Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (6.2): Nirvāna-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 6: Nirvāna-Prakarana (On ultimate extinction) - part 2. Chapter 180 - Brahma Gītā or the story on austere devotee

Rāma rejoined: I pray you sir, to remove the shade of a doubt from my mind, as the sunshine dispels the darkness from before it; in order to bring to light whatever is dark and obscure in the world.

I beheld once a self-governed ascetic, who came to the seminary, where I was sitting amidst the synod of the sages and learned men, and conversing on subjects of theology and divinity.

He was a learned Brāhmana, and of a godly appearance; he came from the land of the Videhas or the Mithilās, and was practised in religious austerities, and was as unbearable in the lustre of his person as the terrific seer Durvāsas self.

On entering the assembly, he made his obeisance to the illustrious persons; when we also saluted him in return and advanced his seat for hire to sit down.

The Brāhmana being well seated, I picked up many discourses with him from the Vedānta, sāmkhya, and siddhānta philosophy, and when his weariness was gone, I made this question to him saying:-­

Sir, you seem to be tired with your long journey to this place, please tell me, O eloquent sir, from where you have started here today.

The Brāhmana replied: So it is, O fortunate prince, I have taken great pains to come up to this place; and now hear me to tell you the reason, that bring me hither to you.

There is a district here, known by the name of Vaideha, it is equally populous as well as prosperous in all respects; and is a resemblance of its semblance of the heavenly paradise.

There I was born and educated, and held my residence at the same place; and named as Kundadanta from the whiteness of my teeth, bearing resemblance to the buds of Kunda flowers.

I resigned afterwards my worldly concerns, and betook myself to travel far and wide about this earth; and resorted to the asylums of holy sages and saints, and to the shrines of Gods to rest from my fatigue.

I retired next to sacred mountain, where I sat silent for a long period, practising my devotional austerities.

There I found a desert, which was devoid of grassy pastures and woody trees; and where the light of the sun and the shade of night, reigned by turns, as it was the open sky on earth.

There is in the midst of it a branching tree, with little of its verdant leaves and leaf lets; and the luminous sun dispensed his gentle beams, from the upper sky and through cooling foliage.

There hung suspended under one of its boughs, a man of a holy mien; who blazed as the resplendent sun pendant in the open air, the cords of his wide extending beams and radiating rays.

His feet were tied upwards by a clotted cord of muñja grass, and his head hung downward towards the ground beneath; and this gave him the appearance of an offshoot of the banian tree rooted in the earth below.

Having then after a while, approached to him at that place, I saw him to have his two folded palms affixed to his breast, ¹.

Advancing nearer to the body of the Brāhmana. I found it to be alive by its respiration, and from its having the feeling of touch, and the perception of heap and cold, and that of the breeze and change of weather.

Afterwards I employed myself solely, in my attendance on that devout personage only; and under went all the rigours of the sun and seasons, until I was received into his confidence.

I then asked him saying; who are you lord, that has thus betaken yourself to this sort of painful devotion; say, O long sighted seer, what is the aim and object of this your protracted state of self mortification at the peril-expense of your precious life.

He then replied to my question saying:- Tell me first O devotee, what is the object of your devotion and those of all other persons, that are devoted to the particular objects of their pursuit. ²

This he said as introductory to his speech to me; but being pressed further by my importunate inquiries, he gave the following answer to my questions.

I was born, said he, at Mathurā where I grew up from childhood to youth in the house of my father; and acquired my knowledge of philology and the art in course of this time.

I then learnt this also, that princes are the receptacles of all pleasures and enjoyments, at that it is the early bloom of youth, that is capable of the fruition's of life.

Since then I began to reflect on my being the possessor of the seven continents of the earth; and to foster the ardent expectation, of the gratification of all my desires of this life.

It is for this purpose that I have come to this place, and have employed myself in this state of devotion, for attainment of objects of my desire.

Therefore, O you disinterested and self offered friend of mine, do you now return to your own country and desired abode; and leave me to remain in this state, with my firm resolution for the accomplishment of my desired object.

Being thus bid by him to depart from that place, listen you now to what I replied unto him; this you will wonder at its rehearsal, and the wise will be gladdened in their hearts to learn.

I addressed him saying:- O holy saint, let me remain here at your service, and underneath this holy tree, until you obtain the desired boon of your devotion.

On my saying so, the meek minded devotee, remained as cool and quiet as a block of stone, and with his closed eye-lids, he persisted in his dormancy as a dead body, without any motion in his outer limbs.

I too continued to stay before him, a quiet and quiescent as a block of wood, and endured without shrinking the rigours of the climate and seasons, for full six months at that spot.

I saw at one time, effulgent as the blazing sun, descending from the solar orb, and then standing in presence of the devotee.

As this deific personage was adored mentally by the ascetic, and by bodily prostration of myself; he uttered his words, in a tone as sweet as the exudation of ambrosial sweetness.

He said; O painstaking Brāhmana, that has long been pendant on the projected bough of this branching banian tree, suspend your severe austerities, and accept your desired boon, which I am ready to confer on you.

You shall as you wish, reign over the seven oceans and continents of this earth; and with this present body, you shall rule over it, for seven thousand years.

In this manner did this secondary sun, give his blessing to the devout ascetic; and was prepared to plunge into the bosom of the ocean out of which he rose of himself. ³

The Deity having departed, I accosted the ascetic hanging below the branch, and said to him I witnessed to day what I had heard from before, that the gods are ever propitious to their suppliant.

Now O Brāhmana, as you have gained the object of your desire, it is desirable that you should give up your austerity, and pursue the proper callings and the course of your life.

He having assented to my proposal, I ascended on the tree and loosened his feet therefrom; as they let loose the feet of an elephant from the fetters tied to its prop and post.

Having then bathed himself, he made his offerings with his pure hands for the remission of his sins; and then with the fruits which he was fortunate to pluck from the tree, he broke the fast of his long lent.

It was by virtue of his meritorious devotion, that we obtained plenty of the delicious fruits of that holy tree, where upon we refreshed ourselves, and subsisted for three days.

Thus this Brāhmana being desirous of obtaining the sovereignty of the earth, consisting of the septuple continents girt by the seven oceans all around, made his painful maceration with his uplifted feet and downward head, until he obtained desired boon from the god of day, and refreshed himself for three days at the spot, till at last both of us set out on our journey towards the city of Mathurā.

Footnotes

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