Sage Vasishtha teaches that the world is nothing but a construct, like the son of a barren woman or a tree growing in the sky. When Rama asks where this universe goes at the time of dissolution, Vasishtha makes it clear that only Brahman is real, that the world is merely a notion born of ignorance, and that it has never truly been created, sustained, or destroyed.
Have you ever woken from a dream and wondered where the town, the people, the buildings you saw so clearly a moment ago have gone? Where did they even come from in the first place? It comes as a surprise to realize this question isn’t confined to dreams alone.
In the middle of the royal court in Ayodhya, this very doubt rose in Rama’s mind. This world of moving and unmoving things in front of him, so vivid, so solid to the senses – where does it go when dissolution comes? What becomes of it? He placed this very question before his guru, the sage Vasishtha.
Rama’s Doubt – Where Does the World Go at Dissolution?
A hush settled over the assembly hall. Rama looked at his guru, Sage Vasishtha, with deep respect and finally voiced a question that had been stirring in his mind for a long time. Genuine curiosity showed in his eyes.
“O knower of Brahman! This world of moving and unmoving things appears so vivid, so solid before us. This world that we experience with such clarity – where does it go when the time of dissolution comes? What happens to it?” Rama asked.
There was nothing ordinary about this question. Everything we see before us is known to vanish one day, yet how it vanishes, and where it goes, is a thought that gnaws at the mind. Rama’s question was exactly that kind of question.
Vasishtha’s Counter-Question – Where Does the Barren Woman’s Son Come From?
There was no hurry in Sage Vasishtha’s expression. He began his answer calmly, with a counter-question loaded with deep meaning.
“Where does the second son of a barren woman come from?” Vasishtha asked.
Sage Vasishtha: Where does the second son of a barren woman come from? Where does he live? Where does he go?
A Tree in the Sky, a Second Moon – Questions About Things That Don’t Exist
Everyone in the assembly fell into thought as they listened to this question. Vasishtha extended the question further, quietly stirring a ripple of thought in every mind present.
“Where do the forests and animal shapes that a child sees in the clouds come from? Where do they exist? Where do they go when they drift away? Answer these questions of mine first,” Vasishtha said to Rama.
Rama tried to answer these questions. There was a clarity in his words.
“The son of a barren woman, a forest in the sky – these have never been born at any point in time. They don’t exist anywhere at all. So there is no question of their existence or non-existence. The very notion has no meaning,” Rama replied.
Rama: The son of a barren woman, a forest in the sky – these have never been born at any point in time. They don’t exist anywhere at all. So there is no question of their existence or non-existence.
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The World Compared to the Son of a Barren Woman
A subtle satisfaction crossed Vasishtha’s face on hearing Rama’s answer. He took hold of this very answer and led him deeper into the mystery of the world.
“Both of these are non-existent things, aren’t they? In the same way, this world too is a non-existent thing. It has no existence at all. So where is the question of ‘how was this created’? Since this world is essentially non-existent from the very start, it has no creation, no existence, and no destruction,” Vasishtha said.
A moment of stillness settled over the hall. Calling this world – which appears so vividly real – non-existent gave everyone present a strange, new feeling.
Vasishtha continued – “Who built the mansion that appears in a dream? When was it built, and why? What meaning could such questions possibly have?”
Sage Vasishtha: Both of these are non-existent things, aren’t they? In the same way, this world too is a non-existent thing. It has no creation, no existence, and no destruction.
Even Imagined Things Have Creation and Destruction, Don’t They? – Rama’s Counter-Argument
Rama listened to these words calmly, but a small doubt stirred in his mind. He put forward his objection at once.
“But I have a small point to raise. Let’s say that ‘the son of a barren woman’ and ‘a tree in the sky’ are mere fabrications. But a ‘fabrication’ begins at one point in time and ends at another. So fabrications do have a creation and a destruction, don’t they? Then why can’t we say that this world too has a creation and a destruction?” Rama asked.
Rama: Fabrications do have a creation and a destruction, don’t they? Then why can’t we say that this world too has a creation and a destruction?
The World Exists Only While the Fabrication Exists, Not Otherwise
Instead of dismissing this argument, Vasishtha took it further and explained it in even more depth. There was a calm certainty in his voice.
