yoga vAsishTha

[Guest guest]

After the recent discussions in this group about yoga vAsishTha some members

have asked me by private mail to suggest a book for the study of this work.

Instead of replying to them individually, I am posting this to advaitin for

the information of all those who are interested.

Swami Tejomayanandaji, the present head of the Chinmaya Mssion has written a

book entitled 'Yoga vAsishTha sAra sangrahaH' in which he has selected 86

verses from Yoga vAsishTha, given the meaning of each verse and supplemented

it with elaborate notes. The book makes wonderful reading and will be of

great help to spiritual aspirants. Just as a sample I am giving below the

meaning of two of the verses which define bondage and liberation:

" The existence of the seer and the seen is indeed called bondage. The seer

is bound by the influence of the seen and is liberated by the absence of the

seen " .

This is followed by an elaborate explanation of this verse by Swamiji.

The next verse says:

" The world, you, me, etc., --constituting illusory entities—is called the

'seen'. There is no liberation as long as this illusion exists " .

A detailed explanation by Swamiji follows.

I strongly recommend this book for study by spiritual aspirants who are

willing to study other works in addition to Sri Sankara's bhAshya. The yoga

vasishTha is a huge work of 32,000 verses, which it is very difficult to

study since no complete translation is available.. The present book gives

the essence of this monumental work. Swamij's notes make the work easily

understandable even by novices in advaita vedAnta. The book is available at

all the centers of the Chinmaya Mission all over the world. I do not know

whether it is available on the internet; probably not.

S.N.Sastri

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I thought I share information on publications on yoga vAsistha

 

i bought several books on yoga vAsistha:

 

1. The Supreme Yoga: a new translation of yoga vAsistha - 2 volumes : total 761

pages in english. roughly 1 page : 1 verse of yogavAsistha. - author

venkateshananda: disciple of sivananda. www.newagebooksindia.com (several people

recommended this book) published in 2005

 

2. there are a couple of books in either kannada or english by : adhyatma

prakashanalaya: bangalore. I think written by swami saccidanandendra saraswathi

 

3. in hindi: yoga vAsistha aur uske siddhant: Dr. BhIkan lal Atreya: ex

professor of philosophy: kAshi vishva hindu parisat. (760) pages

 

regards,

Krishna Kashyap

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Looking for last minute shopping deals?

Find them fast with Search.

http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

 

 

[Guest guest]

namaskaram shastriji, in your earlier email this info was given:

***

The

yoga

vasishTha is a huge work of 32,000 verses, which it is very difficult

to

study since no complete translation is available.. ]****

 

I thought these 32000 original verses were not available now. are these sanskrit

verses available?

 

regards,

Krishna

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

 

 

[Guest guest]

namaste

Actually all the yoga vasishta verses have been translated to kannada and

released during 1950s in the city of mysore

to my knowledge publication name is sri Jayachamarajendra wodeyar

publications

the translator name is DEVUDU (devudu lakshmi narasimha shastry)

i think their children still holds those copies with them as I had seen one

of authors son wanted help from any organisation to republish such a noble

piece of translation

 

{one of his son living in Sydney, his name is chandra shekhara devudu, when

i tried contacted him about this, was told that only some of the books have

been scanned by TTD officials and published them, so I have got quiet a few

of them actually with me but it is in kannada and soft copy, if any one

needs them, I am happy to email them}

 

one of my fathers friend still holds all the books publications published

during that time, but I did see only 2 books on mysore ramakrishna ashrama

public library

 

my humble request with the group member is, kindly get those books and re

publish them if you any one of you is capable of doing them so, also

translate to english and all most all the languages because it is such a

noble collection

 

thanks

Narendra

 

 

On Jan 16, 2008 8:40 AM, Krishna Kashyap <kvadavali wrote:

 

> namaskaram shastriji, in your earlier email this info was given:

> ***

>

> The

> yoga

> vasishTha is a huge work of 32,000 verses, which it is very difficult

> to

> study since no complete translation is available.. ]****

>

> I thought these 32000 original verses were not available now. are these

> sanskrit verses available?

