for the little boy. Delicious fruits filled the trees. Flowers of various hues
blossomed everywhere filling the entire virtual world with intoxicating fragrance.
Natural cradles for the child arose in all the trees spread with Kadamba petals and leaves.
 3

The moment he climbed the cradle of creepers, melodious lullabies lured him to peaceful
sleep. The creepers embraced him lovingly as he slept cuddled in their arms. Milk flowed
from the holes in the rocks catering to the hunger of the child. Trees fed him tiny bits of
fruits as he ran around them joyfully.

The creepers, trees and rocks were alive magically and cared for the boy like foster-
mothers. Anything that the child wished for immediately appeared before the boy.
The boy was extremely happy and played around with deer and rabbits.

The father remained like a rock among rocks absorbed in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. Now and
then he got up to instruct the boy about the next level of contemplation.

Everything is going on fine thought Bhrgu. He could make his son a renowned Sage like
himself, he felt. The outside world was kept away and like Shuka the son of Vyaasa, his
son also would become a dispassionate Sage, he dreamt.

The child grew like a prince of the virtual forest-world happy and carefree. He looked
always cheerful and high spirited; and his father lovingly named him USHANAS, the
joyous spirit.

The Sage was free of anxieties about the child and was absorbed for long spans of time in
the trance state. He came out of his trance now and then to teach his son some spiritual
truths and instructions about contemplation.

Of course the boy was becoming adept in contemplation. However he was in no way near
the final realization state and spent most of his time playing around all over the virtual
world.

He never knew about the real world outside his virtual world. His world consisted of the
magical forest, his rock-like father and contemplation.

He was quite happy; but not for long.

THE RISE OF PASSION

Ushanas lacked nothing; so his father thought!

But time flowed on and soon Ushanas stepped into the threshold of youth. Hitherto
unknown feelings started tormenting him. Though by his fathers blessing, he could
obtain any object that he wished for, he did not even know what he wanted now to fulfill
his thirst for that some unknown thing. He felt restless and anxious. Sometimes he lost
control of himself and was given to bouts of frustration and irritation. At those times he
broke the trees and creepers like a mad person; though later he regretted his acts.
What was happening to him, he wondered.

One day he got the answer for his restlessness.

 4

He had been wandering very close to the invisible fence created by his father. Some
pleasant voices and laughter made him peep into the outer world. Yes, nowadays he had
power enough to crack the magical shield created by his father and get a tiny glimpse of
the outside world.

He could not believe his eyes. Beautiful girls in the full blossom of youth were sporting
in the stream flowing along the mountain. Now Ushanas seemed to understand what he
wanted. His heart beat wildly. His breathing was heavy and slow. Sweat drenched his
whole body. His eyes stared at the prettiest girl among the crowd. His heart was lost to
her. He wanted to cross the magical fence immediately and rush towards that pretty girl.
But he knew he could not.

THE DOE-EYED APSARAA

Suddenly he remembered his fathers stern face and returned to the place where his father
was lost in trance. He sat next to his father and looked up anxiously. But his father was
like a statue carved out of stone. He understood that he will never be able to stand before
his father and confide his feelings.

He decided to control his restlessness through contemplation. He sat next to his father
and tried his best to get absorbed in the Self as his father had instructed.

However it was a futile attempt.

He was soon lost in thoughts about the pretty girl he had seen in the outside world. Again
he felt shocked at his own thoughts. He felt ashamed of himself and started to repeat
loudly the sacred chants taught by his father.

It became a daily routine for him to go near the fence and observe the girls who came to
the mountain stream to sport. He remained staring at the girl who had stolen his heart and
sighed silently.

But one fine day, the girl somehow got wind of the two large eyes staring at her from
behind the trees. She was one of the Apsaraas who served Lord Indra in the heavens.
She knew that she was forbidden to cross that fence and reach the handsome youth hiding
behind the trees. Indra had warned these girls about Sage Bhrgu and his anger. But she
was moved by passion and managed to flash a smile at the handsome youth behind the
trees whenever she could.

Ushanas was now completely mad about her.

Day and night he thought of her. He tried many a times to get across the fence in vain. He
felt stuck as if in a prison. He suffered like a fish out of water.
He stopped eating; he could not sleep; moon-light scorched his limbs; his whole body
burnt as if set on fire.

He wandered aimlessly all over the forest area as if stuck by insanity.

 5

He wanted to see that pretty girl at a close range. He wanted to hold her in his hands and
pour out all his love for her at her feet.

He somehow with great difficulty climbed to the edge of the mountain thirsting for a
glimpse of his beloved as she floated in the sky towards the heaven.
He lied flat on the grassy ground and waited for her to come along.
Time hung heavy on him.
His eye lids were heavy and he felt faint.

And then he saw her.

A whiff of intoxicating fragrance shocked him to wakefulness.
He glanced upwards.
Yes, there she was floating away towards the heaven.
Winds lightly played with the locks on her forehead.
Garlands of Mandaara flowers danced on her youthful bosom.
The lovely anklets on her feet made rhythmic sound as she stopped on her way to look at
him lying on the flowery summit.
She stared at him infatuated. Her tender lips slightly opened in a smile.
Her whole body was shedding golden light; she was like a moon floating in close range to
the earth.

Ushanas stared at her unblinkingly.

He felt that he was drowning in the ocean of nectar.
He forgot his father, his forest-home, the scriptures, everything. Only one thought filled
his mind that he should immediately embrace the doe-eyed beauty fluttering in front of
him. He had to have her at any cost, he thought.
He wanted her so much that his mind instantly created a new world of conceptions there
itself.

THE MIND-CHARIOT

The original body of Ushanas lay there with closed eyes as if dead and remained
motionless. But his mind was alive and raging.
He thought-
I am now following that girl I love.
I have now reached the heavens ruled by Indra.
This is the amazing place where Gods reside.
These are the Gods who enjoy all the pleasures unceasingly.
These are the damsels with doe-eyes.
Here they are singing melodious songs.
Here are the gods Yama, Chandra, Indra, Agni, Varuna and Vaayu.
So on and on

He saw every bit of heavens; saw each and every god he had known through the
scriptures.
He entered the palace of Indra in his mind itself and saluted him in the mind itself.
 6

Indra got up and worshipped the Sage duly.

Indra made him sit next to his throne and said,
The heavens are blessed by your arrival. Live here as long as you wish to.
Bhaargava now shone with a body befitting heavens and was affectionately embraced by
Indra.
All the gods saluted him as if he was the dearest son of Indra.
Shukra had completely forgotten his previous world of Meru Mount; and had now
become a resident of heavens. He had left his body and entered a new body without going
through the pain of death.
He took leave of Indra soon and got ready to wander the heavens in search of the girl who
had stolen his heart.
He soon found her playing in the heavenly gardens along with her maids. She also saw
him and threw a loving glance at him making him more deluded with passion.
Ushanas was filled with an intense longing to have her immediately.
She also reciprocated same feelings.

Ushanas wished for darkness to cover that garden.

All those in that garden felt bewildered and quickly moved away from there.
The doe-eyed girl, Vishvaachee immediately rushed towards him and fell on him like a
shower of nectar.
She spoke sweet words like honey.
She described her love for him; she shed tears describing her pangs of suffering; she
talked of the innate yearning she felt for him; she pleaded with him; she begged him to
accept her.
What more did Ushanas want! His joy knew no bounds. He embraced her with all
passion.
They both enjoyed each others company unceasingly. It appeared that this happiness
would never come to an end.
Yugas and Yugas passed. After thirty two Yugas of heaven-time, they suddenly found
that their heavenly home was vanishing. The merits of Bhaargavas son were on the
decrease.
Bhaargavas divine body was melting away. The chariot, gardens and all that Indra had
bestowed on him with affection disappeared like pictures getting erased by a giant hand.
He was falling towards earth without control. His mind had to conceive a new body made
of elements to fulfill his unfinished Vaasanaas.
Even Vishvaachee was dragged towards earth as a punishment for luring Bhrgus son
towards pleasures. She also vanished away.

THE FALL

Shukras body shattered into hundreds of pieces as if stuck by a heavy bolt of lightning.
He found himself without any body or form. As he restlessly floated here and there, he
suddenly found himself as a sperm in a Brahmins body and was born as a Brahmins
son.
 7

He grew up as a devoted son of his father. Forgotten was his passionate adventure in
heavens and his fathers world on Meru summit.
But somehow he felt inclined towards a life of penance and sought the company of Sages
and became adept in contemplation.

He remained performing penance for long almost till one Manus rule was completed.
Some day he chanced to see a female deer hovering in front of him. The deers eyes
reminded him of something, he knew not what. He was inadvertently attracted towards
the deer and mated with that deer.
What is not possible for the mind!

Soon the deer gave birth to a human child.

He became highly attached to his son and decided to obtain all material comforts for his
son. Soon he was living in a city earning wealth for his son and was always worried about
his welfare. His anxiety took its toll and his body succumbed to death.
Since his wealth Vaasanaa was now the foremost, he was born as a king of Madra.
He ruled for long as a king and died of old age.
Then again his penance-Vaasanaa was the foremost and he was born again as a
Brahmins son and performed penance on the bank of River Samangaa.

BODY OF SHUKRA WITHERS AWAY

What happened to the body of Bhaargava lying on the summit of Mandara Mountain?
Well, it was left unattended there. The virtual forest which took care of him like a mother
had been left behind. Here on the top of the summit, winds and sun made havoc and the
body withered away like a lotus kept on embers.
The mind of Bhaargava had forgotten this body and was living as a Brahmin in another
body.
The mind never remembered its past lives. Unattended by the mind, the body of
Bhaargava was like a log of wood, lifeless and inert.

SAGE BHRGHU WAKES UP

After a long time Sage Bhrgu woke up from his trance-state and looked around for his
son. Finding him nowhere he anxiously searched all over the mountain for him.

At last he found the deteriorated body of Bhaargava on the top-most edge of the
mountain. He broke down at the sight of the lifeless carcass lying there like an orphan.
The body had not been eaten by any animal because of his own penance power. Yet
seeing the skeleton-like dried up body of his loving son, he lost his reason.

Without analyzing the events that led to this state of his son, he felt angry towards the
God of Death, the Supreme Kaala, Time, the consumer of all.
He took water from his Kamandalu (water-pot) and got ready to curse Kaala for the
untimely death of his son.
 8

KAALA EXPLAINS EVERYTHING

Time has no form. Yet the abstract principle of destruction appeared before him as if with
a form and stood in front of the angry Sage.
A huge dark form arose from nowhere and glared at the Sage.
The hands of the Sage which held the water drops for cursing became frozen.
Kaala let out a terrifying laughter and looked at the Sage as if looking at a lowly worm.

His thundering voice echoed all over the mountain.

Well Sage, you are going to curse me and destroy me! Great idea indeed!
Death for death?

Kaala laughed again. He continued-

What do you think I am? A puny creature like you acting with desires and attachment?
There are no ends to the Gods I have consumed or beings I have swallowed.
I am the rule created by the Creator. How can you destroy me?
You are one of the renowned Sages respected even by Trinities. Have you lost your
reason now?
You are a person who has the Knowledge Supreme, yet you act like an ordinary being of
the world!
Do you think I, the great Kaala decided to end your sons life, out of vengeance or
partiality?
How can I have any likes or dislikes?
I am just a function of nature.
How can I do anything wrong?
O Sage, do not act like an idiot.
Come out of your attachments and affections and see your sons foolish acts.
See how he went through births after births prompted by his own Vaasanaas.
You imprisoned him in a magical world so that he will remain pure at heart and attain
the final beatitude. But how can you imprison the mind filled with Vaasanaas?
Unable to move out of this place shielded by you, your son has created heavens and
earths in his own mind and now living as a Brahmin on a river bank in his own mind.
He does not remember you or this body.
He has gone through innumerable births and deaths in his own mind after he discarded
the identity of this body.
At first, he was passionately in love with Vishvaachee and went to heavens to enjoy her.
When the merits were on the decrease he dropped down from heaven like a ripe fruit and
fell on earth.
He was sometimes pushed by his Vaasanaa of penance and took birth as a Brahmin and
did penance.
Sometimes he was prompted by the Vaasanaa for pleasures and became a king or a
wealthy man.
Other Vaasanaas also pushed him here and there and he was born as a hunter once, a
donkey once, a bamboo cluster once and so on.
 9

He was even a Vidhyaadhara (god-like being) king once and lived for one full Brahmas
Creation happily. After the dissolution he was in a suspended state waiting for the next
Creation.
Now he is born as a Brahmin again. Now his name is Vaasudeva.
See for yourself with your divine vision!

BHRGHU VISITS THE LOST SON

Bhrgu apologized for his hasty behavior.

Within seconds he saw all the events of his sons life.
Kaala smiled at him and holding his hands entered the mental worlds of Bhaargava.
Soon they saw the Brahmin performing penance on the bank of River Samangaa.
Bhrgu and Kaala stood in front of the Brahmin.
The Brahmin was happy to see such noble forms blessing him with their visions and he
saluted them reverently.
He did not recognize his father in the least.
Bhrgu placed his hand on his head affectionately and said,

My son, dont you recognize me? You are not an ignorant person. You are the son of
Bhrgu. Wake up and remember everything.

The Brahmin closed his eyes and within seconds remembered all that had happened.
He saw even the deteriorated body of Ushanas in his own mind.
Yes!
Ushanas was now a Brahmin in the world created by his own mind.
And there itself, inside the mind of Ushanas, he saw the body of the Ushanas also as
carcass.
He laughed heartily. He understood the mystery of Creation.
He had no attachments; no desires; no bindings now.
He was pure like a Sun shining in a cloudless sky.
He even was sorry for his father who doted on the son and acted foolishly.

SHUKRAS DISPASSION

He looked at his father and said,

See father, this is the body you lovingly took care of!
This is the body you sheltered from the outside world trying to fulfill your own dreams
through him.
Look, it is getting eaten by ants; snakes are crawling all over it.
This is the body which even the divine damsels craved for to fulfill their passion.
Enough of all this!
I do not want to have any limited identity now.
I would not ever get imprisoned again in a body.
Let me remain in the state of Brahman without further getting into deluded worlds.
I will discard the identity of the Brahmin and also of Ushanas and.
 10

Kaala stopped him in mid-sentence and said,

Stop child! Do not melt off into the identity-less state of Brahman.
You have work to do. You will have to act as the preceptor of Non-gods in the future.
Many events still await your presence in this Creation.
Please enter the identity of Ushanas and discard the Brahmins body

Ushanas pondered for a few seconds and closed his eyes.

Next moment he was waking up as Ushanas on the summit of Mount Meru.
His mind had got out of the identity of Brahmin and decided that it was Ushanas now.
Travelling backwards towards the original conception of Bhaargava, the mind now found
itself as a dried up carcass on Meru Mountain.
Sage Bhrgu who was standing there in front of the carcass sprinkled sacred waters on the
body and uttered some chants.
Ushanas stood up as fresh and young as he was at the time when he followed
Vishvaachee in his mind.
He saluted his father and Kaala with reverence.
Kaala smiled at both and vanished.
Bhrgu embraced his son affectionately. They both returned to the place which his father
had chosen for the contemplation purposes.
There was no more the necessity of a virtual world to shield Ushanas from the outside
world.

Ushanas knew now that the outside world was in the inside only.

END
 11

SHAMBARAS STORY

INTRODUCTION

In this story, we are introduced to an intelligent demon named Shambara.

He was well-known for his sorcery techniques, creation of virtual worlds, and creation of
robots. (The word robota means literally work, labor, drudgery or hard work. It need not necessarily
mean an electro-mechanical machine. Any artificial being who is used for work is a robot).

This king of demons was so famed fore his skills that the very art of magical feat came to
be known as Shaambara- Shambaras trick.

Shambara here creates three robots with minds; and making them fight the Gods wants
to defeat Indra, the king of Gods. Yet by developing arrogance and self-glorification, the
three robots get killed by the Gods.

The point Vasishta wants to prove is that even inert machine-like beings are capable of
developing vanity and getting destroyed. Ego is a very dangerous virus that can infect
the mind very easily. The only anti-virus treatment suggested for the blocking of the
Ego-virus is, Self-knowledge.

Shambara creates three more robots again, this time with Self-knowledge and they
prove to be indestructible and Gods are defeated.

PART ONE

DAAMA, VYAALA AND KATA

GODS AND DEMONS

The Heavens were the residing places of Devas (Gods) and the nether worlds were the
residing places of Daityas (demons).
Gods and demons were cousins; yet they had developed extreme hatred towards each
other.
Indra was the king of Gods and Shambara was the king of demons.
It was common occurrence that even a smallest excuse was enough to bring about a war
between the two clans. The Trinities never bothered much about these mindless battles.
Only if there was a danger of the gods completely getting annihilated, they interfered and
saved the gods. They had to do so, because these gods took care of the Creations in
various ways and basically they were not too evil. Except for the pleasure seeking
madness, they did not harm any one willfully. If they acted selfishly and arrogantly, the
higher Gods and Sages corrected them strictly.
 12

However the demon world was an abode of evil doers and never ever heeded to the words
of the higher gods or Sages. They took a sadistic pleasure in harassing gods and of course
human beings. They were extremely arrogant and defied all rules of Dharma.
The most powerful of them all was Shambara. He had mastered all magical powers and
was a terror to the gods. He always tormented the heavens creating delusions and
illusions. Indra has been defeated by him countless times through the demons created by
him on the likes of cutting machines. He could make extraordinary forms out of mud, or
diamonds or any metal and fill them with life.

SHAMBARAS MAGICAL WORLD

Shambaras abode was a magical wonder.

He had his palace floating in the sky. A beautiful floating garden decorated the palace all
around. Artificial suns and moons lighted up his world. It was a copy of Indras heaven,
but better than it in all ways. Precious Gems of all kinds were strewn about like worthless
pieces of stones. Countless comforts awaited in every corner.
Diamond maidens sang as melodious as the heavenly maidens playing the musical
treasures he had stolen from the heavens.
The trees in the gardens were adorned with crescent moons.
His harem built out of fully bloomed Sapphire lotuses was a haven to satisfy his never
ending lustful ventures.
Swans studded with gems played with golden lotuses in the lake.
Lotuses bloomed on the edges of all the branches of the golden tree.
Whenever any one passed under, the Karanja bowers showered Mandara flowers on
them.
His garden-house was built out of fire flames, yet was cooling like snow.
The plants and creepers in his garden were always filled with fragrant flowers.
He had even stolen away the entire Malaya forest of sandalwood along with its animals
by his magical prowess.
His wives wore all the gold jewelry stolen from the heavens and appeared extremely
charming.
The courtyards were piled with varieties of soft flowers reaching up to the knees.
He watched for fun, live clay dolls of demons and gods fighting with each other and the
demon dolls defeating Vishnu.
The roof of his harem was studded with millions of diamonds shining like stars.
The dark skies of netherworlds were lighted by hundreds of moons.
The statues in his palace extolled his praises through songs and increased his valor.
An Aeiraavata elephant was magically constructed by him, which could chase away the
real Aeiraavata elephant of Indra.
His harem was filled with all the objects of pleasure that Indra had in his palace.
He owned all the wealth that he desired. All the wealthy ones saluted him.
He ruled all the clans of the demon world. Thousands of his arms protected the entire
demon clan. He had many intelligent ministers to advise him.
His terrifying form always made gods tremble in fear even if there was no battle.
But when battles occurred the entire demon army made havoc in the heavens, supported
by the magical power of their king.
 13

GODS ATTACK THE DEMON-WORLD

However the king was not a person to stay at home.

He would wander all over the world, mastering all the available Siddhis, meeting the
chiefs of other clans who were enemies of gods, or he would just go on a killing spree
harassing Sages and saints and creating disturbances in their sacrificial rites.
There was nothing he did not learn. He had even understood the meanings of scriptures
and knew the state of realized people. However he was too much stuck to his own
identity as the demon king that he did not care for the bliss of the Supreme state.
When he was on such trips and had left the demon clan to fend for itself, Gods made use
of that opportunity and attacked the nether worlds. The demons had no chance against the
powerful missiles of gods and soon were on the run.
When Shambara returned home he found most of his army in shambles. His anger knew
no bounds. But he did not want to spend all his time sitting at home and guarding his
people. He selected many demons with extraordinary strength and made them the chiefs
of the demon army. Of course he could have taught his magical abilities to his
subordinates; but he had no trust in any of his people. His clan was well-known for
wickedness and deceit. No one trusted any one even if they were closely related.
Everyone was planning to subdue his own neighbor. Words like friendship, loyalty, trust,
love, affection, and kindness were non-existent in their world. Shambara was not an
exception. He did not trust his own mother or wife for that matter. Only his magical
powers had kept him on top of the world and he was careful that his secrets were not
known to anybody. So this time he left again on his adventure trips leaving the demon
clan in the hands of a few stronger demons. But again, they were not powerful enough to
face the onslaught of gods. Again Shambara found his world shattered to pieces when he
returned. He almost burnt with the rage kindled by the hatred towards gods.
But still he could not bear to sit at home. He again selected more powerful demons to
guard his city. Again the gods attacked them and defeated them in his absence.
Shambara fumed in anger.
He immediately declared war on gods and attacked the heaven.
Gods informed of his attack through spies escaped from the heavens and hid themselves
in the dense forests of Meru mountain. Some even hid under the hollows of the earth.
Shambara found the whole city of Indra empty. He burnt the entire city in anger and left.
The demons searched all over the world but could never find the hiding places of gods.
Shambara was in a dilemma.
He could not go out of his city unless he ensured the safety of the demon clan. The
moment he left, gods were sure to attack his city.
He decided to do something concrete this time.
 14

SHAMBARAS THINKING CHAMBER

Shambara was sitting in his secret chambers. That part of the palace was impenetrable to
even those closest to him. Nobody even knew of its existence. He just vanished from the
sight of all and returned with some magical creations of his; that is all the information
any one had.
The secret room of Shambara was a place of creation. What the modern world achieves
through science, he did it through sheer brain power and phonetic effects of his mystic
chants. The only thing that was very necessary was the effort needed to concentrate on
that creation. He had to mentally create every cell of the object and without missing
details had to complete the work. He was a wonder at creating demons, girls or men or
animals to any specification. (Robots in the modern language; but these robots were not
metallic, but appeared covered with normal skin structures. Nobody could tell the
difference between the real and artificial.)
After these mechanical beings were made, he had to almost identify with them
completely and be alive there for a fraction of a second. Instantly those dolls acted with
life. He usually had made replicas of trinities or animals or pretty damsels to entertain
himself in his palace. Of course machines were machines; one could never ever get full
enjoyments from them as he always knew they were just dolls created by him through
magic. The real Apsaraa had more bliss giving capacity than the diamond statue that
hugged him with love. That is the main reason that made him envy the gods. His one
cherished dream was to rule the heavens and get access to all the real pleasures that Indra
laid hands on. But his attempts always failed because the gods were always supported by
the Trinities. Like children bringing adults to fight for them, they got these powerful lords
to fight the demons. His demon clan could never ever stand in front of the trident or the
discus-weapon of those higher gods.
Of course he had tried hard to manufacture such weapons in his secret work-shop, but
they never were equal to the originals. The only satisfaction he got was having a mock
fight with the live statues of Vishnu or Shiva and slicing their heads off. These feats
entertained the demons no doubt, but everyone knew it was all a fake drama.
He had do create some unique beings who were undefeatable by anyone, even by
Trinities, he decided.
Shambara was lying on his comfortable couch and thinking. After hours of thinking his
eyes brightened up.

THE THREE ROBOTS

Shambara looked at his creations with pride.

Three giants of immense heights and width stood in front of him.
He had named them Daama, Vyaala and Kata.
Daama- the binding rope, Vyaala -the vicious, Kata the encompassing one!
They were the illusory appearances which could bind, which could use stealth and
completely overpower the enemy.
They were like Maayaa - the illusory power of the Supreme with her power of binding
everyone with Gunas, the power of delusion and the power hiding of the Truth.
 15

These three giants were named after the powers of Maayaa, but modeled on the
characters of realized people who performed penance in the forests of Meru mount.
They had all the characters of the realized as understood by Shambara.
He had inculcated all the characters of JeevanMuktas into those beings.
Shambara once again examined them with scrutinizing eyes.
They were staring at him without any expressions; for they had no emotions, no thoughts,
and no feelings.
They were just machines with life.
They looked solid enough; but were just illusory appearances.
They had no Vaasanaas, no wickedness, no goodness, no likes, no dislikes, and no
desires.
They just did what Shambara ordered; not more, not less.
They had no Vaasanaas of the past lives to induce them into any action on their own.
They had no eyes for anything except that which they had to do.
They were like sleep-walkers, only intent on doing what they had to do; otherwise they
had no movement at all.
They did not understand defeat or victory. They had no fear of death; they had no need to
escape from any dangers.
They did not know who the gods were or why they had to be attacked.
They knew only one thing that is, that they should destroy any soldier who stood in front
of them.

GODS ARE DEFEATED

Shambara was fully satisfied.

He informed all his soldiers that these three giants will be their chiefs and lead them in
the battlefield. He also warned them that no one should come to the front side of the
giants with any weapon. Then they were sure to get killed.
He sent his army to search for the hiding gods and attack them.
He ordered the magical giants to search for all gods and destroy them.
From every hollow and holes the demons came out making terrifying noises.
The gods were forced to come out and battle them.
A fierce battle went on between the two armies.
Blood from the wounded bodies of the gods and demons poured down like rains.
Roaring like a lion Daama tied the Gods with invisible ropes.
Vyaala crushed them with his huge rock like hands.
Kata was everywhere blocking every object and attacked the bewildered gods ruthlessly.
The gods were not at all prepared for the battle and were even more shocked by the
strength of three undefeatable giants.
They just vanished from the scene.
The demons searched for them for long without any fruitful results.
They gleefully returned home and reported their victory to their king.
Shambara laughed aloud. His laughter echoed all over the three worlds.
The gods who were hiding in the dense dark hollows of the earth trembled with fear.
They all decided to seek the advice of Lord Brahma.
Prayers were sent forth pleading Lord Brahma to save them.
 16

GODS PRAY TO LORD BRAHMAA

The whole world turned reddish in hue.

