Yoga Vasistha Chapter 4: Yoga Vasistha is a dialogue between Brahma Rishi Vasishta and the 15-year-old Rama. This dialogue occurs when Rama went into dispassion after completing his studies and wanted to know more about the self and the purpose of life.

Vedic philosophy describes three types of bodies: Sthool sharira (physical body), sukshma sharira (subtle body) and the Karan sharira (soul).

The sthool sharira or the physical body, called bahya karana, is controlled by the ten senses, tanmatras and the five basic elements. The antaha karana or the subtle body is controlled by the mind, intellect and ego and Chitta, which is intelligence. 

Sage Vasistha tells Rama that everything in this universe has originated from pure consciousness and ultimately merges into the same consciousness.

From the unmanifest, along with quantum strings and quantum fields incorporating the principles of quantum mechanics, arise the quantum fluctuations.

A quantum fluctuation (or vacuum state fluctuation or vacuum fluctuation) is the temporary change in the amount of energy in a point in space as explained in uncertainty principle.

This allows the creation of particle-antiparticle pairs of virtual particles. Quantum fluctuations explain the origin of the structure of the universe: according to the model of expansive inflation the ones that existed when inflation began were amplified and formed the seed of all current observed structure.

Vacuum energy may also be responsible for the current accelerating expansion of the universe (cosmological constant).

In Vedic terms, the quantum fluctuations are the Sankalp (first desire to multiply or Swayambhu) in Yoga Vasishta. When Sankalp persists, it becomes a Vasana or Desire and this keeps the creation going.

When we talk about the concept of one universe (One CMAAO, One IMA, One world) we need to take a pledge (Sankalp) and then let this Sankalp become the desire to stay.  

According to Yoga Vasishta, moksha or inner happiness is devoid of both Sankalp and Vasana. The mind attains quiescence in this stage and once established, the person loses track of time while doing any action.

Sankalp is Samsara and its annihilation is inner happiness.

Let us all take a Sankalp of ‘One Medical profession” and then focus our persistent efforts for this desire to come to fruition.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA