RIDDLES OF THE NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Consciousness is not bound by space-time; rather, it is the other way around. The entire universe is a collective dream. Pure consciousness is the Ultimate Reality, the substratum of the entire manifest and unmanifest existence. The Upanishads say that it is not what you have but what you are: Prajñānam Brahma, or "Consciousness is Brahman" (Aitareya Upanishad, 3.3); "Aham Brahmasmi", or "I am Brahman", (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.10);  

Tat Tvam Asi, or "Thou art That" (Chandogya Upanishad, 6.8.7); and Ayam Atma Brahma, or "This Self is Brahman" (Mandukya Upanishad, 1.2). The missing link of our understanding is the veil of Avidya, or ignorance, that makes an illusionary appearance the ultimate goal. What we call "real life" is simply a longer, more stable dream, while our nightly dreams are shorter. Both are projected by the mind. Since Pure Consciousness is the ultimate subject of observation, it can never be studied as an external object. It is "the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, and the Life of life", as Kena Upanishad (1.2) bluntly puts it. Thoughts can't "think" consciousness because consciousness makes thoughts possible, just as fire can't burn itself and an eye can't look at itself. Brahman, or the Supreme Self, is only one Absolute Existence, or eternal Reality that underlies the shifting illusions of space, time, light, and darkness yet remains entirely unchanged by them, says Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.62). Existence is One only that is absolute, eternal, and infinite, says sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda. He speaks bluntly of existence being One only. If that is the absolute Reality, there cannot be two existences. Because there is nowhere "outside" of existence, it is a seamless, undivided, universal whole. That existence is Sat-Chit-Ananda, or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.62) says, 'There is only one Being (Sat) who is holy and without beginning and who, though He appears to have forms of light and darkness and of space and time, never rises or sets anywhere.' He is without beginning, middle, or end. He remains like a vast expanse of water exhibiting Itself in its waves and currents. "The universe is not a collection of independent material objects; it is a singular, divine conscious expression. Dualities like light and darkness, or structural parameters like space and time, are merely structural formatting rules created by the mind. Pure Consciousness has no beginning, middle, or end; It "never rises or sets". It is unchanging and timeless. Birth, death, creation, and destruction happen to the name and form a manifestation of objective derivation. 

1.  Outline 

Yoga-Vasistha employs several riddles to address the questions arising from the phenomenal universe to clear the ignorance in the realisation of consciousness. The wave-and-ocean riddle-centric explanation from Yoga-Vasistha (6.6.6-8) is not a common riddle but a perceptive philosophical riddle of perception and identity used by Sage Vasistha to teach Sri Rama the core truth of nonduality. The comparison to a vast expanse of water is a timeless Vedantic metaphor. The waves, ripples, foam, and currents look different and change constantly, but they are nothing but water. Similarly, the changing phenomena of the universe are merely the "waves" of one infinite consciousness. Sage Vasistha uses this metaphor to shift a seeker’s perspective from individual limitation to infinite awareness. There is Oneness of Existence. A wave appears distinct but is nothing but water. It lacks independent existence. Similarly, the entire universe, with its various forms, is merely a transient expression of the one Infinite Consciousness. Accordingly, Jivatma, or the individual self, realises that it is not a limited wave but the permanent ocean itself. The ocean's volume remains constant, regardless of the waves that appear on its surface. Brahman, or the Ultimate Reality, remains unaffected, infinite, and whole through the continuous cycle of Samsara Chakra, or birth and death. The phenomenal universe is an existence of beautiful, spontaneous "sports". By recognising oneself as the ocean, one can witness the "rising and falling" of individual experiences and life events without fear or personal attachment. The metaphorical riddle challenges the way reality is viewed through sense perception based on the body-mind complex, the individual ego, and the phenomenal universe. The metaphorical address is "I am above everything; I am present everywhere; I am like space; I am That which really exists..." "Let imaginary waves of the universe rise or fall in me, who am the ocean of infinite consciousness; there is no increase or decrease in me." "How wonderful that in me, the infinite ocean of consciousness, waves of Jivatma, or individual self, rise, sport for a while, and disappear according to their nature." Brahman, or infinite consciousness, is the Ocean, and we, the universe, and our egos are the waves. That is the metaphor of the ocean and wave, as explained in Yoga-Vasistha. Similarly, Yoga-Vasistha (3.11.3-4, 3.40.27, and 6.55.64) illustrates it is an egregious error to suppose the existence of a thing without its cause or seed, such as supposing the existence of two moons in the sky, of water in a mirage, and of the son of a barren woman. It is a recurring classical analogy used to illustrate absolute unreality. It is an impossible concept that has never existed. Yoga-Vasistha (3.11.3-4, 3.40.27) speaks of a riddle based on the metaphorical statement of a town built in the sky, protected by Vandhyāputra, or the son of a barren woman, where paths are made of compressed air. A barren woman cannot have a son. Therefore, her son does not exist. Similarly, the objective world appears real to our senses, but from the standpoint of Pure Consciousness, it has never actually been created. The universe is an illusion (Maya) that exists only as a ripple in consciousness, just as a mirage appears to contain water but is actually dry sand. Yoga-Vasistha set in motion riddles for riddles to resolve those riddles. The Riddle of the "Space in the Pot" is another one to address the riddle of duality in favour of existence being One only. What happens to Ghatakasha, or the space inside a clay pot used by Yoga-Vasistha (book 5, chapter 72; book 6, chapter 25) when the pot is smashed? The Riddle: Does the space inside the pot die, break, or move somewhere else? Nothing happens to it. The space inside the pot was always identical to Mahakasha, or the cosmic sky. The clay wall was a temporary, artificial boundary. In the same way, the physical body is the pot. Jivatma, or the individual self, thinks it is trapped inside, but upon enlightenment, it realises it was always the infinite, undivided consciousness. The pot represents the temporary physical body, ego, and mind (Upadhi or limiting adjunct). Ghatakasha is the space inside that represents Jivatma, or the individual life force. Mahakasha, or the cosmic sky, is the vast sky outside that represents pure, boundless universal consciousness or Paramatma. Yoga-Vasistha (book 6, chapter 25) explains that when the physical body (the pot) drops away, the yogi effortlessly merges back into their true supreme nature. Ghatakasha is revealed to have always been the vast cosmic sky (Mahakasha) even while the clay walls existed. The text says "illusion of division", meaning the clay wall makes the space inside look separate. Ignorance makes consciousness feel confined to a body. When a clay pot breaks, the space inside is never destroyed. It is indestructible and simply remains as the total sky. Death of the physical body only ends the container. The inner essence remains eternal, unattached, and free. The Riddle of the "Spiny Karkati" is a complex allegory involving a psychological riddle about desire. A demoness named Karkati undergoes penance to become a microscopic "living needle" (representing a virus or pure desire) so she can feed on everyone without being seen. However, she realises that in becoming so small, she loses her vast nature. This illustrates how the infinite consciousness, through the riddle of ego (Ahamkara), limits itself to a tiny physical body with endless desires. The moment consciousness identifies with a small, separate "I", it experiences suffering. Liberation (Moksha) is waking up from this riddle of individuality.

