Story of Lila

Story of Lila

Sage Vasishta said “Oh Rama, just like the objects which appear in a dream vanish without any trace upon waking, the world we see in waking state also has no independent reality in pure consciousness.
There is no temporary or subtle trace of water in a mirage. I will tell you a story to explain this.

There was an illustrious King called Padma. This King was very upright, fearless and governed his country as a true king should. His wife, by the name Lila was very much dear to him. She in turn lived inseparable from him, like shadow to a body and thoughts to mind. Thus, the King and his queen lived in harmony and happiness.

As time rolled by, a thought arose in Lila’s mind: “May I never be separated from my husband” and was ready to do whatever was required to achieve that aim. She checked with elders and wise pandits of the court. While they said that austerities or Tapas will help, mortality of a physical body is certain and cannot be prevented.

Lila, being a determined lady, went into intense Tapas praying to her favorite Goddess Devi Saraswathi, without letting King Padma know about this effort. Pleased with her devotion, Devi Saraswathi appeared before her and told Lila to ask whatever boon she wanted.

Lila prayed for two boons. One was, that in the event of the King Padma dying before her own death, his soul or Jiva, should never leave the palace. Second was that whenever she wanted and prayed, Devi Saraswathi should bless her with her appearance. Devi Saraswathi granted both the boons and disappeared.

Time moved on, silent and relentless. In due course, King Padma was grievously wounded in a battle and passed away.

Lila was severely stricken by grief and her mind stopped working. At that time Devi Saraswathi’s ethereal voice came through and advised Lila to cover up the body with flowers so that it does not decay and that his soul will not leave the body and will remain in the palace. These words rekindled a fragile hope within her, and she carried out the task with care.

But human mind is never satisfied. Based on our tendencies and attachments, thoughts keep coming up again and again, pushing one’s existence into next spiral. The same phenomenon affected Lila as well and typically after some time, Lila started wondering as to where the soul of King Padma was and desired to see him. Hence, she prayed to Devi Saraswathi.

Devi explained to her about three types of space namely. 

Bhuta-akasa (or elemental Akasa) corresponding to Gross Body

Chitta-akasa, (or mental Akasa) corresponding to Subtle body and

Chit-akasa, (Chidakasa or Akasa of pure consciousness) corresponding to Causal body or (karana sareera)

Chitta-akasa is that intermediate state in which the mind is, when it flits from one object to another in the Bhuta-akasa of objects. When all the desires and Vasanas perish then the light of Chit or pure consciousness will shine and through that knowledge (Jnana), one will attain at once Chidakasa. In that state she can see the state of the soul of her husband.

The Devi further added that ‘May you attain that Chidakasa’ through my grace’. Through this blessing, Lila went into Nirvikalpa Samadhi and was able to escape, like a bird from its cage, out of her body.

There in the heart of Chidakasa she saw the king again, going by the name Vidhuratha, sitting on a throne, surrounded by other kings, ministers, soldiers etc. who all adored him. However, they could not see her. Lila was wondering whether those people were all dead too! By Devi’s grace she returned to the palace.

Then she summoned those who attended the court of King Padma. What followed only deepened her wonder. She found them to be the very same individuals she had seen in that other realm. Like a mountain appearing inside a mirror and outside too.

“How can this be?” she wondered. “How can the same people exist in two places at once? Which of these is real?”

Lila then approached Devi Saraswathi with that doubt. The Devi, instead of answering directly, gently asked her, “Tell me, Lila—what do you consider real, and what is unreal?”

Lila replied without hesitation, “This present state in which I stand before you is real. That which I perceived there, where I beheld King Vidhuratha, must be unreal.”

Devi Saraswathi looked at her with quiet compassion and asked, “If that which you call unreal has arisen from what you call real, how can it truly be unreal?”(The subtle point was this: even the ‘present state’ that Lila took to be real was itself no more than an appearance.)

Seeing this, Devi Saraswathi said gently, “Listen carefully, Lila. I shall tell you a story to make this clear.”

At once, Lila became attentive. Like a child eager to hear a tale, she lifted her eyes to the Devi, her heart open and receptive.

Devi Saraswathi continued.

In the infinite space of consciousness there was a shrine with a blue dome. Fourteen worlds were rooms and three divisions of space were compartments in it. In a very small corner, there lived a brahmin with his wife and children. He was very pious, free from fear and carried out his duties sincerely. Once he saw a colorful procession of a king proceeding royally on an elephant with his retinue. A wish arose briefly in his mind, ‘When will I ride an elephant surrounded by such an entourage.’

As days rolled by, the couple inevitably reached old age. His wife being afraid of getting separated from him, asked a boon that his Jiva should not leave the place in case he dies before her death. This was exactly similar to what Lila had asked the Goddess. Devi Saraswathi granted that boon. The brahmin eventually passed away, and his wife joined him soon after.

Devi Saraswathi then revealed, “That Brahmin was Vasistha, and his wife Arundati. They are none other than you and your husband. It has been but eight days since that life ended.”