>

> regards,

> Krishna

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " narendra sastry "

<narendra.sastry wrote:

>>

> my humble request with the group member is, kindly get those books

and re

> publish them

 

Two translations in English are available in the market. [The

original sanskrit verses only have been scanned in the Digital

Library of India collection.]

 

 

 

https://www.vedamsbooks.com/Hinduism.htm

 

The Yoga-Vasishtha Maharamayana of Valmiki/Translated from the

Original Sanskrit by Vihari-Lala Mitra. Reprint. New Delhi, 1999, 4

volumes in 7 parts, 3327 p., $83 (set). ISBN 81-7536-179-4 (set).

Details No. 15267

 

The Yoga-Vasistha of Valmiki : Sanskrit Text and English

Translation/edited and Revised with Introduction by Ravi Prakash

Arya. English Translation According to Vihari Lal Mitra. Reprint.

Delhi, Parimal, 2000, 4 Volumes, 2402 p., $187 (set). ISBN 81-7110-

151-9. [Parimal Sanskrit Series No. 49]. Details No. 34359

[Guest guest]

Check if this meets your requirements

http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/yogavasishtam/preface.html

 

Hardcopy is also available

 

http://www.bhavans.info/store/bookdetail.asp?

bid=255 & bauth=English+Translation+by+P.N.Murthy

 

 

Dr. PN Murty is now a resident of Hyderabad and

advaitin , " advaitins " <advaitins wrote:

>

> advaitin , " narendra sastry "

> <narendra.sastry@> wrote:

> >>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear SriRamji,

Thanks very much for the information.

Regards,

S.N.Sastri

 

In advaitin , " Tenneti Sri Ram " <tensriram

wrote:

>

> Check if this meets your requirements

> http://www.cse.iitk.ac.in/users/yogavasishtam/preface.html

>

> Hardcopy is also available

>

> http://www.bhavans.info/store/bookdetail.asp?

> bid=255 & bauth=English+Translation+by+P.N.Murthy

>

>

> Dr. PN Murty is now a resident of Hyderabad and

> advaitin , " advaitins " <advaitins@> wrote:

> >

> > advaitin , " narendra sastry "

> > <narendra.sastry@> wrote:

> > >>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " S.N. Sastri " <sn.sastri wrote:

>

> After the recent discussions in this group about yoga vAsishTha some members

> have asked me by private mail to suggest a book for the study of this work.

> Instead of replying to them individually, I am posting this to advaitin for

> the information of all those who are interested.

 

praNams to all Advaitins,

 

It seems the info given in the following messages may be

relevant to this thread.

 

advaitin/message/13039

advaitin/message/13043

 

Hari Om!

Ramakrishna

[Guest guest]

namaste to everyone,

 

can you please help me understand some issues which have come to my mind.

i started studying yOga vAsistha. I have thought about some questions for a

while.

 

1. Is yOga vAsistha pre-shankaracharya? or post-shankaracharya? if pre, any

reason he did not refer to it? which achArya, who is in the vedantic lineage has

referred to it during the post- shankarcharya era? i am sure this previous

question is sort of not relevant, since great atmajnanis like Ramanamaharshi

might have seriously mentioned this text as very valid. In that case is there a

difference in approach between acharyas like shankaracharya and practical

atmajnanis like ramana maharshi?

 

2. i heard the extreme vairAgya in yoga vAsistha is not clearly supported in

vedas upanisads. vairAgya is purely post buddhistic phenomena in hindu

philosophy. definitely this world is :anityam asukham ... as given in gita

itself....however, statements like ko hyevAnyAat kah pranyAt yadEsa akAsa Anando

na syat: taittiriya ( which states :who can exist without that Ananda (God) does

not exist. further it says Esa hyEvAnandayAti.. it is only he that can bring

ananda. further the gradations of ananda in taittiriya: gandharva, deva

gandharva... for whatever it may be worth are probably convoluted anandas.

however, the pure vairAgya of the yoga vAsistha is not easy to justify in vedic,

puranic or itihasic literature. this is not my view but view of many learned

scholars.

