Yoga Vasishta Sara

By: Valmiki Sage

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi used to refer to Yoga Vasistha frequently and has even incorporated six couplets from it in His supplement to Forty Verses (verses 21 to 27). The Brihat(Great) Yoga Vasishta or Yoga Vasistha Maha Ramayana as it is also called, is a work of about 32,000 Sanskrit couplets, traditionally attributed to Valmiki, the author of Srimad Ramanaya. It is a dialogue between Sage Vasistha and Sri rama, during which Advaita(the docrtine of non-duality) in its pure form of ajatavada (theory of non-origination) is expounded, with illustrative stories in between. This vast work was abridged soem centuries ago by Abhinanda Pundita, a Kshmiri scholar, into 6000 couplets, which go by the name of Laghu Yoga Vasishta. This is a masterpiece in itself, like the original Brihat. Two hundred and thirty verses from the Yoga Vasishta, divided into ten chapters, based on a translation made by Swami Sureshananda, an old devotee of Sri Bhagavan.36pp A further condensation of this work was made long ago, by an unknown author, into about 230 couplets, divided into ten chapters, as Yoga Vasishta Sara(Essence of Youga Vasishta). By making this condensation the author has rendered a great service to all spiritual seekers. This is indeed a goldmine fit for repeated reading and meditation.