Have you ever wondered whether the world we see is real, or just an illusion? In the story of Leela that Sage Vasistha tells Rama, this visible universe is nothing other than Chidakasha, the space of pure consciousness. Just as a carving exists within the pillar it is carved from, the world exists within the nature of Brahman itself — it appears separate and solid only to the eyes of the ignorant.
The world we see every day — houses, people, trees, the sky above us — is any of it truly real? Or is it a grand illusion conjured by our own minds? Have you ever noticed how a dream, so vivid while it lasts, simply vanishes the moment you wake up — and wondered if this waking world might be just the same?
Rama once asked Sage Vasistha this very question. In answer, the sage begins one of the most remarkable stories in the scriptures — the tale of a queen named Leela, her husband Padma, and the strange, wondrous events that unfolded between them. Listen to this story, and the nature of the universe itself — how it comes into being — will become clear to you.
The Fourth Day of Discourse Begins
A hush fell over the assembly hall. In Sage Vasistha’s eyes there shone a deep, quiet intensity. Recalling what he had taught on the third day, he began to speak once more.
Vasistha said, “O Rama! Yesterday, on the third day, we established that this visible world is nothing but Chidakasha, the space of consciousness, and nothing else. Now let us step into the discourse of the fourth day.”
The assembly leaned in, listening with rapt attention, as Vasistha continued his teaching.
Sage Vasistha: Just as a clear sky can give rise to the illusion of shapes and forms, this illusion of the world arises from the pure, untainted Self. A carving of a pillar remains nothing but stone, just as the pillar it was carved from was stone — is that not so? In the same way, this world, carved as it were out of the pillar of pure consciousness, is nothing other than that very consciousness.
A Carving with No Sculptor
Vasistha’s words sent the assembly into deep thought. He began to draw out, point by point, the difference between an ordinary carving and this carving we call the universe.
For a figure to take shape within a block of stone, he explained, there must be a sculptor at work. But for this world to appear within the substance of consciousness, no sculptor is needed at all — this, he stressed, was the essential point.
Sage Vasistha: It is only natural for waves to arise on the surface of the ocean, is it not? In the same way, it is entirely natural for this visible world to appear within Brahman. It is only in the eyes of the ignorant that the world stands before them as something intensely solid and real.
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One Clay, One Sunlight
A few faces in the hall furrowed in the effort to grasp this. Noticing their struggle, Vasistha turned to a simpler illustration to make his meaning clear.
To the eyes of the wise, he said, this entire world is experienced the way clay is experienced within many different pots, or the way a single sun’s light is experienced within its many rays.
Sage Vasistha: Different rays of the sun light up different sets of objects, yet all of them arise from the same sunlight, and none of them is ever separate from it, is that not so? Without the knowledge of Brahman, this subtle truth about the world can never be experienced.
Like a River in a Dream, Like the World When We Wake
Several heads in the hall nodded at this. Vasistha went deeper still, declaring that the true nature of earth and sky alike is nothing but Chidakasha.
Just as a river seen in a dream is real only within the dream, he explained, the differences we see across the world exist only because of imagination — in truth, none of them are real at all.
Sage Vasistha: To one who knows a mirage for what it is, the thought ‘here is a river’ never arises. To one who has truly, experientially understood the nature of water, knowledge, and consciousness, no sense of solid objects or of separateness remains regarding this world. And so, Rama, know this — this visible world has no form of its own; it is nothing but illusion, nothing but a thought.
The Cloud Never Covered the Sky
A deep stillness settled over the hall. Vasistha turned his gaze to Rama and delivered a decisive statement.
Only the ignorant, he said, cling to the distinction of words — calling one thing ‘the world’ and another ‘Brahman.’ In truth, there is not the slightest difference between Brahman and the world at all.
Sage Vasistha: You might say that when clouds gather thick and heavy, they cover the sky, isn’t that so? But the thought that the clouds you see are covering the entire sky is nothing but an illusion. In just the same way, this imagined world cannot cover even the tiniest fraction of the space of consciousness.
Padma and Leela — The Story of a Royal Couple
The moment Vasistha announced that he would tell an ancient story to prove this subtle truth, every eye in the hall turned toward him.
In ancient times, he began, there lived a king named Padma. He was wealthy, blessed with many children, and a man of great wisdom. He ruled his kingdom according to righteousness.
His wife was named Leela. She was fortunate, sweet of speech, and radiant with beauty. She served her husband constantly, like a shadow that never left his side. Together, they passed their days in love, in playful conversation, and in listening to sacred stories.