 

3. the same vAlmiki has painted a different picture of rAma who is an

incarnation in the the famous valmIki rAmAyana. however in yogavAsistha he is

painted as a confused rich prince. yes we can justify that it is to teach others

who are stuck in samsAra, and rAma avatara is purely a human avatara, since he

was cursed to have this avatAra. anything can be justified, as bhAgavatha

states: " sarvam nyAyyam yuktimatvAt, vidusAm kim asobhanam " ( everything is

justifiable since there is some rationality is there. what is un-smart about

great wise people? " . hence many ways of justifications do exist. However, that

same rAma who evokes bhakti and is being even said as the diety of worship of

mantra: sri rAma rAma rAmethi....given by lord Shiva, appears to be in a

difficult to justify position in this book. In ramAyana of valmIki, bharadvaja

and other rishis are supposed to have done penance for janmas to just see rAma

and be with him in chitrakUta etc.

 

the intention here is purely to understand. I am a total beginner in

yOgavAsistha. my intention is to try to find the truth. nothing else matters.

this is not intended to sway dedicated people away from yoga vAsistha. but to

seek the truth with right questions. even within yOga vAsistha such questions

are asked right in the beginning. I was not convinced with the answers there.

 

Sri ShankarAcharya is believed to be an avatAr of Shiva. SankarAcharya's

prasthAna traya bhasyAs have highlighted the need for people to go away from

vittEshana, putraisana, lokaisana. However there seems to be a trend of

" samanvaya dristi " or " justification and support for different aspects such as

karma,jnana, bhakti etc. in these bhasyas. but in the case of yoga vAsistha and

also another work 'ashtavakra gita " it seems a very high path, which is at a

supreme advaitic state, very far away from the ordinary person today, who is

struggling to get basic characteristics such as:

 

advesta sarva bhutanam ( non enemity to every one), maitrah karuna eva cha (

friendship and mercy), nirmamo nirahamkarah ( absence of selfishness, ego and

pride) et.... as depicted in 12th chapter, gita and 13th chapter gita.

 

namaste.

 

Krishna Kashyap

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

namaste,

 

one more thing I remembered is that in rAmAyana, in the very beginning for the

perfect person: the shlokas I remember are:

 

kOnvasmin sAmpratham lOke gunavAn kasca vIryavAn.

dharmajnascha kritajnascha satya vAkyo dridavrathah....

 

etc. it seems that several attributes are presented there to find the perfect

person. Such a perfect person described in vAlmIki rAmAyana is described to be

in a confused state, almost in a suicidal state, in yOga vAsistha in the

beginning itself. I know that I might be over reacting. However, the words are

clear in the text as I saw in the translation.

 

I appreciate if anyone who has studied the yOga vAsistha seriously can help.

 

regards,

namaste,

Krishna

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Never miss a thing. Make your home page.

http://www./r/hs

 

 

[Guest guest]

--- Krishna Kashyap <kvadavali wrote:

 

> 1. Is yOga vAsistha pre-shankaracharya? or

> post-shankaracharya? if pre, any reason he did not

> refer to it? which achArya, who is in the vedantic

> lineage has referred to it during the post-

> shankarcharya era? i am sure this previous question

> is sort of not relevant, since great atmajnanis like

> Ramanamaharshi might have seriously mentioned this

> text as very valid. In that case is there a

> difference in approach between acharyas like

> shankaracharya and practical atmajnanis like ramana

> maharshi?

 

 

1. It is difficult to pin point the dates of the

texts. There has not been enough research done on

this line. Mostly hear say.

 

Yoga vaashisTa is believed to be from 11th Century -

post Shankara - real author unknown. AshTaavakra Gita

- has the same problem. Shankara also did not refer to

Bhagavatam - that also is believed to be around

9th-10th Century. As I had mentioned Uddhavagiita - as

KrishNa's last teaching - the last but one chapter is

full of advaitic teaching. Shankara would have

referred to it, but mostly he restricted to prathaana

trayam.

