HareKrishna!! Please accept my humble obeisances.. All Glories to Shrila Prabhupada!!!
i have a doubt regarding the Yoga Vashishtha... Before i come to my doubt i would just like to give a little background as to what this text i have heard is about. This text is basically a conversation between Sage Vashishtha and Shri Ram. When ShriRam comes from going around various regions, to see the Kingdom He would very soon rule, He was feeling very remorse. He wasn't eating or sleeping properly. Feeling concerned for His State of Mind, Dasharath requested Sage Vashishtha to talk to ShriRam. The next day, ShriRam was called to the court and the Sage questioned why He was feeling sad. ShriRam said that although people have everything, they are still feeling empty, sad, unsatisfied,.and seeing their sadness also made Him feel concerned. Then ShriRam posed many questions of philosophy and about the ways of this world and the Sage was answering them, and each answer has a lot to do with Goddess Saraswati. This philosophical conversation between ShriRam and Vashishtha was recorded as Yoga Vashishtha.
Now after reading the Chaitanya Mangala and reading Chaitanya Bhagavatha, i got to know that this text is a Big no in the Gaudiya Parampara as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would literally and highly discourage devotees to read this text. When Mukunda would be humble in front of the devotees, he would go to the Mayavadis and discuss the Yoga Vashishtha which would make Mahaprabhu very angry. Well, after that, Mukunda was forgiven, and he never discussed the text again.
Now here are my doubts...
First is, as this is a text, which is full of impersonalism, then why would, a first-class devotee of God, Sage Vashishtha, the Guru of ShriRam, talk such philosophy? Surely there would be some reason to it as devotees don't do anything without reason, as how Advaita Acharya once did.
Secondly, ShriRam is Maryada Purushottam, and whatever Standards He would set, the whole world purses, as declared by Him in the Bhagavad Gita. Then while during the discussion, and after that, why didn't ShriRam object? Why did He let this happen? What was the hidden reason?
i am just asking out of curiosity, and not challenging anyone's authority dear devotees... Please forgive me if i have committed any offenses or if my language was not according to the Vaishnav Etiquette. i am a neophyte devotee, a beginner 🙏🙏
NitaiGaura Premanande Hari Hari Haribol!!! Jay Chaitanya Lila!!! Jai Sankirtan Mahayagna!!!
Replies
This text is considered to be attributed to Vasistha Muni, i.e. some anonymous author used Muni's name to make it important.
Hari Hari
ys J.
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
I had never heard of Yoga Vashishta until I read this post. Certainly not qualified to reply to this post.
What I do know is, our acharyas have told us which texts to study and understand our philosophy. These are Bhagavad Gita As It Is (graduation level); Srimad Bhagawatam (Post Graduate level) and Chaitanya Caritamrta (PHD level). Apart from these, there are acharyas commentaries on each of these. The Acharyas have also been defined - the 6 goswamis, Srila Baladev Vidyabhusan, Srila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur and other exalted devotees in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaishnava line. Honestly, I have not been able to read all of these yet. Therefore, I will not even pick up any other literature.
Our scriptures are vast mataji. Even Srimad Bhagawatam has sections which say Supreme Lord is impersonal, and then there are sections where it is mentioned that Supreme Lord is personal. HH Bhanu Swami maharaj explains this very nicely. His holiness says that scriptures say both, so people who want to follow one of the two pick up that relevant portion and quote and say scriptures are saying so. But, if one wants to understand what the scriptures are actually saying, then one has to read the scriptures (Srimad Bhagawatam) in toto and then arrive at the conclusion. Then his holiness gave some explanations which my tiny brain cannot recollect. He concluded with Supreme Lord is personal. That is what I understood and believe.
This is validated by Lord Brahma himself in Brahma Samhita wherein it begins with
Isvarah Paramah Krsna Sac cid anand vigraha
Anadir adir Govinda Sarva Karana Karanam
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna. He is sat cit anand, meaning eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is VIGRAHA, means someone who has FORM. He is the adi Govinda, the cause of all causes.
This much limited understanding if I am able to imbibe in all aspects of my life, my life will be successful mataji. This is my firm belief.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
HareKrishna, thank you so much for sharing this information Mataji! Haribol!!! Jay!