A red-hued Brahma seated on a red lotus appeared before them.
Though he knew everything, he just allowed the gods to tell the whole story in their own
words.
Brahma closed his eyes and was lost in thoughts for a few moments.

He said at last-
Shambara is destined to die at the hands of Vishnu after hundred thousand years.
But meanwhile you can defeat the three new giants created by Shambara.
He has created them without egos. That is why you cannot defeat them.
Now your task is to raise the ego in them.
The moment they identify with their limited structures, the Vaasanaas will start
corrupting their minds. Once Vaasanaas make their way, they will become vulnerable.
So this is what you people will do.
As usual take your army and attack the demons.
Make a fake battle scene and as soon as you see the three giants, make a great show of
getting frightened and escape.
Repeat the same tactics for long.
Then see what wonders Ahamkaara (ego) is capable of.

Brahma vanished out of sight.

Gods returned discussing their next strategy.
And they exactly did what Brahma had told them to do.

THREE ROBOTS DEVELOP EGO

Daama, Vyaala and Kata had changed. Their faces now puffed up with pride.
They were having lot of fun nowadays.
They were beginning to like these battles with those cowardly shining beings.
It was fun to laugh aloud and chase them. It was fun to see their terrified pale faces. It
was fun to make them scream in fear. Actually they neednt even lift their hands or shoot
weapons at those dumb gods. The very moment the giants appeared, the gods screamed
and ran helter-skelter as if blinded by fear.
Daama, Vyaala and Kata now looked forward to the sound of war-drums.
Daama, Vyaala and Kata liked these wars.

Daama, Vyaala and Kata had changed. Their faces now puffed up with pride.
They now looked at other demons with ridicule.
They demanded that the other demons should serve them like Lords.
They were rude with anyone who slightly disregarded them.
They looked at their own limbs again and again and a smile lit up their faces.
They brushed their bodies well.
They garlanded their bodies.
Daama, Vyaala and Kata decorated their bodies with ornaments.
 17

Daama, Vyaala and Kata had changed.

Their faces now were creased with worries.
They were worried about the annihilation of their own bodies.
Suppose they died like others?
Fear had become their constant companion now.
They did not want their precious bodies to get destroyed in the battlefield.
They lost their courage.
They now found out that the gods were immortals; and demons were sure to die some day
or other.
They wanted to become immortals like gods; but it was not possible. They were destined
to die as they were demons.
Any moment they could die, they thought anxiously.
They now trembled at the onslaught of Gods. Maybe that day would be the last day of
their life, they felt.
Instead of moving in the front, they hid behind other demons in the battle field.
They were not able to face even an ordinary soldier of the god-army.
The gods easily overpowered the demons as the three giants were not in the lead.
Every demon was hunted out and cut to pieces.
The broken limbs and broken weapons of demons fell all over the earth.
Daama, Vyaala and Kata were defeated at last..

THE THREE ROBOTS DIE

Daama, Vyaala and Kata who were hiding from gods were alive but now had to face the
wrath of their master. They escaped from his city and hid themselves in the lowermost
nether world.
That seventh and lowermost world was the abode of Yamas servants. They lived there
guarding the hells there. They were powerful enough to save them from Shambara and so
moved by compassion they gave them shelter. Later they offered them their daughters
also in marriage.
Ten thousand years passed.
The Vaasanaas in the minds of Daama, Vyaala and Kata also increased like their families.
They were extremely attached to their wives, daughters, son-in laws, and constantly
worried about them.
Lord Yama once visited that world to complete some work.
The three giants did not know who he was or what his power was.
They ignored him thinking that he was some ordinary servant like themselves. They did
not salute him.
Yama felt offended. He lifted his eyebrows in anger and the next instant Daama, Vyaala
and Kata were burnt to ashes.
When their relatives started lamenting on their death, Yama burnt them also.
 18

THE THREE FISH IN THE POND

The bodies of Daama, Vyaala and Kata were destroyed.

But their Vaasanaas were still alive and afloat.
They had lived with the prison guards for so long that now they had to take birth as
prison- guards; later they were born as hunters, then as servants of kings, then as crows,
then as vultures, then as parrots, then as pigs, then as goats, then as insects.so on.
After countless births as various creatures and animals, they lived as fish in a forest pond.
After a huge forest fire, the pond dried up and there was only some wet mud left. Trying
to suck that little dampness out of the wet mud, they are at present hanging in between
life and death..!

RAMA AND VASISHTA

Sage Vasishta stopped the story at that point and smiled at Rama.
Rama who was listening to the story with full absorption questioned the Sage
with some disappointment.
Is that all? Is there no redemption for these poor souls caught in the web of
Ahamkaara?

Sage Vasishta looked at him with some amusement and said,

No, there is more. Their story will continue in the future. Listen to what will
happen to them in their future births.

THE THREE ROBOTS MERGE INTO BRAHMAN

The story continues

When Yama burnt Daama, Vyaala and Kata to ashes, the other servants of Yama who
had given them shelter became sad at heart.
They begged Yama to forgive the demons.
Yama consoled them and said, When they listen to their own story, they will get
redeemed of their fate and attain liberation.

000

So at present they were living as fish in the tiny puddle in the forest of Kashmir. Later
they will get repeated births as fish. Slowly their desires will die out.
Then they will be born as Saarasa birds in a beautiful lake filled with fragrant lotuses.
They will live happily for a long time as those birds and will become purified in their
minds.
Their upward journey will start then.

000
 19

There will be a city in the country of Kashmir adorned by forests and mountains. In the
midst of the mountains there will live a king named Yashaskara in a palace built on the
top of the mountain. Vyaala will be born as a cock and live in the corner of the roof.
Daama will be born as a mosquito and live inside the palace.
A minister named Narasimha will live inside that city. He will be learned and a realized
man. He will live in a monastery in the city. There in that monastery, demon Kata will
live as a partridge inside a silver cage entertaining all.
One day, the minister will take the partridge to the palace to entertain the king. There he
will relate the story of Daama, Vyaala and Kata from this scripture to the king.
The partridge will hear the story and remember its past and immediately attain the final
beatitude.
The cock also will hear the story and get liberated.
The mosquito will also hear the story and attain the Supreme state.

END OF PART ONE

RAMA AND VASISHTA

That is the end of the story. All the three demons will dissolve into the
Supreme state and will be liberated.

Sage Vasishta smiled at Rama.

Rama was happy. His face bloomed like the full moon and he laughed.

What happened to Shambara? Did he get killed by the gods?

Rama questioned again.

Sage Vasishta continued the story.

PART TWO

BHEEMA, BHAASA AND DRDHA

Shambara was again inside his secret work-shop.

He was thinking day and night as to what could have gone wrong in the creation of
Daama, Vyaala and Kata. Then he decided that the three giants were ignorant and foolish.
Now he decided to add Self-knowledge to his creations and make them wise.
After some hard work, he produced three giants and named them as Bheema (strong),
Bhaasa (lustrous) and Drdha (firm).
These giants were all-knowers and realized. They had no attachments, no likes, and no
dislikes.
Shambara made them the chiefs of his army and sent them to attack the gods.
 20

These giants were endowed with discrimination. No strategy of gods could make them
egoistic.
Whenever something like an ego popped up in their minds, they immediately started
enquiring, Who am I? and got rid of it.
They knew the body as unreal and never identified with it.
They were not afraid of death.
They attacked the gods ruthlessly and defeated them in no time. Gods ran for their life
and reached the abode of Vishnu and pleaded him for help.
Vishnu destroyed the demons along with Shambara with his Sudarshana chakra.
The three demons melted off into Para Brahman as they had no thought of limited
identity.

Finally
Daama, Vyaala and Kata were programmed to act like realized sages by
Shambara.

But one important thing Shambara had forgotten to add- Knowledge.

Daama, Vyaala and Kata had no Knowledge and so were defeated easily.

Bheema, Bhaasa and Drdha had knowledge and so were undefeatable.

Penance, worships, hymns, chants, holy places, rituals nothing can free a
person from this worldly existence except Knowledge.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

DAAMA means binding; VYAALA means deceitful; KATA means covering.

In other words, they are the characteristics of Maayaa, the deluding power, which binds us
to false identity; which shows truth as untruth and untruth as truth; and which
encompasses our discriminative capacity.

BHEEMA means strong, BHAASA means shining, DRDHA means firm.

In other words, all the three terms represent the Brahman (Self) which is the support of all
created worlds; which shines as all these perceived phenomena; which is unchanging and
firmly remains always as itself.
Vyaasa finally advises Rama-

May your life be not dominated by Daama, Vyaala and Kata.

Be in the state of Bheema, Bhaasa, and Drdha
and remain without any grief.
 21

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

Every individual Self is just an automaton dominated by Daama, Vyaala and Kata the
deluding power of Brahman. Brahman is the trickster here and also the tricked victim.
Brahman gets deluded by his own will and appears as the Perceiver who perceives the
perceived phenomena.

Every individual Self develops the limited ego and other vices connected to it. But all ends,
when Death, the ruthless consumer of all arrives. Suddenly all that was ones cherished
world just disappears and becomes nothing.

Then as per ones dominating Vaasanaas, different experiences are gone through by the
Jeeva without any control.

Maybe some fine day, in some life, even if it be as lowly as a mosquito, or a bird or
anything else, if the truths as instructed by Sage Vasishta are heard and understood, the
ego dies and one remains as the Supreme Self state or in other words, Bheema, Bhaasa,
Drdha state of Brahman!

END
 22

THE SAGE WHO LIVED ON TOP OF

THE KADAMBA TREE

INTRODUCTION

This is the story of Sage Daashoora who in want of a clean place on earth, donned a
subtle form and sat on the edge of a sprout on the topmost branch of a Kadamba tree and
performed penance.

He had a son mentally created by him who was slightly slow in learning any subject.
Daashoora teaches him Self-knowledge through many tales and legends for his easy
grasping. Even that slow-grasping brain of that boy is able to understand the abstract
truths of Brahman and the boy realizes the Self just by listening to his stories!
Then what is difficult for an intelligent student who desires liberation?!

Here Vasishta presents just one such story told by Daashoora to his son.

THE ORPHANED BOY

Long long ago there lived a great Sage named SHARA-LOMA (having grass-like hair) in a
huge forest in the country of Magadhas. He had a devoted wife who served him
affectionately. In their late years, they both were blessed with an intelligent son. They
both loved their son more than their lives and the son also was attached to them very
much.

However before the boy even reached his teens, his father breathed his last. His mother
also gave up her life the moment she saw her husbands lifeless body.
Daashoora, who suddenly found himself alone in the forest with both his parents lying
dead in front of him, screamed in shock. Unable to withstand the shock of their death, he
wept uncontrollably. His screams of agony echoed all over the forest.

As he lay on the ground shedding tears, suddenly he felt a whiff of fragrant air over his
face which seemed to caress his face with affection. Soft petals of various flowers rained
on him cooling his tender body. A soft whisper entered his ears soothing his tormented
soul.

The invisible voice was that of the forest Goddess who had served Sage Sharaloma by
offering fruits and flowers necessary for his daily rituals. Though she had been visible to
his father of great penance, Daashoora was not endowed with spiritual powers to see her
beautiful form. Unable to see the Sages son suffering like this, she had condescended to
approach the boy and offer him consolation. She talked about the greatness of his father;
she repeated the truths of scriptures his father had explained to her; she talked about the
dreams his father had cherished for him; and so on.
 23

Daashoora slowly got up. He washed his tear-stained face. He performed the funeral rites
to the best of his ability with the help offered by the forest goddess. He got ready for his
lonely life ahead waiting for him.

THE SEARCH FOR SIDDHIS

Daashoora was deep in meditation.

He was analyzing in his mind what penance would be the best of all.
He wanted to acquire all the powers that were possible. He wanted to be eternal; he
wanted to visit his parents living in the other world; he wanted never to be helpless again.

At last he remembered the great penance once his father had mentioned to him which
required the observation of countless vows and which would make one attain all Siddhis.

He decided to perform that very penance which his father had proclaimed that no Sage
had been able to accomplish till now. After all what else was life for, if he could not
achieve what he wanted. His father would be proud of him too if he ever completed that
penance.
Daashoora smiled with determination.

THE SEARCH FOR A CLEAN PLACE

First he approached the Sages in the nearby forests and mastered all the Vedas. He
became adept in all the Scriptures.
Next thing was to find a sacred clean place to perform the penance.
He searched all over the forest with the help of his friend, the forest-goddess. But nothing
satisfied him. Even in the cleanest place he felt the presence of invisible micro-sized life
forms and rejected those places as unholy.
The whole earth appeared crawling with micro-organisms and thus dirty.
Maybe he can perform the penance on the sky; but he had not yet mastered any power to
float in the sky. The best solution would be to sit on the topmost edge of the tallest tree in
the forest and sit there in contemplation. Even for that, his body had to be very subtle and
tinier than the tiniest.

He decided to please the God of fire and get a boon granted to suit his purpose and he
started the sacrifice to invoke the God of fire.
However, even after a long time, the God did not appear in front of him.

Frustrated, Daashoora took a knife and began to slice off the flesh from his shoulders and
offered those flesh pieces in the fire. If still the God kept away, he decided to offer his
entire body into the fire. Afraid of the sin of killing a Brahmin, the Fire-God appeared
before him in his entire splendor. He agreed to the request of the young Sage and
vanished out of sight.
Daashoora could now be in the subtlest form and fit inside even the bud or a tender
sprout and perform penance.
What cleaner place could be there than the newly sprouted bud or leaf?
 24

THE KADAMBA TREE

The invisible forest goddess brought him to a huge Kadamba tree hitherto unseen by him
and left him there.
The Sage glanced up. He could not see the top.
The trunk itself was so huge that thousands of elephants would be like ants crawling in
front of it.
The branches seemed to spread across the whole world. The sky was completely invisible
from where he stood.
The tree was like a ladder grown by nature to reach the heavens.
The clouds seem to mistake it for a hill and hung on its branches.
Flowers blossomed on all the branches without the least gap and the tree looked like a
mountain of flowers.
Here and there rainbows appeared when the leaves wet with dew drops caught a stray ray
of the Sun.
Countless birds filled the tree and their chirping noises echoed in the quarters like the
Vedic chants.
It reminded one of the VISHVAROOPA, the cosmic form of Naaraayana mentioned in the
Scriptures.
The Sun and Moon were like ear ornaments worn by the tree-God.
Serpents rested on its roots and stars rested on its top most edges.
It looked like the great grandfather of all the trees of the forest.

Daashoora was very much satisfied by the giant form of the tree.
He slowly started climbing it.

THE TOP EDGE OF THE TREE

As he reached the topmost branch, he willed himself to be of the subtlest form.

The thinnest branch on the edge was growing straight up. He climbed that too and
reached the edge. There was a tiny sprout that burst out that very moment. He entered the
inside of it and sat on its soft inner side.
From there he looked all around.

Ah! What a sight!

He could see the whole of the earth from that topmost point of the sky.
The rivers shined like pearl garlands spread out all over the earth.
The huge mountains appeared like anthills.
The oceans were like small water holes.
The clouds were down below spreading out like the curly locks of the sky goddess.
The forests all over the earth were like tiny grass lands.

Daashoora sighed in satisfaction.

He sat in the lotus posture and closed his eyes.
Soon he was absorbed in intense contemplation.
 25

THE SELF-STATE

Daashoora had no knowledge of the Supreme Self or the individual Self.

He had not been instructed about the highest state of Self-realization by anybody.
All he knew was the performance of sacrifices and rituals which his father had
meticulously followed.
He now decided to perform mentally all the Sacrifices he knew of.
One by one he finished the performance of each and every sacrifice that could bestow
some power or other.
He arranged the bricks mentally, lit the fire mentally, recited the chants mentally, and
gave charity mentally.
Ten years passed like this only.
Somehow, even with so many powers mastered by him, he felt dissatisfied with
everything.
Strictly adhering to the rule of sitting in a clean place, he had been shifting his residence
repeatedly from one sprout to the other newest one on the sky-reaching branch. Changing
from branch to branch, sprout to sprout, he was now even above the regions of the sun
and the moon.
He suddenly felt the futility of all actions of the routine life.
He started pondering about his existence, the existence of the world surrounding him and
so on. As he enquired within himself, he soon was established in the Self state. Immersed
in the bliss of the Self, he lost his desires for divine powers. His mind was free of all
wants. He could not see any place which was not his own sacred Self.

There was no dirt outside or inside for him now. Being liberated while living, he just
remained absorbed in the bliss of the Self.

THE FOREST GODDESS

Daashoora opened his eyes, as if disturbed by a wind.

His Samadhi state was disturbed by some one pleading for his audience. He opened his
eyes and saw in front of him the most beautiful damsel he ever could imagine. He
recognized her as the forest-goddess who had helped him when he was a child. Now he
could see her with his divine vision and greeted her with affection.

She had had her own troubles in her world, and poured out all her problems in front of
him. She had gone to attend the festival of Manmatha in the beautiful garden in heavens.
All other forest goddesses also arrived there without fail. Every pretty maiden had found
herself a companion and had brought her children to the gathering. Only this forest
goddess was without a companion and had been the receptacle of their ridicule and
laughter. She looked at the Sage with love and asked him whether he would not bless her
with a child. She threatened him that she would give up her life in the fire if he did not
heed to her request.
Daashoora was not at all moved by her feminine charms. But he felt compassionate
towards her. He flashed a benevolent smile at her and held out his hand. The goddess
bent her head in reverence and extended both her hands. A beautiful lotus appeared in
 26

Daashooras hand and he dropped it into her hands. The flower turned into a pretty baby
in her hands to the amazement of the goddess. She hugged the baby to her bosom and
saluted the Sage with gratitude.

The Sage told her that this child would be very intelligent and be a cause of pride to her.
But since she had forced him to oblige with her request, the boy would have to struggle a
lot to obtain any knowledge. The Goddess saluted him and left.

The Sage went back to his contemplation.

THE SAGES SON

Twelve years passed.

The forest Goddess came again to visit the Sage. This time she brought her twelve year
old son also with her.
The handsome boy, the son born out of the Samkalpa (will) of the great Sage Daashoora
walked slowly holding his mothers hands tightly. He felt slightly nervous about meeting
his father for the first time.

His mother wiped the sweat forming on his forehead with her flowery hand. She kissed
his forehead and flashed a smile of assurance.
The boy smiled back half-heartedly. He again was lost in his own thoughts. His face
portrayed the innocence of his young heart. His eyes betrayed the numerous doubts his
heart stored. His mother had not spared any effort on her part to educate the child in any
learning that was available. She had taken him to many Sages in many forests and had
made him learn everything. Of course the curse of his father had made it slightly difficult
for him to learn any thing easily. But curse or no curse, he had struggled hard, worked
day and night and had mastered all that was there to learn. But his young heart was not
satisfied with all that. He had so many questions burning in his heart.

Why and how the world came to be?

Why was he caught in it?
Why was he limited to the identity of a son of a forest Goddess?
Was there no escape?
Could there be a state where these names and forms held no meaning?
So many questions, like torrents had troubled him day and night.

He had expressed his doubts to many a renowned Sage and of course they had given him
lengthy discourses on the topic for hours. But the boy had failed to grasp the inner
meanings of their words and had returned crestfallen.

His mother had observed his distressed state and had now brought him to his father
residing on top of the Kadamba tree.

At last they reached the magnificent magical tree standing majestic like an emperor
gracing the lowly citizens with his vision.
 27

The boy looked at the giant tree standing like a mountain in front of him. He thought of
his father living on the topmost edge of the tree. He wondered how any person could live
inside a sprout for so long. He could not wait to see his father and his wonder-world.

As instructed by his mother, he began to climb the tree slowly.

As the tree had been growing high across the skies, the boy even with his youthful energy
took quite a long time to reach the top.

But the amazing world of the tree kept him entertained and he did not feel the tediousness
of his upward journey.

THE UNIVERSE OF KADAMBA TREE

The Kadamba tree looked like a huge city built of branches and leaves; a city forever
expanding and trying to put its roots in every nook and corner of the world.
The branches were all over, up, down, sideways. Wherever one looked the tree was
growing new branches there. It appeared as if it was trying to reach beyond the horizons.
Creepers grew all around the trunks and branches like a lovelorn girl embracing her long
lost lover with full passion.
There was no tree or leaf or hole, which was not occupied by a bird, or animal or insect.
Birds of various hues had made nests in each and every branch and filled the quarters
with their joyous chirpings.
Light from the Sun pierced through all available holes and created a beautiful panorama
of light and shadow.
Dew drops sticking on to the flowers played with the sunlight and created mini rainbows
all over the tree branches.
Branches covered completely by fragrant blossoms had become a playground for the
forest goddesses. Their joyous screams and shouts joined hands with the chirping of the
birds creating a melodious orchestra.
Monkeys and birds competed in finishing off the abundant fruits provided by the tree and
had given up the task as hopeless. The fruits magically reappeared once they were eaten.
Flowers never faded and never stopped their blooming. No bird or animal felt tired or
exhausted as they rested peacefully in the affectionate branches of their mother-tree.
Even some hollows had become small waterholes catering to the thirsty citizens of the
tree-world.

With its numerous pathways of branches and twigs, the Kadamba tree was a universe in
itself.
 28

FATHER MEETS SON

The boy had reached the topmost branch.

His mother who floated along with him pointed out to the tiny sprout at the edge of the
far reaching tiny branch and told him that, that was the little house where his father
lived. The son watched the tiny sprout far above the sky in wonder. He could not climb
that tiny branch which had grown high up in the sky like a creeper to peep into the
heavens. Little drops of tears formed in his bee-like eyes.
Before they kissed his cheeks, he felt two strong arms around him and lo, he was sitting
in front of his father inside the little sprout. He had also a subtle tiny form he noticed. His
father embraced him affectionately and kissed his forehead. The forest goddess entered
inside the sprout and saluted the Sage. With her duty done, she took leave of the child
with an affectionate kiss and vanished.

The father seated the boy on his lap and stroked his curly hair with love.
He understood that the boy had to be instructed about the abstract knowledge of the Self.
Since his own curse had made it a difficult subject for the boy, he decided to give the
knowledge the easy way.
What easy way is there than a story to reach a childs heart?
Feeding tiny bits of the delicious fruits of the Kadamba tree into the boys mouth and
embracing the child to his bosom, the Sage began his fairy tale.

RAMA AND VASISHTA

Vasishta spoke-

Rama! Once invisible to all, I was moving in the sky towards the Divine Ganges to bathe in
its nectar-like waters. On the way I decided to meet Daashoora and as I went near the top
of the Kadamba tree, I heard some sound from the top most edge of the sprout like the
humming noise of the bee. As I listened intently, I understood that Sage Daashoora was
telling a story to his son. Listen! This is the story.
 29

THE RIDDLE STORY

My child, have you heard of a great king who is very powerful and brave and who is
famous in all the three worlds and who keeps on conquering every bit of land that is
there?

No. who is he?

The boy looked at his father in amazement. What is his name? he questioned.

The father paused for a moment and said,

The powerful kings name is SVOTTHA Self-born.

He was not born of any parents.
He just appeared from nowhere and has been ruling all the three worlds for long.
Even the gods are under his control.
Nobody has the courage to question his commands.
What he says, everybody has to obey!

Oh! said the boy.

His lotus like eyes bloomed in wonder.

Where does he live then? he again questioned his wonderful father.

The Sage smiled and said,

Ah! He lives everywhere.

He does not stay at one place. He keeps moving always.
He wants new new things, new new lands. He is never satisfied with whatever he has. He
has no end of his wants.
He brings under control any one he meets.
He hurts everyone, yet all go to him alone for fulfilling their wants.
He imprisons all without mercy and keeps them chained in his innumerable prisons.

Does he have powerful weapons? the son asked.

No! the Sage answered shaking his head forcefully.

He has no weapons; no missiles; no army; yet he holds all the three worlds inside his fist as
it were! Even Gods do not understand how he does all this.
However he has three bodies, one white and shiny, one red and dusty, and another dirty
and black. These three bodies fill up the entire three worlds of heavens, earth and nether
worlds! All these three bodies keep appearing and disappearing everywhere.
They come out of the empty sky and disappear there itself.
 30

The boy quickly swallowed the juicy fruit and asked with his honey like voice,

But father, a king should have a city no matter who he is. So where is his city?

The father patiently continued.

Yes! Of course he has a huge city of his own! He constructed it himself.

The city has fourteen big high ways. It is divided into three sections.
Huge forests and wild jungles are there in that city.
Beautiful hillocks act as his sport-grounds. Creepers of pearls decorate the land
everywhere. Seven wells act as water holes. Two big lights, one hot and one cold take care
of the lighting system of the city.

Lots of houses fill the city; all built for his pleasure only.
Some float above; some are on the land; some are built down under the earth.
The roofs of these houses are covered by thatched roofs made of black grass.
There are nine doors in total.
Some windows are also there to allow air-circulation.

Five lamps always remain lighted up and keep the darkness away.
White wooden structures act as the support of the house and keep it up.
There are pathways to move about also.
The outside is made soft and mellow by applying clay paste all over.
Each house is guarded by a giant fierce-looking demigod.
The king moves quickly among all these houses and plays various games inside them with
the demigods.

But nothing satisfies this greedy king.

He wants more and more sports. He wants more and more lands.
Not satisfied by anything of the present, he wants to visit even cities which will be there in
the future.

He sometimes acts mad, and as if possessed by a ghost, runs and tries to see those future
cities.

Sometimes he wants to just perish and immediately gets destroyed. But again he rises from
the empty sky and starts his conquering activities once more.
Sometimes he worries about his life, his sufferings and wanders helplessly.
Sometime he is happy and increases in size and looks ugly and fat.