The Thought That Stirred in Leela’s Mind
One day, Leela sat alone in her chambers, lost in thought. The very love she bore her husband gave rise, within her, to a new and unfamiliar fear.
She began to wonder if there might be some way to keep her husband from growing old and dying, some way for her too to remain untouched by age, so that the two of them could stay together forever. She resolved to find a way to conquer death itself.
Leela: I will summon all the wise men and accomplished ascetics of this land and learn from them how death itself can be conquered. Armed with that knowledge, I will keep my husband with me exactly as he is, for all time.
The Wise Men’s Answer, Saraswati’s Boon
Leela summoned every great sage in the kingdom and asked them how immortality might be won. Every one of them told her the same thing — that no being who wears a body can escape shedding it in the end. It was simply the law of nature.
Hearing this, Leela was overcome with grief. She resolved that she herself must die before her husband did, and that she would ensure his life-breath never left the confines of their private chamber. To this end, she began to worship the goddess Saraswati through prayer and fasting.
Pleased by three nights of such penance, Saraswati appeared before her and offered her two boons of her choosing. Leela asked, first, that if her husband should die before her, his life-breath should never leave their chamber, and second, that she should be blessed with the goddess’s presence whenever she wished to see her. Saraswati granted both wishes, saying simply, “So be it.”
Padma’s Body Falls, Leela’s Lament
The wheel of time turned on. Just as sap slowly dries up within a leaf, Padma’s consciousness within his physical body faded, following the law of nature, and one day it merged into his subtle body.
Seeing her husband’s lifeless form, Leela wept without end. Three days passed. Consumed by the anguish of separation, she resolved at last to end her own life — and in that very moment, a voice from the sky, the disembodied voice of Saraswati, spoke to comfort her.
Goddess Saraswati: My daughter Leela, have you forgotten the boon I granted you? Cover your husband’s physical body carefully with flowers and preserve it. He will surely come back to you again. This body will not decay, and these flowers will not wither.
A Vision of a Second Creation Within Chidakasha
Leela covered her husband’s body with flowers and kept it safe, then settled into deep meditation and called upon Saraswati once more. The goddess appeared, and answered Leela’s longing to know where Padma now was.
Your husband’s soul, the goddess told her, now dwells within Chidakasha — meditate upon it, and you will see. Leela entered that state of vision, and beheld her husband Padma ruling as king over a vast empire, seated in a court filled with ministers, subjects, and an army.
Goddess Saraswati: My child, right now, with your own eyes, you are witnessing this world made of countless material objects — is that not so? Subtler than this is Chittakasha, the space of the mind. Subtler still, subtler than the subtlest, is Chidakasha, the space of pure consciousness. And it is within that very Chidakasha that your husband’s soul now resides.
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Which One Is Real, and Which Is False?
Having witnessed her husband’s kingdom within Chidakasha, Leela was gripped by a great doubt. Which kingdom was real, and which was mere illusion — this one, or that one? She turned to Saraswati with the question.
She said that she believed the world she experienced was real simply because it came with a definite sense of place and time. In answer, Saraswati began to explain the relationship between cause and effect, using the example of clay and a pot.
Goddess Saraswati: You cannot hold clean water in a lump of clay, but you can hold water in a pot made from that very same clay, isn’t that so? The clay taking the shape of a pot is what makes this possible. Now, think of your husband. Is there any real cause that makes him exist one way in this place and another way in that place?
The World Is Made of Memory — The Final Truth
Leela suggested that this second creation must have arisen from her husband’s memories of a previous life. Saraswati corrected her with an even subtler insight — memory, she explained, can only arise after an experience has already occurred; there must first be someone who experienced something.
At their root, she said, all impressions exist in a state of pure emptiness, and that emptiness is nothing but space itself — so the creations born from those impressions are, likewise, made entirely of space. Hearing this, Leela understood at last that her bond with her husband, and every kingdom either of them belonged to, existed in that same empty, space-like state — nothing more than a thought taking shape.
Goddess Saraswati: Good woman, you are now arriving at the truth. This second creation of your husband’s is nothing but his own imagination! Just as it is unreal and untrue, understand that this world appearing before you is the very same. It is only because of the power of true knowledge that we are able to see all of this exactly as it is.