2. Scriptures 

The story of the demoness Karkati from Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.1-62) is one of ancient literature's most fascinating allegories. It is often described as a stunningly accurate, thousands-of-years-old description of a microscopic virus or epidemic. The ravenous hunger of the demoness Karkati possessed an insatiable, mountain-sized appetite. No matter how much she ate, her hunger could never be satisfied. She realised that the only way to satisfy her belly was to devour all the inhabitants of Jambu-dvipa, or the civilised world, at once. However, because the people were righteous and protected by protective mantras and medicine, she could not touch them. The intense penance seeking a solution to her dilemma, Karkati climbed a high mountain peak to perform extreme austerities, or Tapas. For one thousand years, she stood rigidly on one leg, braving the scorching sun, biting frost, and torrential rains. Her mind was so fiercely concentrated that her massive body eventually withered away until it became as dark and dry as a raincloud. Impressed by her fierce determination, the creator god Brahma appeared before her to grant a boon. Karkati reasoned that if she became a microscopic entity, she could easily slip past people's defences, enter their bodies unnoticed, and consume their vital essences from within. Her wish was granted by the creator, splitting her destiny into two forms: Sthula-Suchika, or the Physical Needle: A physical, iron-like needle; Jiva-Suchika, or the Living Needle: an invisible, airborne, microscopic organism. In this microscopic form, she became known as Vishuchika, meaning "cholera", "epidemics", or "piercing viral pain". A virus seeking wisdom as a microscopic "living needle", Karkati entered the bloodstreams, hearts, lungs, and livers of living beings, causing immense suffering. Here, the story takes a deeply philosophical turn. Though she satisfied her hunger, she found no mental peace. She eventually grew exhausted from the tedious, endless cycle of consuming and destroying. Realising the futility of her ego-driven desires, she went back into deep meditation to seek spiritual truth. She eventually encountered an enlightened king (King Shikhidhvaja, or King Vipaschit, depending on the specific narrative layer) and his wise minister, engaged them in profound philosophical debates, and achieved ultimate Self-realisation and liberation, thus shedding her destructive nature entirely. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.1-62) says demoness Karkati's highly philosophical, riddle-like questions are answered effectively by the wise minister of the King Shikhidhvaja. The king and his highly intelligent minister are walking through a dense forest at midnight when they encounter Karkati, a monumental demoness. Instead of blindly attacking them, she decides to test their intellect and Atma-sakshatkar, or Self-realisation, first. She poses a series of deeply complex, metaphysical riddles (Mahā-praśne) about the nature of consciousness, Atman, and the universe.

