Yoga Vaasishttha Ratnaakaramu- The Method of Liberation

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Sri Vidya Prakasananda Swami (1914-98) wrote the book Yoga Vaasishttha Ratnakaramu in Telugu language. He has been a spiritual preacher. He founded Sri Sukabrahma Ashram. He wrote several books, of which GITA MAKARANDAM has become very popular; and it is translated in to English and other Indian languages.

S'rii Yoga Vaasisht ham is also named as Vasisht'ha Giita and also Vaasisht ha Raamaayan am. Yoga Vaasisht ham consists of 32,000 slokas (verses) and this was printed by S'rii Vyaasa Aas'ramam. Much before the printing of this scripture in Hindi language by S'rii Vyaasa Aas'ramam, Yerpedu, it was studied by S'rii Vidya Prakaas aananda Swami, as a disciple. We have been teaching some important slokas in such a way that the liberation- seekers could write them down while listening to the teachings; and S'ri Vidya Prakaas aananda Swami was one among them. Later S'rii Vidya Prakasananda Giri Swamy had translated Yoga Vaasisht ham into Andhra (Telugu) language; and, while doing so he has compiled important slokas and has published this book in Telugu language, and named it as Yoga Vaasisht ha Ratnaakaramu.

It is very appropriate that this book is also called Vasisht ha Giita because S'rii Vasisht 'ha Muni taught the self-knowledge to S'rii Raama in a manner similar to that way Bhagavaan S'rii Kr'shn'a taught self-knowledge to Arjuna and it was named as Bhagavad Giita. When Arjuna entered the war-field and told his unwillingness to fight, then S'rii Krishn'a taught him that no obstacle would arise to prevent anyone to attain liberation, if such one involves in the righteous activities, and also that fighting to protect righteousness (dharma) is the natural duty of a Kshatriya Warrior. S'rii Raama had returned from pilgrimage, and told that he cannot bear the burden of the kingdom, and that he would practice meditation, just as the great R'shis (Seers) are doing, at the river-shrines to attain liberation. Soon after observing this situation, S'rii Vasisht 'ha taught this Yoga Vaasisht ham. Intelligent people could understand that the style of teaching in Giita and Yoga Vaasisht 'ha is similar; and I am providing a few slokas to substantiate the above aspect.

Maharshi Vaalmiiki, popularly called as 'the first poet', had authored two great scriptures known as Valmiiki's Raamaayan am, and Vaasisht ha Mahaa- Raamaayan' am. The first one consists of 24,000 slokas, and the second one of 32,000 slokas. Vaasisht ha Mahaa Raamaayan'am is also called Yoga Vaasisht ham. The present book Yoga Vaasisht ha Ratnaakaramu is an abridged version of Yoga Vaasisht ham, containing the important slokas selected out of 32,000 slokas in the original scripture for the benefit of yoga-practitioners. The published book is divided into seven volumes, the Sanskrit slokas are transliterated into Telugu language, and their meanings are given in Telugu language; and it is published by name Yoga Vaasisht 'ha Ratnaakaramu.

This text contains seven Volumes (books) on separate topics as was in the original Sanskrit text, namely, Dispassion, Liberation-Seeker, Creation, Sustenance, Pacification of Mind, Liberation (Part-1), and Liberation (Part-2). Each of these seven books is subdivided into separate chapters according to the subject of teaching. The book on the topic 'Dispassion' contains description of the instability and temporal states of the worlds and bodies, and the pleasures as well as sorrows due to the enjoyments. The second book on the topic 'Liberation-Seeker' contains description of the need for self-effort, mind- control, sense-control, and good-association. The third book on the topic 'Creation' contains a few legends through which it was elaborated that the world exists according to mental resolutions of the individuals; everything in the world is attributed to Aatma (Supreme soul) beyond the Creation; and therefore, the worlds are of temporal existence as if they are the creations in a dream-state; and finally, the seven-grounds of attaining the knowledge were detailed. The fourth book on the topic 'Sustenance' contains a few more legends through which it was revealed, by different methods, that individuality (ego) and vaasanas (past-life habits and hidden memories) are the bondages to the human beings, and renunciation of these vaasanas brings forth liberation from the cycle of births and deaths; and, when the mind is pacified by the spiritual knowledge, then the soul of human-beings expands without boundaries in the world. The fifth book on the topic 'Pacification of Mind' contains the legends of Janaka, Bali, Prahlaada and other greats, which describe the manifested-state of the visible substances (scenes), rejection of enjoyments, method of self-inquiry, and the state of supreme-joy of those men liberated-while-with-body. The last two books, Part-1 and Part-2 on the topic 'Liberation', contain the elaborative and illustrative descriptions about the orderly-practices for reduction-of-vaasanas, thinning of the sense- mind, and about the supremely-joyful state of Aatma (Brahmam) existing beyond the bodies, senses, and worlds, and also existing beyond Maaya (Deluding power of God).