 

No there is no difference in the teaching of Shankara

and Ramana Maharshi. Most of the advaitic students

study Ramana Maharshi's texts - Upadesha saara and sat

Darshan. Bhagavaan Ramana emphasized 'who am I?'

enquiry. Some of his disciples think that is all that

is needed. Upadesha saara Cleary spells out that the

need for understanding the identity of Brahman with

aatma is essential. This knowledge cannot come by just

Who am I inquiry unless it is further supported by

brahma aatma aikyatvam or mahaavaakya vichaara. That

is where Scriptural support is needed.

 

> 2. I heard the extreme vairAgya in yoga vAsistha is

> not clearly supported in vedas upanisads.

 

Vairagra in advaita Vedanta ultimately involved

renouncing the notion of I am 'this' - The rest of the

vairaagya is to withdraw the mind from extroverted

activities to concentrate on the Vedanta vicaara.

Krishna's 6th chapter is followed - A balanced way of

life without any extremities emphasized- neither

eating too much nor starving, etc. uktaahaara vihaara

.... etc

 

vairAgya

> is purely post buddhistic phenomena in hindu

> philosophy.

 

Krishna not sure about that - one has to withdraw the

mind from indulging in extraneous activities and

concentrate on the aadhyatma vidya. In fact for any

knowledge, one has to pay attention in the field of

study. I cannot watch TV all the time and expect to

get first class. I have withdraw my attention from

trivialities and redirect my mind to the studies. This

is true for any sucess -More so for subjective

investigation since the inquiry is subtle.

pariiksha lokaan karma citaan brahmano ..

emphasizes the maturity of the student to turn his

attention from normal way life to adhyaatma vidya.

 

definitely this world is :anityam

> asukham ... as given in gita itself....however,

> statements like ko hyevAnyAat kah pranyAt yadEsa

> akAsa Anando na syat: taittiriya ( which states :who

> can exist without that Ananda (God) does not exist.

 

Advaita Vedanta emphasizes that the ananda is not

something outside - it is the very nature of aatma

which is the same as Brahman - satyam jnaanam anantam

- and anantam eva anandam - limitless alone is ananda.

Brahmaananda comes only with the realization of aham

brahmaasmi.

 

Yoga VaashiShTa is to be studied only from the point

of teaching forgetting the story behind that brings

the student and the teacher together. Normally for

every Vedantic text there will be some introduction

bringing the student and the teacher together as in

the whole of First Ch. of Gita. Shankara gives

commentary only from sloka 11 of Ch. 2. The story is

to indicate 1. attitude of the Vedantic student, 2.

necessity of a teacher and 3. attitude of the teacher

to the student.

 

> 3. the same vAlmiki has painted a different picture

> of rAma who is an incarnation in the the famous

> valmIki rAmAyana.

 

Krishna - I would not give more importance to the back

ground story than the contents of the teaching.

Question is how the teaching is compatible or samanvya

with the teaching in the prastaanatraya, which are

basic pramaaNas for Vedanta.

 

I would not worry about whether Rama really needed

that teaching or not whether the author projected Rama

correctly or not. Here Rama is not important unless I

am more interested in the devotion to Rama than the

essence of the teaching. I will be more concerned

about what good is that teaching to me. Would the

teachings resolve the questions I have about the

nature of the reality. Issue is not whether Rama is

avataara and why did they project the way they did,

etc. If my concerns are on that, it is better to go

aadikaayam and bhagavatam. Yoga vaashiShta is meant

for something else. As for as I am concerned it could

have been any student and a any vedantic teacher. The

teaching is important - is it consistent with the

teaching in prastaantatrayam.

 

> Sri ShankarAcharya is believed to be an avatAr of

> Shiva.

 

Krishana -it is the Indian tradition to glorify a

teacher. According to Advaita, everybody is an

avataara - only differnece is some know it others yet

to know it. The faith in the teacher is important and

if these beliefs helpful to establish that faith, that

is good. What is needed is faith - shankara defines as

shaastraya guruvaakyasya satyabudhyaavadhaanam saa

shraddhaa-

the teaching of the shastras as interpreted by the

teacher is indeed true - is shraddhaa. We need that

teacher who directs the disciples to the scriptures as

the source of knowledge - is the Vedantic teacher

needed.