Like a violent ocean stuck by storms, he runs, falls, jumps, roars, does anything and
everything that you can think of.

A great king indeed, dont you think so, my son?

 31

The Sage paused and looked at his son with a twinkle in the eye.
The boy was surprised that the story was over so soon.

Being intelligent he understood that his father was not telling a meaningless story, but
had explained some abstract truth through that story.

The boy looked directly at the smiling eyes of his father and asked,
Father! Please tell me who that king is.
And moreover how can he visit a city to be built in the future?
It is not possible by any one!

Daashoora smiled!
The boy had enough intelligence to understand the illogical statements. That much
intelligence is enough to grasp the Higher Truths, he thought.
He explained to his son the meaning of the story.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

The Sage explained his story in this manner.

My dear son!
What you see all around you- myself, yourself, your mother, this tree, its inhabitants and all
the worlds of Gods, demons and humans, everything you perceive are just names and
forms.

Your own mind draws their pictures and gives them names.
They are not at all real. All that is there is sheer emptiness.
Nothing is there actually but the pictures projected from your mind.

To explain this truth alone, I narrated the story of the king Self-born.

The king is the Conceptional power of the mind.

It is itself unreal yet creates a whole universe of names and forms which are unreal.

Look into your own mind.

Thoughts keep rising one after another unceasingly. Every thought is the expression of the
Conceptional power of the mind. Each thought makes you believe that there is a world
out there with countless beings living their lives. Every thought keeps on proving to you
the reality of your body and others also.

This body itself is a projection of the mind, which by projecting senses creates this
wonderful world like an expert magician.

This Conceptional power rises out of the Supreme state of Brahman which is like a huge
ocean with waves. Perceptions of various sorts rise out of this CHIT OCEAN unceasingly
like waves.
 32

This king keeps increasing his territories greedily.

This Conceptional power first conceives itself as a Creator and through that unreal
conception of Brahma brings forth all the ever-increasing conceptions of the world.
Even gods are just the forms conceived by the totality of the mind process called Brahma.
These gods help the Conceptional power to keep its worlds safe.
If this king wishes all dead, a Shiva destroys them all.
If this king wants all safe, a Vishnu maintains them all.
If the king wants them all created anew, Brahma creates them all.
He rules even the Gods and they obey him because the king alone created them through
his Conceptional power.

The fourteen Highways are the fourteen worlds.

The three divisions are the higher, lower and middle worlds.
Gods live above; humans live in the middle; and demons live down below the earth.
The gardens he plays around are the forests.
The hillocks he sports are the huge mountains like Meru and Mandara.
Cold and hot lamps are the moon and the sun respectively.
The moving garlands of pearls are the rivers shining in the sunlight.

The three bodies of the king are the Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, the qualities which the mind
imbibes. Because of them, sometimes a person acts unselfish, sometimes selfish, and
sometimes dull.

The houses built by him are the bodies.

Bodies are made of mud, namely flesh.
The nine doors are the ear, nose, eyes etc.
White wooden logs are the bones.
The sweaty skin is the paint which covers this ugly house from outside.
Hairs cover the top of the house.
Winds move through the holes or windows in the body and keep it alive.
Shoulders and legs are the pathways because by their movement they create the space
around them.
The ego is the demigod guarding the house. You cannot ever kill this ego and it keeps the
identity of the body ascertained and firm.

Every instant the mind keeps creating thoughts of the world and thus makes the world look
real.
Where is the Kadamba tree except in your mind, child?
Where are the three-worlds except in your mind, child?
Where is your mother except in your mind, child?
Where is all the past, present and future except in your mind, child?
The moment the thought of any object arises, that object appears in front of you as if it is
real and existed all along even without your conception.
Everyone is an unreal conception keeping the conception of the other alive through
thoughts.
All these thoughts are just waves rising out of the Chit by its conceiving power.
 33

Actually there is no world out there. All is in your mind only.

When you see, it appears satisfying your wish for its reality.
You want it to be there and it is there obeying your orders as it were.

So the conception in your own mind is the king which creates you, me and all.
The Conceptional power in my mind creates me, you and others.
All of us are caught in this mind-game and we keep creating worlds every moment.

But in truth, the names and forms are all just names and forms imagined by the mind.
We believe in our own limited reality and the reality of the worlds too.
Not satisfied with the life at present we wish for a future where more desires could be
satisfied and thus create future houses too.
We think we die, so we go through a death scene.
We think we are born, so we go through a birth scene.
We think sense pleasures give us joy but end up in diseases and illnesses.
We think this, we think that; we think gods rule us; or we think we are gods; we can think
anything and it will be there. Such is the power of the thought.
Think and lo! Magically things appear before you.

If you think and you do not get it, then you start thinking that it was there and that you did
not get it because of fate and suffer immensely.

Mostly everyone cries for things that are not there at all. Yet they believe in the existence
of wealth, lands, gold and what not and waste their whole life trying to acquire them.
When there is nothing actually but emptiness, what is there to acquire? Emptiness?

Does the gold exist inside the box when you close the lid, or does the gold inside the box
exist only in your mind? What you see is only the picture of the box projected by the mind.
Open it and instantly the gold picture is projected by your mind proving that the gold was
always there even when you did not see it.

Do we struggle all our lives only to create pictures in the canvas of emptiness?!

A ghost exists only in the mind of a fool. It can beat him, crush him and torture him. The
fool can cry and beg you to save him. But how will you save him from a ghost which is not
there at all? He has to just not think about the ghost and it will not be there.

The world is there only when you think of it, when you conceive it as real.
All the lands stretching out in all the directions are just thoughts in the mind. Of course
move the hands and legs; you create a road to traverse them.

In the empty sky endless space gets created just by thinking about the objects that are
conceived as existing in space.
Desires, anxieties, greed, envy, hatred, likes, dislikes are all the products of conception.

So do not fall for the trap of delusion my son.

If any name and form appears in front of you, act in the suitable manner and finish off the
conceived scene like a perfect actor without any attachment.
 34

Here you are a son conceived by my mind. I am the father conceived by your mind.
But both forms are pictures drawn by the collective mind process of Brahma.
Kill all the conceptions and remain silent.
Killing the conception does not mean that you conceive the destruction of the conception.
It is just another conception and does not help you.

You cannot remain thoughtless by thinking about thoughtlessness.

You cannot realize the Self by thinking that you will realize the Self.
As long as any thought is there, know that the king is alive and thriving.
Just do not bring any thought to the mind.
Even to crush a small jasmine flower you may have to move your fingers.
But to know yourself, you just have to do nothing.
Just be.
Do not act.
Do not worship, pray, chant, do not even think of yourself.
Just be.
That is enough.
The king will perish once for all.
He will no more create worlds to entrap you.

Let us be sportive and play the game of father and son, and enjoy each others company.
But let us always keep in the mind the unreality of everything that exists.

Like we enjoy the magicians show knowing whatever he creates does not exist, let us play
this game of life knowingly. Some day the body will succumb to the rule of the Creator and
perish.

But in the Supreme state of consciousness, there is no death or birth.

Be always in the Self state and you will never ever die, my son!
 35

THE PLAY OF CHIT

The Sage smiled.

The boys eyes shone with understanding.
Without any penance, without performing sacrifices, without worshipping the
innumerable gods, he had attained the State of the Self by just listening to a simple story.
He hugged his father tightly and placed a kiss on his cheeks with extreme love. And he ran
out to play with the countless citizens of the Kadamba tree.

What need was there anymore for any Sacrifice, or worship or even contemplation!
He was the CHIT now playing the game of life as a Sages son.
He was the father also in the state of the Self.
He was everywhere; he was everything as the Self.
But nothing was there actually except the Self. All names and forms were drawn by him
every moment, again and again for his own sport.
He could sit and contemplate like the father or play with his bird-friends of the tree.
He chose to play!

Who can tell the CHIT what to do? CHIT was second-less!
When any picture is just a picture drawn on the canvas of emptiness, what does it matter
what picture is perceived as a world?
CHIT was both the silence and the noise of the world. There was noting else.

CHIT in the Daashoora form remained absorbed in the silent unmanifest state.
CHIT in the form of the boy played all over the Kadamba tree in the manifest state.
Daashoora could hear the joyous shouts of the boy even in his silent state.
It did not affect him in the least.
Was not that joy, the expression of his blissful Self!

Chit is both manifest and unmanifest!

OM
 36

RAMA AND VASISHTA

Vasishta spoke-

Rama! After the story was finished, I entered the sprout where Daashoora was staying.
Daashoora was very excited by my sight. He worshipped me in the due manner. All three
of us spent the night discussing various matters together.
In the morning I took leave of them both and went off to bathe in the River Ganges in the
heavens.

I told you the story of Daashoora to understand the unreal nature of the world.
Look at the world as advised by Daashoora and remain in the state of the Self which alone
is real.

END
 37

KACHAS SONG OF ECSTASY

Kacha was the son of Brhaspati, the preceptor of Gods.

Once he was contemplating on the Self sitting in the dense forest of Mount Meru. As the
practice went on, he suddenly found himself in the natural state of the Self.
As he did not completely merge off into the Supreme, he opened his eyes to see the
perceived world of forms. He had lost the identity of his limited Self, yet was conscious
as the Supreme Brahman.
It was a like the state where one wakes up in a dream and continues to analyze the dream.

Kacha could feel that every form in front of him was his own projection.
There was no one else but him as the Self.
There was no one to talk to.
There was no object that he could desire for, as he felt that he was all the objects that
were there.

It was a unique experience.

If you wake up and the dream still persists, it will be amusing still.

Kacha was now the unmanifest Brahman who enjoyed himself as the manifested reality
too. He was in the DakshinaaMoorti state (unmanifest manifest state) experienced by
Aadi Shankara.

Since he had the voice to express his feelings in the Kacha form he sang in ecstasy-

KACHAS SONG OF ECSTASY

What shall I do now?

I have nothing to do except remaining as myself!

Where shall I go?

There is no space to move!

What shall I hold on to?

Everything appears like a picture drawn in emptiness!

What shall I reject?

There is nothing but myself as everything!

I am filling the entire created phenomena

like the ocean flooding the creation!
 38

I do not feel any pain!

I do not feel any excitement!
An inexpressible joy fills my whole being!

Hitherto unknown quiescent state is what I am!

What do I lack? What do I want?

I am everything!

In all the directions I alone am there!

Inside and outside of this limited form of a Kacha,

only I shine forth filling everything!

Here I am!
There I am!
There is nothing but me everywhere!

Self alone is everywhere!

Everything is Self alone!

Whatever has a name that is Self alone!

I am like an ocean of bliss!

I am complete! I am whole!
I extend beyond the horizons!
I alone am! I alone am! I alone am!

{KACHAS SONG IS COMPLETE}

Laughing and dancing with joy Kacha experienced the state of Brahman appearing as
the entire perceived phenomena.

Then he closed his eyes; recited OM in a slow sonorous voice; and melted off into the
Nirvikalpa Samaadhi as the OMKAARA tapered off into silence like the resonance of
the bell melts off into the empty sky.

END
 39

KING JANAKAS STORY OF REALIZATION

Royal garden of Mithilaa!

The whole garden was alive with the melodious songs of cuckoos.
The flowers of various colors bloomed spreading a variety of fragrances all over,
intoxicating anyone who happened to be there!
But unaffected by all these, King Janaka walked silently under the shady trees.
His ears did not hear the songs of the birds; nor did he relish the colorful flowers.
His mind was lost in some deep thoughts!

He was alone; he wanted to be alone!

He had sent away the pretty maidens who always accompanied him to the garden to
entertain him with their amorous sports.
He had sent away the wise ministers who kept him informed of all that happened in his
kingdom regularly.
He felt an unknown depression eating out his heart.
There was nothing he could want more than what he had acquired now.
Name, fame, riches- nothing he lacked.
He was a mine of virtues. He took care of his people like a father. He was only addressed
as Janaka (father) by one and all. No one knew his real name.
Scholars adored him; Brahmins found shelter in him; enemies feared him; elders blessed
him heartily; yet he felt now that his life was unfulfilled.
Something was missing; some achievement was left over; something he had not bothered
to know much! Of course he had mastered all the sciences that could be mastered and
even intellectually comprehended the subject matter of all the scriptures which talked
about Brahman.
There was no Siddhi he had not experimented with; there was no text left unstudied!
Then why this sadness, he wondered!
Exhausted, he sat on a rock and closed his tired eyes.

He heard some rustling noise nearby. He instantly turned back to see who the intruder
was. But he could not move. He remained statue-like as if his body was frozen.
He could not even make any sound.
He just saw a huge lustrous sphere in front of him. Though some moving shapes could be
seen inside that shine, they were still indiscernible.
And those shapes spoke; rather sang these hymns.

(Siddhas are not magic-makers; and cannot be seen or approached by ignorant people of
any world. They are Brahman-state itself existing as pure mind-states. They do not
maintain any particular identity. They can create any identity randomly; and live in any
conceived world of their choice. They remain mostly as conscious space itself as some
emptiness which has intelligence.)
 40

SIDDHA-GEETAA

[1]

We contemplate on That
which is without perturbations;
which manifests from the principle of Self;
which appears in the intellect
as the experience of bliss arising from
the union of the perceiver and perceived.

{Any joy experienced outside in the perceived world is nothing but a droplet of the bliss-
essence of Self.}

[2]

Renouncing completely the perceiver-perceiving-perceived

along with the Vaasanaa,
we contemplate on the Self,
which is the first appearance seen by the perceiver.

{Ego or the idea of ones own existence (Self) is the first appearance, by renouncing
which one remains as the Supreme state of the Self which is without limitations.}

[3]

We contemplate on the Self,

which lights up all the lights,
which is eternal,
which is the state in-between
the two views of is and is not.

{Self is the subtle essence of consciousness which perceives all the other lights which in
turn reveal the perceived objects. Self is not bound by the language wrestling of
existence and non-existence theories. Self is the state beyond definitions and
explanations. The theories that state that Self is not the world or the Self alone exists
both are incorrect. The Self is the perceived world like the gem is its shine. There is
nothing else other than the Self. }
 41

[4]

We contemplate
on that Reality, (TATSATYAM)
which is everything; (YAHA)
by which everything exists; (YENA)
for which everything exists; (YASMAAYA)
from which everything arises; (YATAHA)
of which everything exists; (YASYA)
in which everything exists. (YASMIN)

[5]

The letter A is the first part;

HA letter is the last part;
and it exists with endless forms;
it is uttered continuously;
that Self of mine I contemplate upon.

{A+HA+ Resonance (M)-AHAM I.

This sound exists as denoting the Self; it exists as the I uttered by all that have self-
awareness. All our thoughts are centered on this I. This ego is nothing but the Self
bound by limitations of space and time ideas. Contemplating on the Self removed of
limitations, one remains as the Self state which transcends all limitations.}

[6]

Those who seek another god rejecting the Lord

seated in the cave of the heart,
they are after an ordinary gem,
throwing away the many Koustubha gems (worn by Lord Naaraayana)
kept in their hands.

{Self is the other name for Chit which is the source of all that is perceived with name and
form. Gods also come under the perceived category as they have names and forms.
Without trying to realize the Self which is also the essence of Gods, if one goes after the
Gods with form, he is as foolish as a person who throws away the wish-fulfilling
Koustubha gem already in his hands and picks up some road-side shining stone; because
the Koustubha gem can produce any gem that one wishes for; Self or Chit can appear as
any God one wishes for. Remaining as the state of CHIT or Self, one exists as the essence
of all gods and other beings.}
 42

[7]

Only by renouncing all the desires, this fruit (Self-Realization) is gained.

By this (Self-Realization) alone,
the poisonous creepers of desires get completely uprooted.

That idiot who again binds himself to the thoughts of the objects,
knowing well the extreme essence-less-ness in them,
is not a man but a donkey.

[8]

The snakes named senses should be hit hard

by the rod of discrimination again and again
as they keep rising up here and there,
as Indra once hit the mountains with his Vajra weapon.

{Once the mountains supposedly had wings and were causes of destructions when they
sat anywhere and everywhere without control. Indra cut off their wings with his Vajra
(thunder-bolt) weapon. The senses also similarly act as causes of destruction because
they always are after some object or other without discrimination. By using the Vajra
weapon of discrimination, these senses should be brought under control.}

[9]

One should bring forth the sacred joy of quiescence.

The mind of the good man becomes
subdued by practicing quiescence.
When the mind is quiet,
then the excellent state arises
bestowing the bliss of the Self forever.
 43

The Hymns were over!

The luster-sphere vanished!
Silence reigned!
King Janaka suddenly felt his body alive and moving.
He got up excitedly and searched eagerly all over the garden.
He could find no one.
But he had heard real voices. He had no doubt about it.
Then as he thought back, he understood what had happened.
They were not ordinary people.
They were the great Siddha Purushas who wandered all over the fourteen worlds at their
will. They had no distinct forms or identities. They were realized Sages maintaining
vague existences. They had blessed him by their presence.
Janakas eyes were filled with tears!
What great merits of his had brought them to his earthly garden? And what did they say?
He wanted to think about those hymns sung by the great Siddhas.
He immediately returned to the palace; climbed the topmost storey of his palace; told the
guards not to disturb him in any way; and sat there pondering about what he had heard.

Soon he saw the wasteful ventures of his life and just knew himself as the Self-state
without any limitation of name and form. There was nothing more to achieve now!
He was now in his original nature of Brahman.
He was all; he was in all!
The world looked like a picture drawn on emptiness!
He just remained experiencing the bliss of the Self-state.

But soon he was disturbed by the entrance of his close servant.

Janaka looked at that shape which was making some sounds. He could somehow
understand that he was getting requested by the servant to attend to his regular duties and
get ready to meet the public awaiting his arrival outside.
Janaka remained silent.
He did not feel like breaking the silent-state he was in.
He remained with closed eyes not bothering to respond in any way to the servant.
Who had to go where?
Who had to talk to whom?
When the Self alone was there, why even bother to move the body which he was not?

The servant was surprised by the silence of the king.

Sweat formed on his forehead and a shiver ran thorough his body.
Had he offended the king in any way?
Should he not have entered the private room of the king like this?
The servant stood there silently not knowing how to react to the new situation.

Janaka again pondered in his mind.

What matters if he moves the body or not?
The Self-state was not going to vanish away!
The bliss was not going to finish away.
 44

Whatever unreal patterns were around him, he was what he was, the untainted, unaffected
Self!
If he managed to move the physical body, the space-time pictures will vary! That is all!
He would still remain unchanged!
Why bother what the body acted out, or the mind perceived; he was what he was, the Self
of all!
If as the Brahman he could be all, nothing would matter if he had to act out the character
of the king of Mithilaa!

He opened his eyes; flashed an affectionate smile at his servant; got up immediately and
followed him to attend to the regular duties as if nothing had happened.
But something had happened.
All this time he was dreaming that he was king Janaka.
Now he had woken up yet continued the dream willfully.
How can a dream affect a person who is completely awake?!
A smile adorned his face.
[Could Bliss smile?!]

END
 45

STORY OF PUNYA AND PAAVANA

In the forest land surrounding the Mahendra Mountain, on the bank of River Gangaa
there lived a Sage named DeerghaTapas (one who performed penance for a long time).
He had two sons named Punya (Merit) and Paavana (Sacred).

He, his devoted wife and the two sons lived in a solitary cottage on the river bank. The
sons loved and respected their parents very much. Paavana, the youngest was very much
attached to his mother and would never remain away from her for long.

The two sons studied all the scriptures under the guidance of their father. Punya practiced
what was taught and soon attained Self-realization. But Paavana being attached to his
parents was not able to reach the Supreme state of the Self.

In course of time, Sage DeerghaTapas felt that he had seen enough of earth life and
decided to give up his body. He and his wife discarded their bodies through the Yogic
method and attained the bodiless state of liberation.

Paavana saw the lifeless bodies of his parents lying on the ground like logs of wood; and
was shocked. He felt his whole world had collapsed. Life was nothing but a desolate
experience for him without his parents. He could not imagine a second without the
company of his parents. His mind went blank. Unable to bear the grief he ran inside the
forest as if stuck by insanity. Somewhere he collapsed on the ground in grief and started
to weep aloud calling for his parents.

Punya, the elder one finished the funeral rites alone and went in search of his brother.
He saw the weeping brother; embraced him with love and consoled him like this:

My dear brother! Why do you cry so much? I am there for you. I will take care of you
like a father. Even I miss our parents. But I know they have attained liberation and not
suffering in any new birth. Everyone has to die; but our parents were great Yogis and
discarded their body at will! We should also follow their foot steps and attain liberation
as they did. Come on! Get up! Let us finish the rest of the funeral rites now.
But Paavana wouldnt get consoled and still cried as if his heart would break by the
effort.

Again Punya said:

Dear son! What makes you think that they are our only parents? Visualize the countless
births they have gone through and the innumerable bodies you have taken in the past?
Who is the son of whom? Who is the father of whom?

If you have to cry for the death of parents, then why dont you cry for the parents of those
past births? Why not cry for parents who will be in your future births?

Of course if you do not realize the Self, you will go through countless births again till
your delusion gets destroyed.
 46

Analyze in your mind as to who you are in essence. Observe what all the births you had
as fish, bird, crow, lion or fox, and what not!
Sometimes due to merits you were born in royal families.
Sometimes due to de-merit you suffered the lowly birth of a Chaandaala.
Sometimes you excelled in all the scriptures as a Brahmin.
I cannot even mention all births that were yours or mine! They are beyond counting!

Think how many parents, how many relatives you have had when you take all the births
into account.
Are you going to sit and cry for all those dead relatives?

This birth is in your memory. So you are crying for the parents of this body. But if you
could remember all the births and all the parents who loved you at those births, you
cannot finish crying for them in one single life time.

Look at that donkey. It was your relative in some birth. Why dont you feel sorry for it
now?
Every animal, every bird, every man and woman are related to us through some birth or
other.
Are you going to cry for them all?

There is no meaning in grief or happiness in this world.

Everything is momentary.
You must feel happy that in this birth our father guided us towards liberation. Now get up
and wash your face.
Let us finish our duties to the parents of this birth and follow the course of life shown by
our revered father.
Let us practice the disciplines taught by our father and attain the Self-state.
Let us attain the same state as our parents did.
Stop crying like an ignorant fool!

Paavana understood how foolish he had been.

He silently got up; and followed his brother home.

Soon they both had attained the Supreme knowledge and remained in the forest happily
for long. Later they discarded their bodies and attained the body-less liberation like their
parents.

END
 47

KING BALI

[1]

Above is the heaven (Svarga) ruled by Indra; below is the netherworld (Paataala) ruled by
the demons; and earth (Bhooloka) stays in the middle.
All the worlds, above and below were conquered with ease by the greatest among the
demon kings, Bali the son of Virochana.

All the heavenly pleasures were his in no time.

His palace now adorned the Meru Mountain, once the sole sporting ground of Gods.
Everyone trembled at the very mention of his name. There was nothing more that he had
to conquer now. There were no beings who dared oppose him. He was the supreme
emperor of all the three worlds. He had done what no other demon king of the past had
been able to do.
He was the greatest!
He ruled like this for ten crores of years and now, what next?

Standing near the window of his palace situated on top of the Meru Mountain, Bali was
lost in thoughts.
His hands were itching for some battle with some mighty ruler of some world; but who
was there left out?
Trinities were out of question, he could never pierce their dimensions!
Rest of the beings? All were under his control!
Whom should he fight with?

[2]

Bali was bored.

He started to think like this:

What have I achieved by all this victory? I am still unsatisfied!

There is no sense experience that has not been enjoyed by me; even heavenly damsels are
ready to oblige my slightest wish!
But what comes of enjoying the same pleasure again and again?
The same routine daily gets followed!
Same pleasures get to be enjoyed again and again!
I feel so embarrassed by own life-style!
It is like children playing house!
Meaninglessly same actions get repeated daily!
Day and night follow each other! Again and again the same actions get performed! I feel
so stupid!
Is there something by which one does not do any action again?
How long will I go on like this?
 48

Eternally I can rule the three worlds; but yet I am bound by these very actions of
enjoyments! Again and again the same sense enjoyments!
Ugh!
Wish there was some joy that is better than all these sensual pleasures!
Wish there was some King who is worth conquering!
Wish there is some action which destroys all actions!
Wish there was some permanent happiness than what these senses experience!

[3]
As he was thinking like this bored and despondent, he suddenly remembered a
conversation he had with his father when he was very young. He had had the same
despondency at that time and had questioned his father like this:

Father! You know so much about everything!

Tell me for sure if there is any other happiness other than these sense pleasures?
Is there something by attaining which one never wants anything more, never is troubled
by desires any more?
Is there some place where there is permanent peace of mind?
Is there anything by attaining which everything gets attained?

King Virochana, Balis father had laughed aloud and said:

Oh! You want to conquer some country by which you become the owner of all Creations,
is it?
You want to defeat the most powerful king of all and become the Supreme ruler; is it so?
You are bored of all these routine enjoyments and want something better; is it?
Yes, Yes! I know of such a king who rules such a country!

There is a very expansive country which spreads out endlessly in all directions! It is so huge
that even thousands of tri-worlds cannot fill it up!
There no forests or mountains or rivers or oceans there!
There is neither sky nor winds there!
There are no gods or demons there!
No sun or moon shines there!
Even the Trinities who support these Gods are not there!
But only one king is there. He is very powerful! He can do anything and is everywhere! But
he remains very silent.
He has by his own will conceived a minister to work for him.
That minister also is very powerful. He can make impossible things happen; or even erase
things that have happened! But unfortunately he cannot enjoy anything; nor does he know
anything. He is stupid; yet does everything for the king. The king remains always silent and
alone!
 49

[4]

Bali had been amazed to know that there was a king still left unconquered by his father or
him. His hand had clutched his sword tightly. With his face flushed with anger he had
questioned his father:

Who is that king? Where is he? Who is his minister?

