Yoga-Vasishtha. Book 4. On Existence

A monumental masterpiece of Vedantic thought from early medieval India, representing a systematic exposition of the ideas of yoga and Advaita Vedanta, conveyed through a symbolic language of parables and allegories in the form of a conversation between the young Rama and his spiritual teacher Vasishtha, who is mentioned in the seventh book of the Rigveda. It is also a highly artistic work, full of rich and deep imagery and intricate poetic embellishments. "Yoga-Vasishtha" is considered an encyclopedia of Hinduism and is recognized by spiritual teachers in India as one of the greatest sacred texts.

Book IV is devoted to the questions of the nature of the visible and invisible, the existent and the nonexistent. The examination of this issue is illustrated by the Tale of Bhargava (Shukra), the son of the sage Bhrigu, and the narratives about the asuras Dame, Vyale, and Kate.