Out of six chapters in Yoga Vasishta, the two chapters Vairagya Prakaran (Dispassion) and Mumukshu Prakarana (yearning for liberation), are most important because what we really lack is dispassion and burning desire for liberation. Once we have these two qualifications everything falls in place. After these, there are three other chapters in Yoga Vasishta. They are on creation, sustenance and dissolution of the world and the last chapter that is biggest chunk of the book is Nirvana Prakarana (emancipation or liberation). The most important and unique aspect of Yoga Vasishta book is “seven steps to realisation”. We will not find this in any other book. We saw the word meaning of first shloka.

Yatah Sarvani bhutani

Pratibhanti sthitani ch

Yatraivopashamam yanti

Tasmai Satyatmane namah

This Mangalacharan shloka (peace invocation shloka) invokes blessings of teacher and god so the author can complete his writing; we as teacher and student can complete the study of this text. Also may we have grace of the Lord and so in our Sadhana this book fits in very well. It goes through us when we go through it. The essence is given right here..Tasmai ..to that Satya Atma I salute. What is Satya Atma that is given in the first three quarters. Yatah Sarwani bhutani Pratibhanti,..that from which all beings shine forth which means - they derive their chaitanya (consciousness). This consciousness aspect is understood as “life” in living beings but it also pervades everything, all insentient as well. This is something we shall see in detail in this verse. It forms the substratum over which the entire play is seen or comprehended. Sthitanich.. all these being also derive sustained existence from this consciousness. Yatra Eva Upashamam yanti… that alone in which these beings get dissolved. To that Satya Atma is my salutation.

Now we shall see in detail each word here. First of all let us see what Satya is because we said Satya Atmane Namaha. What is this Satya? Satya in our worldly language means - “that which is true or Truth”. In Vedanta Shastra Satya means - “that which is true forever”. Now when I say “forever” we may go by the periods of time “past, present and future” but this “time” itself is a concept. To define eternal we are making use of something that is non-eternal. That should not be the way to define eternal. If we think like this then we will know that there is no way to define what is eternal. In short, we cannot define, we cannot give any intellectual meaning, to this word Satya, but, since we have to, we will have to use some ideas. That is how we start. So, simple definition that is given is “Abadhyatwam Satyatwam”. What is Badhyatwam? That which is falsified is called Badhyatwam. So, that “which is not falsified in any state of experience” that is Abadhyatwam(unfalsified). That is Satyam.

Now let us come down to our individual life.  I as an individual, go through three states of experiences, Waking, Dream and Deep Sleep. All my experiences are in these three states. That, which remains the same in all these three, is Satyam, because other things that are true in waking are not in dream, which are there in dream are not in deep sleep. Every object that I see in waking and dream is negated, falsified in deep sleep. Please note when I say “deep sleep”, I mean “dreamless sleep”. This first verse itself sets the target where we are and where we should be. Highest form of meditation is here. Slowly we shall see different techniques also. So, that which is not falsified in any state of my experience, that is Satyam. What is not falsified in any of my states of experience? - “I, the true Self”, because even ego gets falsified in deep sleep. We don’t have any experience. When we are fast asleep there is no recording of any experience, but when we wake up we know that “there was no recording”. That knowing principle, that awareness that knows that there were no experiences in deep sleep, that is “I”. The state in which “I have no registration of any experience” that is deep sleep. When I wake up then I realise that I did not experience anything, so I know that there was absence of objects in my deep sleep. That knowledge is “I”. Here salutation is done to that “I”.

Now we may say, why salutation, if that is “I, myself”, because we are used to other texts where there is salutation to some beings. But, here salutation is done to Supreme Self. Salutation here means “identifying with that Highest”. Every time Salutation means the same, either surrender or making connection. If I salute to Lord Krishna or Lord Rama or Lord Shiva what I am doing is “establishing a connection”. If I need a form then I use it. Here connection is made to that Reality. Now that connection is “as though” lost, because actually I don’t have to make connection with myself in reality. But here, since we think we are somebody else, we have to do this and that we shall see, as Lord Rama Himself will say, “I think I am lost”. This is how He will tell Vishwamitra and story will unfold. So that is Satyam.

We know that Satyam is Existence and here it is said Yatah Sarwani Bhutani Pratibhanti that Pratibhanti is Jnaanam, consciousness and Sarwani Bhutani, all beings means charaachara, everything including space. Space is also bhuta and that is why we say pancha mahabhuta(five great elements). Sarwani Bhutani means everything is included, which means anantam, So Satyam, Jnanam, Anantam..Upanishad says that is Brahman. So, that which is Brahma is here also referred as Atma. So, that Brahma Atma Aikya has been established in the first verse itself – “That which is existence, consciousness, and infinite” that is “Atma”.