Tell me immediately so I can crush the king and his minister in no time!

Virochana had lowered his voice as if whispering a secret and said:

That minister is not so easy to conquer, my son! He is more powerful than the Gods or
demons! He is not Indra or Chandra that you can so easily weild your sword and slice the
head! No weapons can make even a dent on him! All the gods and demons are under his
control.

He is no Vishnu; but he has conquered all the demons like Hiranyaaksha and others! He
has even Vishnu and other Higher Gods under his control and makes them do their
allotted works!
He has allowed the God of passion to wander freely all over the three worlds!
Because of him alone, the gods and demons fight unceasingly.

All this is merely a childs play for that minister.

He can be controlled only by the king who created him!
Suddenly the king sometimes feels that this minister needs to be controlled and he
subdues him in no time.
That minister is the mightiest of all!
He moves everything in this world!
If you want to be the Supreme Lord of all, then conquer this minister and prove your
prowess!
If he is there, sun and moon shine by his power! If he is not there, everything melts away!
If you can conquer him, you are indeed powerful!
If you conquer him all the worlds get conquered.
Even if you conquer everything and do not conquer this minister, you are not still the
mightiest, my son!
Therefore try to defeat him mustering all your effort!
 50

[5]

Bali was puzzled! He could not grasp what his father was saying. He just asked:

But how?

Virochana answered with a mischievous smile:

I know of a trick to conquer that minister easily! Listen attentively!

Through this trick you can subdue him in a moment! Otherwise he will attack you like a
serpent in rage!

You should quieten him like caressing a child and enter the presence of the king somehow.
Once the king is seen, the minister will trouble you no more!

If the minister gives you no more trouble, then the king gets seen again!
If you do not see the king, the minister cannot be subdued!
If you do not subdue the minster, the king cannot be seen!
If the king is not seen, the minister becomes evil and gives endless troubles!
If the minister is not defeated, the king can never be seen!

Somehow you should try hard and get both the things done simultaneously.
The subjugation of the minister and seeing the king both should be done simultaneously.

If you practice without losing heart, you will see the king, bring the minister under control
and reach that huge expansive country. If you reach that country, you are not going to feel
sad again. You will have no more desires to satisfy.

You would have reached the state of complete fulfillment after which nothing needs to be
attained.

[6]

Bali remained silent and puzzled still.

Virochana continued to speak:

Listen I will tell you clearly what I meant by this story.

The country is Liberation which removes all suffering.
The king is the Self or Brahman who is the Supremacy, who transcends all.
The minister is the Mind rising out of Brahman.
Mind alone conceives this entire world phenomenon.
If you conquer him, you attain all that needs to be attained!
He can be conquered not by the power of the sword but by the trick taught by me!
 51

Bali still was unable to grasp the abstract meaning of the story told by his father.
He asked again-

Tell me father clearly the trick to subdue that minister.

I will surely destroy him in no time.

Virochana explained with extreme patience.

The main trick in conquering the mind is to develop disinterest towards the pleasures of
the senses.
By this alone can that wicked mind be brought under control.
Do not worry about fate or destiny.
Do not think only great Sages and saints can pursue this path and attain liberation.
Even demons like us can attain the Supreme state of the Self and shine above the Trinities!
We get destroyed because we are slaves to our desires.
But if by practice, we develop dispassion and detach our mind from pleasures, we will be
able to contemplate on the Self and thus attain the supreme state of bliss.
Without getting disheartened we should practice again and again till the success is
achieved.
Anything is possible through sincere effort!

[7]

Bali for a few moments pondered within his own mind; saw the unending thirst for
pleasures within; the hatred burning in the heart for the gods; the irritation felt against the
Trinities; the urge for conquering all the worlds.
He sighed!

He knew he could never get rid of all the anger and desire in his heart.
He asked again:

How can I get disinterested in sense pleasures, Father?

How can I get rid of all my desires?

Virochana said-

You have to force your mind towards the contemplation of the Self regularly. That alone
will help in developing detachment towards pleasures.
As the detachment develops, the contemplation of the Self also becomes possible. Both
practices go hand in hand, acting complimentary to each other.

First divide the activities of the mind into two; one part for pleasures; one part for the
study of scriptures.
Slowly one should seek the knowledge also from the Teacher; experience some pleasures
also.
 52

Then the mind should be given to study of scriptures; listening to the teacher and a little
experience of pleasures.
Then one should only have the study of the scriptures and increase dispassion; have
company of the Knowers and contemplate on the Self.
Slowly the mind will give up the desire for pleasures and get interested in contemplation.
Every moment the mind should be guided towards the good like a child.
Continuously one should analyze the unreal nature of the world.
Always one should try to remain in the witness state of the Self and develop a natural
disinterest in pleasures.
Once the Self-state is attained, the mind will remain subdued always and the bliss of the
Self will become ones true nature.

Any joy that can be attained as a result of performing penance, or charity or worship of
deities in temples can never equal the bliss of the Self state.

My son! Do not worry about destiny or fate.

Just try hard and surely you will succeed in achieving the Supreme state.
Analyze the faults of the pleasures found here and develop dispassion.
Of course you should gather wealth and conquer lands.
But along with it, seek the Knowers and in their company develop dispassion. Study the
scriptures. Analyze the truths.
Then the natural state of the Self reveals by itself.

Virochana had gone off to his private chambers.

[8]

Bali had not understood much of what his father had said then. He had brushed it aside as
some sportive conversation.
He remembered it all now; and regretted for not having discussed the topic with his father
for more time. He had wasted a golden opportunity he felt with remorse.

After Virochana had left, the young Bali had remained for a few hours thinking of what
his father had said. Though it was easy to intellectually comprehend what he had said,
Bali had understood that he was not ready for the practice of it yet. His thirst for the
conquering of the three worlds could not be subdued so easily. He was still very young.
The world of pleasures was beckoning him with the doors wide open. Soon he had
forgotten the conversation with his father and was lost in the world of pleasures and
battles.
Now when all was done and over with, his mind had remembered the conversation again.
Bali sighed!
So long he had been ignorant and wasted all his life in the pursuit of pleasures and glory.
He had never tried to conquer the minister or see the king.
Thousands of years had passed and still the expansive country of true bliss had remained
untouched by him.
Bali felt foolish and stupid. His mind was full of remorse.
 53

He wished he had listened to his father and practiced what he commended at that time
itself. Anyhow he had woken up now to his faults. He decided to see the king now and
reach the topmost position above all.
But how?
His father was not there to guide him now.
He decided to call on his Guru Shukraachaarya.

[9]

Shukraachaarya, the preceptor of demons appeared before him instantly.

Bali worshipped him in due manner and asked him:

Lord! I am no more interested in pleasures any more!

What is all this?
Who enjoys? What gets enjoyed? What is the enjoyment?
Who am I?
What are all these worlds? Tell me!

Shukra looked impatiently at his disciple.

If this demon could not follow his fathers words then at the prime of youth, what will he
achieve now? After all, Bali had understood everything intellectually. Shukraachaarya
did not want to waste time by giving a huge discourse to a person who just needed a little
effort to practice what he already knew from his father.

He said hurriedly:

What is there to say anymore?

Here is a brief summary of all; listen!
Chit alone is here.
All this is Chit.
Everything is in essence Chit.
You are Chit. I am Chit. All these worlds are Chit.
If you are really sincere, this much is enough to lead you on.
Otherwise, however much I discourse all will turn into ashes and waste away.
The conception of the mind alone is known as bondage; freedom from it is liberation.
That is all! This is the essence of all scriptures!
Just feel ascertained about this; instantly you will be in the true state of the Self.

I am very busy. I have to meet the Seven Sages on some important mission. They are
waiting for me. Though I am realized and liberated, I have to attend to my duties as long as
this body-appearance is there. I do not want to sit idle doing nothing.

Shukraachaarya vanished from sight.

 54

[10]
Bali felt as if he was given a shock treatment.
The words of his Guru, though very few, had shot at him like arrows.
He suddenly felt different. His confusions were gone! His mind felt calm and peaceful.
He was completely absorbed in the analysis of the statements uttered by his Guru.
He pondered and realized that-

Everything was Chit.

If Chit (consciousness) was not there how can any object be cognized as that object?
Sky, wind, moon, sun etc etc; even his own identity was possible because the chit cognized
it to be so.
Chit was the essence of all; and he was that Chit.
The limited identity of Bali vanished and he remained as the Chit which was all.
All was also not there!
Only Chit was there; silent and blissful; and knowledge.
The minister was nowhere to be seen!
Bali did not just see the king.
He was the king.
He was the mightiest of all!
He was the Supremacy.
That mighty king had subdued Bali himself who was the ruler of all the three worlds.
Only THAT was there!

But the body of Bali which was the center-stage of such a drama became stone-like.
There was no movement.
A tiny wave of Praana kept the body away from death and decay.

[11]

When the king was not seen for long time, the ministers searched for him all over the
worlds and saw him sitting like a statue in his private chambers of the palace on Meru
Mountain.
The servants and subordinates became worried.
All the Gods and Sages arrived there to see the wonder of the demon king absorbed in
Samaadhi.
The ministers were anxious about the state of the country without the kings presence and
called for their Guru Shukraachaarya.
He arrived there immediately; consoled the ministers saying that their king had just
analyzed the truths of existence and had attained the Supreme state of rest. He assured
them that soon Bali will wake up by himself after thousand years. He advised the
ministers to take care of the kingdom till that time.
After thousand years, Bali woke up from the Samaadhi state to hosts of drum sounds
made by the gods as instructed by Shukraachaarya.
Bali slowly opened his eyes. His own form flashed before him like a dream-identity.
No one was around. No one knew that he had woken up.
 55

Bali again pondered in the surrounding silence.

Ah! What a wonderful state it is!

A moment only elapsed, it seems; and I feel so rested!
I will remain in that state only!
What need do I have for external experiences?

As he was withdrawing himself into the Samaadhi state again, all his demon subordinates
arrived; saluted him; stood there awaiting his instructions.

[12]

Bali again pondered:

I have no mind at all! No uncontrolled thoughts disturb me as before!

What is there for me do discard?
What need do I have for liberation? What has ever bound me?
It is just a childs fantasy that one is bound or one is liberated!
There is no bondage; there is no liberation!
My ignorance is gone!
Whether I remain in contemplation or not, what difference is there?
I am what I am!
Whatever happens happens; I do not gain or lose anything.
Whether I remain contemplating on the Self or whether I keep enjoying the pleasures of
the world, there is no difference to my true nature.
I do not live; nor am I dead!
I do not exist or non-exist!
Let this perception of the kingdom continue and let me play the character of the king!
Whatever happens I need not bother!
If I am not duty-bound, then why not I do just what I was doing before?

He acknowledged the salutations of his people and got up from his seat.

Bali ruled the worlds as a JeevanMukta for thousands of years.

Sometime, in the course of life, he felt like performing a great sacrifice.
Lord Vishnu knew that he was not after any achievement of the worldly nature.
He went there to bless the desire-less emperor.
As Indra, his elder brother (of Vaamana) was after the ruler ship of the heaven and was
intent on the pleasures only, Vishnu deceived king Bali and took away the heaven and
earth from him and gave them back to Indra.
He imprisoned Bali in the nether worlds like caging a monkey.
 56

[13]
Sage Vasishta continued the story:

Rama!
Now Bali remains in the Paataala Loka, as a JeevanMukta.
He has equal vision towards gain and loss.
He is like the space untouched by any event of his life, just experiencing anything that
comes to his lot, randomly.

He will become the ruler of the three worlds again for thousands of years. He will never
feel excited by attaining anything nor will he suffer by losing anything.

Like Bali Rama, you can also analyze by yourself the reality of the world and develop
dispassion. You can also attain the non-dual state by your own effort.

Bali ruled for tens of crores of years and enjoyed everything that was possible in this world;
but in the end he found out that everything was worthless.

Rama! You also understand by this story the worthlessness of the sense pleasures and
develop dispassion.

Making all effort possible attain the Supreme state of the Self.

END
 57

KING PRAHLAADA

INTRODUCTION

In this story of Prahlaada, taken from YogaVaasishta, Prahlaada is an ordinary prince of

the demon-clan fighting gods along with his father.
In his effort to subdue Vishnu, he meditates on Vishnu and becomes a staunch devotee of
the Lord. The devotion purifies his mind and with the guidance of Vishnu he attains the
Supreme state of the Self.
He rules the demon world till the end of the Creation as a JeevanMukta.

PRAHLAADA

Nether worlds were once ruled by a terrifying demon-king named HiranyakaShipu.

Gods and demons trembled at his name. He conquered all the worlds including that of
Indra. He had many children from his many wives. Of them all, Prahlaada was his
favored son.
Prahlaada proved a great support to his father in all his invasions of the other worlds.
Because of his son, HiranyakaShipu could battle with any earthly king or godly ruler and
be sure of his victory. Prahlaada was highly valorous and proved to be a terror to the gods
like his father. Harassed by the demons, the gods took shelter with Lord Vishnu and
prayed to him for help. Lord Vishnu took the form of a man-lion and killed
HiranyakaShipu in no time.
His rage was pacified by the gods and Lord Vishnu returned to his abode in Vaikuntha.

{2}

The demon-kingdom wore a forlorn look after the death of their king. It was as if a
dissolution fire had burnt the whole of the nether world. Most of the demons along with
Prahlaada and other princes had run helter-skelter to different places when the man-lion
had appeared. They all returned now to their dead city. They performed the funeral rites
for all those who were dead. Consoling each other somehow, they started their lives
anew, swallowing hard all their grief.

{3}

Prahlaada was sitting alone in his private chambers lost in thoughts. He was thinking of
ways to regain what had been lost by the intrusion of the man-lion. The very memory of
that man-lion brought him mixed emotions of fear, sadness, anger, reverence all at once.
He knew it was Hari who had taken that form to kill his father.
What a tricky fellow! If he was not there, the god-world would be wallowing under his
feet now. The gods were always on the winning side because of this one Vishnu who
always helped them out.
Prahlaada wondered whether that mighty lord could be subdued by him through direct
attack!
 58

No chance! That wise one was mightier than all gods and would know of his move before
he even thought of it! The Sages said that he lived within all!
He was the great Vaasudeva! Maybe that is why he understood every mind so easily!

Prahlaada wondered if he could think of himself as Vaasudeva, the Lord Vishnu the
mightiest and thus become equal in prowess to that of Vishnu.
If he was as mighty as Vishnu, he could easily overpower him and gods would be
defeated within minutes!
All the demons (women and men) now slaving under the gods could be freed and brought
back to their homeland!
He could become the Vishnu of the demon clan and support the demons as that Vishnu
supported the god-clan.
All that the demons needed was another mighty Vishnu on their side!
Prahlaada decided to become the mighty Vishnu of the demons.

{4}

Prahlaada sat in the lotus posture; closed his eyes and meditated on himself as Vishnu. He
conceived the form of Vishnu as his.
He conceived the great milk ocean around him; the serpent as his bed; the mace and
discus weapons in his hands; Goddess Lakshmi sitting next to him; all gods including
Shiva and Brahma propitiating him.
Bit by bit; he conceived every detail of Vishnus form and imagined his form to be that of
Vishnu!
Had he become Vishnu?
No!
He was still thinking like the son of the demon king HiranyakaShipu and Vishnus form
was still external to him. However much he tried, he was not able to be the form of
Vishnu.
Exhausted, he wondered what to do next.

However by the constant contemplation on the form of Vishnu, all his evil Vaasanaas had
been destroyed. His mind had purified as by the dip in the holy waters of Ganges. He
now felt no rage towards the form of Vishnu.
A deep emotion of finest love was rising in him towards Vishnu.
He wanted to fall at the tender lotus feet and surrender all that was his to that adorable
God. The best way to express his love was to worship that wonderful God, he decided.
He now conceived all the ingredients needed for the worship; his heart filled with utmost
devotion and love, he offered worship to the conceived form of MahaaVishnu.
As he worshipped his mind became purer and purer.
After he had satisfied himself that he had expressed his devotion completely, Prahlaada
opened his eyes.
He had not become Vishnu. But his every breath and thought were filled with the name
and form of Naaraayana. All his demonic qualities were annihilated by the thought of the
Supreme God-head.
 59

The demon Prahlaada who wanted to become the Vishnu of the demon clan now was the
Prahlaada who carried Vishnu in his heart-chamber!
Unable to think of anything other than Vishnu, he taught all the demons that Vishnu was
the Supreme Godhead and told them to worship Vishnu. He built many worship places in
his kingdom to enable the people to become devotees of the Great Lord.
All the demons obeyed their king and the land echoed everywhere the great mantra Om
Namo Naaraayanaaya!
The weapons gathered dust and the gods were left undisturbed!

{5}

Gods were alarmed by this new development.

They were less apprehensive when the demons were attacking them whenever and
wherever. But now the demons were worshipping Lord Vishnu. Somehow the gods were
unable to digest this matter.
Were the demons planning a secret attack trying to hide their plan behind this faked
devotion to Vishnu? Or, was the devotion real?
But how can that be possible? How can evil become good?
How can that mean old HiranyakaShipus son be different from his father?
Till now he was standing next to his father and ruthlessly attacking gods!
He had dared even raise his sword against Vishnu!
Now suddenly that wicked demon fellow is acting like the greatest devotee of Vishnu!

A lotus cannot bloom on the dry rock! A demon cannot have devotion in his heart! It was
just impossible! It was surely a trick of Prahlaada to deceive the gods. Vishnu must be
informed about this immediately.
So the gods decided to visit Vishnu and report this new development of the demon-world.

Lord Vishnu was ready for the visit of gods.

He just brushed aside their irrational fear and assured them that he will himself visit the
demon Prahlaada and clarify the matters with him. The gods returned feeling better than
before.
{6}

Prahlaada was absorbed in the contemplation of his dear deity in his worship room. And
his joy knew no bounds when he saw Lord Vishnu standing in front of him for real.
Prahlaada cried; wept; worshipped; saluted again and again; recited hymns of praise; and
said at last in a choking voice-
Lord! Command me whatever you wish me to do!
I am your slave! What else should I do? Is there any fault in my worship?
I do not want anything from you! Your vision itself has fulfilled my life.
I have no desires at all! Even this kingdom is not mine. Everything is yours!
You can do whatever you feel good! I have nothing to gain or lose.
You are my all-in all! Your devotion is enough for me!
Your thought is the most blissful thing in the world!
It is enough that I remember you always with love!
 60

Vishnu flashed his benevolent smile and spoke with a voice oozing nectar:
Dear Prahlaada!
I am happy that you love me so much! But that is not enough.
I am not just the bluish form you see adorned by discus, mace and lotus.
You have to reach further heights in your spirituality.
There is the most Supreme state that has to be achieved by you.
Practice Vichaara and enquire about the Self!
Who am I? Who are You? What is this world?
Analyze these questions with reason and find the answers.
Till you reach the Supreme state of Brahman, do not stop this enquiry.

Vishnu vanished like a wave disappearing into the ocean.

{7}

Prahlaada, the obedient devotee immediately started to think and analyze as his beloved
Lord had suggested.
He understood that all his ancestors were following the unrighteous path prompted by
their wicked Vaasanaas. Instead of trying to attain the Supreme state of Brahman they
had wasted their lives pursuing the momentary pleasures of senses. He felt disgusted that
they were after heavens and ruler ship of the three worlds rather than achieving the most
blissful state of the Self.
Then he analyzed the nature of the Self.
He started with the senses and ascertained that he was none of the sense perceptions; not
the mind; not the intellect; not the memory faculty; and so on.
As he remained deeply absorbed in the enquiry of the Self, he slipped into the
perturbation less state of Chit.
And his body remained unmoving like a statue.
Time passed on.
He did not get up.
The ministers and his people were alarmed by this statue like state of the king.
They tried and tried; but he would not wake up.
Thousands of years passed away like this.
The demon world became erratic in ways because of the absence of the king.
The father was dead; and the son was a statue!
The demons became uncontrollable.
Every one acted as they liked.
The good were harassed. Houses were looted. The wicked killed anyone who opposed
them.
Prahlaada was unaware of all this.
He was lost in the blissful state of Chit!
 61

{8}

Vishnu woke up from his Yoga-Nidraa (contemplative-sleep).

He scrutinized well, the state of all the three worlds. He observed that the nether world
was without the attention of a king and had become uncontrollable. He saw that
Prahlaada was in deep trance. If the demons were not under a king, he knew that the
demon clan will soon perish and it would bring an imbalance state in the Creation. The
gods will not have any purpose in life and would merge in the Chit state. The earth will
be without penance and sacrifices because of the absence of gods. And soon earth will
also perish. The entire creation which had to remain till the end of Kalpa will vanish
before time like a snow-flake by heat.
And with the Creation gone, the Trinities would have no duties to perform and so will
dissolve into Para Brahman.
Nothing good will come out of this, he thought!
Only if the demons thrive, the Gods can exist!
Only if Gods exist, the earth beings would perform sacrifices and penance to get the
required fruits. The worldly existence can go on only if the earth beings get their fruits of
actions through the gods.
If any other king takes over the demon clan, he will attack the gods again and make
trouble. Prahlaada alone was fit to rule the demon world for some more time. This is the
ordained course of things. Prahlaada has to live till the end of this Kalpa as a
JeevanMukta.
In that case, the Creation will not perish; the good and bad will be balanced in a proper
way. Only then could he himself play around the Creation, saving the good and
destroying the evil.
Though he actually was not affected by the existence or non-existence of the Creation, he
had to see that nothing untoward happened to the Creation. That was his duty.
What had started as a created phenomenon had to continue till the end of the process.
So Vishnu decided to give a visit to the demon world and wake up his devotee.

{9}

Lord Vishnu stood the next instant in front of Prahlaada and blew his conch.
Prahlaada woke up immediately and opened his eyes.
Vishnu reminded him of his duties and told him not to remain in the trance forever.
He chided him for discarding the body unattended like this. He advised him that he
should rule the nether world till the end of the Kalpa.

Prahlaada apologized and said to him that he had just rested there for a moment enjoying
the bliss and had never thought of discarding the body named Prahlaada. He was
exhausted and tired by the past battles and had lost himself in the restful state of the Self.
As it really made no difference to him whether he remained in trance state or not, as he
always was the Self, he promised Vishnu that he would rule the kingdom from then
onwards.
 62

Lord Vishnu consecrated him again on the throne of the nether world; blessed him; took
leave of him; and disappeared.

The gods returned the imprisoned demons. Both the gods and demons stopped fighting
with each other. They rather helped each other like brothers.

No one cried. No one was tormented. No blood flowed. No hatred reigned.

Vishnu remained on his serpent bed; the gods in the heavens; the demons in the
netherworld.

All remained happy forever till the end of the Creation!

{10}

Rama had many doubts to clear.

He shot forth questions after questions to Sage Vasishta.

RAMA:
How can Prahlaada wake up just to the sound of a conch?

VASISHTA:
Prahlaada was just absorbed in the contemplation of the Self-state.
He was not dead. His body remained alive by the streak of Praana lingering within.
He was a JeevanMukta. He had attained liberation while living.
The liberated ones who have discarded the bodies cannot be seen at all. They are like
crushed seeds. Not so Prahlaada.

He can be woken up from his Samaadhi state even after thousands of years.
He still had pure Vaasanaas within. So he woke up when the conch sound of Vishnu was
heard!

And Rama, Vishnu resides in all the minds as Vaasudeva. Whatever he thinks will happen
immediately. He thought that Prahlaada should wake up and Prahlaada woke up. So what
is there to feel surprised about that?

The Chit only appears as Vishnu with a form.

If the Self is realized, Vishnu is seen!
If Vishnu is seen the Self gets realized!
 63

RAMA:
Lord! You always advise me that everything gets achieved through self-effort! Then how is
it that Prahlaada reached the Self-state because of Vishnus boon?

VASISHTA:
Rama! Who said that Vishnu gave the boon of Self-knowledge? Knowledge cannot be
attained through a boon or merit or by favoring a deity. Knowledge is possible only
through self-effort. Vishnu merely guided Prahlaada in the correct path. Prahlaada
enquired about the Self for long and reached the Self-state by himself.
No God or Guru can bestow self-knowledge even if he is worshipped for hundreds of
years. Each person has to understand the truths by his own intellect and pursue the path of
enquiry. Then only Self-knowledge becomes possible.
If one does not develop dispassion and sense-control, the worship of any God becomes
meaningless!
If one develops dispassion and sense-control, then also worship of a God becomes
meaningless!
Vishnu or Shiva get pleased and grace the devotee only if he develops dispassion and
enquiry of the Self.
If a person develops dispassion and Self-enquiry, then why one has to please Vishnu or
Shiva?
Forms of Gods are just expressions of Chit.
The worship methods of Gods were invented only for those who were incapable of enquiry
and sense-control.
By worshipping Gods with forms, the mind gets purified easily. One slowly reached the
state of the Self, like a seed becoming a huge tree in course of time.
If a devotee worships Lord Vishnu and Vishnu gives him a boon that he can attain Self
Knowledge, still the person has to reach that state only through his own effort. Without
effort nothing gets achieved!
Trying to gain knowledge through mere penance or favoring a God is like trying to empty
the ocean using ones hands as a tool!
Mind-control is the only means to achieve the Highest state O Rama!

Rama remained silent and thoughtful as he had no more doubts.