Lila was looking dazed, not able to grasp what she had just heard.

Seeing her puzzled look, Devi continued “The pious man’s penance was so much that even the small wishful thinking to be a king fructified and he was born again as a mighty King who ruled over a vast empire”.

[At this juncture, the reader may wish to pause and reflect.

It is indeed staggering to note that the story is being narrated by Sage Vasistha to Sri Rama. Several questions naturally arise. Is the Vasistha in the narrative the same as the one who now speaks? Or is he another bearing the same name? Or could he be one among many manifestations across different cycles of existence? Elsewhere, in the dialogue with Bhusunda, it is hinted that this may be one among several manifestations of Vasistha himself.

Such reflections are not meant to be resolved immediately, but to be contemplated deeply. Let us now return to the story.]

Lila asked “O Devi, you said that it’s only eight days since we passed away in our previous birth and yet as a King and Queen, we have lived a full life here. How do we reconcile this”.

Devi Saraswathi said “Just as space does not have any fixed span, time also does not have a fixed span. In a dream we see people are born, live long and die, all in very short span of dreamer’s time. Just as the world and its creation are mere appearances, a moment and an epoch are also illusions”.

Devi then went on to explain the phenomenon.

A deeper longing now arose in Lila, to see that earlier dwelling. Lila said, ‘Devi, now I wish to see the house Vasistha and Arundati’.

To which the Devi said “This body, shaped by past karma, stands as a limitation. If you can rise beyond identification with it and assume a body of pure light, you will be able to perceive that sacred realm”.

The Devi gently used this moment to reveal a profound truth: “Then, freed from delusion, you will realize that Brahman alone appears as yourself and as the entire universe—just as one gold takes many forms as ornaments.”

Lila then asked the Devi what effort was required to attain a body of pure light.

The Devi replied that she must rise beyond body-consciousness through steadfast contemplation of Brahman—this practice is known as Brahmabhyasa.

With unwavering resolve, Lila entered once again into profound meditation. Gradually, she was able to rise above body-consciousness, transcend all sense of individuality and become, as it were, a being of pure awareness.

In that state, she and Devi Saraswathi moved effortlessly—not through physical distance, but through subtle planes of consciousness. Even though it seemed that they travelled immeasurable Ghatika’s distance, (millions of miles), they were in the same room in a different plane of consciousness. Finally, they saw the hut of the holy man, in fact Lila’s house in the previous birth.

There was an air of mourning in that house and Lila’s elder son having a forlorn look. Lila requested Devi that they should become visible to her family as ordinary womenfolk, which the Devi granted. Now Lila and Devi, visible to her family, as two radiant women approached the son and asked for the reason for their depression. The boy answered that it is eight days since their parents passed away and hence the family is still not out of grief. Upon which Lila placed her hand on her son and immediately his sorrow vanished.

Her curiosity satisfied, Lila and the Devi returned to the room in the palace. Lila had a doubt as to how her family could see them while in their visit to her visit to King Vidhuratha, no one could see them.

Devi Saraswathi said “Because during that visit you were still having attachment to your body, while in this visit, you visited as pure light and had no body attachment, divested of all thoughts of individuality. So long as you held to the notion of individuality, you remained bound. Freed of that, you assume form only by sankalpa or wish. Thus, you were seen.”

A great clarity dawned within Lila. She was overjoyed and gave vent to the following words “Through your grace, O Devi, I now see my many births as clearly as daylight. Having arisen as a separate being from the one Brahman, I have wandered through countless lives.

Like a bee moving from flower to flower, I have moved through the many worlds shaped by Maya. Tossed about like a straw upon the ocean, I have been carried from one birth to another.

But now, by your grace, I have reached the shore of liberation or Mukti.”

At this point in the narration, Sri Rama asked Sage Vasistha,

“How was it possible for them to travel across distant realms? And how did they overcome all barriers?”.

The Sage replied,

“What distance, Rama? What barriers? Where are these so-called realms? All this unfolded within the queen’s chamber. The palace itself existed within the old man’s hut—as another plane of experience.

Thus, there are no separate worlds, no distances, and no barriers.

Having answered Sri Rama, the Sage continued.

Now Lila wished to see what was happening to King Vidhuratha. Effortlessly, she and the Devi reached his palace. The king was resting after a long day of battle, for a neighbouring ruler had invaded his kingdom.

When Lila and the Devi made themselves visible, the king rose in surprise and asked who they were. Lila introduced herself as his wife from a previous birth(janma), with Devi Saraswathi standing beside her.

The king immediately rose in surprise and reverence, prostrated before the Devi, and asked whether he could return to his former body.

The Devi replied that he could do so, with her grace, once he relinquished his present body.

By that time day dawned and the next day battle began. A messenger came and informed the king that the enemy forces had invaded the palace and were launching full-fledged attack.

The king began to don his armour and, turning to the Devi, said,

“If anything should happen to me, I pray you will take care of my wife.” He introduced his wife who was a striking replica of Lila, much younger though.