Now you will say what is the need of establishing this? Vedanta is “Conclusion of Vedas”. Vedasya Antaha. Bhagwan Shankaracharyaji has summarised conclusion of Vedas as - “Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva na paraha”. Shankaracharyaji says - Shlokardhena pravakshami yaduktam Grantha Kotibhihi (in half shloka I will tell you what is the essence of “all scriptures”). That essence is “Brahman is Truth. Jagat is Mithya. Jiva is none other than Brahman”, which means “Atma is Brahman”. So, here in this first verse that has been indicated, which means this text is also “Vedanta Shastra”. It does not deviate from the philosophy of non-duality.

You will say, we are more interested in how this will transform my life. Let us see the word Atma. That “I” that we saw is Atma and for Atma also there is a definition - Yatchapnoti Yat Adatte, that which apnoti means vyapnoti that which pervades. Yatchati Vishayaniha that which also enjoys the objects Yatchaasye Santato bhavaha. Yat cha Asya Santato bhavaha that which also remains all the time, Tasmat Atmeti Kirtate. What in brief this Atma is – in my waking state it enjoys all the objects, when I say enjoys that does not mean eating or doing something. Even if I see, it is enjoyment because it is sense perception. So, my eyes are getting some comfort. Any seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, smelling all that is enjoyment, so in waking whatever goes on, by that, mind is getting gratified, experiences something. In dream state it alone projects the entire world. When I see my dream where does the material come from for that world to be created? It comes from my mind. My mind alone created the entire world and in deep sleep it alone remains because there is absence of objects. That is Atma. This is the definition of Atma. So, in my life, if I want to practice this verse, then it can be done by shifting my attention from my waking, dream or deep sleep experiences, to that which is present all the time, that is what is indicated here.

How should I shift my attention? This is the most powerful technique of meditation. There is one substratum on which there is waking, dream and deep sleep. Substratum is always there. Waking is there then it disappears then dream comes then that disappears then deep sleep comes and I am all the time present so I am this. This is the mediation technique. Another meditation is on this “Satya” and that is “everything exists because I exist”. So, from whatever I see, I shift my attention to “I as an existence”. This watch exists. How do I know or who knows “I know”? “I”. So immediately shift the attention to “I”. So, when I sit down for mediation, I have lots of thoughts coming in. When these thoughts come, “thought exists”. Thought may be of anything. Shifting attention from “nature of thought” to “existence of thought” and from “existence of thought” to “my existence”. You see these are very powerful meditation techniques. All the other mediation techniques that people do breathe in and breathe out etc. are very basic meditation techniques. Here directly existence, which means no thought can bother us. Even when disaster takes place we don’t pay attention to that disaster. We go to existence. That’s all. Stay there. We will say this is so difficult. True, that is why we have to study the text. Otherwise for most qualified student, this is enough, just this one verse.

How do we get there? We already saw that nature of Self, the individual self “Atma” has been equalled with “Brahman”. There is one important shruti that also does this and that is in Taitriya it is said

Yatowa Imani bhutani jayante

Ye na jatani Jivanti

Yat prayanti abhishamvishanti

Same thing is given here. Yatowa Imani bhutani jayante – That from which all beings are born so birth, Ye na jatani jivanti – They continue their existence and Yat prayanti abhishiyanti – they also merge back in this. So authority of scripture is also there.

Now let us see if somebody says what is this “sarwani bhutani” because if you are saying that there is only one Self then how can there be multiple beings? Where is this plurality coming from? See sarwani bhutani is from vyavaharic standpoint. When I say all pots are nothing but mud or clay, that means all pots are just name and forms. In reality there is only one substance, so from all these names and forms, the teacher wants our attention to go to that one substance. That is the idea here. All these pots are made up of clay, so clay is called “material cause” otherwise known as “upadan karanam”. Material means that which is used to prepare the object. Of course when there is clay we need pot-maker, potter, who can make pots. He is the efficient cause. So, we have material cause and efficient cause to make something. In modern world we call this as material and man. Now let us see how this world is created because even if it is said that all these beings are from one thing, we are not easily convinced. We have questions. So, there are different people having different standpoints about how this world is created. We will just see in brief what these are. Some people say that there was God and he transformed himself to become this world and Lord is gone now. This is one standpoint. Just like there was milk. Milk is now transformed into yogurt and milk has lost its identity, God is gone. This is one standpoint which is not valid because if that was the case then how would this world continue to function? And there is strict order, harmony in this creation. Second standpoint is, there was God like pot maker and there was material like clay and He created the world and He is watching, staying apart from this. We may ask this question where the material came from. One may say – “Oh..Material was there”, but then “There… where and how ?” If somebody else created that material then that person is real God because he had power to create material. And if this individual created which we call God, then this God is creator of material as well. This we have to understand because we are intellectuals and we think. If God did not create material then who created it? And if He created “from where” did He create? Ask systematic questions. Let us say He created from Himself. Then everything is fine. If we say no no..He created from something then who created that “something”? Ultimately we have to derive that there is one super power called God because there cannot be many Truths. Otherwise same conflict will continue with God and this God is then conditioned. If there are many then there are limitations and there is always fear of others in regard to our status, power, position etc. So, God means “only one truth” and that truth is “material cause” as well as “efficient cause” both. It cannot be different.