END
 64

STORY OF BRAHMIN GAADHI

In the country of Kosala lived a Brahmin named Gaadhi.
He had lost his parents when he was very young. He had no relatives to speak of either.
Most of them lived far from where he stayed.
Growing amidst some kind noble Brahmins who sheltered him, he had mastered all the
scriptures and had become the mine of virtues. His mind was given to dispassion even
when very young.
He was of a simple nature and was satisfied with his life. Being an ardent devote of
Naaraayana he took life as it was. He had nothing to complain about. Of course he was
slightly proud that he was a Brahmin by birth. He pitied those who were not Brahmins
as they would never be able to perform the worship of the fire etc and reach the higher
worlds. Especially he loathed the Chaandaalas and would avoid even the sight of them.
He even bathed uttering sacred chants if he ever met one accidentally. Chaandaalas were
the worst class of beings according to him. Thank heavens he was a Brahmin he thought.
About kings he had not much opinion except that they spent their whole life in enjoying
the pleasures. Though a slight envy was there in him about the royal clan who got every
pleasure on earth for free, he never glanced at a woman ever. Women were pathways to
hell he believed. Their sight itself would entrap a man and drown him in sufferings
untold, he thought. He had remained a celibate all this time and had decided to spend his
life in doing the regular duties of a Brahmin as ordained by the scriptures.
The life was the same every day. Nothing much happened. Yet he felt a slight
dissatisfaction about everything. He had never tried to bother about the knowledge
portion of the Vedas and believed that his regular duties (Karma) would lead him to the
final beatitude whatever it was.
He had of course heard some words regularly uttered by Sages about Maayaa, liberation
etc, and he always wondered what those terms meant.

He was a Brahmin and he was doing his duties regularly. He never was entrapped by a
womans glance and he was not in any delusion at all.
So what was this Maayaa that the Sages talked about, he wondered.
Whom else to question but the originator of this Maayaa, Lord Vishnu!
He decided to get his doubts cleared from God Vishnu himself who enveloped the entire
creation with his Maayaa (Deluding Power).

He bid farewell to all his friends and well-wishers and went to the forest to do penance.
He found a beautiful lake filled with lotuses in the midst of the jungle. After purifying
himself, he entered the lake; stood in the water reaching up to his neck; remained
contemplating on the Great God Naaraayana, having made a firm decision to stand like
that till the Lord appeared before him. His head appeared like a new lotus species
surrounded by all the lotuses of the lake.

Eight months passed!

Lord Vishnu appeared before him and asked him what boon he wanted.
 65

Though Gaadhi could have asked even for a life in heaven, he spoke to the Supreme
Being, without wavering in his mind-
Lord! I want to understand the deluding power of yours which is appearing as this
expansive universe. Let me have a glimpse of it.

Lord Vishnu was pleased by his dispassionate attitude. He said-

Of course you will see it and be freed of it too.
Next instant he vanished.

{What could Vishnu say?

If a person who is sunk in deep waters asks where the water is, what can he say?
The very identity of Gaadhi was a delusion. The very ideas that ruled his mind, that he
was a Brahmin, he was of a superior caste, he was a devotee of Vishnu all these
thoughts were also a part of Maayaa.
And Gaadhis mind was not yet ready understand the Supreme truth, as it was filled with
so many likes and dislikes. His Vaasanaas would block his mind from understanding the
truth.
So Vishnu quickly said Yes to the simple request of Gaadhi and vanished before Gaadhi
could say anything more.
But Gaadhis journey towards the Supreme had started with the first step in the
Vichaara method, with the question What is Maayaa?
So he will surely be free of it too, even without a boon from God.

{As Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says-

The fish which understand that they are caught in a net alone will have the chance to
escape and struggle for it; not those fish who do not even know that they are caught in the
net of Maayaa, and are happy in their ignorant states.}

Gaadhi slowly came out of the lake. He was happy that he had seen the Lord in person.
He did not know what the words of his deity meant. He decided to wait and see what
would happen. He built a small hut in that forest and remained there regularly performing
his routine duties. Every day he went to the same lake to take bath and recite the sacred
hymns of Naaraayana submerged inside the waters of the lake.

One day he entered the water pondering about what his Lord had said the other day.
Why nothing had happened yet? Was it all a dream?
Would he really see the Maayaa of his Lord?
What events would prove the words of the Lord?

Lost in such thoughts, he dipped fully inside the water and started reciting the chants
which will ward of evil, as ordained by the scriptures.

Suddenly he felt a jerk; his head started reeling; and he forgot everything- the waters, the
Mantra recitation and his own identity as Gaadhi, the celibate Brahmin who was trying to
understand Maayaa.
 66

Gaadhi had an amazing experience of another life inside the waters within a
few minutes. When he came out of the water, he thought that he had
understood what Maayaa was!

There was only the blank mind of Gaadhi suddenly experiencing amazing events of
another life. Within the few minutes inside the water, he saw

that-
his body was lying dead in his house;
relatives sitting next to the body and crying;
his wife sitting at his feet and shedding tears;
his mother lamenting loudly, holding the face of her young son;

that-
his inauspicious lifeless body getting carried to the cremation ground filled with blood
thirsty ravens and foxes;
his body getting burnt to ashes by a blazing fire;

that-
the Jeeva from the dead body entering the womb of a Chaandaala woman;
getting born as black hued baby; being the darling of his low caste parents;
then becoming twelve years old; then turning sixteen with a muscular and strong body;
then wandering from forest to forest with his dogs; then getting attracted to a young girl
of his own caste; marrying her; getting children from her; then gradually becoming old;
then returning to his own birth place near the country called BhootaMandala;
constructing a small hut out of leaves; living there with his dearest sons and wife; his
family growing huge and getting filled with many members; himself leading a cruel life;
himself rude and violent towards all; all his people dying suddenly by some calamity;

that-
himself wandering alone in the forest weeping and crying for the dead; leaving his birth-
place and wandering away to other countries walking aimlessly, his heart heavy with
grief; reaching the prosperous country ruled by Keeras in course of his wanderings;
wondering at the beauty of the city walking on the main road;

Gaadhi saw within the few minutes inside the waters

The city wore a festive look on that day. Even the trees on the road were decorated with
expensive cloth-garlands studded with diamonds and gems.
Roads were covered by flowers. Crowds of men and women filled the side-walks.
Everyone acted highly excited.
As the old Chaandaala walked on the road, he was wonderstruck at the beauty of it all. As
he treaded slowly he suddenly froze in surprise by the sudden appearance of a huge
elephant in front of him.
The elephant was not ordinary. It was covered with golden ornaments. Diamonds and
Gem-studded clothes covered its body. It had auspicious paints painted on its face.
 67

Since the king had died in that city, the royal elephant was left loose to choose the next
ruler as per the custom of the country.
The old Chaandaala stared with amazement at the huge elephant decorated with precious
stones and shiny garments. Before he understood what was happening, the huge trunk of
the elephant had lifted him and he found himself sitting on its back.
Flowers showered on him from all directions. Drums sounded deafening one and all.
Victory to the king Victory to the king the shouts of the citizens filled the quarters.
Soon he was led to the palace. Beautiful girls surrounded him immediately. He was
bathed in fragrant waters. Red paste was applied all over his limbs. Silken garments
woven with gold strings covered his dark body. Ornaments studded with precious gems
adorned his chest. Fragrant flower garlands decorated his dark bosom.
He was carried to the court. He was seated on the royal throne. Holy waters dampened his
hair. Auspicious chants filled the air. A crown adorned his head. He was officially the
king of the Keeras now.
Because of his dark hue, he was named as Gavala (wild buffalo).
The Chaandaala of the BhootaMandala country now was the adored king of Keeras.
Nobody bothered about his true origin. The elephants selection was Gods verdict.
Nobody raised their voice against such a miraculous happening.
Gavala, the Chaandaala now was the supreme ruler of the Keeras!

Gaadhi saw within the few minutes inside the waters

Soon the King was in full command. He took control of the whole country. He made his
own rules. He enjoyed the royal pleasures like a hungry crow coming upon a fat dead
deer.

His words were obeyed without question.

Beautiful girls served him like slaves.
Ministers helped him in all the matters of the country with utmost respect.
He soon learnt the ways of the king and imitated the civilized behavior of the royal
personages.
He had forgotten his own Chaandaala identity completely.
He had forgotten also his dead family.
He grieved for them no more. Happy at the good fortune that befell him, he enjoyed all
the pleasures his royal status had access to.
He hid from all, his real caste and birth origin, for fear of losing the royal status. He was
careful never to expose his natural behavior in the presence of others.
Eight years passed like this.

Gaadhi saw within the few minutes inside the waters

Gavala was now proud and arrogant. His ego had bloated up enough to blind him to his
own original identity. He was becoming slightly careless in hiding the Chaandaala-ness
from others.
 68

Once he was sitting alone in his private chambers.

No one was around.
Gavala tired of all the heavy attires he was forced to wear as a king, decided to remain as
himself for some time.
Eight years were a long span of time.
There was no danger anymore of losing his royal status.
He thought that nobody would care any more. He was the king and nobody dare question
him about his origin!
He removed all the gold and diamond ornaments and also the shining royal garments. He
wore some simple garments.
He now was his own self, the dark-hued Chaandaala.

Attired in a simple cloth, his dark body shining like a moonless starless sky, he walked
out of the room.
His heart felt light.
His life was settled. No more will he suffer the tormented life of a Chaandaala. He will
live as a king and die as a king, enjoying every moment the pleasures of a royal status.
He smiled with contentment.
Slowly he descended down the steps of the palace leading towards the servant quarters.
His lifted his head high proud and arrogant. All these lowly creatures will serve him like
slaves. Look at their misfortune living in the lowly courtyard waiting for his command
like dogs; whereas fate had favored him and lifted him high above them all and placed
him at the peak of the heaven as it were!
In the courtyard at the back of the palace, the servants were grouped together as per their
status and caste differentiations.
Gavala smiled with a sadistic contentment. He felt like walking among those lowly
creatures and taste the joy of being a Master to all of them.

Huddled in a corner of the courtyard, a group of Chaandaalas were engaged in singing

their own favorite songs to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. The sound was
heavenly to the Chaandaala king who was tired of the music played by the palace
musicians. He felt soothed by the melodious voice of the singer and inadvertently walked
towards the group.
Some old memories stirred deep in his heart. He for a few moments forgot that he was
enacting the kings role now and should not go near the low caste men at any cost. But
nature cannot be conquered by any one and the deceitful king was standing next to the
group of Chaandaalas who were enjoying their songs.
Suddenly an old man in the group jumped up in joy. He was the leader of the group. He
could see the kings face clearly now from that short distance and identified him as his
old friend Katanja.
He shouted excitedly-Hey Katanja! and moved towards the king to embrace him. He
felt that since his friend was now the ruler, all the Chaandaalas will henceforward enjoy
the favors of the king and become rich. What a fortunate thing that one of his clan has
been parading as a king now! His joy knew no bounds!
But to his amazement, the king was moving away from that place very fast, angrily
retorting to the servants insolent behavior.
 69

Gaadhi saw within the few minutes inside the waters

Poor Gavala!
He never expected the turn of events that happened so fast!
He was shocked to see his old friend getting up from the group and running towards him,
shouting his original name!
God forbid if any palace resident found out his true identity! He quickly climbed up the
stairs and entered the safety of his private chambers, before the old Chaandaala servant
messed up the things further.
The surprised old man had been held back and pushed back to his own corner by the
angry guards.

Gavala sighed with relief in the safety of his own room and smiled at the ladies who were
supposed to decorate him with garlands and ornaments. But nobody moved. They all
stood like statues and stared at him defiantly. Their faces were flushed as if they had been
shocked by some untoward event.
Why wont they be?!
When the king had walked out of his private chambers without any decorations, the girls
had felt curious and observed his actions from the window. They had seen how he was
lured by the music of the Chaandaalas; how he had stood there enjoying their songs; how
one old man had jumped up in excitement and had recognized the king as his old friend
etc etc.
Now they knew the secret of the kings origin.
They were disgusted; horrified; shocked; grieved!
The word spread like wild fire.
Their king was a Chaandaala!
All these days, all these years they were ruled by a Chaandaala!
They had touched him; worshipped him; adored him; obeyed him!
Oof!
Every citizen, every man and woman felt that they had committed an enormous sin!
All the ministers felt that they were deceived by a low-caste idiot and felt foolish!

Gaadhi saw within the few minutes inside the waters

Gavala tried to say something; no one listened!

He cried, pleaded; no one bothered!

He stood with his black body bereft of all decorations alone in the middle of the room
bearing the humiliating look from one and all. Even the servants looked at him with
disgust as if he was a corpse placed in the palace.
The women folk cried and wept disgusted with their own bodies which had contacted the
Chaandaala.
No one wanted to live anymore. The whole city was polluted. They could never ever
perform any auspicious act after this. There was no use in holding on to a life where the
four-fold goals of life could not be pursued!
 70

All of them held a meeting and the decision was reached that death alone could atone
their sin of living in the contact of a Chaandaala.

Huge fires were lit everywhere.

Men, women, children all entered the fire weeping and screaming!
Soon the whole city turned into ashes!
Smell of the burning flesh filled the quarters.

Gavala stood there watching all that happened.

He was shocked by the fact that he had been the cause of all these deaths.
His heart burnt with remorse.
He felt that he had no right to live any more. He was a sinner and he deserved death! He
walked into the blazing flames.
He withered in pain as the flames slowly engulfed his whole body and turned it into
ashes.

Gaadhi woke up crying in pain inside the waters of the lake!

Gaadhi woke up. He was not burning in fire as he had imagined. There was cold water all
around him, above and below. He slowly came out of the water and collapsed on the bank
exhausted and confused.
For a moment he wondered who he was. Then slowly all the things came back to his
mind. He remembered that he was Gaadhi the Brahmin who was
having his holy dip in the lake. Then what had he experienced, he wondered.
A life as a Chaandaala? The lowly beings who ate raw flesh of animals and lived in a
state worse than the animals?
He felt disgusted that he had even in imagination had become a Chaandaala. He took bath
again and walked back to the hermitage.

Though the Chaandaala-experience was a vivid experience of his mind, he brushed it

away as a stupid imagination of his mind. Or he might have had fainted inside the waters
for a few minutes and dreamed it all.
Good that it was just a dream!
Feeling relieved that he was still Gaadhi the Brahmin of esteemed character, he slowly
treaded his way back to the hut.
But his mind would not rest.
The experience of a life-time of a Chaandaala was not just a dream, he thought.
But why such an experience?
Who was that Gaadhi who died in his dream-like life? Who were there sitting as his
mother and wife?
His actual parents had died when he was very young; and he for sure had no wife to
speak of. He did not even glance at a woman in his celibate life of the Brahmin.
Then who were all those relatives crying for the dead Gaadhi?
All his relatives, if he had any, lived very far in different countries.
He didnt even know them!
And why was he born as a Chaandaala?
 71

After performing penance for so long, and after having the vision of Lord Vishnu, what
demerit gave him such an experience?
Gaadhis mind was troubled by the whole thing.
He decided to forget all of it like a distasteful nightmare and continue to live the routine
life of worship and fire-rites.

One day, a Brahmin arrived there asking for shelter. He looked very thin and emaciated
as if he had gone without food for long. He was tired and hungry. The ever-
compassionate Gaadhi welcomed him heartily; offered him food and water.
At night, when they were resting after the days duties, Gaadhi asked the guest-Brahmin
as to why he was so tired and emaciated in structure?
The guest told him a strange story.
He had in course of wanderings had gone to the country of Keeras; had enjoyed their
hospitality for more than a month; but was shocked to hear that their country was ruled
by a Chaandaala king for eight years and that all the Brahmins and others had entered the
fire because of that, and the king also had entered the fire and killed himself.
The guest told him that shocked by such news, he had enquired many more citizens and
verified the facts and found it to be true.
Feeling that he was polluted by enjoying the hospitality of that Chaandaala-ruled country,
he had performed the Chaandraayana Vrata thrice and purified himself. That is why he
was tired and emaciated.

{Chaandraayana Vrata- a religious observance fifteen mouthfuls at the full moon;

diminishing one mouthful everyday during the dark fortnight; zero mouthfuls on the new
moon; increased again in the next fortnight}

Gaadhi was shocked by this report. He repeatedly questioned the guest wondering
whether he had heard the report rightly. The guest untiringly spoke of where that country
was, who that king was, again and again.
In the morning the guest went away after thanking him profusely for his hospitality.
However Gaadhi was feeling restless. The Brahmins words had again brought back all
the memories of the Chaandaala life and he felt disgusted with himself.
Was the guest lying? Gaadhi did not think that man as capable of lying!
Had the guest imagined everything as he had done?
Gaadhi decided to find out the truth for himself.
He packed his personal things and started on the journey to visit the places seen in his
dream-delusion experience.
Gaadhi crossed many a mountain and river and arrived at the country named
BhootaMandala. On the outskirts he found the huge forest he had lived as a Chaandaala.
He remembered all the areas of that forest and guided by his memory arrived at a broken
down ruins of a hut lived by him in the delusory life.
The hut was not looking like a hut now. All the walls were broken. Grass shoots grew
from each and every corner. Tattered remains of the clothes were thrown all over by the
winds. The hollow skulls used by him for eating were now filled with rain water and
stinking.
 72

Gaadhi could remember everything that had happened in his life inside that little hut.
Unable to believe what he saw, he spent a long time wandering all over that forest
recognizing and remembering every moment of his Chaandaala life.
Then to gather further proof of everything, he went to the village that was situated at the
end of the forest.
He enquired everyone there about the Chaandaala group living in the forest area. All of
them repeated the same story; that an old man named Katanja lived there with his family;
that his family members all had died by some misfortune; that he had left that place and
gone away unable to bear the grief of their loss.

As he repeatedly went on asking all the villagers the same question, they started
wondering what relation had this Brahmin to the old Chaandaala.
Gaadhi hid his embarrassment of being that very Chaandaala; quickly thanked them all
for their kindness, and moved away.

He was quite shocked by all the reports he had heard about the Chaandaala. He returned
to the forest area where he had lived the whole life minute by minute as a Chaandaala in
the other life. He wandered for a long time in those areas trying to confirm that it was the
very same place he had seen in his delusion state under the waters of the lake.

Then he left that place trying to find the kingdom of Keeras.

After crossing many cities and hills, he reached the Keera country. There also the people
told him the same story that he had experienced as a Chaandaala king. They told him that
twelve years back the country was ruled by a Chaandaala for eight years as he was
chosen as the ruler by the royal elephant; that when the people found out about his lowly
origin, all of them had entered the fire and the king also had did the same.
Gaadhi could not believe his ears.

As he walked in the royal road dazed and confused, he saw the temple of Lord Vishnu.
At that moment a procession came out of that temple with the king seated on the
elephant. Lord Vishnu himself was seated there as the king.
Immediately all the scenes of the royal life rose up flooding the mind of Gaadhi. He
remembered the city, the roads, the people, the palace, the garden, the pleasure grounds,
the pretty maidens, the ministers, everything and anything of that kings experience of
eight years.

The vision of Vishnu as the king made him understand the cause of all the events. As he
had requested, Lord Vishnu had shown him the power of delusion as a direct experience.
He was a fool not to understand all this as the act of the Lord. His mind filled with so
many Vaasanaas had created the experiences and he had gone through them like a
helpless bird caught in a net. He was ignorant for sure.
The knowledge of why and what for this Maayaa exists must be sought for. Who can be a
better person than Naaraayana when aspiring for knowledge? He was the greatest
teacher!
 73

Gaadhi decided to clear his doubts from the Lord himself. He found a solitary cave in
some hill; lived only on a handful of water and performed penance on Naaraayana.
One and a half years passed.
Lord Vishnu stood before him and asked him what he wanted now.

Lord Vishnu asked,

You wanted to have a glimpse of my Maayaa! You experienced it! Now what more do you
want?

Gaadhi offered flowers at the feet of his beloved Lord and said-

Lord? What is all this? What really happened? I feel so confused.

The Chaandaala life was my personal experience perceived for just a few moments under
the water like a dream!
How could those dream events occur in the outside real world in a long span of so many
years?
How can a dream experienced in the mind become a reality in the waking state?
Explain to me everything.

Lord Vishnu answered-

What waking state? What dream state?
An ignorant mind always is deluded and dreaming!
The mind riddled with Vaasanaas dreams that it dreams; dreams that it woke up; dreams
that it sleeps!
Where does the dream end? Where does the reality begin?
The reality of the world projected by the mind itself is unreal. Your belief in the identity of
Gaadhi is one such delusion. Your experience as Katanja and Gavala is another dream
dreamt inside the Gaadhis dream!

Anyhow, assuming Gaadhi to be a real character, let us analyze where all you were
deluded!
You got inside the water to chant the Mantras. Within a few minutes under-water you
lived a full life of Chaandaala from birth to death.
You got out of the water and thought that the delusion was over with.
But it was not.
The delusion of the Chaandaala life was so vivid in your mind that you could not dismiss it
as a dream. You wondered whether it was true or not.
This thought projected another delusion for you.

As you were seated in your hermitage, wondering whether the Chaandaala life was real,
the mind projected the continuation of your Chaandaala experience. As a result, a Brahmin
guest appeared at the door and talked about the Keera country and King Gavala.

After that Brahmin guest vanished, the delusion had stopped again. But you believed the
guests words as true and started on the journey to find the BhootaMandala and the Keera
country. But they were not there in the real world.
It was your personal experience.
 74

Tired and exhausted you entered a cave and rested awhile.

The hidden Vaasanaa in you, which wanted the Chaandaala experience to be true,
projected the delusion again of your visiting the BhootaMandala and Keera country. In the
delusion itself you again reached the same cave and woke up from your sleep.
You could not find the difference between real and false experiences.
You were confused.
You performed penance in the same cave you had rested in your journey.
Now I am here answering your questions.

The BhootaMandala, the Keera country, the Brahmin guest, the people you met are all
unreal and they never existed. Your mind alone created them forced by the Vaasanaas. As
long as Vaasanaas are there, such experiences will keep on occurring like a seed placed in
the fertile earth becoming a huge tree.
Tree is within the seed.
Events are within the mind.
At some point, the fruits and flowers inside the seed get projected outside.
At some random point, the Vaasanaas inside the mind are experienced as events as if in an
outside world. Space, time are all projections of the mind.
The events of many years can be experienced within a few seconds because of delusion.

Within a few minutes inside the waters, you lived and died as a Chaandaala, in your mind!
Within a few minutes inside the hermitage, you saw the guest and conversed with him, in
your mind.
Within a few minutes inside the cave, you visited Katanjas house, and the Keera country;
and got the proof of your Chaandaala life, in your mind!

This is the Maayaa that envelops an ignorant mind!

Get up. Go home. Do your duties as you deem fit. Performance of the ordained duties
alone leads a man towards his welfare.

Lord Vishnu immediately vanished leaving Gaadhi to sort out the workings of his mind
himself.

Gaadhi sat and analyzed all the events that had happened in his life after he came to the
forest. He could not dismiss all the events as unreal as Lord Vishnu suggested. He had a
vivid experience of the Chaandaala life second by second, minute by minute. They were a
part of his memory now.
He, Gaadhi had experienced the life of a Chaandaala truly and vividly.
Delusion or no-delusion, the experience was real! The BhootaMandala must be there as a
real country and the Keera country too.
The delusion-states will not occur again as Lord Vishnu had explained them. Therefore,
assured of the reality of the world lying in front of him, Gaadhi set out to visit the
Chaandaala village and the Keera country once again.
He walked through the same paths, traversed the same distances, reached the same
places; met the same people; asked them the same questions; and they all repeated the
same story.
 75

Gaadhi was now assured of the reality of his Chaandaala life. It was real!
The people he met were real! They confirmed his story!
Then why did Lord Vishnu tell him that no such country existed; and nothing happened?

Gaadhi returned to the cave; performed penance again.

Lord Vishnu stood in front of him asking him what more he needed.
Gaadhi told him that he found the real Keera country; and a Gavala had ruled them.
Everything was real!
Why then did the Lord say that nothing existed?

Lord Vishnu explained-

Everything in this world occurs as a random experience.

Mind alone projects itself out as an event occurring in space and time.
The ideas of outside and inside also are projections of the mind.
When many people meet, many minds collide.
Each mind reflects the ideas of the others.
A simultaneous event is experienced by all!

It is a possibility that on his journey towards the Chaandaala dwellings, Gaadhi just
happened to see a ruined old hut and immediately thought that it was the same hut he had
lived in as Katanja!

It was the same mind which experienced the delusion of the Chaandaala life under the
waters. It was the same mind which says that the old hut in the forest is the hut Katanja
lived!

Who can disprove what the mind says?

Man is the mind alone!
So Gaadhi might have imagined that he had lived in the forest hut.
When he met the other Chaandaalas, their minds would have mirrored the same
experiences and they would have talked of it as real. For them also Katanja was a real
person!

The same thing would have happened in the Keera country.

The Keera citizens might have been affected by the arrival of Gaadhi and immediately
reflected his own experiences in their minds. For them also Gavala became a real person.

Each mind is a dreamer; a projector of unreal events.

When many minds join together, they all project the same unreality and believe it to be
true.
Each mind proves the illusory state experienced by the other as real.
The world is a dream perceived by Brahma through so many minds.
All the dreamers of his dream see the same dream as real!
 76

What is Time?
Again it is also a projection of the mind!
Mind conceives some objects; imagines Time based on the changes occurring to those
objects; invents actions based on those time conceptions.
Time is not some object. It is just an abstract phenomenon setting a boundary to the events
that occur in our life.
Time is beginning less and endless.
Time is Brahma himself as he is the first phenomenon rising from Brahman, bound by time
and space
Time has no likes and dislikes. Time does not favor someone and hurt some one else.
Time is a conception of the mind creating the boundary for experiences rising through
Vaasanaas.

Dear Gaadhi! Now go back and engage yourself in performing your duties. Try to analyze
the Self through the method of enquiry and discrimination.
Be free of delusion.

Lord Vishnu vanished from sight.

Gaadhi remained for a few months in the cave thinking about all the events of his life.
Still he was unable to grasp the true essence of the events. The life experienced as a
Chaandaala was still lingering in his mind as memories. He was unable to get out of that
polluted state and felt grieved.
He decided to take shelter in Lord Vishnu again.
He performed penance again in that cave desiring for the vision of Lord Vishnu.
One fine day Vishnu graced him by his vision.

