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Maya (माया) is one of the powers of Brahma-Supreme God. It is fully controlled by God.
मायां तु प्रकृतिं मायिनं तु महेश्वरम ।
तस्यावयव भूतैस्तु व्यापतं सर्वमिदं जगत॥ श्वेता. 4.10 māyāṁ tu prakr̥tiṁ māyinaṁ tu maheśvaram ।
tasyāvayava bhūtaistu vyāpataṁ sarvamidaṁ jagata।। śvetā. 4.10 Brahma (ब्रह्म) - Supreme God is the master of three major powers: Jeev, or individual soul, Maya is an inert power of God, and Para Shakti, or most intimate and personal power of God. God and Jeev (or soul) are conscious (endowed with life). But Maya is not sentient. It is inert. Maya, is called an external power of God, and it cannot do anything by itself, since unlike God it is neither divine nor conscious. Yet it performs wondrous things (like creating this universe) since it is governed by Almighty God.
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Karnarnavshayi Mahavishnu looked at Maya
and it started moving as if it has life. |
Thus this insignificant, inert and external power of God is so mighty that even those possessing great knowledge are also afraid of it. In other words it is as powerful as God, since it is governed by God Himself.
Modes of Maya
Maya is endowed with three material modes.
Satva guna (सत्व गुण satva guṇa) is the material mode of righteousness. Satva guna is predominant in celestial gods and goddesses (देवी-देवता). Love, purity, sympathy, benevolence, philanthropy etc. virtues are the sign of Satva guna or superior mode of Maya.
Rajas guna () is the material mode of passion. This mode is predominant in human beings. To help others, being honest, forbearing and sympathetic to an extent, without harming ones self-interest, are the signs of rajas mode of Maya. It means that these kinds of people are neither considered 'very good' nor 'very bad'.
Tamas guna is the material mode of demonic dark tendencies. Tamas guna promotes darkness, destruction and ignorance and is predominant in devious beings. Individuals, who are extremely selfish, angry, dishonest, cruel, unfaithful and destructive, fall in this category.
There are two aspects of Maya
Swaroopavarika Maya does two things
This is also called Avidya Maya (अविद्या माया).
Two of the above mentioned modes of Maya fall under this category
With intense practice over many lifetimes gyani (those who tread on the path of gyan) can cross this part of Maya and become free from the two modes of Maya.
- hides our own self from us - This aspect of Maya makes us forget that we are an immortal and divine jeev. Instead it makes us believe we are the physical body
- makes us attracted to the material world.
This is also called Avidya Maya (अविद्या माया).
Two of the above mentioned modes of Maya fall under this category
- rajas guna - the material mode of passion and
- tamas guna - the material mode of demonic tendencies
With intense practice over many lifetimes gyani (those who tread on the path of gyan) can cross this part of Maya and become free from the two modes of Maya.
Gunavarika Maya is the satva guna which is the material mode of righteousness. This is also called Vidya Maya (विद्या माया)
Nobody can win over this Maya. This Maya spares one only when instructed by Brahm-Supreme God to do so. Brahm-Supreme God instructs it to spare only the fully surrendered jeev.
Nobody can win over this Maya. This Maya spares one only when instructed by Brahm-Supreme God to do so. Brahm-Supreme God instructs it to spare only the fully surrendered jeev.
The Sansaar-The World is manifestation (is made up by) of Maya. Every material thing, is inert, transitory and ever changing. Our sooksham sharir (the gross material body) is made of panch mahabhoot (five material gross elements). That is why our body is also temporary and ever changing. It comes into being one day, grows, ages, dies and decays (see shadvikar). It is so since the body is inert, lifeless.
These physical bodies are seen performing numerous actions like seeing, hearing, touching, thinking, smelling, deciding etc. Inert things don't perform any action. These bodies must be sentient?
No, they are not sentient. The body does not perform actions on its own accord. The life force jeev (soul) lives in the heart of the body. It is the jeev that provides consciousness to the whole body. Just like when a lamp is placed inside a room it illuminates the whole room.
