Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (6.1): Nirvāna-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 6: Nirvāna-Prakarana (On ultimate extinction). Chapter 15 - Vasistha's Visit to Bhuśanda

Vasistha continued- I saw the kalpa tree on the top of one of these peaks, which was girt by its branches on all sides; and covered with flowers appearing as tufts of hairs on its head.

This tree was covered with the dust of its flowers, which shrouded it as a thick mist or cloud; and its flowers shown as bright as brilliant gems upon it; its great height reaching to the sky, made it appear as a steeple or pinnacle standing upon the peak. ¹

Its flowers were twice as much as the number of stars in heaven, and its leaves redoubled the clouds in their bulk and thickness. Its filaments were more shining than the flash of lightning, and the pollen of the flowers were brighter far than the circumvent beams of the radiant sun. ²

The songs of the sylphs dwelling on the branches of this tree, resounded to the buzz of the humming bees, and the nimble feet and waving palms of the Apsaras in their sportive dance on every leaflet, reduplicated the number of the leaves as much again. ³

The spirits of the aerial Siddhas and Gandharvas hovering on this tree, far out-­numbered the number of birds that flocked and fluttered about it; and the greyish frost which wrapped it as a gemming mantle, out-shone the glossy rind which served for its raiment of fine linen.

The top of this tree touches the lunar sphere, and by deriving its moisture from that humid planet, yields its fruits of larger size than the orb, of the moon itself. And the clouds gathering about its trunk, have doubled the size of its joints. ⁴

The gods rested on the trunk of this tree, and the Kinnaras reposed themselves on its leaves, the clouds covered its arbours, and the Asuras slept on its banks?

The Fairies repelled their mates by the sound of their bracelets, as the bees put the beetles to flight by their busy buzzing and sucked the honey from the flower up to their fill. ⁵

The arbour of desire extends on all sides of the sky, and fills the space of the whole, world by embodying the gods and demigods and men and all kinds of living beings in it. ⁶

It was full of its blooming buds and blossoms, and was covered with its tender leaves and leaflets, it was fraught with its flourishing flowers, and had graced the forest all around.

It flushed with its filaments, and abounded with its gemming florets; it was replete with its radiant gestures and ornamented trappings, to afford to the wants of its votaries, and it was ever in a flurry with sportive dance of the tender plants and creepers all around it.

It was full laden with flowers on all sides, and was abundant with its fruits on all its branches, and being fraught with the copious farina of its flowers, which it lavished and scattered on all its sides, it became charming and attractive of all hearts towards it.

I saw flock of the feathered tribe fluttering about the happy .bowers, or resting about the broad boughs and branches of the tree; some of these were reposing in the coverts of the leafy arbour, and others pecking the flowers and fruits with their bills.

I saw the storks and geese which are the vehicles of Brahmā, feeding on fragments of lotus-stalks, resembling the digits.of the bright moon in whiteness; and picking, the bulbous roots of the arjuna and lotus plants in the lakes.

The goslings of the geese of Brahmā, muttered the onkāra, the initial syllable of the Veda, as they were addicted in it by their preceptor the god- Brahmā himself.

I saw the parrots with their blue pinions resembling the blue clouds of heaven, and beheld their red dusk beaks shining as the flash of lightning's, and uttering their shrill sound in the manner of the swāhā of the Veda. ⁷

I saw also the green parrots of the god of fire, scattered all about like the green cusa grass lying scattered on the sacrificial alter of the gods; and I beheld the young peacocks with their crests glowing as the glistening flames of fire.

I saw there the groups of peacocks fostered by the goddess Gauri. ⁸, as also the big peacocks belonging to the god Kumāra; I beheld likewise the vehicle of Skanda, which are versed in knowledge. ⁹

I saw there many bulky and big bodied birds, that are born to live and breed and die away in their natal air, and never alight on the nether ground. These were as white as the clouds of autumn and nestles with their mates in air, and are commonly known under the name of Aerial Birds.

I saw the goslings of the breed of Brahmā's geese, and the younghngs of the brood of Agni's parrots. I beheld the big breed of the peacocks forming the vehicles of war god.

I saw the Bharadvāja and I saw there many other kinds of big birds. ¹⁰. I saw also kalavinka sparrows, the little cranes and pelicans and cuckoos and vultures likewise and cranes and cocks.

I saw likewise a great variety of other birds as the Bhāsas, Cāsas and partridges of many kinds, whose numbers are no less than all the living animals of this earth taken together. ¹¹

I then began to pray from my ethereal seat, and through the thickening leaves of the tree to the nest of the bird; amidst the hollows of far distant boughs towards the south.

After some time I came to descry at a distance a body of ravens, sitting in rows like leaves of the branches, and resembling the streaks of sable clouds on either sides of the lokāloka- horizon. ¹²

Here, I beheld a while afterwards, a lonely branch with a spacious hollow in it. It was strewn over with various flowers and redolent with a variety of perfumes. ¹³

It was as the happy abode of virtuous women in heaven, which are perfumed with sweet scenting clusters of flowers, and there the crows were sitting in rows, as they were perfectly freed from all cares and sorrows.

Their great group appeared as the big body of a cloud, separated from the tumultuous air of the lower atmosphere and resting on the calm firmament of the upper sky; and the venerable Bhuśunda was seen sitting quietly with his exalted body.

He sat there as an entire sapphire shining prominent amongst, fragments of glass, and seemed to be of a stout heart and mind, and of a dignified mean and graceful appearance.

Being heedful of the rule of the restriction of his respiration and suppression of his voice, he was quite happy with his long longevity, and was renowned every where as a long lived pass. ¹⁴

He witnessed the course of ages and periods, and marked their advent and exodus in repeated succession; and was thereby known as the time worn Bhuśunda in this world, and a being of stout unflinching mind.

He was weary with counting the revolutions of the Kalpa cycles, and with recounting the returns of the preserving divinities of the world; such as the Śivas, Indras, the gods of the winds and other.

He was the chronicler of all antiquity, and the recorder of the wars of the gods and demons and the hurling of the high hills in heaven; and yet he was of a clear countenance and profound mind; he was complacent to all, and his words are as sweet as honey.

This old seer related distinctly all that was unknown and indistinct to other, he was wanting in his egotism and selfishness, and was the lord over all his friends and children, and his servants and their seniors and he was the true narrator of all things at all times.

His speech was clear and graceful, sweet and pleasing, and his heart was as tender as the cooling lake, and as soft as the lotus-flower; he was acquainted with all usages and customs and the depth and profoundness of his knowledge, ever the serenity of his appearance.

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