Gaadhi gave word to his grievance.

Lord! I still am not able to rid of the memories of my Chaandaala life. This Maayaa
confuses me more and more.
Who am I the Chaandaala or the Brahmin?
Please explain everything. Do not immediately disappear after explaining everything.
Stay with me and tell me exactly what duties I should perform.

Lord Vishnu said-

Delusion means seeing something which is not there in reality.
Maayaa hides the reality and makes something else appear as reality.
Only a person who is freed of ignorance can escape the clutches of Maayaa.
If the Chaandaala identity is troubling you as a false superimposition, you must be equally
troubled by the identity of the Brahmin Gaadhi also.
Both identities are false.
In delusions, you cannot label one as better than the other.
All delusions are just some random projections of the mind.
Every event in life is just a random expression of the perceiver, perceived and perception;
the Seer, Seen and Seeing.
 77

As long as the mind is contaminated with ignorance, some identity with some life event
will keep arising in the mind-arena.
Whether it is Katanja, or Gavala or Gaadhi, all are just some delusory experiences in the
total mind of Brahma.
No one is real. Nothing is there except the Supreme Brahman.
All experiences are delusions projected through ignorance.

Time is also just a part of the illusory experience.

What you remember as already unfolded, you label it as past; what is not yet unfolded, you
label it as future. What is unfolding, you label it as present.
Past, present or future are just terms used for some unfoldment-mode of the Vaasanaas.
All memories or unfulfilled Vaasanaas remain in the unmanifest state of Brahman. When
they unfold randomly through a Brahma, the world is perceived as populated by many.
All minds are just channels for various Vaasanaa unfoldments.

Mind is an amazing phenomenon.

It can create any experience at any time-mode for long or short durations, and fool you.
Gaadhi or Katanja, both are illusory identities unfolding some Vaasanaa fulfillment.

How many lives and experiences an individual undergoes simultaneously is beyond

comprehension. Because of my blessing you were able to analyze one such amazing
experience and could have a glimpse of Maayaa.
Otherwise, what experiences an individual Self undergoes as which identity at any
particular moment, is never understood by anybody.
At every experience there is only a combined phenomenon of Seer, Seen and Seeing.
What identity the Seer dons to perceive what experience is determined randomly by a
Vaasanaa.
The Vaasanaa for hoarding could be the rat hiding in your home. The Vaasanaa for
freedom could be the bird floating in the far sky. The Vaasanaa for play could be the child
running around you.

Who is who?

Everything is just a Vaasanaa unfoldment.

There are no real identities.
At one particular experience, an identity is projected by the mind as some form and name.
What is real or what is unreal can never be understood by the person steeped in
ignorance.
Like a dry leaf tossed about by the storm, the individual goes through countless
experiences as countless identities.

All this is caused by ignorance.

A knower of Brahman never is affected by any experience he undergoes.
He is person who is wide awake in a dream.
He remains always as the Self (Brahman) and remains untouched by the events of his life.
He has no Vaasanaas and his mind stops projecting Vaasanaa unfoldment.
His mind is like a burnt seed. It never again sprouts into birth and death experiences.
 78

Living as a JeevanMukta till the body falls, the knower of Brahman attains the bodiless
liberation.

Knowledge alone is the cure for delusion.

Delusions cannot be explained. It will be equal to explaining the actions of a ghost. When
the ghost itself is non-existent, its actions are also non-existent.
Why do you bother about how your delusion of being a Chaandaala became real in the
outside world?
Gaadhis life is also an illusory experience. Katanjas life also is an illusory experience.
What other life- experiences you could have had at any other time is also due to illusion.

Instead of trying to figure out the meanings of the unreal life-experiences projected by
the stupid mind, analyze the nature of the Self and realize the Truth.
Remain here in this cave itself and seek the knowledge of the Self through the process of
enquiry.

Lord Vishnu vanished like the cloud of the autumn season.

Gaadhi remained in that cave for many years practicing Self-knowledge and soon was
freed of ignorance. He then retired to RishyaMooka Mountain and remained there
absorbed in the Self-state. After many years, he reached the state of the Knower of
Brahman and attained liberation.

After getting Self-knowledge,

Gaadhi the great one,
realizing his true essence;
freed of fear and grief;
established in the state of JeevanMukti;
remaining in the Quiescent state;
with a mind filled with unbroken bliss;
shone forth in the Brahman-sky,
like the moon complete with all digits.

END
 STORIES
FROM

VAASISHTA RAAMAAYANAM
OF

VAALMIKI MAHARSHI

by

Narayanalakshmi

[BOOK THREE]
 1

INDEX OF STORIES

STORY OF BHUSHUNDA pg 2

STORY OF THE BHIKSHU pg 7

THE KING AND THE VETAALA pg 14

GREAT YOGINI CHUDAALAA - pg 18

[STORY OF THE MISERLY MERCHANT - pg 24
[KUMBHAS STORY pg 29
[STORY OF THE CHINTAAMANI STONE pg 30
[STORY OF THE KIND ELEPHANT pg 31
[GREAT SAGE DURVAASA - pg 26

STORY OF THE UNREAL ENTITY (MITHYAA PURUSHA) pg 41

 2

STORY OF BHUSHUNDA

PART ONE

[1]

Lord Shiva resides in the Kailaasa Mountain and is worshipped in all the three worlds as
the Supreme God of all.

He is the personification of dispassion yet is the Supreme lover of his beloved Umaa and
keeps her as the one half of the body so he is never separated from her. Umaa is his
Rudra-Shakti, his power of destruction.
He has many attendants with weird faces who serve him at all times with devotion. His
other powers are known as Mother Goddesses and worshipped by all Gods and humans.

These Mother Goddesses also have weird forms. Many have hoofs as their faces and
hoofs as their hands. Many are camel faced and donkey faced.
They wear garlands of limbs and dance in front of him. They have extreme powers and
are controlled only by Shiva their Master. They devour lives in all the fourteen worlds.
They drink; they dance; they eat flesh; they seek the cremation grounds.

Of all the Mother Goddesses there are seven who are considered as above all. Their
names are Jayaa, Vijayaa, Jayanti, Aparaajitaa, Siddhaa, Raktaa, Aalambusaa, and
Utpalaa.

Among these Goddesses Aalambusaa had a huge crow named Chanda as her vehicle.
Chanda was dark blue in color and very strong. His bones were made of diamond. He
served the Goddess with devotion.

[2]

The Goddesses always had a meeting now and then to exchange their experiences. In one
such meeting they all got together; drank blood and liquor; worshipped their deities and
discussed many topics.
They all voiced the same opinion about their Master who always seemed to be more
attentive to Umaa than them. He never even glanced at them when Umaa was with him.
Even Umaa did not regard them with respect.
All the Mother Goddesses were angry and felt humiliated. They decided to prove their
powers to these lovers and see that such humiliations never occurred again.

When Shiva was absorbed in contemplation, they stole Uma from his body and took her
away to their private abode. Umaa felt helpless in front of them. She trembled in fear in
front of those weird powers.
 3

The Goddesses sprinkled magical waters over her and converted her into some delicious
food that could be partaken by Shiva. Umaa remained in the form of food yet kept
contemplating on her Lords form. She knew her lover would rescue her somehow. She
waited patiently for her Lord to take action.

The Goddesses were mad with happiness for they had achieved the impossible. They had
converted the beloved of that arrogant Shiva to a consumable food. They will offer his
own beloved to him as food and he will eat her off. That would be an end of the love-
story of Shiva and Umaa.
They laughed violently. They celebrated their success by consuming varieties of flesh
and liquors. Blood overflowed in their cups. They all danced wildly making the three
worlds tremble. They sucked blood through their hoofed faces with gurgling noise
echoing in all the three worlds.
They shrieked; screamed; laughed; shouted; embraced each other; threw fire at each
others faces; jumped up and down; danced shaking their hips and bellies. It was a
horrifying site. The ignorant goddesses thought that their actions were unknown to the
All-knower Shiva.

As the Goddesses made merry, their vehicles also took part in the merriment. The seven
female swans of Brahma and Chanda the crow also drank liquor to their hearts content
and danced wildly in the sky. Overcome by passion the swans sought Chandas company.
The mighty Chanda satisfied them all one by one. The swans were overjoyed. They all
became pregnant and returned to their abode at Brahma Loka.
Meanwhile the Mother Goddesses took Umaa in the form of food to Shiva and placed it
in front of him to be consumed. Who can cheat Shiva? Shiva looked at them all angrily.
Before he opened his third eye, the Goddesses fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness.
They apologized and recreated Umaa sacrificing each one of their limbs. Umaa returned
to the embrace of her beloved Lord.
The Mother Goddesses returned home chastised and more aware of the powers of their
Master.
[3]

The swans in Brahma Loka being pregnant were unable to perform their regular duties.
Braahmi their Goddess told them to retire from their duties till they delivered the babies
and she absorbed herself in contemplation.

The swans happily rested in the lotus petals of Brahma Loka. In course of time they
delivered twenty one eggs. One of them was Bhushunda.

All these twenty one brothers were taught the Supreme knowledge by Goddess Braahmi
and they were liberated. Then they all went to their father Chanda in Goddess
Aalambusaas abode. They asked their father to suggest some place where they could live
in solitude absorbed in the Self-state without the disturbance of the world.
 4

Chanda informed them that he had built a nest of precious stones on the topmost edge of
the southern branch of the Kalpa tree on the peak of the golden Meru Mountain. He
advised his sons to go there and make it their home.
All the twenty one brothers flew to the Meru Mountain and lived on the Kalpa tree in
their nest happily absorbed in the state of the Self.

PART TWO

[1]

Always mortals dream of becoming immortal!

But how many are evolved enough to hold on to it?

A man who is attached to his limited space time boundary, or his family or friends can
never digest the bitter pill of immortality. Yes! Immortality can be a curse to a man with
limited outlooks. Unless you have the courage to stand alone looming gigantic over the
infinite space and time, unless you master the art of being happy in your own self, you
cannot enjoy the long long life.

And this immortality had been achieved by many by getting rid of their limited identities.
Those who are absorbed in the Self remain as Brahman the Supremacy and thus exist as the
principle of existence itself, blissful in Self-Knowledge.
But there were many unique personalities who did not want to lose their limited identities
and wanted to continue their life as themselves enjoying a never ending life-experience.
They did not hold on to the limited world patterns for their happiness.
They were ready to renounce all that was theirs in their world and walk out of the limited
space time boundary.

Leelaa wife of King Padma had ascertained her eternity by becoming a student-
companion of Jnapti. As long as she wanted to know, there wont be an end of her identity
as Jnaptis devoted companion.
Aeindavas had decided that Brahmas position was the highest identity that could be
achieved and had become Brahmas or creators and existed in all the Kalpas in all the
creations of all the Brahmas.
Sages like Vasishta and Vyaasa also were ever-liberated and by the power of knowledge
they were in-born with, they could maintain their identity through many Kalpas. They took
on the same characters and same forms and participated in the world-drama for the good
of all.
Trinities had no problem. They could take on any form they preferred at any time any
where and continue their identity in many Kalpas. They always kept the love for their
spouses alive in their hearts and held on to their particular forms and personalities in all
the Kalpas. They were ever-liberated.
Bhushunda the crow also wanted to live forever but as Bhushunda the crow only.
 5

[2]

Bhushunda as any other resident of Brahma Loka had attained the state of the Self. He was
a liberated being. When his life-span on the heaven got over, he would have merged in
the Nirvikalpa Brahman, the Unmanifest Supremacy and would have attained Videha
Mukti (Bodiless liberation) like Shuka and other Sages who did not want to remain in their
limited identity.
But he did not want to fully dissolve his Bhushunda characteristics.
He loved his crow-identity.
He was not a Supreme Godhead nor had he the inborn knowledge like the great Sages.
Yet he wanted to live through many Kalpas.
He wanted to see what happened in all the successive creations of the successive Brahmas.
He did not want to lose his identity of the crow also.

All his brothers attained bodiless liberation after the death of their bodies.
But Bhushunda did not ever want to die. He wanted to live forever as Bhushunda and as a
non-participator of world-dramas. He just wanted to watch; he did not want to act.
So he thought and thought and found a way to outlive dissolutions and creations. He
learnt to equalize the Praana paths. He learnt to escape the fires and floods of dissolution
through many unique contemplative methods.
Even after his mountain and tree dissolved at the end of the Kalpas, he learnt to conceive
his own mountain and tree and remained in his own mental place with his own group of
crows conceived by him. After all, nothing was absolute and real except Chit. Each and
every creation was a mental projection of Brahmaa.
Originally Bhushunda belonged to some creation of some Brahmaa or some Brahmaas
mental space. But he had cleverly jumped out of it to have his identity in tact without the
interference of a Brahma.

He sat now comfortably in his nest on the Kalpa tree conceived by himself and watched
the creations unfolding one after the other. Like humans like to sit and watch movies one
after another seated comfortably in the best of seats and with best of delicacies around,
Bhushunda watched the movies of creations, lolling in his gigantic nest on the Kalpa tree.
He never swerved from the Self state; yet lived as a crow.
He could have taken any form and conceived any world as his abode. But he preferred to
be a crow, humble and noble. That is all.
His abode was his own mental conception. No one could approach him there. No one
could visit him. No one knew even where his Kalpa tree was.

Only Sage Vasishta, the all knower visited him piercing through his mental space and
conversed with him. He asked many questions to Bhushunda about his birth and his life. He
allowed Bhushunda to explain in his own simple words the unique Praana-control method
he followed. That Knowledge he passed on to Rama for the benefit of the whole world
when he was discoursing about Brahman in Dasharathas courtroom
 6

[3]

Nobody knows from how long Bhushunda has been living.

He has outlived kings, gods, Brahmas, Trinities, creations.
He has seen a variety of worlds of countless Brahmas.
He has seen some Brahmas contemplating and dissolving into Para Brahman even before
starting their creation work.
He has seen the same stories of demons and gods repeated over and over again in many
creations.
He has seen sometimes Vishnus Avatars getting mixed up and rendered different in some
creations.
He has seen land-less creations; human-less creations; godless creations.
He has seen creations where only mountains were there; creations where only trees were
there; creations where only demons were there; creations where only bones of demons
were there.
He has seen creations where Brahmins treated Gods as untouchables.
He has seen pure void without creations also.
He remembers every event of every creation he has witnessed.
He knows everything about everybody as he stays in the comfort of the nest itself.
He does not move out of his abode at all.
He does not bother about the good or bad of the events of any creation.
He does not interact with any one.
He is happy in his own Self-state and enjoys watching creation-works.
He does not trouble any one nor is he troubled by anyone.
He has no attachments, no desires, no wants, no hatred, and no pride.
He just keeps on living happily as the Bhushunda crow!

SALUTATIONS TO BHUSHUNDA THE EVER-LIVING ONE!

NO END
 7

STORY OF THE BHIKSHU

[1]

Long long ago there lived a Bhikshu (religious mendicant).

For long he had been engaged in the practices of Praanaayaama and meditation.
He lived on the meager meals obtained by begging here and there.
Though he knew that he had to attain the state of Self-realization to become liberated, he
still did not have the grasp of true knowledge.
Life had become a routine.
Meditations, disciplines, begging food and sleeping; that is all the life amounted to now.
As he was unable to stay absorbed in the blissful state of the Self, meditation-process had
just become a mechanical practice for him leading nowhere.

[2]

One day after the regular contemplation practice, he was sitting on his seat slightly bored
and dejected.
Life had become a burden. Neither was he able to attain the state of the Self, nor was he
able to go back to the life of a common man steeped in material pleasures.
He wondered what the life of an ordinary man would be like. He decided to find out by
himself. It would be an amusing break and quite entertaining.
There was nothing to lose. He had the capacity to concentrate on anything with his full
mind such that he could forget his own Bhikshu-identity in such practices. He had tried
various methods already, like trying to be in the state of inert elements like water, plant,
rock etc. Today he decided to concentrate on the ordinary mans state of mind and see
what it would be like to be ignorant and worldly.
No disciplines; no fasting; no thought of liberation even; but just live as whatever one
liked!

[3]

Bhikshu closed his eyes and thought of himself to be an ordinary man of the world. He
named himself as Jeevata. ()
Instantly he found himself on the road mingling with the street dwellers. Jeevata was a
new identity; a new Jeeva. He was not at all aware of his Bhikshu identity.
Laughing and making merry with his friends, he enjoyed the ignorant life he was born
with. Yes Jeevata had an old mother at home; had friends who hung out with him; had
memories of his childhood as Jeevata.
He wore dirty clothes; disrespected elders; never sought any learning.
Life was going on wastefully without any purpose. There was no difference between him
and a street dog.
One day he got drunk and fell asleep on the road-side, lost in heavy stupor.
He dreamt that he was a learned Brahmin. Maybe in his heart of his hearts he had a liking
for the clean and pious ways of a Brahmin.
 8

[4]

There was instantly a world around him that belonged to the Brahmin identity. His
students were saluting him; his wife was preparing food for them all; his own sons were
serving him devotedly. The Brahmin never knew of his Jeevata identity. He was happy in
his own world. He regularly studied his scriptures; performed the worship of the fire;
taught Vedas to his students and so on.
Life went on day by day with regularity and proper disciplines.
The Brahmin was not much satisfied with his life. There was always not enough money
to run the family. He had to go to distant villages to perform sacrifices and earn his daily
bread. He was frustrated. Only if he could be a chieftain of a town! How wonderful it
would be! No need of so many struggles to make both ends meet. He sighed. He was
returning home after a stay at some far off village. The journey had been tedious and the
day had been hot. The Brahmin entered his little cottage and after the regular bathing etc
ate some light food and slept on the mat spread on the ground. He then dreamt that he
was the chieftain of a town.

[5]

Instantly there was a world around him that belonged to the chieftain identity. The
chieftain was not aware of his Brahmin identity at all.
He had a family of his own. Sons and daughters crowded the house. There was enough
wealth for a comfortable life. Wherever he went, people saluted him with respect. He was
a good administrator and helped the people in all ways. But he was not satisfied with his
life. He was frustrated. Only if he could be a king ruling over a kingdom! How
wonderful it would be! There would be so many pretty wives giving him company. He
would be rolling in gold and diamonds. All pleasures whatever the world could offer
would be his.
The chieftain sighed in frustration and slept off on his bed. He dreamt that he was a king.

[6]

Instantly there was a world around him that belonged to the king identity. The king was
not aware of his chieftain identity at all.
There was a huge palace; beautiful girls all around him attending to all his needs; a vast
kingdom which he owned; a wise minister to guide him; a devoted queen who
worshipped the very ground he walked on and so on. There was nothing more that a man
could ask for. The king had access to all the pleasures of the earth. But he was not
satisfied with his life. He was frustrated. Only if he could be in the heaven enjoying the
company of an Apsaraa! How wonderful it would be!

Thinking of the beauty of the heavenly damsels he fell asleep. He dreamt that he was a
divine damsel passionately coveted by many god-world denizens.
 9

[7]

Instantly there was a world around him that belonged to the Apsaraa identity. The
Apsaraa was not aware of her king identity at all.
There was a heavenly palace; beautiful garden with blossoming flowers; loving friends
and so on. The life was filled with various pleasures. There was nothing more one could
ask for. But she was not satisfied with her life. She was frustrated. Only if she could be
more beautiful! Only if she had eyes like the doe! How wonderful it would be! Then
Indra would be at her feet begging for her love. She would then be the queen of the three
worlds!
One day after a tiring day of amorous sports, the Apsaraa slept on her bed thinking about
the doe-like eyes she did not have. She dreamt that she was a doe.

[8]

Instantly there was a world around her that belonged to the doe identity.
The doe was not aware of her Apsaraa identity at all. The doe had vast grassy lands to
graze and spent her life enjoying the various plants and creepers abounding in that forest-
land. One day enjoying the taste of a delicious creeper she fell asleep and dreamt that she
was a creeper filled with leaves, flowers and fruits.

[9]

The creeper was a new life with new identity. It had just a life-principle; yet the mind of
the Bhikshu was deep inside the identity of creeper asleep in the inert state of creeper-
ness. The creeper grew long and high towering over the surrounding trees and appeared
beautiful like a forest Goddess decked in flowers. Bees were always hovering over it
attracted by the flowers. Then the hidden mind of the Bhikshu woke up and being
conscious only of the bees around his creeper-form, instantly turned into the identity of a
bee.

[10]

The bee was just a bee only intent on sucking honey from flowers. It flew here and there
doing its job and on one of its wanderings entered a lotus groove. The lotus honey was
more delicious and the bee never could be away from the flowers. It remained always
stuck to the lotus stalks. Unfortunately forest elephants arrived at that part of the forest
searching for water holes and in their mad rush trampled all the lotuses. The bee which
was resting on the lotus stalk also got crushed under the elephants foot. At that moment
Bhikshus mind woke up for a second and saw the huge form the elephant towering
above him before the bee got crushed.
 10

[11]

Instantly Bhikshus mind was in the identity of an elephant violent and rough. He was the
leader of all other elephants and wildly roamed in the forest uprooting trees and crushing
plants and little animals mercilessly under his foot.

Once in one of his wild ventures, he fell into a hole dug for catching elephants. He was
chained and dragged away. He was taken away by the soldiers to get trained for battles.
Soon the elephant was the favorite of the king and was a sure participant in all the battles
the king fought.
Once in a battle that was fought at night, he was pierced by swords and knives and died.
His face had been always covered by rut and remained stuck with bees. So he had died
only concentrating on driving the bees with his ears; and the Bhikshus mind now got
once again the identity of a bee.

[12]

Again the bee stayed always close to the lotuses.

When again he died as a bee the mind of the Bhikshu had only the idea of the lotus and it
took on the identity of a lotus instantly. And again one day he was crushed by the
elephants foot. But this time the Bhikshus mind inside the lotus was aware of the swans
nearby and it took on the identity of a swan instantly.

[13]

In this manner he wandered through various lives of various identities and life-
experiences which were completely separated from each other.

It was the ninety-eighth life now and he was a swan again.

Somehow randomly the mind of the Bhikshu inside the swan had absorbed the idea from
some conversations that were taking place between some Sages that there were swans in
BrahmaLoka. The swan died of some infection but the wish for becoming Brahmas swan
did not die. The mind instantly took the identity of Brahmas swan in BrahmaLoka.
In no time the divine swan acquired all the knowledge of Brahman and was liberated.

[14]

The swan always followed Brahma wherever he went, out of devotion for him. Once,
Brahma visited the world of Rudra along with many Sages and his favorite pet-swan. The
swan was fascinated by the dispassionate form of Rudra and instantly the Bhikshus mind
inside the swan took the identity of Rudra.

Nobody actually can become the Trinities by just wishing so. The Trinities originate from
Chit directly and cannot be copied. To bind them to their unique identities they maintain
extreme love and attachment for their spouses; and this excessive love for their spouses is
their uniqueness which cannot be taken over by any mind of any one of any creation.
 11

Here the Bhikshus mind had only the form of a Rudra with the necessary knowledge
belonging to the position and he lived as the Lord of the city which was similar to the real
Rudras world.

[15]

Rudra, who was now endowed with knowledge, instantly knew all that had happened in
all the lives he had taken. He also knew the hundred births of his starting from Bhikshus
identity.
He understood why and how all those lives had occurred.
Through his dreams he had lived as all those Jeevas and had created those worlds through
his mind.
He decided to give knowledge to all those other Jeevas also.

Rudra first went to the hut where the Bhikshu had lived. There he saw the Bhikshu lying
on the ground like a corpse.
He said-Hey Bhikshu! Wake up!
Immediately the Bhikshu stood up and saluted him. Rudra touched him on the head and
the Bhikshu understood that the Rudra who was standing there in front of him was his
own Self.

Both of them held their hands and traveled through enormous distances in space and
reached that world where Jeevata lived. There they found Jeevata lying on the ground
like a corpse. Rudra woke him up and made him remember everything.

Then the three of them together went to the Brahmins world which was in another part
of the Chit-space.

In this manner waking up all the dream-Jeevas one by one, Rudra at last reached his own
world.
All of them were amazed by seeing each other as there was only a single person there in
hundred bodies.
Then the Bhikshu who had become a Rudra told Jeevata and other unenlightened Jeevas
to go back to their own worlds and live there as their own new identities. After the life
was over there, they could return to him and become Rudras themselves.
They all agreed and returned to their worlds.
After living a full life in each of their worlds, they returned again to Rudras world. All of
them now had the same forms and same knowledge.
Each of them was the Rudra of his own world.
Yet like Ganas or attendants they all served the Supreme Rudra, the form of Shiva who
was born from Chit-space.

BHIKSHUS STORY ENDS

 12

Sage Vasishta finished the story and looking at his favorite student and said-

Rama!
This world is also a dream of some person named Brahma.
We are all living our lives in his dream!
This Bhikshu had very few Vaasanaas (latent tendencies) hidden in his mind; so he had only
hundred dreams. But Brahma had the job of channelizing countless Vaasanaas and had to
have countless dreams.
All the people, objects, animals you see around you are the dream identities of Brahma!
Brahma has already realized that he is the Supreme Brahman by nature.
Now he wakes up each one of us through Vedas and scriptures calling out loudly- Hey
You! You are Brahman! You are myself!
He allows us to live our lives as we are and asks us to realize the Self.
Once we all do what he says, we will all stand together as so many Chits.
Since Chit is one, we will all be as the one single blissful state of the Self.

Rama understood all that his Guru explained; yet had some questions about the Bhikshus
story. He said-

Brahman! If every thought or idea will become a world, experienced by some identity or
other, then tell me if the Bhikshu of your story really exists somewhere or not?

Vasishta smiled and looked at Rama in an amused way. He said-

Yes! He has to be there somewhere in this world!
I will meditate tonight and tell you the answer tomorrow

000

Next day in the discourse-hall, Vasishta spoke to Rama-

Rama! Through my power of knowledge, I searched the entire world in my mind, piece by
piece, for seeing that Bhikshu. I could not find him anywhere.
Yet I did not give up and continued my search for him inside my mind for some more time.
At last my effort was rewarded and I found him in a place called Vihaara, in a city called
Valmika, in a country called Jina.

