Book 5 · Upaśama उपशम · chapters 51–55 · 5 chapters
Vasishtha narrates to Rama the story of the sage Uddalaka, a young ascetic who withdraws to a cave on Gandhamadana mountain to meditate.
Vasishtha tells Rama to dissolve the five elements in meditation as Uddalaka once did, and Rama asks how. Uddalaka is introduced as a quiet, intelligent young ascetic who, troubled by worldly sorrow, longs for a state beyond bondage and rebirth. His mind keeps slipping back to the senses despite repeated attempts at meditation. Wandering the mountain, he finds a hidden, undisturbed cave and settles there, rebuking his own mind for chasing pleasures that only lead to suffering, and reasoning through the senses one by one. He then interrogates his own identity, searching his body part by part for an 'I' and finding none, concluding he is pure consciousness distinct from body, ego, and mind. Sitting in meditation posture, he practices controlled breathing through the stages of the syllable Om, passing through visions of dissolution, fire, ash, a four-armed luminous form, and finally settling into steady, objectless awareness. He becomes liberated while still living, unmoved by the celestial beings, powers, and heavenly women who come to tempt or honor him, and continues wandering at will for a long time, sometimes absorbed in trance for months or years. Eventually he resolves to leave the body, returns to meditation, and passes into the eternal, blissful, formless state, after which divine mothers and celestial maidens are said to gather at his mountain cave.
उद्दालको नाम मुनिर्मौनी मानी महामतिः | अप्राप्तयौवनः पूर्वमुवासोद्दामतापसः || १३ ||
There was a sage named Uddālaka, who was a silent, wise, and highly intelligent ascetic. Before attaining youth, he lived as a great ascetic.
एक ऋषि थे जिनका नाम उद्दालक था, जो मौनी, बुद्धिमान और बहुत ही ज्ञानी तपस्वी थे। युवावस्था प्राप्त करने से पहले, वह एक महान तपस्वी के रूप में रहते थे।
पादाङ्गुष्ठाच्छिरो यावत्कणशः प्रविचारितम्| न लब्धोऽसावहं नाम कः स्यादहमिति स्थितः || ३६ ||
From the tip of the toe to the head, everything has been examined minutely| I have not found that which is called 'I'| Who am I? This is the state || 36 ||
पैर के अंगूठे से लेकर सिर तक, सब कुछ बारीकी से जांचा गया है| मैंने उसे नहीं पाया जिसे 'मैं' कहते हैं| मैं कौन हूँ? यही स्थिति है || ३६ ||
उद्दालकस्तदारभ्य व्यवहारपरोऽपि सन् | सुसमाहित एवासौ चित्तत्त्वैकत्वमागतः || ९० ||
From that time onwards, even while engaged in worldly activities, Uddalaka remained fully composed, having attained the oneness of the essence of the mind.
तब से, भले ही वह संसारिक गतिविधियों में लगा हुआ था, उद्दालक पूरी तरह से संयमित रहा, मन की सत्ता की एकता प्राप्त कर लेने के बाद।
The story occupies chapters 51–55 of Book 5. Each link opens that chapter complete — Sanskrit in Devanagari and IAST, with a plain English and Hindi translation of every verse. The number under each link is its verse count.