“Yes. ‘The tree in the sky’ and ‘the son of a barren woman’ exist only as long as the ‘fabrication’ exists. The moment the fabrication dissolves, they too cease to exist. It is exactly the same with this world! The world exists only while the fabrication exists, and it doesn’t exist once the fabrication is gone. This is precisely how the world resembles the son of a barren woman,” Vasishtha explained.
Sage Vasishtha: The world exists only while the fabrication exists. It doesn’t exist once the fabrication is gone. This is precisely how the world resembles the son of a barren woman.
Gold Bangles, Sky Within Sky – The World Is Brahman’s Very Form
Vasishtha now opened up another angle – where exactly does this world exist? A gentle metaphor began to take shape in his voice.
“Let’s come to the question of what this world actually is, and where it exists. In ‘golden bangles,’ does something called a ‘bangle’ exist separately, apart from the gold itself? Apart from emptiness, does some other kind of ‘sky-ness’ exist anywhere in the sky?” Vasishtha asked.
In the same way, even though this world exists within Brahman, it has no form separate from Brahman. Vasishtha made this point even clearer as he continued.
“There is no difference at all between kohl and blackness, or between snow and coldness. What existence does the water in a mirage have, or the second moon seen by someone with a squint in their eye? These things exist even while not existing,” Vasishtha said.
Sage Vasishtha: In golden bangles, does something called a bangle exist separately, apart from the gold itself? Apart from emptiness, does some other kind of sky-ness exist anywhere in the sky?
The Water in a Mirage – What Would You Say?
Everyone in the hall was slowly turning these metaphors over in their minds. Vasishtha now drew Rama into a hypothetical conversation, to make the philosophy land even more directly.
“The deepest non-existence is precisely what is being established here. Suppose someone comes to you and says, ‘I can clearly see water in the mirage – what use is it to me if it isn’t real?’ What would you say to him?” Vasishtha asked.
Sage Vasishtha: Suppose someone comes to you and says, ‘I can clearly see water in the mirage – what use is it to me if it isn’t real?’ What would you say to him?
Purify Your Vision, and You’ll Find No Water There, No Ripples There
Vasishtha himself answered this question, speaking the very words Rama might have said. There was a compassionate clarity in his voice.
“My dear boy! You may well see it. But we have examined it closely, and it isn’t there. You too should purify your vision and examine it. You will find out for yourself. You will have no choice but to admit that there is no water there at all, no ripples there at all,” Vasishtha said.
It is the very same with this world. For those whose minds are clouded by greed, delusion, pride, and envy, and who see only through the senses without any discernment, the world may appear solid within their limited vision. But once one grasps the pure nature of one’s own self, which is Brahman, the very non-existence of this world becomes established, Vasishtha declared.
Sage Vasishtha: Purify your vision and examine it. You will find out for yourself. You will have no choice but to admit that there is no water there at all, no ripples there at all.
The World Dissolving in the Seer’s Vision – The True Nature of Creation and Dissolution
The hall sank into an even deeper silence. Vasishtha now began to explain how the world comes to be experienced from so many different angles.
“When you examine what is called ‘the world’ from countless angles, it refuses to settle into any single fixed form. It appears differently to different perceptions. So what does it actually amount to? Does it exist, or does it not?” Vasishtha asked.
He continued, “My dear Rama! This thing called the world did not exist before, and it does not exist now either. For something that never existed before and does not exist now, how could the statement ‘it will be destroyed at some point’ possibly make any sense?” he asked.
What truly happens is that this very notion called ‘the world’ dissolves within a seer’s own vision. The scriptures use the words ‘creation’ and ‘dissolution’ precisely to describe the arising and the fading away of this notion that manifests in the form of ‘the world,’ Vasishtha clarified.
Sage Vasishtha: My dear Rama! This thing called the world did not exist before, and it does not exist now either.
The World Has No Cause At All – Rama’s Question, Vasishtha’s Confirmation
Having heard this deep explanation, Rama sought further clarity on the root cause of the world.
“Great sage! Tell me how you are so certain that this world has no cause at all,” Rama asked.