 

Considering the teacher as Iswara swaruupa helps to

surrender ones misconceptions easily.

 

The rest are all beliefs, which need not be questioned

since they are beliefs.

 

in these bhasyas.

> but in the case of yoga vAsistha and also another

> work 'ashtavakra gita " it seems a very high path,

> which is at a supreme advaitic state, very far away

> from the ordinary person today, who is struggling to

> get basic characteristics such as:

 

You should study - avadhuuta Gita. It baffles the

mind.

 

Hence teachers do not take up these texts for the

beginners - Mostly upanishads and B.G for the study,

not even Brahma suutras.

 

Many prakarana granthaas by aacharyas are taken since

they provide the essence of the teaching.

 

Ashtaavakra Gita, yogavaashiShTa, Avadhuuta Gita are

recommended during nidhidhyaasana stage after shravana

and mananam. So it would not help ordinary student he

would start questing why there are inconsistencies

between this text and the other texts without

realizing that the teaching is being given from

different perspectives.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

[Guest guest]

advaitin , Krishna Kashyap <kvadavali

wrote:

>

> namaste,

>

> one more thing I remembered is that in rAmAyana, in the very

beginning for the perfect person: the shlokas I remember are:

>

> kOnvasmin sAmpratham lOke gunavAn kasca vIryavAn.

> dharmajnascha kritajnascha satya vAkyo dridavrathah....

>

> etc. it seems that several attributes are presented there to find

the perfect person. Such a perfect person described in vAlmIki

rAmAyana is described to be in a confused state, almost in a suicidal

state, in yOga vAsistha in the beginning itself. I know that I might

be over reacting. However, the words are clear in the text as I saw

in the translation.

 

Namaste,

 

It is 'over-reacting' and for the wrong reasons too!

 

After completing his schooling, Rama returns home and then

goes on a pilgrimage. When he comes back he goes into a melancholy

mood, and when Vishvamitra comes to request Dasharatha and him to

help him overcome the Rakshasas who interrupted his yajnas, Rama

appears indifferent.

 

Of the 33 chapters of the first book, Vairagya Prakarana,

almost 25 are devoted to Rama's soliloquy on 'viShAda' (name of Ch.

10), similar to Arjuna's in Gita ch. 1-2.

 

It is a poetic masterpiece. Vasishtha's response follows in

the subsequent books.

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

namaste to everyone.

 

thanks sri sadanandaji and sri Sunder Ji for your clarifications.

 

I understand from the note from sri sadananda ji that yOga vAsistha could be a

11th century work ; this issue ascribes the work a different position than a

itihasa like

rAmAyana. I understand that just because it is a recent work relative to the

famous vAlmiki rAmAyana, it does not reduce the value of the work. It is also

true that original rAmAyana is a work on dharma, and some philosophical

doctrines. However, yOga vAsistha is a different kind of grantha. I do agree

that it has great poetic value. I have not read the book completely. I have some

work to do.

 

 

 

thanks

namaste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Looking for last minute shopping deals?

Find them fast with Search.

http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

 

 

[Guest guest]

praNams Shri Sadaji (and other elders),

 

advaitin , kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada

wrote:

> Ashtaavakra Gita, yogavaashiShTa, Avadhuuta Gita are

> recommended during nidhidhyaasana stage after shravana

> and mananam. So it would not help ordinary student he

 

Are there any good audio versions of ashtaavakra gita

available?

 

praNams to all Advaitins,

Ramakrishna

[Guest guest]

Shree Ramakrishna - PraNAms.

 

I am not sure about aSTaavakra gita, but yoga

vashiShTa, Swami Tejomayanandaji took his abridged

version for us several years ago. The audio may be

available at ChinmyaDC. You can check with them. It

may be available in India too - at Chinmaya Mission.

Not sure about the other text.

