Laghu YOGA VASISHTHA - HolyBooks.com

LAGHU YOGA VASISTHA
etc., formed, as it were, the abode for the sylvan
goddess to reside in, like sprouts latent in seed.
This goddess through her power of intelligence
presided over the whole forest and looking within,
went into the Sushupti state in which state her
body of creepers was transformed into that of a
beetle. Boring its way into the lotus stalk in a pond,
it went within. Even the seeming inert worms and
other creatures with life have got their own states
of consciousness (in their own peculiar planes).
While the beetle was disporting itself in the lotus
leaves in the waters, a rutting elephant rushed into
the waters and agitating them, began to squeeze
the lotuses in the tank and the beetles over them.
While so, the above said beetle eyed the elephant
into which the former was transformed at once.
This tusker with its long proboscis fell into a pit.
Thereupon the mahout of a certain king bound him
fast and leading him to a war made it perish. Ere
its death, it became a beetle through its association
with another beetle. This beetle being again
reduced to dust through another irate elephant
which set up a tremendous tumult in the waters,
was transformed into a Hamsa (swan) through
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