Vasishtha answered this question with the sharpest possible logic. “Suppose we say, ‘Brahman is the cause of this world.’ Things like the earth, being inert matter, need an inert cause behind them – but how can Brahman, which is pure consciousness itself, ever be the cause of something inert?” Vasishtha asked.
He drove the point home with the analogy of sunlight and shadow – “‘Light’ means illumination… ‘shadow’ means the absence of illumination. We call it a shadow when something blocks the sun’s rays. But we cannot say that ‘light is the cause of the shadow,’ can we? Brahman is not inert matter at all! So how could Brahman, like light, be the cause of shadow-like matter?” Vasishtha explained.
How could Brahman – undivided, conscious, subtler than the subtlest, changeless, and beyond all description – ever be the cause that creates this world? Nothing other than Brahman has ever been found to be the cause of this world. Therefore, it is understood that ‘this world has no cause,’ Vasishtha concluded. Where there is no cause, how can any effect ever come into being?
Sage Vasishtha: Nothing other than Brahman has ever been found to be the cause of this world. Therefore, it is understood that this world has no cause. Where there is no cause, how can any effect ever come into being?
Ignorance Alone Is the Cause of This Illusion – How to Understand the World
The hall filled with a silent astonishment. Vasishtha paused for a moment, and then began to explain how one should actually understand this world.
“Now let me tell you how we ourselves have come to understand this world – listen,” Vasishtha said.
That very Brahman, the primal cause, is what appears as the universe. Ignorance alone is the cause of this illusion – this appearance of something that does not truly exist as though it were real – Vasishtha made clear. Since Brahman is changeless by its very nature, it is not correct to say that ‘Brahman creates the universe.’
It is only when the individual soul forgets its own subtlest true nature that this experience called ‘the world’ comes to appear as something real, Vasishtha explained.
A Mansion in a Dream, a City While Awake – Both Are Mere Fabrications
Vasishtha now brought in a comparison between the dream state and the waking state, to bring this entire teaching to a final point of clarity.
“So, Raghava, understand that this entire spectacle of the world is exactly like the objects that appear in a dream. Even though a grand mansion appears in a dream – is it real? It is one’s own fabrication that takes on that form during the dream state, isn’t it?” Vasishtha said.
In the very same way, even though something called ‘the world’ does not exist within Brahman, it appears to the ignorant as a solid experience, woven together by the play of thought. For those with true knowledge, however, this becomes clear beyond any doubt, Vasishtha said.
This entire thing called ‘the world’ remains forever fixed within the Supreme Self – it does not arise at one point and disappear at another. Water always carries its liquid nature, light always carries its luminous form – one never exists apart from the other, does it? Brahman, too, always carries the form of the world within it.
Sage Vasishtha: Understand, Raghava, that this entire spectacle of the world is exactly like the objects that appear in a dream.
A Gandharva City, the Consciousness of the Dreamer – The Self Itself Is Brahman
Vasishtha brought his teaching to its concluding point. There was a final note of certainty in his voice.
“Tell me, where does a Gandharva city come from? We have no choice but to accept that the very consciousness of the dreamer conjures up that city within itself, becomes that ‘fabrication’ itself, and then goes on to witness itself in that very form,” Vasishtha said.
“It is exactly the same with this matter of the world! One’s own Self is itself Brahman, and within Brahman, it appears merely as a fabrication taking the form of the world,” Vasishtha said, bringing his teaching to a close.
Sage Vasishtha: One’s own Self is itself Brahman, and within Brahman, it appears merely as a fabrication taking the form of the world.
The Three Metaphors of Fabrication Given by Vasishtha – and What They Mean
| Metaphor | The Truth to Be Understood |
|---|---|
| The barren woman’s second son / a forest in the sky | Questions of creation, existence, and destruction do not apply to something that has never been born at all |
| Golden bangles / sky within sky | The world has no independent form separate from Brahman – the two are one and the same |
| Water in a mirage / the moon seen double by a squinting eye | What appears due to a flaw in perception is not real; once vision is purified, it vanishes on its own |
| The mansion in a dream / the Gandharva city | The seer’s own consciousness becomes the fabrication and then witnesses itself – the world is exactly the same |
The Spiritual Essence
The deep truth this chapter conveys is this – every scene we experience, every event, every notion bound up with time, is nothing but a fabrication. Rather than searching for an answer to whether it exists or not, true wisdom lies in grasping why it appears the way it does in the first place.