This specific verse of Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.4) serves as the transition point between questions and answers. 

anākhyatvādagamyatvānmanaḥ ṣaṣṭhendriyasthiteḥ |

cinmātramevamātmāṇurākāśādapi sūkṣmakaḥ ||3.80.4||

Atman, which is the selfsame as the intellect, which is minuter than a particle of air, is that atomic principle that thou dost enquire into because it is a nameless minim imperceptible by the six organs of sense and unintelligible to the mind. This verse marks a pivotal moment in Yoga-Vasistha, where the minister of King Shikhidhvaja begins responding to the complex metaphysical riddles posed by a formidable Rakshasi, or demoness. Once the demoness finishes asking her grand riddles, the exceptionally wise minister steps forward in the pitch-black night to deliver the answers. The riddle of the "Rakshasi Karkati" represents the dense, terrifying, and chaotic nature of Avidya, or worldly ignorance, and Maya, or cosmic illusion. The "occult questions" she asks are deeply philosophical riddles concerning the nature of Atman (Self), Jagat (universe), and Brahman (Supreme Self). The minister's willingness to answer her in the "deep gloom of night" symbolises the power of Atma-jnana, or Self-knowledge to illuminate and dissolve the darkest obscurities of the mind. Instead of fighting the demoness with physical weapons, the minister of the king uses the weapon of Absolute Truth, eventually leading to her enlightenment and transformation. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.3-4) notes that every single riddle she poses points to one underlying reality, Brahman, or Pure Consciousness. The minister uses seemingly paradoxical statements to bypass the limitations of human language and describe that which cannot be touched, seen, or completely understood by human senses. The minister replies to the great riddles of the demoness by stating that Atman is the selfsame as Pure Intellect. That does not mean human logic or reasoning; rather, it refers to Chit, or Self-consciousness, or Pure Awareness that underlies all existence. Atman, or Self, is a subtle, formless essence of Brahman, or Supreme Self, rather than an actual object. It is subtler than the subtlest, and nothing can be comparable in the phenomenal dimension. The subtlety is boundless. It is infinite, eternal, unmanifest, and unaffected by space-time constraints. Brahman is Nirakara, meaning "formless"; Nirvisesa, meaning "attributeless"; and Nirguna, meaning "traitless" or "qualityless". It is beyond sensory perception. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.4) explicitly calls it "imperceptible by the six organs of sense": eyes, the faculty of sight; ears, the faculty of hearing; nose, the faculty of smell; tongue, the faculty of taste; skin, the faculty of touch; and mind, which perceives thoughts, memories, emotions, and concepts. The universe is an illusion that the material world, mountains, and vast distances are not solid, independent realities. Instead, they are entirely contained and projected within this single, microscopic atomic dot of divine intellect. Sage Vasistha teaches Atman is beyond names, forms, actions, and spacetime. that this fundamental principle is fundamentally nameless, uncreated, and independent of space-time. The mind is the internal sense organ that processes thoughts. Because Atman is the subject that witnesses everything, it cannot become an object of the senses. You cannot see your own seeing, just as a knife cannot cut itself. Atman is beyond intellectual comprehension and "unintelligible to the mind". The human mind operates using concepts, language, labels, and dualities. Because Atman is "nameless" and absolute, it cannot be grasped by thoughts or defined by words. It can only be realised through direct experience. Yoga-Vasistha elucidates to the seeker that what they are looking for cannot be found "out there" using the senses or intellect. Atman is the ultra-subtle, nameless spark of consciousness within you that allows you to experience everything else. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.4-15) provides the "keys" to these mystical riddles, the infinitely small and infinitely large. The riddle is how can something be an "atom" (smaller than a particle of air) yet contain the entire universe? It explains that Atman, or Self, is beyond the limitation of the limited adjuncts of space-time. It signifies that Atman is infinite, i.e., beyond space, as well as eternal, i.e., beyond time. It has no phenomenality of size and constraints. It is an "atom" because it cannot be divided or perceived by the senses, yet it acts as the "mundane seed"—the cosmic blueprint that yields and supports the entire physical universe. The paradox of "nothingness" is called a "void" or "nothing" because it is invisible to the external senses. Yet, it is the only true reality because it is imperishable and permeates everything like gold in a bracelet. Yoga-Vasistha (3.80.16-17) addresses the nature of the identity riddle of "What art thou?" It says from the phenomenal angle that everyone is different, meaning "neither am I That nor art thou He". But when one is awakened to the Truth of non-duality, the psychophysical egoism disappears. At the core, Jivatmas are identical to each other and identical to Brahman, or the Supreme Self, signifying "I am That, and so art thou". On the riddle of the unmoving traveller (Yoga-Vasistha, 3.80.18–28), it is the mind that is firmly anchored within the space of consciousness yet never physically leaves the body, but via thought, it can instantly envision, traverse, and wander across vast distances without ever truly moving an inch. The mind is active yet still as a stone (signifying the ultimate state of deep meditation or Self-realisation). When human thoughts are entirely absorbed and unified with the Absolute Truth, the mind becomes beautifully quiet and perfectly still—like a stone—even though it remains the very engine of active life and awareness. The light of Consciousness is fiery without burning things. It is described as "fiery" because it illuminates everything, gives life to the elements, and burns away the darkness of spiritual ignorance. Yet, it is entirely uninflammable—it gives life to the physical sun, moon, and stars without physically scorching the world. Yoga-Vasistha teaches that the phenomenal world is an illusion, while pure, unconditioned consciousness is the only true Reality. By realising that the mind and Atman are fundamentally unified with this cosmic energy, they break free from egoism and attain peace.