The Truths of Creation, as Taught by Goddess Saraswati Through Illustration
| Illustration | Truth It Reveals |
|---|---|
| Illusion of shapes in a clear sky | The world-illusion arising within the pure, untainted Self |
| A figure carved into a pillar | The world being nothing other than pure consciousness itself |
| Waves rising on the ocean | The world appearing within Brahman as a wholly natural occurrence |
| The same clay in many different pots | The world, though it appears divided, being fundamentally undivided |
| The same sunlight within many rays | Seemingly separate creations arising from one and the same consciousness |
| A cloud unable to cover the sky | The imagined world unable to touch even a fraction of Chidakasha |
| Clay and pot (cause and instrumental cause) | Creation appearing differently in different places without needing any external cause |
The Spiritual Essence
The one truth that Goddess Saraswati teaches through the story of Leela is this: the visible world is never separate from Chidakasha, the space of consciousness. Whether Leela beheld her husband’s kingdom within Chidakasha, or looked upon the world she herself lived in, both stood on exactly the same footing — either both were equally real, or both were equally illusion.
The crucial point here is that believing this creation has some external cause is itself the very definition of ignorance. In truth, it is nothing but thought, nothing but memory — as empty of substance as space itself. Just as a pot arises from clay, this world arises from within Chidakasha itself, and is never separate from it.
Pause for a moment and consider that the thoughts arising in your mind and the world you perceive around you both spring from the very same consciousness. Begin cultivating the habit of asking yourself: what within my experience is truly lasting, and what is merely passing?
Chapter Summary
On the fourth day of his discourse, Sage Vasistha teaches Rama that the world is nothing other than Chidakasha, the space of consciousness. To prove this, he narrates the story of Leela — a king named Padma and his wife, Queen Leela. After her husband’s death, Leela, through a boon from Goddess Saraswati, preserves his body and beholds, within Chidakasha, a second creation in which Padma lives on as emperor of another kingdom entirely. Torn by the question of which world is real and which is illusion, Leela questions Saraswati, who teaches her that all of creation is made of memory and thought, and that both kingdoms are equally woven out of the fabric of space itself.
Scripture Notes
- Main Message: The world is nothing other than Chidakasha, the space of consciousness; it is merely an illusion that has taken the shape of thought.
- Philosophical Teaching: By the principle that no effect can arise without a cause, the creation that springs from the uncreated Chidakasha is, likewise, uncreated. It requires no external cause — its basis is nothing but impression, nothing but memory.
- Connection to the Next Chapter: Leela’s story continues — once she has fully grasped the subtle truth Goddess Saraswati has revealed to her, what happens next unfolds in the chapter that follows.
However thick the clouds gather, they never cover the sky — that is only the illusion of the one who watches.
Just as the same clay exists within many pots, the same consciousness shines through countless forms.
The world is nothing but thought, and memory is its only foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the story of Leela in Yoga Vasistha?
The story of Leela is one of the most celebrated tales within Yoga Vasistha. Sage Vasistha narrates it to Rama to teach him the true nature of the universe. It tells of a queen named Leela who, after her husband King Padma’s death, is blessed by Goddess Saraswati with a vision of him living on as an emperor in another world entirely.
What does it mean that the world is nothing other than Chidakasha?
It means that the world we see does not exist separately from consciousness, or Brahman. Just as a figure carved into a pillar remains nothing but stone, exactly as the pillar itself was, the world too is simply a form taken by Chidakasha — it is never truly separate from it.
Why did Leela worship Goddess Saraswati?
Leela worshipped Goddess Saraswati with intense penance because she wanted to find a way to keep her husband, King Padma, from growing old and dying, so that the two of them could remain together forever. Pleased with her devotion, the goddess appeared and granted her two boons.
What boons did Goddess Saraswati grant Leela?
The first boon was that if her husband died before she did, his life-breath would never leave their private chamber. The second was that Leela would be blessed with a vision of the goddess herself whenever she wished for it.
What did Leela see within Chidakasha?
Within Chidakasha, Leela beheld her deceased husband Padma living on as the emperor of another vast kingdom, seated in a royal court filled with ministers, an army, and subjects.
What did Goddess Saraswati teach through the example of clay and a pot?
Water cannot be held in a raw lump of clay, but it can be held once that clay takes the shape of a pot — the shape itself is what makes this possible. In the same way, she explained, Padma appearing one way in one place and another way in another place requires no special external cause; it is simply a form taken by thought itself.
What is the central lesson to take away from this story?
The central lesson of this story is that the world we believe to be real, and the thoughts that arise within our own minds, both spring from the very same consciousness. Nothing possesses a separate, permanent existence of its own.
Conclusion
The conversation between Leela and Goddess Saraswati is far from over. The goddess’s words — that this entire visible world appears before us only through the power of true knowledge — have taken root deep within Leela’s mind. And yet, a restlessness stirs within her still: how will the last traces of illusion within her finally dissolve, and what is the true nature of her bond with her husband? What answer will Saraswati give to that lingering question? Find out in the next episode.