Every metaphor Vasishtha offers points to the very same truth from a different angle – the world has no independent existence of its own; it is merely an appearance resting upon Brahman. This is not a mere philosophical debate – it is the root principle that explains why fear, sorrow, and bondage arise in life at all.
Today, take one problem, fear, or attachment from around you and ask yourself – how much of it truly ‘exists,’ and how much of it is merely an appearance conjured up by your own mind? Notice whether it changes at all once you purify your own vision.
Chapter Summary
Rama asks where the world goes at the time of dissolution. Using the metaphors of the barren woman’s son and the forest in the sky, Vasishtha explains that the world has no creation and no destruction. He clarifies that the world exists only while the fabrication exists, and that, like golden bangles, the world has no form separate from Brahman. Through the metaphors of water in a mirage and a mansion in a dream, he shows that once vision is purified, the world’s very non-existence is established. Since Brahman is not inert matter, he proves through logic that the world has no cause at all. Finally, he concludes that ignorance alone is the cause of this illusion, and that the Self, being Brahman itself, merely appears as a fabrication in the form of the world.
Scripture Notes
- Main Message: The world is merely a fabrication resting upon Brahman; it has no independent creation, existence, or destruction of its own.
- Philosophical Teaching: Ignorance alone is the cause of this illusion of the world. Since Brahman is changeless and not inert matter, it cannot be the inert cause of the world. The Self itself is Brahman, and it is this very Self that witnesses itself in the form of the world.
- Connection to the Next Chapter: Even after realizing that the world is an illusion, the question of how to completely dissolve that illusory perception is where the next chapter begins.
The world exists only while the fabrication exists, and it doesn’t exist once the fabrication is gone.
Purify your vision and examine it – you will find out for yourself that there is no water there at all, no ripples there at all.
Where there is no cause, how can any effect ever come into being?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Vasishtha say the world does not truly exist?
Vasishtha explains that the world is merely a fabrication, just like the son of a barren woman or a forest in the sky, and therefore has no independent creation, existence, or destruction of its own. The world exists only while the fabrication exists, and once the fabrication dissolves, the world ceases to exist along with it.
Why can’t Brahman be the cause of the world?
Brahman is pure consciousness itself – changeless and undivided. Inert things require an inert cause, so Vasishtha logically demonstrates that Brahman, being pure consciousness, cannot possibly be the cause of an inert world.
What is the comparison between the barren woman’s son and the world?
The son of a barren woman has never been born, so questions of his creation or destruction simply do not apply to him. In the same way, Vasishtha shows that the world too has never truly come into being, and so questions of its creation or destruction do not apply to it either.
What does the metaphor of water in a mirage teach?
From a distance, water appears to exist in a mirage, but on closer examination, there is no water there at all. In the same way, Vasishtha explains, the world appears real to the eye of ignorance, but once vision is purified, its non-existence becomes clear.
What do the words ‘creation’ and ‘dissolution’ actually mean?
The scriptures use the words ‘creation’ and ‘dissolution’ to describe the arising and fading of the notion called ‘the world’ within a seer’s own perception. Vasishtha clarifies that this is not a physical creation or destruction of matter at all.
What use is it to know that the world does not truly exist?
A strong belief in the reality of the world is precisely what gives rise to fear, sorrow, and bondage. Vasishtha points out that once one grasps the true, non-existent nature of the world, the mind attains peace, and freedom from bondage becomes possible.
Conclusion
Vasishtha made it clear that this world is nothing but a fabrication, with no independent creation or destruction of its own. This teaching closes with the truth that the Self itself is Brahman, and it is this very Self that witnesses itself in the form of the world. But how, then, does one become completely free from this illusory spectacle that appears with such vivid clarity? What is the path to dissolving this perception of the world once and for all? We will find the answer to this question in the teaching Vasishtha offers in the next episode.