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda

--- Ramakrishna Upadrasta <ramakrsn

wrote:

 

> praNams Shri Sadaji (and other elders),

>

> advaitin , kuntimaddi

> sadananda <kuntimaddisada wrote:

> > Ashtaavakra Gita, yogavaashiShTa, Avadhuuta Gita

> are

> > recommended during nidhidhyaasana stage after

> shravana

> > and mananam. So it would not help ordinary student

> he

>

> Are there any good audio versions of ashtaavakra

> gita

> available?

>

> praNams to all Advaitins,

> Ramakrishna

>

>

[Guest guest]

On 20/01/2008, Krishna Kashyap <kvadavali wrote:

<<1. Is yOga vAsistha pre-shankaracharya? or post-shankaracharya? if

pre, any reason he did not refer to it? which achArya, who is in the

vedantic lineage has referred to it during the post- shankarcharya

era? >>

 

Precise dating of texts is difficult. A huge number of Sanskrit texts

are dated to anywhere between the 5th century and the 12th century and

the yoga-vASiShTha (YV) is one of them. That Sankara has not referred

to it does not mean much. Why should he refer to each and every text?

As it is, his literary output boggles the mind :-)

 

Among major historical vedAntins, vidyAraNya svAmI has referred to the

YV in his jIvanmuktiviveka. Most contemporary AcArya-s also have a

high opinion of the YV. SrI abhinavavidyAtIrtha particularly

recommended the YV and the vicArasAgara, just like Ramana Maharshi

 

<<2. i heard the extreme vairAgya in yoga vAsistha is not clearly

supported in vedas upanisads. vairAgya is purely post buddhistic

phenomena in hindu philosophy. definitely this world is :anityam

asukham ... as given in gita itself [........] however, the pure

vairAgya of the yoga vAsistha is not easy to justify in vedic, puranic

or itihasic literature. this is not my view but view of many learned

scholars.>>

 

This kind of viewpoint is peculiar to modern scholars. Please note

that the concept of saMnyAsa Ashrama is clearly attested to in the

oldest texts including the mahAbhArata. SrI Sankara quotes the jAbAla

upaniShat most often in the context of vairAgya/saMnyAsa. One can

speculate on whether the jAbAla upaniShat has any bauddha influence.

 

The primary contribution of the bauddha-s was the institutionalization

of saMnyAsa in the form of the sangha. Actually, the bauddha-s were

only one of several ascetic traditions that sprung up around the

7th-4th centuries BCE. The sAMkhyan-s who also emphasized vairAgya are

clearly pre-bauddha.

 

<<3. the same vAlmiki has painted a different picture of rAma who is

an incarnation in the the famous valmIki rAmAyana. however in

yogavAsistha he is painted as a confused rich prince.>>

 

The same characters are " recycled " in the various texts.

 

<<Sri ShankarAcharya is believed to be an avatAr of Shiva.

SankarAcharya's prasthAna traya bhasyAs have highlighted the need for

people to go away from vittEshana, putraisana, lokaisana. However

there seems to be a trend of " samanvaya dristi " or " justification and

support for different aspects such as karma,jnana, bhakti etc. in

these bhasyas. but in the case of yoga vAsistha and also another work

'ashtavakra gita " it seems a very high path, which is at a supreme

advaitic state, very far away from the ordinary person today>>

 

aShTavakra gItA's contents don't sound like a " path " at all to me.

They are more in the nature of a mukta's self-expression. Sankara

writes from within the context of the smArta system with its emphasis

on the shrauta-smArta mantra-shAstra, with the pUrva mImAMsaka-s as

his primary pUrvapakSha. Sankara's typical audience is the vedic

student who, having completed his formal vedic study, has developed a

high level of mumukShatvam.

 

One could compare aShTavakra gItA etc to some of Sankara's poetic

works such as the nirvANaShaTkam (in the sense of being a mukta's

self-expression), except that the classic dialogue context typical of

many Sanskrit texts is also present in the aShTavakra gItA.

 

The avadhUta gItA is also very similar.