I saw that his private meditation-room was locked from inside and all his disciples were
sitting outside the room with anxiety written on their faces. The Bhikshu had been inside
the room for twenty one days absorbed in contemplation. Within those twenty one days,
he has experienced the lives of Jeevata and others counting up to thousands of years or
more and has attained the Rudra state.

King Dasharatha who was also listening intently to the story interrupted his Gurus speech
and said-
Lord! Tell me where that Bhikshu can be found!
I will send my ministers in search of him; bring him here; and honor him.

Sage Vasishta reminded him that the Bhikshu was now in the Rudra-state and could not be
approached by ordinary human beings
 13

Sage Vasishta turned towards Rama and continued his speech-

Rama! Observe how time is just a measure of experience for a mind and not absolute!
Within twenty one days Bhikshu experienced so many lives!
Jeevas also experience a whole creation-span of time within a momentary dream of
Brahma!

In the Bhikshus world, the disciples will wait for a few more days as per their Gurus order
and will break open the door on the thirtieth day. They will find the lifeless and
deteriorated body of their Guru. They will cremate it as per their custom and worship his
statue-forms.

And Rama! Another interesting thing I found out! Listen!

After observing this Bhikshu in this creation, I peeped into other creations also within my
mind. I saw two more Bhikshus in two other creations doing the same thing as this Bhikshu.
Bhikshu of our world is the second one actually.

Many more Bhikshus exist in many more creations with the same character or different.
Why only the Bhikshu? All these kings, ministers, Brahmins, and people will be found in
many creations with similar characters and similar forms; or they might be half-similar; or
they might be completely different!

Rama!
Maayaa is very powerful!
She can produce any Jeeva anywhere however many times she wants!
Only a person who realizes the Self is freed of her clutches.
You are already in the Brahman-state!
Do whatever duties are yours perfectly well and live in the world happily as a
JeevanMukta!

END
 14

THE KING AND THE VETAALA

Sage Vasishta said-

Rama!
This worldappearance is inside the treasure chest of Chit-atom.
It is just an appearance projected by the mind like a ghost.
It vanishes through proper reasoning.
Listen now, as to how the mind dissolves in the contemplation of the Self when it
encounters the reasoning power.

[1]

Once, there was a foolish mind. Mind of course, is always foolish!

It was actually a ghost which occupied, or rather projected bodies and played around
doing weird actions. It hopped from bodies to bodies and lived happily, or thought that it
lived happily.
Let us call this mind as what it really is, a Vetaala (a spirit which possesses inert dead
bodies).

Somehow, it got bored of all these ghostly activities and decided to become good.
It kept the company of the good, studied scriptures; found out that Brahman is supposed
to be the highest thing that needs to be attained and so on.
Vetaala-Mind was very happy now. It had stopped doing actions contradictory to
scriptural dictums. It was on the correct path and it felt arrogant!
Yes! It had now developed the arrogance of goodness to which a spiritual aspirant
unknowingly falls prey to!
After all, it knew all the scriptures by heart!
It was on the path of self-realization, and the so-called Brahman was just a few steps
away!
It was in a better position than all these human-shaped ignorant worms, who wasted their
lives on worthless activities!

[2]

The Vetaala-mind proudly walked in the forest of the world, its held high and a
benevolent smile playing on its lips.

Suddenly, it felt it could not move further.

Someone blocked its path!
The Vetaala slightly opened its eyes and saw who indeed had dared to stand in front of it!

King Vichaara, the reasoning power stood in front of the Vetaala, blocking its path! He
wielded a very sharp shining sword of Discrimination in his hand.

He bravely looked at the Vetaala and lifted his sword to slice off its head.
 15

Vetaala, though frightened, immediately put on a mask of bravery and stood confronting
the king.
It laughed aloud, and making terrifying noises to frighten the king, spoke in an arrogant
voice -
Hey! You ignorant wretch! Get out of the way! Or I will swallow you up in no time!
The king did not move even a muscle!
He calmly looked at that ghost and said-
If you ever dare to kill me, your head will be in thousand pieces! Beware!

It was the Mind-Vetaala who was frightened of this Enquiry King.

One hit from his sword and it would be nowhere!
Better pacify the king by entrapping him with questions connected to scriptures!
So thinking, the Vetaala made a show of politeness and said-
Do not be angry, O King!
You seem to know everything!
Let me ask you some simple questions.
If you answer them, I will let go off you and spare your life! Or else!
It again made horrifying imitations of a fearless laughter!
The king was just observing its nervous actions calmly.
He did not say anything. His eyes were blazing in anger.
He kept on watching the stupid actions of the Vetaala!

[3]

The Vetaala held its head high and asked-

Do you know, which is that Sun, in whose light these cosmic eggs float like dust
particles?
It asked many more questions phrased differently but sounding profound and
grandiloquent.

Vetaala had found these statements again and again in hundreds of scriptures!
It knew the answer for all those questions was Brahman.
How would this king know of the answer hidden only in scriptures?
He was always indifferent to everything!
Vetaala was certain that the king would not be able to answer the question!

The king looked at that dumb Vetaala as if it was a worm crawling in the dirty mire!
He said - Follow me and walked away.
Vetaala was surprised but could do nothing but obey his orders.
Soon they both were in some empty place where nothing was there.
There was only emptiness, wherever the ghost passed its eyes.
It was an unnerving experience!
Suddenly, the whole of the emptiness was filled with a luster hitherto unseen by anyone.
The glare was blinding the eyes of Vetaala.
The king held the Vetaalas hand tightly before the Vetaala dissolved off in the dazzling
shine. The Vetaala slowly lifted its eyes and looked at the luster.
 16

[4]

The Vetaala saw a huge Sun now!

The lustrous Sun was enormous in size and countless dust particles were floating in its
light.
The Vetaala understood that those dust particles were cosmic eggs.
Huh! I know it already!
But do you know?

As it started its mocking speech, the king said

Look inside the Sun!
Vetaala peeped inside that luster.
The entire sun-sphere was completely filled with tiny atom like points which were
densely collected together like hairs on the body!
What were they?
No scripture had mentioned this!
Vetaala looked foolishly at the king and asked-
What are these things filling the Sun?
The king said- Go, find out yourself. I will wait here for you.
Do not be afraid! I will stand guard over you.

[5]

The Vetaala jumped into the Sun-sphere and reached one of the points.
That point was actually a man of colossal size (Shiva), wearing huge garlands adorning
his chest.
Vetaala went closer to the garlanded man and looked at the garland.
The garland was made of men (Naaraayanas) having enormous bellies.
Inside their bellies were huge oceans of countless numbers.
Each ocean was turbulent with waves of varied sizes (Brahmas).
Vetaala went cautiously and saw what the tiniest wave was like.
That tiny shallow wave was made of countless oceans which were densely filled with
baskets (Vaasanaa collections). These oceans could not even quiver because of the
crowded baskets.

[6]

Vetaala peeped inside one of the baskets.

The huge basket was full of massive eggs.
Each egg was a gigantic world consisting of countless universes.
Each universe contained again countless earths.
Each earth contained countless islands.
Each island contained countless extensively spread out countries.
Each country had huge hollows filled by mountains of massive structures. These tall and
high mountains were densely covered by forests.
 17

These forests contained clusters of huge trees reaching the skies.

These countless trees contained countless enormous branches spreading far and wide.
These branches were covered with countless leaves of worlds and the fruits hung all over.
Each fruit was a cosmic egg covered by layers and layers of skins.
Each skin was ten times bigger then the other.
Each of these skins was covered by varied types of beings.
And a sun shone in the eyes of each of the being.
And the Sun was..?
The Sun was again a huge luster which covered the empty space in front of the Vetaala!

[7]

The Vetaala-Mind fell down unconscious!

When it opened the eyes, the king was sprinkling some water over it and looking at it
kindly.
The mind-Vetaala looked at him for a fraction of a second. Its eyes were moist in the
ensuing experience of some hitherto unknown bliss.
Next instant, it was not there at all.
The ghost which was never there, was not there now also.
The king returned to his palace of bliss.

And the mind dissolves through reasoning, O Rama!

Sage Vasishta completed his ghost-story and smiled affectionately at Rama.

Ramas eyes were moist.
He was completely lost in the bliss of the Self.
His mind-ghost was nowhere!
The Vichaara-King had subdued it without any violent act or force!
When the ghost vanished, the king also had dissolved off.
The Chit-Sun was left back shining in its own glory!
Nothing else was there!

 
There is no manifoldness whatsoever

NO-END
 18

GREAT YOGINI CHUDAALAA

[1]

In one of the Dvaapara Yugas, there lived a great emperor named ShikhiDhvaja (one who
has a flag with the symbol of peacock).
Chudaalaa (crest-ornament) was his devoted queen.
They both were extremely affectionate towards each other. They enjoyed all the royal
pleasures together and took care of the people like their own children.
Once a desire arose in them both that they should attain the highest state of Brahman as
explained in the scriptures.
They together visited the hermitages of great Sages; studied scriptures under the guidance
of expert Gurus; discussed the statements of the Scriptures with great scholars and did
whatever they could do to gain the knowledge of the Self.
The king was always of the opinion that complete renunciation of
everything(SarvaTyaaga) was the best path suited for such an attainment of Self-state,
whereas Chudaalaa was more for the enquiry process mentioned in the scriptures.
For the king, Self-realization was something that had to be attained only at the fag end of
life, after severe practices of contemplation and asceticism. Even then it was not a sure
thing, he thought. May be after many births, the goal of realization could be a reality.
That is what he believed and wondered many times within his mind, whether he was
capable of such a renunciation.
Could he renounce the kingdom? Maybe!
Could he forego the royal pleasures? May be!
Could he leave his wife here and walk out? Never!

His love for his charming queen was too great a price to pay for even the state of
Brahman, he thought.
He kept his thoughts to himself and was engaged in the affairs of the kingdom as usual.

[2]

Chudaalaa meanwhile did not bother much about the ascetic practices prescribed in the
scriptures. She rather was always analyzing the statements of the knowledge portions of
the Vedas and enquired about the reality of the world and ones identity.

Who was she?

The queen!
If she was relieved of her royal status, would she lose herself? No!
Then who was she?
The body!
Body was just an aggregate of senses and they were inert!
She was a conscious something; not inert definitely!
Was she the mind? Was she the intellect?
No! They are all inert!
 19

Was she the I idea?

No, even that was inert connected to the inert body!
Then who am I?

She absorbed herself in the enquiry so much so that, in one such enquiry meditations, her
mind ceased to function and she was in the state of the Self as naturally as a flower
blossoming in spring.
She wanted to solve the question of Who am I?
She had intensely worked hard on it and got the answer.

Once you know, you can never again not-know!

She just knew who she was!
She knew that she was actually the state of Chit projecting a form of Chudaalaa!
She knew that she was Chit playing around as Chudaalaa-mind!
She was actually projecting all forms and shapes from her Chit-state and amusing herself!
She was Chit!
From the Chit-level she was also the king, playing around as her husband!
She, the Chit was the essence of all that was perceived; yet she actually did not perceive
anything!
For, what was there other than herself, that Chit had to perceive?
Her mind had died and reappeared now as the slave of Chit!

[3]

Chudaalaa could not believe herself!

She was what she was at last! The Self Supreme which is the essence of all that was there
and that was not there!

By practicing contemplation more and more on that state of the Self, she soon was well-
established in that state.
Even contemplation was not necessary any more.
She was always in the Self state without a break.
She was blissful always.
She lost interest in the royal pleasures.
Her face shone with a unique type of luster.
Her eyes shone with wisdom.
She never was disturbed by any event of her life.
She was neither excited nor distressed by anything.
She charmed everyone with her pleasant behavior.
She was more beautiful than before; not because of any outward decorations, but because
of complete change in her personality!

All these changes did not miss the sharp eyes of the king!
 20

[4]

One day he quickly finished his regular duties of the court and visited Chudaalaa in her
private apartment.
Embracing her affectionately, he questioned her about the sudden changes that were
occurring in her personality; and asked her, why she was so charming and attractive.
Chudaalaa did not like to give him any direct answer. She could not bluntly say that she
had realized the Self one fine day, just sitting on her comfortable throne and by reasoning
it all out.
He would never believe that.

Chudaalaa knew that the king was a follower of the action theory of the scriptures and
believed only in following strict disciplines mentioned thereof. He was always very
regular in the performance of all rites and strictly followed the disciplines and vows
without a single flaw. Between the affairs of the kingdom and his religious observances
he could find very little time to visit even his wife.

Chudaalaa flashed forth one of her charming smiles and said with a mischievous twinkle
in her eyes-

Dearest!
I have discarded this something (the perceived world) which is not nothing (but Some
Thing- Chit) and attained Some Thing (Chit-state) which is not just something (perceived
object)!
That is why I am so charming and beautiful.

I am this and I am not this also. I am real and not that also.
I am all; yet I am not anything at all.
That is why I am so charming and beautiful.

[5]

ShikhiDhvaja was slightly annoyed. He had taken so much trouble and had made time to
visit her and here she was wasting his time talking in riddles!
Ah the female stupidity!
Always playing and frolicking without any purpose!
What would these women understand ever of the great states of penance and
contemplation!
Here, even his wife whom he considered the wisest of all, was now talking nonsense and
amusing herself like a silly girl. Must be one of her childish pranks!
Poor soul! Why get angry with her!
She has not even the fortune of understanding the higher truths of the scriptures, which he
as a man had access to! Of course, she sat with him through all discourses and studies;
but he knew for sure, that nothing of those truths entered her immature mind. Poor girl!

Now instead of just mentioning the secret herbs or potions she had used for her youthful
charm, she is blabbering on about some nonsense!
 21

What was that?

Discard something which is not something..?
Oof! Such meaningless sentences!
He had no time for such childish plays now.
He had to finish his evening rites! It was getting late!
He just tapped Chudaalaa lightly on her shining cheek and smiled!
Let it be so, my dear!
You are so child-like, even after all these years!
You still want to play pranks on me and confuse me with riddles!
But my dear! I have no time for such silly games now!
I have to be going!
I have to meet also a group of Sages, who have arrived here just to explain to me the
greatness of forest life and penance. Please let me go!
We will play all these games some other time!

He gently placed a kiss on her cheek and hurried away.

[6]

Chudaalaa stood there watching him moving away hurriedly to attend to his religious
rites!
She sighed heavily!
Only if he had waited and heard her explanation of her riddles!
Only if he could reach the same state of the Self like she had done, by mere enquiry and
reasoning power!
No! He would never believe that the Highest state of Brahman could be attained
without struggling through life-long austerities and penance. And according to him, a
woman was not capable of such feats, being of a delicate structure and endowed with an
immature mind!

However, Chudaalaa was not a person to give up so easily.

Many times she confronted the king to explain to him the easy way of attaining
knowledge; but always met with the same responses as-

Dont talk nonsense!

Realization is not as easy as you think!

These things are beyond your capacity. You cant understand them. Go play with your
friends.

Please..! Do not waste my time!

Realization or liberation was attained by Sages even, only after years of hard penance in
forests! Ordinary mortals like us cannot even dream of it!
It requires the merit of many births to even want such a thing!
 22

And he abstained from all the normal luxuries of his royal life.
And he avoided the company of women.
And he starved every other day; he bathed many times a day; he chanted hymns all
through the nights; he neglected his duties of the kingdom; he regularly attended to
discourses of some scholars; stopped wearing ornaments and garlands; became emaciated
and worn out.
And any suggestion or objection from his dear wife was dismissed outright with the
comment that she was an immature princess and would not understand anything of what
he was trying to achieve!

[7]

Chudaalaa at last gave up the hope of convincing her husband about the knowledge level
she was in!
It has been weeks since she had seen him last!
He avoided her, as if her very sight may lead him astray.
Not that he lost his love for her; but her being a female was her fault.
Women lead towards sins! They have to be avoided by a man who desires the Supreme
state!
May be some idiot scholar would have brainwashed the king about the harmful effects of
female company!
Even the ministers could not meet him. He was busy always with some rites or other;
doing charities; visiting temples; and so on!
They all now came to the queen to get guidance from her about the matters of the
kingdom.

Chudaalaa tried to visit the king herself and talk things out. But when he had taken the
vow of not seeing any female, thinking that they blocked the path of liberation, how
could she even communicate with him?

She took care of the duties of the kingdom and left the king to his own methods of
liberation.

With lot of time at hand, she decided to achieve some Siddhis for a change. Somehow she
felt that those Siddhis may help her in the future for some good purpose.
She mastered the art of Praanaayaama and through following strictly the required
practices, under proper Gurus, she attained all the eight Siddhis.
The king was unaware of all this.

As he kept scraping at the lowest ladder of spirituality, Chudaalaa had flown high in the
Siddha-path and had become a great Yoginee with all powers and knowledge. Even
Indras heaven was just a play-ground for her!
But all these achievements did not erase her love and devotion for her husband. She loved
him dearly and missed no opportunity to serve him in some manner or other. She never
felt proud of her achievements, for she had the equal vision of the Self and never was
bound by the limited identity of her form.
 23

When there was only the single Self appearing as all, what is there to be proud of? Where
was a second person to look down upon?
Her husband was also another projection of Chit, like her own form labeled Chudaalaa,
was a projection of Chit.
Both were illusory shapes!

The differences were created by the minds.

Even these differences had their own charm!
Chit as the husband! Chit as the wife!
Chit as the love between them both!
Chudaalaa enjoyed both her formless state of Chit and her limited form of a wife. And
she loved loving her husband, like her very life.
She had the best of both worlds.
She as Chudaalaa was drowned in the nectar of love for her husband and yet was always
in the knowledge of her true nature of Self!

But her husband?

He never even understood the meaning of the word Self!
He searched for the Self outside himself, through actions and accessories, not
understanding that he himself was the Self peeled of all limitations which were conceived
by the mind. He had to just un-conceive them; that is all!
But instead he conceived more actions, more complications, and more hardships; and
looked away from the Self!

With a great Yoginee waiting in the harem at his service, ready to offer all her knowledge
at his feet with devotion, he decided to search for the Self in a forest!

[8]

Sage Vasishta stopped his story-telling and looked at Rama. He knew there were so many
questions disturbing his dear student and nodded his head slightly, allowing Rama to word
out his doubts.
Rama asked-
Master! How is it that ShikhiDhvaja failed to grasp the instructions about Self-knowledge,
though it was taught by a great Yoginee like Chudaalaa?
If one cannot attain knowledge even from such a great Guru, then what about people who
seek ordinary Gurus?
Sage Vasishta smiled and said-
Rama! Be it the study of the Scriptures or the instruction of a Guru, they are just the
methods to be followed as a rule; that is all.
Actual success depends on the effort of the disciple himself.
Just by studying scriptures or attending to discourses, one cannot attain Self-knowledge.
Even meritorious acts and the practice of penance do not lead to that highest state.
Only the sincere effort of the student will lead him to his goal.
Guru is just a guiding light in the path of realization. He cannot magically bestow
realization on anyone.
Listen to this story of a merchant.
 24

[9]

THE MISERLY MERCHANT

Once there lived a merchant. Though he was very rich and prosperous, he was very
miserly and stingy. He always worried about his money, day and night.
One day, he had to go to another city for some work and had to journey through a forest-
path. He carried his money-bag with him, well-hidden inside his garment.
After walking every few steps, he would feel anxious about his money and count the
coins again and again.
In one of his counting sessions on the road, one little cowrie (a shell used as money) fell
out of his hand and disappeared inside the grassy bushes.
One cowrie! If he had, had it with him and invested it in his business, it would have
become two in no time, then four, then eight, then hundred, then even thousand!
One cowrie for him was equal to thousand cowries.
Anxious and worried, he searched inside the bushes for his precious cowrie. It was
nowhere to be seen.
The merchant did not give up.
He searched madly all over that area again and again.
Three days passed in his futile search.
Still the merchant would not give up. He did not bother about the ridicules and comments
of the passersby.
As he probed here and there with a stick unrelentingly, he found something shining inside
a grassy weed. He took it out and examined.
It was a gem; not an ordinary gem, but a wish-fulfilling magical gem!
The most wonderful ChintaaMani gem!
The merchant was overjoyed. He returned home happily.
He could instantly get any object he wished for, by the power of the gem.
From then onwards, he had no need to worry about each and every single cowrie. His
wealth had no limits.
Slowly he lost his miserliness.
He shared his wealth with all.
There was so much wealth that he soon lost interest in it.
He developed dispassion.
He reached higher states by serving the noble and pious.

[10]

Sage Vasishta continued his speech-

Rama!
The merchant got the magical gem by searching for a worthless cowrie.
Suppose he had not searched for that cowrie and gone off home, he would have never
found that gem.
He searched for something with utmost effort and got something else.

So also, a person who listens to the instruction from the Guru attains
Self-knowledge, when he tries hard to think it out himself.
 25

If the student does not analyze in his mind what his Guru had said, then he can never attain
Self-knowledge.

Just by listening to discourses and studying spiritual books, one cannot attain the
knowledge of the Self.
A student has to rigorously search for the Self, like the merchant searching for his cowrie,
without giving up the effort for fear of failure.

Chudaalaa attained Self-knowledge by such analytical reasoning alone.

Whereas, her husband ShikhiDhvaja was of the opinion that Self-knowledge was not an
easily attainable state. He never bothered to analyze in his mind what the scriptures stated
as truths. He never bothered to search for the cowrie and never got the gem also.

What can a Guru do, if the student has no inclination to think!

Moreover, a sincere seeker of the Self does not even need a Guru.
He can attain Self-knowledge by the Vichaara-method like Shuka, or Janaka or
Chudaalaa!

Sage Vasishta again continued the story of the realized Chudaalaa and ignorant
ShikhiDhvaja.

[11]

ShikhiDhvaja had at last found a solution to all his problems!

He knew now, how he could attain the state of Brahman in this life itself!
And it was through SarvaTyaaga Renunciation of all that he possessed!

What did he possess?

Wealth?
Yes! That he will renounce and become a recluse!
Kingdom and the position of emperorship?
Yes! That he will renounce! Some one else can take over his place of the ruler!
His people..? Ministers..? Relatives? Friends?
Yes! All that he will renounce and forget all of them!
Palace?
Yes! That he will renounce and go away!
Wife? Chudaalaa?
The king felt as if his heart was getting squeezed!
Can he ever bear to live without her?
Can she also even breathe a second more, after he left?
But there was no other way! If he desired liberation, he had to renounce her too! He
cannot take her with him to the forest! Poor thing! She cant bear the hardships of a
forest-life! Let her stay in the palace and enjoy her youthful pleasures. The kingdom will
be taken care of by the ministers. She wont be troubled in any way!
To separate from her was the hardest thing! But he had to do it!
 26

Anyhow, all the mortals get separated from their kith and kin at the time of death. It is
better that he moves away from her when he is still alive and try to achieve the state of
immortality. Later, maybe, he can guide her also in the spiritual path!

The king had made a firm decision!

He will renounce everything! He will do SarvaTyaaga, the surest way of attaining
liberation! That is what the Scriptures state and they could never be wrong!
He will renounce everything, even his wife; and go away far from all!

[12]

ShikhiDhvaja decided to take leave of his wife before leaving for the forest. He went to
the harem that night and confided in Chudaalaa, his great decision of wanting to live in
the forest till death and try for the state of liberation.
He requested her not to prove an obstacle in his spiritual path.

Chudaalaa tried her best to dissuade him from his decision. She argued that they both
were young and could wait till they both became old; then they both could leave for the
forest together, and live a life of renunciation!

The king had no ears for her pleadings. He remained silent and did not say anything back.

Morning came. The king left for attending to his day duties.
He attended to all the affairs of the kingdom, as usual.
At the end of the day, he performed the evening worship of Sandhyaa.
He went back to Chudaalaas private chambers and slept along with her.

At night, when every one was fast asleep and silence reigned, he slowly removed
Chudaalaas arms entwined around his neck and stood up.
His wife was fast asleep; or so he thought!
He gently kissed her on the forehead; a tear drop fell from his eyes on her cheek.
Chudaalaa did not move.
The king went away.

[13]

ShikhiDhvaja was now attired in the simplest of clothes. He wore no ornaments. He told
the guards at the gates that he was going out for patrolling the city.
Appearing like an ordinary poor man of the world, with just a sword in hand, he walked
out of the gates of his city. He turned back and saluted the Goddess of the kingdom and
started walking.
The king crossed many countries, many hills, many rivers, and many oceans; and at last
reached the Mandara Mountain forest, after twelve days and nights of incessant walking.

He searched for a good place to perform penance and selected a grassy land next to a
small stream. The bank was filled with many fruit yielding trees.
 27

He built a small hut there, out of leaves and creepers to serve as his dwelling-place.

Within a few days he collected many hardened gourds and converted them into bowls for
eating fruits, drinking water etc.

He found an old Kamandalu fallen near the stream and took it with reverence. May be
some other Sage had lived here and had left his water-pot here!

Soon the king had a seat made of Dharbaa-grass for meditation purposes, a grass-bed for
sleeping, an umbrella made of leaves to block the Sun and rain, a foot-wear made of
leaves, a basket made of bamboo to collect flowers, a basket to collect fruits and so on.

When everything was ready, he began his forest life of penance for attaining Moksha!

He daily got up before sun-rise; performed his recitation of Mantras; then collected
flowers for worship; took bath; worshipped the deities; collected some fruits and roots
and made a light meal out of them; recited Mantras for some time; and finally slept off
at night on a bed made of leaves.

This was the routine he followed regularly, day in and day out.

The forest was completely deserted. There were no wild animals that could do any harm.
Just some deer and rabbits wandered in that grass-land.

The king was all alone; completely alone!