When we establish this, the only example we can think of in our worldly life where material cause and efficient cause are one and the same that is our dream. Think! In dream I create my world through my mind and mind alone projects it. So, mind is the efficient cause and mind also provides material because all of that is projection of mind and it gets dissolved when I wake up from my dream. That means reality of this waking world is similar to reality of my dream world and this will be emphasised in various verses in different ways. At one stroke so many ideas are given. Every time we chant this first verse, Mangala Charan, we should be able to use these meditation techniques in our thinking and rest of the day we should be able to maintain this idea.

How can we practice this in our life? It is like if I see somebody’s photograph, how do I remember that individual? I remember I had such a great time with him/her and that time he fed me this. In the same way this one verse should be able to shift our attention. So, when we know meaning then only it is possible to have that closeness, that it is talking about “Me”. Remember this Atma is “Me” which means all of us. We should not think Salutation to this Atma which is “somewhere else”. Not like that. This is “I”. When I shift my attention, all my thoughts will get transformed. Think more and more on this verse - How these three states waking, dream and deep sleep are supported by I and reality of waking state is only as much as of dream state.

This is peace invocation. Somebody may say, I don’t know if peace has been invoked or more agitations have come in, but we shall maintain this line of thinking throughout.

Now there are some other technical points like how world is used to indicate the substratum, so that is called “Tatastha lakshana”. Something else is used to indicate what we are interested in. For example if I am walking here and somebody says, “Who is Brahmachari Prabodh Chaitanya here”? Then somebody might say..oh that guy in yellow. That means “cloth” is used to indicate “me”. Now at some other time I may not be wearing yellow clothes then they will say we don’t know who Prabodh Chaitanya is if they don’t remember my face. But, those who know me directly will say..Oh this tall guy, and all the other specifications they will give, then that is “swaroopa lakshana”. My nature is directly pointed out. Whether I am sitting here or there, they can know me. So, swaroop lakshana is direct indication. Here “world” and “beings” are used to indicate “Self”. That is Tatastha Lakshana. But, we should remember world does not have to continue to exist. Even if world is not there, “Self remains” and to that Self is my Salutations, which means “my identification”. “I know myself as one with this Satya Atma” - That is Salutation.

Qualification of student who is fit for this is given in second verse. Very simple qualification is given. Long list is not given like Viveka chudamani.

Aham baddho vimuktah syam

Iti yasyasti nishchayah

Natyantam adnyo no tadnyoho

Sosmin shastre dhikarwan

Before going into this let me explain what Yoga is and what Vasishta is. Yoga means “uniting this individuality to Totality”. I am not different from that Total universal absolute truth. That is real Yoga and that Yoga has been indicated in first verse here - That Satya Atma is that from which everything is born, by which it is sustained and into which everything gets dissolved. What is Vaasishta? Vaasishta means that which is of Vasishta.

Now coming back to second verse, “Aham baddho vimuktah syam Iti yasyasti nishchayah” means determination of the student that “I am bound and I want to be free”. “Natyantam adnyo no tadnyoho” means “not very ignorant and not very knowledgeable”. One who has these qualifications is the fit student to study this text. Who is bound? One who thinks that perceived world is real is bound. If we know that this world is not giving me joy and bliss as it should, then we are fit student for this text. There are three levels – First is where one thinks that “I am this body”. Second is where one thinks “I am in this body”. Third is where one knows that “I am not only in this body but both inside and outside.” The first level is of total ignorance. This scripture is not for someone at first level. One who is at third level is the “knower of the Truth”. This scripture is not for someone at third level. This scripture is for the one who is at second level. The one who is neither “totally ignorant” nor “Knower of the Truth” is the qualified student for this text.  A healthy person does not go to a doctor.  A sick person unaware of his sickness does not go to a doctor. Only a person who is not healthy and knows about his sickness goes to a doctor.

This does not mean that only qualified student should listen to this text. However, the qualified student is the one who will benefit the most from this text. A parable of the “Sower and the Seed” in the bible says that the seeds are thrown everywhere, however their bounty is great only when they fall on fertile land.