Seeing the surprise on Lila’s face the Devi said that the new Lila is a mental projection of Lila herself.

Lila asked whether the Devi could save the King. But Devi said that while King Vidhuratha was seeking liberation, the enemy king had already prayed to her for his victory, much earlier and she had granted the same.

Now the new Lila prayed to Devi that in the event of her husband’s death, whether she can leave her body and reach where his soul will reach. The boon was granted.

The King Viduratha fought bravely but was overwhelmed by enemies and he died.

Now as promised by Devi his soul rose and started travelling back to Padma’s palace, accompanied by Lila and Devi. Devi allowed his soul to enter the body of King Padma which was covered by flowers. He rose up as if from sleep.

And before them was standing the new Lila. So, the trio of King Padma, Queen Lila and The New Lila prostrated to Devi and prayed that they should finally merge with the ultimate.

By Devi’s grace they eventually let go of their individuality and attained Moksha, the merger with ultimate.

(No more dualities- births and deaths, happiness laced with sadness, peace and turbulence, -just peace!)

After this narration, the Sage fell silent, and Sri Rama was seen in deep contemplation.

 

Author’s Note:

This story, drawn from the Utpatti Prakaranam of the Yoga Vasishta, is perhaps one of its most intricate and profound narratives.

At its close, a subtle question may arise: Who remains to experience peace?

This question itself is not meant to be answered immediately—it is an invitation to deeper inquiry.

The story touches upon profound notions of space, time, and the nature of reality, each deserving quiet reflection.

In presenting it here, some of the denser philosophical passages that occur within the storyline have been only lightly touched upon or, at places, set aside, so that the narration may remain simple and readable.

Therefore, it may be best approached in two ways: first, to simply read and enjoy the narrative; and later, to revisit it with a contemplative mind, for it is in such a return that its deeper meanings begin to reveal themselves. Then the journey can move on to read the original text.

Author’s Reflections

This is a fascinating story, like many others in the Yoga Vasishta, yet it stands out for its complexity, as it weaves together several concepts that deeply intrigue the human mind.

At its heart is a determined lady, who undertakes intense penance to trace the soul of her beloved husband and remarkably, succeeds in her endeavor.

The narrative unfolds through what may be called a journey across time, moving through different incarnations—back and forth across previous and subsequent births. The same set of individuals appear and reappear in these varied contexts, as though participating in multiple layers of existence.

Is this merely imagined, or is it real?
This leads us to a timeless and profound question: What indeed is real?

While reading the story, an apparent contradiction arises. The Devi Saraswati assures Lila that her husband’s soul will not leave the palace. Yet, he is later seen reborn as King Viduratha, seemingly in a different place.

This puzzle is resolved when the Devi reveals that all these events unfold within the space of an old man’s hut. The palace exists within that hut, and the battlefield of a later birth is, in turn, contained within the same palace.

What appears as movement across places and lifetimes is, in truth, a play across different planes of consciousness, all coexisting within the same space.

Seen in this light, the Devi’s assurance was never untrue—the soul never truly “left,” for the very idea of space itself is being redefined.

If space thus appears to collapse, the mystery of time too calls for deeper reflection. Time does not flow uniformly; it seems to vary from place to place, and even from perceiver to perceiver. What was but eight days in the old man’s hut unfolds as an entire lifetime in King Padma’s palace—suggesting that time itself is not absolute but intimately tied to the plane of experience.

The same lady, across different births, is seen asking for the same or a similar boon—that she may never be separated from her husband. This recurring pattern suggests that tendencies, or Vasanas, do not end with the death of the body, but are carried forward and find expression again in subsequent births.

This offers a deeply unsettling insight. The impressions we cultivate do not simply fade away; they accompany us, shaping future experiences and destinies in ways we may not immediately recognize.

While noble tendencies uplift and guide, those rooted in greed, jealousy, or attachment do not easily loosen their hold. They persist, gathering strength, and continue to bind across lifetimes. It is therefore worth pausing to consider the nature of the Vasanas we nurture—for they are not left behind, but follow us relentlessly, shaping the course of our becoming.

Even a deeply pious man, overcome by a single momentary thought—the desire to become a king—finds himself drawn into a spiral of births. That one thought, subtle as it may seem, sets in motion a chain that unfolds across lifetimes. In his case, owing to his virtue and the steadfast resolve of his wife, the cycle is limited to just three births. Yet, the implication is profound.

The very possibility that we may be caught in an unending cycle, carrying the burden of unwholesome Vasanas, is enough to make one pause and tremble.

The exposition of the threefold nature of Ākāśa is another valuable insight offered by this story—one that invites deeper reflection.

The text also employs striking and powerful examples to convey its subtle teachings: the absence of water in a mirage, and the vision of a mountain seen both within and outside a mirror. These examples gently but effectively point to the nature of perceived reality.

In response to a question from Sri Rama, the sage proclaims the Advaitic truth with striking clarity:

“Thus, there are no separate worlds, no distances, and no barriers. “All is but Maya—an appearance that seems real yet dissolves upon deeper inquiry.