Understand it with this example: A table is lifeless. Yet it moves from one corner to another. How? It moves only when live hands push the table around.
These physical bodies are seen performing numerous actions like seeing, hearing, touching, thinking, smelling, deciding etc. Inert things don't perform any action. These bodies must be sentient?
No, they are not sentient. The body does not perform actions on its own accord. The life force jeev (soul) lives in the heart of the body. It is the jeev that provides consciousness to the whole body. Just like when a lamp is placed inside a room it illuminates the whole room.
Understand it with this example: A table is lifeless. Yet it moves from one corner to another. How? It moves only when live hands push the table around.
A table moves from one corner to another. How?
These hands are also NOT sentient. They get consciousness from the mind. The mind is also not sentient, but it gets consciousness from the intellect. The intellect is also insentient. It gets consciousness from the jeev. Jeev gets consciousness from the Supreme Soul. That Supreme Soul is Brahm-Supreme God. the one who is Almighty. He is the source of all consciousness.
This is the reason that when the jeev leaves the body, the body dies. In the body jeev dwells in the heart. From there jeev provides consciousness to the entire body. As long as jeev lives in the body, the body functions as if it is “alive”. When jeev leaves then one sees that the body is inert and made of Maya.
Thus, Maya is an inert power of God, which is thoroughly controlled by Almighty God. The entire world is made of Maya. Even our senses, mind and intellect are material. Jeev is divine and master of the senses, mind and intellect. Jeev wants to attain divine happiness. This is the inherent of jeev. But its servants (mind, intellect etc.) are material. They are unaware of existence and whereabouts of divine happiness. So, it should not be a surprise that they are ignorant of the ways to attain it.
Maya is extremely beneficial to the jeev. It creates and provides for everything needs to sustain the body, and mind. Additionally, Maya awakens us, from the deep slumber of ignorance, by giving us hardships. These hardships are caused by other material beings and things. This is God's punitive way of helping us realize the basic facts
This is the reason that when the jeev leaves the body, the body dies. In the body jeev dwells in the heart. From there jeev provides consciousness to the entire body. As long as jeev lives in the body, the body functions as if it is “alive”. When jeev leaves then one sees that the body is inert and made of Maya.
Thus, Maya is an inert power of God, which is thoroughly controlled by Almighty God. The entire world is made of Maya. Even our senses, mind and intellect are material. Jeev is divine and master of the senses, mind and intellect. Jeev wants to attain divine happiness. This is the inherent of jeev. But its servants (mind, intellect etc.) are material. They are unaware of existence and whereabouts of divine happiness. So, it should not be a surprise that they are ignorant of the ways to attain it.
Maya is extremely beneficial to the jeev. It creates and provides for everything needs to sustain the body, and mind. Additionally, Maya awakens us, from the deep slumber of ignorance, by giving us hardships. These hardships are caused by other material beings and things. This is God's punitive way of helping us realize the basic facts
- They do not belong to you.
- You are not the body; you are the soul immortal and divine like your origin God.
- Why are you increasing your attachment to them?
- All other material beings are also searching for happiness. It is futile to expect happiness from them. So, give up our expectation of getting happiness from them as they are beggars just like you.
God is extremely gracious. He actively engages in promoting the well-being of jeev. He is ever eager to bestow the ultimate bliss upon every jeev. He usher jeev towards the ultimate bliss He employs two types of servants namely saints and Maya.
Saints descend on earth and lovingly explain the divine precepts to the jeev. Saints coach the jeev to follow those precepts. When jeev ignores all those teachings then God employs the punitive power to awaken the jeev. Many jeev like Ajamil, Meerabai, Tulsidas, Soordas were woken up by Maya. Then they listened to saints and put those precepts into practice. It is then that they got respite from Maya and attain aim of life.