3. Remarks

The Upanishads address the riddles of the nature of consciousness as the fundamental non-phenomenal fabric of reality from which the phenomenal world manifests to sensory perception. The riddle of "knower" and "known" is addressed by Kena Upanishad (1.1-9). The disciple asked the teacher, "Om." By whose will is the mind directed to its object? At whose command does the prana, or life breath, the foremost, do its duty? At whose will do men utter speech? Who is the god that directs the eyes and ears? The teacher replied: It is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech, the Life of life, and the Eye of the eye. Having detached the Self from the sense organs and renounced the world, the wise attain immortality. The Upanishad explains that Brahman is the Ultimate Reality, or Pure Consciousness, and is not an object that the senses can perceive. Instead, It is the underlying power that activates everything in the manifest and unmanifest dimensions. It is different from the known; It is above the unknown. It is That which cannot be expressed by speech but by which speech is expressed. Brahman is that which cannot be apprehended by the mind, yet by which the mind is understood; that which cannot be perceived by the eye, yet by which the eye perceives; that which cannot be heard by the ear, yet by which hearing occurs; that which cannot be smelt by the breath, yet by which the breath identifies an object; and this alone is known as Brahman. It is beyond the senses; It transcends the known; It cannot be grasped as a finite object of knowledge, nor is it a total blankness; it is the ultimate subject behind all experiencing. Kena Upanishad (2.3) speaks bluntly that He by whom Brahman is not known knows It; he by whom It is known knows It not. It is not known by those who know it; it is known by those who do not know It. Brahman, or Pure Consciousness, is the ultimate, non-dual Reality, and cannot be known as a separate object, as the intellect and ego are limited in grasping it. It is truly "known" only when one realises that It is the inner, experiential subject, rather than an object to be conceptualised. Pure Consciousness is a realisation that evolves through an experiential journey from the objective dimension of the body-mind complex to the subjective one of Atma-sakshatkar, or Self-realisation. Mandukya Upanishad (3-7) maps human consciousness into four distinct states:

i) Jagrat, or waking, experiences Interacting with the external, phenomenal world via the mind-controlled senses, the evolving consciousness is fragmented and intertwined with the externality of egos, thoughts, feelings, desires, emotions, and expressions emanating from the psychophysical structure.

ii) Swapna, or dreaming, experiences the mind constructing an internal world out of subtle memories, and the consciousness is fragmented thoughts, feelings, desires, emotions, and expressions because of its interlinkage with the subtle memories.

iii) Sushupti, or deep sleep, experiences no identity, thought, feeling, desires, emotions, or expressions, as there is a void of gross and subtle desires, feelings, etc.; here consciousness is Prajñāna-ghana, or mass of consciousness, as if the entire world becomes an undifferentiated mass of darkness, Ekībhūta, or unified and undifferentiated, as there is a cessation of the duality: The division between the knower, the known, and the act of knowing disappears in Anandamaya & Anandabhuk, or the state of being full of bliss, because the mind is free from the struggles, desires, and anxieties of the waking world; and consciousness is Prājña (the Knower): the consciousness underlying this specific state is called Prājña, as this stage is the causal body (Karana Sharira), containing all past impressions in a latent, unmanifested seed form; here only the witness is present to record the blankness of any gross or subtle elements.

iv) Turiya, or Pure, non-dual awareness that silently witnesses the other three states. Here consciousness is pure, non-dual, Sat-Chit-Ananda, or Existence-Consciousness-Bliss; Achintyam, or inconceivable; it cannot be caught by the senses, defined by the intellect, or understood through logic; and Shivam, peaceful and auspicious. It is not a temporary "state" of mind that comes and goes; rather, it is the permanent, unchanging background and substratum upon which all other states of experience exist.

 -Asutosh Satpathy