Sri Yogavasishtam ( Maharamayanam): Book of Nirvana (Part 1)

Yogavasishtam is one of the most important texts of Indian spiritual traditions. It contains the dialogue between Sage Vasishta and Poorna Purushottama Sri Rama. The dialogue was recorded by adikavi as Vasishta gives Maharamayana. This runs into 32000 slokas divided into six volumes. Yogavasishtam is one of the ancient Indian philosophical texts dealing with the entire gamut of science of enquiry into the secrets and fountain heads of Existence, Reality and Truth. The presentation is in the form of a serious dialogue between the teen-aged Prince Rama of Ayodhya and the venerable Sage Vasishta of immense and enduring fame. Consequently the questions posed appear at times very profound, at times childish and at times puerile. Yet Sage Vasishta a holistic answer starting from the fundamentals. Every statement is fully elaborated with supporting and annotative stories and episodes.  Hence the daunting length of the treatise running into nearly 32000 slokas and about fifty two stories. The descriptions are elaborate, artistic and literary reflecting the natural urge of adikavi Valmiki, who is described as recorded the conversation. There are many disputes about the date and authorship of Yogavasishtam as is normal with many of the Indian philosophical texts.