 

Regarding the YV, it should be noted that the full text has 32,000

verses, and is hence larger than the main rAmAyaNa itself (which has

24,000 verses). The YV is more commonly available in abridged forms,

such as the classic laghu YV of abhinanda paNDita which has ~6,000

verses, and the 230 verse YV sAra published by Ramanashramam.

 

The abridged versions, claiming to teach the YV's essence, focus more

on the " higher " teachings - regarding saMnyAsa, vairAgya, advaita,

etc. The full (bR^ihat) YV, I am told, has a large dosage of teachings

on dharma, puruShArtha, etc, but I haven't even seen a copy of it yet!

 

Ramesh

[Guest guest]

namaste,

thanks Ramesh Ji for good background information on yOga vAsistha. I am reading

that text now.

Krishna Kashyap

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Pranams Kashyap-ji

One small comment.

Vairagya has always been embedded as THE cornerstone of mukti in our

Scriptures. It would be unwise to look at it as a " post-buddhistic

phenomena "

 

In the katha Up, Lord Yama tests Nachiketas for precisely this

quality by tempting him with riches, etc. And that wonderful young

lad replies " Transient are the things of mortals, O Lord

Yama,wearing away all the vigor of their senses. Even a full life is

short.Yours be the chariots; yours be the dance and song.A person

cannot be satisfied with wealth. " It is only then that Lord Yama

imparts to him Brahmavidya. He even begins his teaching by

repeatedly extolling the virtues of vairagya.

Without vairagya born of viveka - without being able to understand

the difference between - in Lord Yama's words - " the good and the

pleasant " - there is no scope for self-knowledge. In the Mundaka

Upanishad as well we have a phrase - " anya vaco vimunchata " - in

other words give up or have dispassion towards karma and karmaphala.

Also in the kaivalya " Na karmana, prajaya, dhanena " ..See also

Maiteyi's dialogue with Yajnavalkya.

 

I am not sure what you mean by " unhealthy " vairagyam. Certainly if

you read the beautiful chapter on Lord Rama's vairagya in the YV -

it is a wonderful and detailed account of how the vairagya vrtti has

taken birth in the antahkaranam of the stately Prince. The whole

chapter is filled with beautiful yet stark imageries that help one

glimpse a peek into the mind of a person with vairagyam. Witness for

example the part where Lord Rama talks about the sun and the moon

being two balls with which the Lord of Death plays - what a striking

imagery to indicate how Time is verily the Lord of Death! and how

ephemereal our relative existence is.

 

There is no question of " justifying " pure vairagya - pure vairagya

IS indispensible. The only so-called concession one can provide is -

how much vairagya one has is dependent on one's stage of spiritual

growth and development. In the Gita, Lord Krishna's immediate aim is

to help Arjuna not desert the battlefield without first having

cultivated the necessary internal purity and preparedness of his

mind. Hence an advice to him, (and to us), that through karmayoga we

can develop in ourselves the necessary internal equipment that can

help us develop a equanimous, pleasant mind that in turn, with

viveka, can develop higher and higher amounts of dispassion.

 

Ultimately vairagya has to be complete and total for jivanmukti to

take place.

 

Humble pranams,

Hari OM

Shyam

 

advaitin , Krishna Kashyap <kvadavali

wrote:

>

> 2. i heard the extreme vairAgya in yoga vAsistha is not clearly

supported in vedas upanisads. vairAgya is purely post buddhistic

phenomena in hindu philosophy. definitely this world is :anityam

asukham ... as given in gita itself....however, statements like ko

hyevAnyAat kah pranyAt yadEsa akAsa Anando na syat: taittiriya (

which states :who can exist without that Ananda (God) does not

exist. further it says Esa hyEvAnandayAti.. it is only he that can

bring ananda. further the gradations of ananda in taittiriya:

gandharva, deva gandharva... for whatever it may be worth are

probably convoluted anandas. however, the pure vairAgya of the yoga

vAsistha is not easy to justify in vedic, puranic or itihasic

literature. this is not my view but view of many learned scholars.

>