Maya

Maya is considered as the creative power of the Ultimate Reality. The Svetastarava Upanishad (1.3) says,  "The sages absorbed in meditation realized the creative power that is present in the self-luminous Brahman-- the power which consists of the three strands as sattva, rajas and tamas."  The Upanishad calls it as devAtma sakti- the divine power of God/Truth. The sages realized in meditation that there was a creative power behind all creation and its locus was the infinite Truth, which has an infinite potential to create. This inscrutable  divine power is called MAyA  or Prakrti. Thus the infinite Truth (Brahman)  associated with MayA  is the cause of the world. Now,what is the nature of the relationship between Truth/God( Brahman) and Its power(mAyA)?  It is very difficult to understand the relationship.  Veda-s declare "Truth is One without a second" (Ekameva adviteeyam). They also say that truth is attributeless (nirguna,  gunarahita, gunavivarjita etc. etc.). Then how can there be  Truth (Brahman) and mAyA, its power-power itself being an attribute? Also does mAyA have a separate existence from Truth or is it one with the Truth? MAyA can not exist separate from Truth as Truth is of the nature of Existence, Anything other than Existence can not exist. Then MayA must be one with the Truth. If so, it becomes Truth itself. Hence Maya can not be said to be separate or one with the truth. Then may be, it does not exist at all. However, creation exists, its cause, the creative power must also exist and this power must exist in the Infinite Truth alone. Hence this power is called inscrutable(anirvachaneeya) and enjoys an indescribable relationship with the Truth. Tulsidas  expresses it beautifully as 'it can be said to be separate, yet not separate'(kahiyata bhinna na bhinna). MAyA  is called the devAtma-sakti  as it belongs to God/Truth and exists because of Him. In God/Truth this power lies dormant and expresses as creation. God is said to preside over and mAyA creates the world--"mayAdhyakshena  prakritih   sooyate  sacarAcaram"( Bhagavad Gita 9.10).  From the standpoint of Truth(Brahman), mAyA does not exist(yA mA sA mAyA--that which does not exist is mAyA). Hence mAyA is not attribute of Truth. Yet from the point of the world it is said to be the divine power of God which exists in God/Truth and creates the world. It is indeed difficult to comprehend. (to be continued) G.Balasubramanian -- //न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रं इह विद्यते//   //अन्येषां अभिप्रायाणां आदरं सदा यच्छन्तु l कदापि परेषां भावान् स्मरन्तु ll   To post to this group, send email to viprasamhitha@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viprasamhitha-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/viprasamhitha --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "viprasamhitha" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to viprasamhitha+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to viprasamhitha@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viprasamhitha. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.