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Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 5: Upaśama-Khanda (On Quietism). Chapter 8 - Song of the Siddhas or Holy Adepts

Vasistha continued: There lives the mighty king of the Videhas (Tirhutians) Janaka by name, who is blessed with all prosperity and unbounded understanding.

He is as the ever fruitful kalpa tree to the host of his suitors, and as the vivifying sun to his lotus-like friends; he is as the genial spring to the florets of his relatives, and as the God Cupid of females.

Like the dvijarāja or changeful moon, he gives delight to the dvija- or twice born Brāhmanas, as that luminary gives the lilies to bloom; and like the luminous sun he destroys the darkness of his gloomy enemies. He is an ocean of the gems of goodness to all, and the support of his realm, like Visnu the supporter of the world.

He chanced on a vernal eve to wander about a forest, abounding in young creepers with bunches of crimson blossoms on them, and resonant with the melody of mellifluous kokilas, warbling in their tuneful choirs.

He walked amidst the flowery arbours, resembling the graceful beauties with ornaments upon them, and sported in their bowers as the God Vāsava disports in his garden of Nandana. (Paradise).

Leaving his attendants behind him, he stepped to a grove standing on the steppe of a hill, in the midst of that romantic forest, which was redolent with the fragrance of flowers borne all about by the playful winds.

He heard in one spot and within a bower of tāmala trees, a mingled voice as that of some invisible aerial spirits (siddhā), proceeding from it.

I will now recite to you, O lotus-eyed Rāma! the songs of the siddhas, residing in the retired solitudes of mountainous regions, and dwelling in the caverns of hills, and which relate principally to their spiritual meditations.

The Siddhas sang: We adore that Being which is neither the subjective nor objective, ¹; and which in our beliefs is the positive felicity, that rises in our souls, and has no fluctuation in it.

Others chanted: We adore that Being which is beyond the triple states of the subject, its attribute and its object; ². It is the light of that soul, or spiritual light which exists from before the light of vision, which is derived from the light of the sun. ³

Others chanted: We adore that Being, which is in the midst of all what is and what is not, ⁴; and that spiritual light, which enlightens all lightsome objects.

Some sang: We adore that real existence which is all, whose are all things, and by whom are all made, from whom have all sprung, for whom they exist, in whom they subsist, unto whom do all return, and into which they are all absorbed.

Some carolled: We adore that Spirit, which begins with the letter a and ends in h with the dot m; ⁵; and which we continually inspire and respire in our breathings. (aham) hansah.

Others said: Those who forsake the God-Isa, that is situated within the cavity of their hearts (hrd), and resort to others, that are without them, are verily in search of trifles by disregarding the gem kaustabha ⁶; which is placed in their hands.

Others again declared: It is by forsaking all other desires, that one obtains this object of his wish; and this being had, the poisonous plants of all others desires, are entirely uprooted from the heart.

Some of them pronounced saying: The foolish man who knowing the insipidity of all worldly things, attaches his mind to earthly object, is an ass and no human being.

Others said: The sensual appetites, which incessantly rise as snakes from the cavities of the body, are to be killed by the cudgel of reason, as Indra broke the hills by his thunder-bolts.

At last they said: Let men try to secure the pure happiness of quietism, which serves to give tranquility to the minds of the righteous. The sober-minded that are situated in their real and natural temperament, have their best repose in the lap of undisturbed and everlasting tranquility.

Footnotes

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