[Chaturamnaya] Nectar drops from Yogavāsiṣṭha - 1

[S Jayanarayanan]

( From "Voice of Jagadguru", May 2018:
https://portal.voiceofjagadguru.com/uploads/magazines/69c921f4e80de_main.pdf )
 
 
The Yogavāsiṣṭha also known as Jñānavāsiṣṭha, Mahārāmāyaṇa, Ārṣarāmāyaṇa, Vāsiṣṭharāmāyaṇa or simply as Vāsiṣṭha is a
well-known text of Vedānta. Though narrated in the style of the Purāṇas, it is deeply philosophical in content and
rational in its approach to Truth and Reality. The original work which is given by sage Vālmīki consists of nearly
30,000 Shlokas. Śrī Abhinandana of Kashmir compiled this Yogavāsiṣṭha original into 6000 slokas which is famously
known as “Laghu Yogavāsiṣṭha”. To make it easy for the learners, Śrī Jnānānanda Bharatī Swāmiji compiled into 1700 Slokas
which gives the essence of Yogavāsiṣṭha.
 
The Yogavāsiṣṭha actually is propounded in the form of Dialogue between the Guru (Vasiṣṭha) and Śiṣya (Rāma, the hero
of Rāmāyaṇa). In this Yogavāsiṣṭha full verses, we will see not less than 55 stories related to spirituality which is
full of Vedānta. This Yogavāsiṣṭha is an important grantha to be known by all seekers of Self-Knowledge. Men of all
tastes, literary, religious and philosophical, find interest in it. It is really one of the so many wonders of India’s
spiritual literatures and surely the best companion for the one who is anxious to realize Cosmic Consciousness and
spiritual Peace. The noble readers who has the fortune of studying Yogavāsiṣṭha share the view and others who are going
to study earnestly will not differ much.
 
The saying about Yogavāsiṣṭha among the Vedāntins, is that it is a work of the Siddhāvāsthā, i.e., for the Philosopher-yogi,
who, having mastered the theory, is passing on to the practice of it. Vasiṣṭha taught to Rāma in a brief way the Philosophy.
>From this edition we will drink the taste of some drops of Nectar from Yogavāsiṣṭha. The stories of Yogavāsiṣṭha will
be given separately in a short way later and the main verses will be given now. Let us pray at the Lotus feet of our
Āchāryas to bless us to enjoy and learn Yogavāsiṣṭha and get blessed.
 
 
(To be Continued)