In a nutshell, if you want respite from Maya then follow Bhagavan-Shri Krishna's advise
Saints descend on earth and lovingly explain the divine precepts to the jeev. Saints coach the jeev to follow those precepts. When jeev ignores all those teachings then God employs the punitive power to awaken the jeev. Many jeev like Ajamil, Meerabai, Tulsidas, Soordas were woken up by Maya. Then they listened to saints and put those precepts into practice. It is then that they got respite from Maya and attain aim of life.
In a nutshell, if you want respite from Maya then follow Bhagavan-Shri Krishna's advise
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्तवदर्शिनः।। गी. 3.34
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā । upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninastattavadarśinaḥ।। gī. 3.34
tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā । upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninastattavadarśinaḥ।। gī. 3.34
तस्माद् गुरुं प्रद्येत जिज्ञासुः श्रेय उत्तमम्। शाब्देपरे च निष्णातं ब्रह्मण्युपशमाश्रयम् । भा11.3.21
tasmād guruṁ pradyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam। śābdepare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇyupaśamāśrayam । bhā 11.3.21
tasmād guruṁ pradyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam। śābdepare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇyupaśamāśrayam । bhā 11.3.21
"Submit to a God-realized saint and humbly ask questions to clarify your spiritual doubts."
One's grim experiences of life are due to one's attachments to the world of Maya. Maya itself is not bad or miserable. Maya exposes the true behavior of the material beings. e.g. when a son retorts back at his angry father, both really speak their mind. When situation cools off then the son realizes how his actions undermine his personal aspirations. Then, son might apologetically approach the father. Witnessing all this selfishness our attachment to this material world reduces.
Material people or things are not the cause of ones miseries either. Instead it is false expectations of achieving happiness from material people and things that makes one miserable. One needs to affirm the knowledge that God is happiness and is the sole source of happiness. Hence, redirect one's mental attachments to God. Repeatedly reaffirm that He is the only true source of all kinds of happiness. The firmer the resolve in one's mind the greater is natural detachment from Maya. And equal percentage of attachment to God (unlimited ocean of happiness) will happen automatically.
Lord Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavat Gita -
One's grim experiences of life are due to one's attachments to the world of Maya. Maya itself is not bad or miserable. Maya exposes the true behavior of the material beings. e.g. when a son retorts back at his angry father, both really speak their mind. When situation cools off then the son realizes how his actions undermine his personal aspirations. Then, son might apologetically approach the father. Witnessing all this selfishness our attachment to this material world reduces.
Material people or things are not the cause of ones miseries either. Instead it is false expectations of achieving happiness from material people and things that makes one miserable. One needs to affirm the knowledge that God is happiness and is the sole source of happiness. Hence, redirect one's mental attachments to God. Repeatedly reaffirm that He is the only true source of all kinds of happiness. The firmer the resolve in one's mind the greater is natural detachment from Maya. And equal percentage of attachment to God (unlimited ocean of happiness) will happen automatically.
Lord Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavat Gita -
दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया । मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्तिते।। गीता 7.14
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā । māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṁ tarantite।। gītā 7.14
daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā । māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetāṁ tarantite।। gītā 7.14
“Maya is My power. I wield it. Hence, one has to win over Me to win over Maya. I am invincible, thus Maya is also invincible. Yet the one who surrenders himself completely unto Me, becomes free from Maya and attains My grace.”
In conclusion, God has two kinds of servants :
- His Saints who coach us on how to rectify our lives and to assist in attaining our goal of unlimited divine happiness. They lovingly guide and try to infuse true knowledge in one's mind. The goal of this is to detach us from the wrong path of attaining happiness.
- But, if one refuses to listen to the good servants of God, the strict servant Maya comes forth and shows the real nature of the world (one's family members, friends and relatives) by bringing their true intent to the forefront. In those moments when friends and family drop their facade. In those moments the real intent for demonstrating all the love and affection is revealed. It makes one dissatisfied and unhappy with the world. It is then that they realize the truth of the words of those Saints and turn towards God.
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