In that huge forest, he stayed all alone and performed his so-called penance, without a
break in the routine, for eighteen years and waited for liberation!

[14]

What happened on the day when the king left for the forest?
Chudaalaa woke up from sleep suddenly and saw that the bed next to her was empty.
Anxious about his welfare, she rose up in the sky with her subtle body and looked out for
him.
She saw him in that dark night walking alone, away from the city holding a sword in the
hand. She returned home and pondered for some time, as to what should be done by her.
She understood through her Yogic power that her husband was not ready for the path of
knowledge yet, and would not grasp whatever was told to him.
He had to purify his mind of all Vaasanaas through the one single Vaasanaa of his- to
live in a forest as an ascetic.

She had to wait, till the time was ripe for him to receive instructions about knowledge!
Some day in the future she will visit him; but not at present!
 28

Next morning, she announced in the court-room that the king had left on some urgent
work and she would be ruling the kingdom on his behalf.

Eighteen years passed for her too, as she waited for the right time to visit her husband!

[15]

Chudaalaa rose in the sky and floated along the clouds. She journeyed through the path of
Siddhas; and within minutes was above the forest where her husband was living as a
recluse.
She made herself invisible and like a wind she entered the hermitage area of her husband!
Her heart throbbing with the thrill of seeing her handsome lover, she passed her eyes all
over the place.
Where was her noble king who ruled the earth like another Indra?
Slowly her eyes fell on a skeleton-like structure, plucking flowers from the creepers.
She was shocked to see her Lord in that horrible condition!

ShikhiDhvaja had completely changed. He was very thin and emaciated.

His body had turned black in color. His matted locks were brown and dusty.

Chudaalaa wanted to rush towards him and embrace him with all the love she had kept
suppressed for eighteen long years.
But she stopped midway!
How would the king react to meeting his wife after all these years? He may not welcome
her with open arms! May be he will get annoyed and try to go away from this forest too!

Chudaalaa pondered silently for some time thinking how to deal with her ignorant
husband. He will not ever trust his wifes words if she tried to correct his ways. He will
need some authoritative person, whom he would trust, for acting as his teacher!

She decided to take on the form of some God and appear before him. But he may
immediately offer salutations at the feet; and that would be highly improper!
May be a Sage! No!
May be a Sages Son!
Which Sage? Better not meddle with other great Sages and offend them!

Why not act as Naaradas son? Naarada had no son of course!

But she could take the form of a young boy and pretend to be his son!
She will mentally take permission from that great devotee of Naaraayana and appear as
his son, in front of the king!

But could she lie like this?

Wont it be termed as deceit?
What else to do?
The king would never treat her female-form with respect!
 29

If she met him as his wife, he will run away from her also and enter into more horrible
ascetic practices in some other terrifying jungle!
She will be using just a harmless trick to bring him to his senses.
If he realizes the Self, he will surely forgive her for this act of deceit done by her, for
the love of her dear husband!

Chudaalaa immediately changed her form to that of a young Brahmin boy; and shining
with divine luster and appeared suddenly in front of her husband!

[16]

ShikhiDhvaja could not believe his eyes.

He saw a shining divine form standing in front of him.
The divinity looked like a young Brahmin Sage.
He wore a pair of soft white clothes.
He held a Kamandalu in his hand.
A Tilak adorned his forehead.
Two ear-ornaments hung from his ears.
The hair was tied up above his head. A Mandara garland adorned his head.
A beautiful garland woven with white flowers hung from his neck.
His shining luster filled the whole area; and his feet were not in contact with the ground
at all.

ShikhiDhvaja poured the flowers in his basket into his hands; not on the feet, for the boy
was very young.

After welcoming him with Arghya and Paadya, the king questioned politely about, who
that boy was and why he was here.

Chudaalaa told him the story of the Brahmin boy in detail.

[17]

KUMBHAS STORY

Once, Sage Naarada was absorbed in contemplation inside a cave of Meru Mountain.
Outside the cave, celestial Ganges flowed adorned by the garland of white shining waves.
Suddenly sounds of laughter and happy screams disturbed the meditation of the Sage. He
peeped outside the cave and to his amazement, saw a group of extremely beautiful
Apsaraas sporting in the waters with full abandon, without any coverings on their bodies!
His mind swerved from the state of the Self for a fraction of a second; his Veerya
(semen virile), slipped out instantly.
 30

Naarada immediately brought his mind under control; placed his Veerya-drop inside a
crystal pot (Kumbha), placed next to his meditation seat. He willed the pot to be filled
with milk. The shining drop increased in size like a moon; and after a month, a boy
shining forth with luster appeared out of the pot.

Naarada named his son Kumbha (born from a pot). He took his son to Brahma Loka.
Brahma was pleased to see him and taught him all the Vedas and scriptures.
Like his father, he roamed all over the three worlds.
On that particular day, he happened to cross the sky above the forest and saw the king
engaged in penance. He wanted to find out about the Sage who was doing penance in this
forest and descended down to this Ashram!

[18]

ShikhiDhvaja told Kumbha, his whole story, as to how he had renounced everything and
was living in that forest for the past eighteen years.
Kumbha chided him for wasting his life in the forest like this, doing actions
mechanically, without any fruitful result.
The king begged Kumbha to instruct him about the highest Knowledge that could lead
one to the state of the Supreme. He promised to accept the words of Kumbha without a
question.
Kumbha started his instructions, by relating to him two stories.

[19]

STORY OF THE CHINTAAMANI STONE

There was a rich man in a village!

He was very learned. He was endowed with all virtues.
He knew all arts. He had studied all scriptures.
He also was also well-versed in the ways of the world.
Though he had everything, he did not have the knowledge of the Supreme state of
Brahman; or did not know much about it.
He wanted only one thing in his life, the great magical ChintaaMani gem, which could
fulfill all the wishes.
Somehow he felt that the gem was the greatest acquirement in life and by acquiring that
he will be always happy.
Without delay, he became engaged in practicing the necessary rites that would get him
his precious gem.
Because of his sincere and hard effort, the gem appeared in front of him, just within the
reach of his hand.
But that fool did not even extend his hand to take it!
He thought that it was an illusion he was having!
How could he, an ordinary man of no-merit, ever gain a ChintaaMani, that too so soon!
Even after years of practice, people fail to get this Mani.
How could he, a person stuck with misfortune, ever have the merit to get it?
 31

He did not even touch that ChintaaMani gem shining in front of him, fearing that it was
an illusion which may disappear if he even moved, and some other terrifying illusion may
follow it!
After some time, the gem flew up in the sky and vanished.
The man continued his practice for getting the ChintaaMani gem.
Some Siddhas who observed this wanted to play a trick on him. They placed an ordinary
glass piece which shone like a gem, in front of him.
The fool took it, thinking it to be the great gem of ChintaaMani.
He did not need any more wealth or money, he decided. He discarded all the wealth he
had previously owned.
He left his city, believing all the people there to be sinners.
He left his relatives thinking them to be malicious and evil.
He went far into a jungle carrying that worthless glass piece.
Soon he met an untimely death attacked by some wild animal!

[20]

STORY OF THE KIND ELEPHANT

A huge elephant lived in the great forest of Vindhya Mountain. It had two tusks which
were very sharp and strong. The elephant was immensely strong and very tall; and was
the leader of a huge herd of forest elephants.
Unfortunately, one day it got trapped in a huge net made of iron. The net had spikes all
over and hurt the elephant, if it moved ever.
The elephant-catcher climbed a Taala tree nearby and sat on the top, keeping a watch
over the trapped elephant.

The elephant could not see him. Anyhow, it struggled hard; and poking repeatedly at the
net with its tusks, it made a hole in it. Soon it tore the iron net and came out.

The elephant catcher saw the elephant escaping and jumped on it from the top of the
Taala tree. But he missed and fell down at its feet.

The elephant could have crushed him to death in a second; but it felt compassionate
towards the helpless human and did not injure him in any way. It hurried off to another
far off jungle, and started living there happily.

The elephant-catcher was annoyed that he had let the elephant get away. Without giving
up, he searched for the elephant in all the jungles and found him at last, resting under a
tree in some forest.
He soon brought some tools from the kings palace and also some men to work for him.
They all dug a huge trench all around that forest in which the elephant rested. They
covered the trench with tender creepers on the surface.
The poor elephant got up after some time and soon fell inside that deep trench. However
much it struggled, there was no way of escaping. It was quickly chained by that elephant
catcher.
 32

Even today, the elephant is still inside that hole, suffering immense pain, not able to come
out of it.
If it had killed that elephant catcher when he had fallen at its feet, it would have never got
trapped like this inside that trench!

[21]

ShikhiDhvaja asked Kumbha as to what the stories meant actually.

Kumbha laughed and said that both the stories were similar to the kings own story!
He was the person who chased the ordinary ChintaaMani gem instead of
Self-knowledge!

The ChintaaMani here refers to the SarvaTyaaga, renunciation of everything which the
king got obsessed with.

Instead of trying to enquire about the Self, he had stuck to the term SarvaTyaaga in the
literal sense. Actually the term SarvaTyaaga means renouncing the entire perceived
phenomenon along with the mind and remaining only as the Self. But ShikhiDhvaja had
missed the real meaning of the term and had literally followed the renunciation to the
letter, by renouncing the family, kingdom etc.

Though the ChintaaMani of SarvaTyaaga was there for him within reach as Self-
enquiry, he ignored it and went to the forest.

Just like the idiot in the story grabbing the glass-gem as the real gem, ShikhiDhvaja had
chosen penance as a means of self-realization.

Like the fool in the story had suffered by the possession of the glass-gem, ShikhiDhvaja
also suffered through the hardships of penance.

By the routine life of the forest in solitude, he had achieved nothing but the satisfaction of
suffering. Instead of possessing a kingdom, he possessed a hut and the accessories needed
for the forest-life.
The idea of possession did not decrease in the least.

He had not done any SarvaTyaaga at all and was stuck only to the mechanical routine-
works of the forest-life, like the fool who had let go off the ChintaaMani gem and
pounced on the glass gem.

In the elephant story, the king was the actual elephant who was trapped by the elephant
catcher.

The king was the elephant with the two tusks of Viveka (Discrimination) and Vairaagya
(Dispassion).

The elephant catcher was the ignorance.

 33

Though the elephant was capable of throwing off the elephant-keeper, it humbly obeyed
him and went the way shown by him, like the elephant trapped in the iron net.

Attachment was the iron net used by the elephant trapper named ignorance.
The ordinary iron-net may rust in time, but the desire for pleasures increases as time
goes by!

The ignorance always keeps a watch on the trapped Jeeva, like the elephant keeper sitting
on the Taala tree.

When the king tore off the net, he had renounced the kingdom with great dispassion. The
ignorance then fell down ready to get destroyed by the king. He should have killed it then
and there by Mana-Tyaaga (Renunciation of the Mind). But he did not!

The elephant-trapper namely the ignorance got up again with more vengeance at heart
and pushed the king into the deep pit of penance!

The tools and the men used by that elephant keeper are the worries and anxieties of the
forest-life.

Kumbha also chided the king, for not listening to his wife Chudaalaa, when she talked to
him about Self-knowledge.

[22]

ShikhiDhvaja was not convinced. He said-

I have renounced the kingdom, wealth, wife, and land!

How is it not SarvaTyaaga?

Kumbha said-

Yes! You have renounced the kingdom, wealth, wife, and land; yet you have not
renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-

I will renounce now the entire forest!

He removed from his mind the thought of the forest.
He said-The forest has been renounced! I have renounced everything now!

Kumbha said-
Yes! You have renounced the forest; yet you have not renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!
 34

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-I will renounce now the hermitage!
He removed from his mind the thought of the hermitage along with the hut, water-stream,
trees etc.
He said- The hermitage has been renounced! I have renounced everything now!

Kumbha said-

Yes! You have renounced the hermitage; yet you have not renounced everything.
Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said-

I will renounce now the objects that I had been using!

He collected all the bowls, grass-seats, deer-skin, rosary-garland, and other things from
inside the hut and set them on fire. He left the Kamandalu near the water-stream where it
was found.
Then he set fire to his hut also.
He searched here and there; collected all the things he had used without leaving anything
and threw them all into the fire. He did not even leave any fruits or flowers back.
After everything had turned to ashes, he said- I have renounced everything now!

Kumbha laughed aloud and said-

Do not pretend to have renounced everything, King!

Still there is some excellent part of yours that you have not renounced!

ShikhiDhvaja for a moment pondered and said- I will renounce now this body!

He got ready to throw himself down into the chasm.

Kumbha stopped him and told him that his poor body was inert and faultless; and did not
deserve to be killed. It was a slave of some one else!

ShikhiDhvaja asked- Whose slave is this body?

What should I renounce to complete my SarvaTyaaga? What is everything?

Kumbha told him that mind was the seed of everything that is perceived and he should
renounce that alone, to accomplish his SarvaTyaaga.

ShikhiDhvaja asked- How do I renounce the mind?

Kumbha told him that he should destroy the mind by the self-enquiry of Who am I?

Kumbha gave him detailed instruction about the knowledge of the Self and the method of
reasoning it out.
 35

[23]

Kumbha took leave of him saying that he had told him all that was to be told and now he
had to go to the court-room of Indra, where his father would be waiting for him and that
he did not want to annoy his father by any delay.
He floated in the sky and vanished.

ShikhiDhvaja was amazed by all that happened.

He was surprised that he should be taught by a great divinity like Naaradas son.
He soon was absorbed in Nirvikalpa Samaadhi.

[24]

Chudaalaa meanwhile changed into her original form; went back to her palace; attended
to the affairs of the kingdom; and after three days returned to the forest where her
husband was absorbed in Samaadhi.
She saw him sitting there like a painted picture.
She decided to wake him up so that he would return the kingdom and take over the
responsibility of ruler-ship.
She stood in front of him and made roaring sounds of a wild animal. Even after her
repeated shouts, the king did not move even a little.
She understood that he would continue in that state itself for a few more days; the body
would fall dead at some future time; and he would attain Videha Mukti.
She decided to give up her body also, for she thought that a life without her lover was not
worth living.
But somehow a doubt arose in her as to whether the king was completely freed of
Vaasanaas or any mind-factor was left back in him.
Being a Yoginee, she touched his heart and found out that the king would not be able to
attain Videha Mukti in that state. Some mind-vibration was still left back in him, which
would make him wake up in that world only, maybe after many years. He would then
wake up, only as an old man with dilapidated limbs.
Instead of waiting for him to become old, sitting there in that forest, she decided to wake
him up then and there. Through her Yogic power she entered the Self-state of
ShikhiDhvaja and woke up his mind.

[25]

ShikhiDhvaja woke up and saw Kumbha standing in front of him.

Kumbha told the surprised king that he had become attached to the kings company and
could not be away from his dear friend. He expressed his wish to live with ShikhiDhvaja
in that forest itself.
From then onwards, ShikhiDhvaja the dispassionate Sage and Chudaalaa in the form of
Kumbha stayed together always. They wandered all over the earth together and never
separated from each other.
 36

Chudaalaa was getting tired of all this. Her young lovers heart wanted to be with her
husband as her own self, as his beloved wife. But she had a slight misapprehension as to
whether the king still entertained the same attitude towards his wife as before.
Would he get angry with her for acting like Kumbha?
Will he get annoyed with her and walk off, angry at her for deceiving him as Naaradas
son?
She decided to test it out herself.

[26]

One day, Kumbha told his friend that he had to be in Indras court on that particular day
of Chaitra full moon, where his father would be waiting for him. He promised the king
that he will return to earth on that very same evening.
As the king kept on shouting Come back soon, Kumbha flew up in the sky and vanished
from sight.

As soon the king was out of sight, Chudaalaa changed into her original form; went to her
palace; attended to her royal duties; again took the form of Kumbha and descended down,
in front of her husband.

Kumbha appeared very anxious and worried.

ShikhiDhvaja enquired Kumbha about the cause of his anxiety.
Kumbha told him this story.

[27]

GREAT SAGE DURVAASA

Sage Durvaasa was a great Sage filled with compassion and love for all.
He was a realized Sage. He was always in the state of Brahman. He had no identity with
his body. Body was just a projected shape he presented in front of others. He never even
bothered whether the body was properly covered by clothes or not. He had no name as
such; but people called him by his one and only identity one who never wore garments
properly- Durvaasa.

Sage Durvaasa was a perfectionist. He had no patience for fools. He would get annoyed
with any smallest mistake of others.
He usually kept away from all people, including all Gods. He was another Shiva in
dispassion.

Chudaalaa mentally saluted him and used his name in her made up story of Kumbhas
curse.
 37

DURVAASAS CURSE

Kumbha left the court of Indra as soon as the assembly was over with.
He hurried through the sky and floated along with the clouds down to the earth. The
clouds were huge, dark and filled with hosts of lightning flashes. At that time he saw
Sage Durvaasa hurrying among the clouds. As the Sage had no thought of a physical
body, he was passing through the clouds as if he was just a piece of space passing
through those dense clouds. He was intent only on reaching the celestial river Gangaa to
perform his evening rites.
Kumbha watched him with amazement.
He could only see the black clouds covering Durvaasas body, which was getting
drenched by the waters of the clouds. Lightning flashes shone forth all over his body like
shining ornaments. Durvaasa was a cloud among clouds floating speedily towards
Gangaa. And Gangaa was the beloved of the Sage waiting for him under the shade of the
huge trees that covered her banks!

Chudaalaa was a lover at heart. She was the one hurrying towards her husband in that
darkness, like an Abhisaarikaa, to meet her lover waiting under the tree.
Abhisaarikaa is a woman who goes to meet her lover on dark cloudy nights; concealing
her form adorned by ornaments, in dark clothes; and getting wet by the pouring rains.
When Kumbha saw the Sage, he saluted him immediately.
But, as he floated down towards earth, he made a witty remark towards the Sage. He
said- Hey Sage! You look like an Abhisaarikaa!

Sage Durvaasa was annoyed by such an impolite remark and cursed Kumbha to become a
female every night.
[28]

Kumbha finished his story and lamented that he was feeling embarrassed by the fact that
he would be a female every night.
ShikhiDhvaja consoled him, saying that it does not matter what the body looks like, as
they both were realized Sages, and the body was after all just an illusion.
Evening came.
ShikhiDhvaja performed his evening worship.
At that time Kumbha came hurrying towards him, crying and screaming in
embarrassment.
His handsome form of a boy adorned by white clothes and sacred thread, had changed
into a beautiful form of a girl adorned by divine garments and ornaments.
The king consoled Kumbha and they both slept as usual on the same bed like friends.
Chudaalaa observed that the kings mind did not waver in the presence of a divine damsel
who was beautiful beyond words.
 38

[29]

Many days passed like this.

After the king fell asleep, Chudaalaa returned to the palace and completed her duties of
the kingdom.
In the morning Kumbha became a young man again and wandered with his friend. At
night also, as a female named Madanikaa, he slept with the king, only as a friend.

One day Madanikaa told the king that her youthful charms as a girl were going waste
without fulfillment. She requested ShikhiDhvaja to marry her and give company at night.

ShikhiDhvaja had stopped bothering about anything that happened in the world. For him,
body was just an illusion.
If Kumbha, his friend wanted to be happy by marrying him, he had no objection he said;
he would do anything for a friend who had guided him in the correct path.

That very night, Madanikaa created a divine hall made of precious stones; and married
him in a grand manner through proper rites.

Kumbha acted as a friend at day times and as a wife at night times.

They both enjoyed many happy days in the company of each other.
Chudaalaa observed that the king was not at all disturbed by any act of passion and that
he remained always in the unwavering state of the Self.

She decided to test him as to whether he would be attracted by the pleasures of heaven.
By her power of Yoga she created Indra and his retinue.

[30]

ShikhiDhvaja saw in front of him, Indra with his complete retinue of gods and Apsaraas.
Indra saluted him and requested the great Sage to accept all the Siddhis as a gift and
come to heaven; and to reside there enjoying all the pleasures of heaven.

ShikhiDhvaja refused the invitation politely and said that he perceived no divisions of
heaven and earth any more. He was in the state of Self and found heaven wherever he
stayed.

Indra was disappointed; greeted Kumbha who was standing next to the king; and
vanished from sight.

Chudaalaa was happy that her husband was not attracted towards pleasures whether of
heaven or earth.

Now she decided to test whether he could get angry or annoyed by any event.
 39

[31]

One evening, ShikhiDhvaja was engaged in the worship of Sandhyaa on the river bank.
Madanikaa intoxicated by drinking wine walked into a bush nearby. She created through
her Yogic power, a handsome paramour waiting for her inside that bower. She and her
illusory paramour spent some time in various amorous sports.

ShikhiDhvaja finished his evening worship and came searching for Kumbha.
He saw Kumbha as Madanikaa in the company of another young man.
He silently walked away without disturbing the passionate couple.
He sat on a rock in a solitary place and was absorbed in contemplation.

Soon Madanikaa came there, flushed in the face and body.

She stood embarrassed in front of him, feeling shy and guilty.
ShikhiDhvaja tenderly asked her as to why she had to come off so soon, as he would
never have minded her being happy in the company of someone else.
Madanikaa confessed that because the king was engaged in his evening worship, she was
overcome by passion and had to seek another mans company. After all she was a foolish
girl apt to make mistakes.
She pleaded with him not to get angry.
The king consoled her saying that he was not at all disturbed by her immoral act.
Chudaalaa knew that it was the ripe time for her to reveal her original form.

[32]

To the amazement of the king-turned Sage, Chudaalaa appeared out of Madanikaas

form. The king was overcome by the bliss of his beloved wife standing before him and
without any control embraced her with much affection and love.
Both remained in each others embrace for long, like carved statues.

Chudaalaa told him all that had happened and begged him to forgive her.
Instead of getting annoyed, the king praised her devotion for the husband and acclaimed
that she was the best of all women in the three worlds.
He said that he was indeed very fortunate that he had a wife who lifted her husband out of
the deep pit of ignorance.
Chudaalaa then suggested that they both should return to the kingdom and remain there
as the king and queen.
Since ShikhiDhvaja had no likes or dislikes, he agreed to his wifes suggestion.
By his request, Chudaalaa created a huge army of men, horses, and elephants. They both
sat on the best of elephants and journeyed towards their kingdom. After many days they
reached the kingdom and were welcomed by all the people and ministers with affection.

ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa together ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years and
attained Videha Mukti at the end of their earth-life.
 40

[33]

Sage Vasishta completed the story of ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa and said to Rama-
This story happened in the Dvaapara Yuga of the previous Kalpa.
It will again happen in the next forthcoming Dvaapara Yuga of this Kalpa!
Rama! Jeevas are all like waves rising in the ocean of Brahman.
Everything is Brahman alone!
The same Brahman can randomly appear as any Jeeva at any time again and again.
There is no second! Only Brahman alone shines forth as all!

END
 41

STORY OF THE UNREAL ENTITY (MITHYAA PURUSHA)

Emptiness! Conscious blissful all-knowing emptiness!

In that emptiness appeared a shape made of emptiness, like a wave from the ocean!
He, the Empty-man had great powers!
He saw shapes in the emptiness and sought them!
He heard sounds in the emptiness and jumped in glee!
He touched solids in that emptiness and avoided dashing into them!
He tasted the emptiness and felt satisfied!
He smelt the emptiness and chose the shapes!
He walked and moved! Instantly Space and Time rose around him caging him all
around!

But that caged empty man was happy in that prison made of emptiness!
Moreover, he wanted to possess the emptiness around him!
He drew lines in the emptiness around the emptiness and constructed a house and
protected it as his!
He was very fond of his possession! He took care of the emptiness day and night like his
own life!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the house which contained his treasure of
emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his house which protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

He would not give up!

He dug a well in the emptiness.
He and protected his treasure named Emptiness in that well!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the well which contained his treasure of
emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his well which protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

He would not give up!

He made a pot in the emptiness and protected his treasure named Emptiness inside that
pot!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the pot which contained his treasure of
emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his pot which protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

He would not give up!

He dug a huge pit in the emptiness and protected his treasure named Emptiness inside
that pit! But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the pit which contained his treasure of
emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
 42

The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his pit which protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

He would not give up!

He constructed a huge hall in the emptiness and protected his treasure named Emptiness
inside that hall! To offer more protection, he built four huge halls all around the inside
hall in all the four directions, to safeguard the hall which contained his treasure namely
Emptiness!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the hall with four halls around it, which
contained his treasure of emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of
time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his hall-structure of four halls surrounding a huge hall which
protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

He would not give up!

He constructed a granary in the emptiness and protected his treasure named Emptiness
inside that granary!
But alas! In the time-cage created by him, the granary, which contained his treasure of
emptiness, gradually got worn out and perished in course of time!
The poor empty man! He cried, wept, rolled on the floor made of emptiness and lamented
long for the loss of his granary, which protected his only treasure namely Emptiness!

000

(If these repeated words bore you, pray tell me what else is your life, but repetitions?
Arent you bored of it still?)

(All the objects he built collectively refer to the body, which is a house the ego lives in. The
well refers to the pathway from the mouth to the inside; the pot refers to the chest region;
the pit refers to the abdomen; hall with four halls refer to the body with hands and feet;
granary refers to the belly.)

And the story of this empty man is never-ending!

He keeps on protecting his treasure of emptiness drawing various structures again and
again!
He loses them and cries!
He again draws lines around the emptiness and tries to protect it! He laughs and jumps
with joy seeing them!
He loses them in course of time and cries!

Who is that idiot who holds on to the emptiness?

I! The Ahamkaara! The ego!
The imagined self-image which arises by the interaction with the objects of the world!
 43

What is the world?

Shapes drawn on the ever-moving empty atoms by the brain, and sounds attached to those
shapes to identify them!

The imagined man-structure holds on to an imagined shape-structure; cries when the lines
get erased off; draws more lines; cries when the lines get erased off; draws more lines;
cries .!

This is the never ending story of the idiot called the ego-man, who is not at
all real!!!

NO END