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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 महेश्वरम् ।
तस्यावयव भूतैस्तु व्यापतं सर्वमिदं जगत।। श्वेता. 4.10
Māyāṁ tu prakr̥tiṁ māyinaṁ tu mahēśvaram.
Tasyāvayava bhūtaistu vyāpataṁ sarvamidaṁ jagata.. Śvētā. 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:
Sattva guna is the material mode of righteousness. Sattva guna is predominant in celestial Gods and Goddesses (देवी-देवता). Love, purity, sympathy, benevolence, philanthropy etc. virtues are the sign of Sattva guna or superior mode of Maya.
Rajas guna (Material mode of Passion): Rajas 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 (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 modes of Maya fall under this category
The gyani can cross this part of Maya and become free from the two modes of Maya.
- hides our own self from us. e.g. makes us forget that we are a jeev immortal and divine and makes us believe we are the physical body
- makes us attracted to the material world.
This is also called Avidya Maya (अविद्या माया).
Two modes of Maya fall under this category
- rajas guna or the material mode of passion and
- tamas guna or the material mode of demonic tendencies
The gyani can cross this part of Maya and become free from the two modes of Maya.
Gunavarika Maya: sattva guna which is the material mode of righteousness. This is also called Vidya Maya (विद्या माया)
Nobody can over this Maya. Brahma-Supreme God removes this Maya from those who are surrendered exclusively to Him.
Nobody can over this Maya. Brahma-Supreme God removes this Maya from those who are surrendered exclusively to Him.
The Sansaar-The World is manifestation (is created by) of Maya. Every material thing, is inert, transitory and ever changing. Our body is made of Panch Mahabhoot (five material gross elements) and that is why our body is also temporary and ever changing. It comes into being one day, grows, ages, dies and decays. It is so since the body is inert. These physical bodies are seen performing numerous actions (like seeing, hearing, touching, thinking, smelling, deciding etc) and therefore are believed to be conscious. But truth be told, body does not perform actions on its own accord. The Jeev (soul) lives in the heart and provides consciousness to the whole body. Just like a lamp provides light to all parts of the room.
Understand it with this example: A table is not sentient, yet it moves from one corner to another or from one room to another room. How? It moves only when live hands push the table around.
Understand it with this example: A table is not sentient, yet it moves from one corner to another or from one room to another room. 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 soul and the soul gets consciousness from the Supreme Soul. The Supreme Soul who is Almighty God is the source of all consciousness.
This is the reason that when the soul leaves the body, the body dies. Due to the consciousness of the Soul, which dwells in the heart and provides consciousness to the entire body, the body is “alive”.
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. Soul is divine and master of the senses, mind and intellect. It wants to attain divine happiness according to its inherent nature, but its servants (mind, intellect etc.) are material; they are ignorant of what divine happiness is or how to attain it.
Maya awakens us by giving us hardships caused by other material beings and things to help us realize, ‘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? Second, all others (material beings) are also searching for happiness, so give up expecting happiness from them. All material beings are beggars like you.’
So what should we do? Go to the one who has achieved happiness and is free from bondage of Maya. With a surrendered mind, serve Him, and ask proper questions to enhance your spiritual knowledge. He (a God-realized Saint) will satisfy you with proper guidance to lead you towards God who is true happiness.
This is the reason that when the soul leaves the body, the body dies. Due to the consciousness of the Soul, which dwells in the heart and provides consciousness to the entire body, the body is “alive”.
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. Soul is divine and master of the senses, mind and intellect. It wants to attain divine happiness according to its inherent nature, but its servants (mind, intellect etc.) are material; they are ignorant of what divine happiness is or how to attain it.
Maya awakens us by giving us hardships caused by other material beings and things to help us realize, ‘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? Second, all others (material beings) are also searching for happiness, so give up expecting happiness from them. All material beings are beggars like you.’
So what should we do? Go to the one who has achieved happiness and is free from bondage of Maya. With a surrendered mind, serve Him, and ask proper questions to enhance your spiritual knowledge. He (a God-realized Saint) will satisfy you with proper guidance to lead you towards God who is true happiness.
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया । उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्तवदर्शिनः।। गी. 3.34
Tadvid'dhi praṇipātēna paripraśnēna sēvayā. Upadēkṣyanti tē jñānaṁ jñāninastattavadarśinaḥ. Gita 3.34
Tadvid'dhi praṇipātēna paripraśnēna sēvayā. Upadēkṣyanti tē jñānaṁ jñāninastattavadarśinaḥ. Gita 3.34
तस्माद् गुरुं प्रद्येत जिज्ञासुः श्रेय उत्तमम्। शाब्देपरे च निष्णातं ब्रह्मण्युपशमाश्रयम् । भा11.3.21
Tasmād guruṁ pradyēta jijñāsuḥ śrēya uttamam. Śābdēparē ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇyupaśamāśrayam. Bhā 11.3.21
Tasmād guruṁ pradyēta jijñāsuḥ śrēya uttamam. Śābdēparē ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇyupaśamāśrayam. Bhā 11.3.21
Bhagavan-Shri Krishna said,"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 brings to the forefront the true behavior of the material beings thus it helps us to let go of our attachments. 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 brings to the forefront the true behavior of the material beings thus it helps us to let go of our attachments. 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 hyēṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Māmēva yē prapadyantē māyāmētāṁ tarantitē.. Gītā 7.14
Daivī hyēṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Māmēva yē prapadyantē māyāmētāṁ tarantitē.. Gītā 7.14
“Maya is My personal power, which is controlled by Me. 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 and reveal their real intent for demonstrating all the love and affection, 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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