Recently I had an opportunity to study Yog Vashishtha and I was immediately struck with the similarity of message with Gita and almost₹ diametrically opposite context of two books. Gita being much more popular, most of us know its setting and context . It is really fascinating to know the setting and context of Yog vashisht so let me recount that in a little more detail.
The story begins with maharishi Valmiki and Bharadwaj. Rishi Bharadwaj was a disciple of Maharishi Valmiki and Valmiki taught him the epic poem of Ramayana which he had composed. Bharadwaj became very proficient in recounting the epic and once he went to Mandar parvat and sang Ramayana before Brahma. Brahma was very pleased and told Bharadwaj to ask for a boon. Bhardwaj asked for every living being to become free of misery and also asked Brahma to tell him the means of achieving that. Brahma told him to go back to Valmiki and learn about character of Sri Ram in more detail. By following the character of Sri Ram anyone can be free of all miseries of life and achieve perfect bliss. Bharadwaj went back to Valmiki and told him about this. Valmiki then composed the verses of yog vashisht which are about the time Sri Ram became very despondant after completing his education and returning from pilgrimage. He lost all interest in the worldly pleasures, not in the manner of an evolved soul but rather in a miserable sort of way . As someone who had realised the temporary nature of these pleasures but not yet fully understood the nature of reality , self and eternal bliss. So he was sent to the gurukul of Maharishi Vashishth to gain knowledge of self , world and the nature of reality. An intense dialogue ensued between Vashishth and Ram.All questions of Sri Ram about how the universe came into existence, how it progresses. What is the nature of life and consciousness, time and space, ultimate reality etc were answered. This whole discourse interspersed with various allegorical stories and incidents forms the bulk of Yog Vashishth.
This is a brief background of the book. Both Gita and Yog Vashishth are essentially about advait vedant and application of knowledge of advait in daily life for a meaningful and worthwhile life.
Whereas Gita is shruti prasthan, ie direct word of Ishwar, Yog Vashishth is about knowledge imparted by highly knowledgeable Rishi to an avatar of Ishwar. Arjun , received this knowledge towards the latter part of his life while Ram was an adolescent,about to embark on his life's journey,when he received this knowledge .
Yog Vashishth is a much older book and expounds much older and purer version of Sanatan Dharma and vedic sanskriti . Description of the origin of universe and its expansion is mind blowing and pure science . Nothing is expected to be believed on faith alone and by meditation on the meaning of the stories all questions are answered and just like Ram, one is able to lead a virtuous and meaningful life.
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