Section
18
Two
Divisions of Mäyä
The external energy is explained by Supreme Lord to Brahmä in Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.9.34):
That which is perceived in the absence of My realization but perceived in My presence, know that to be My Mäyä, the external energy. It manifests like a reflection and like darkness.
Artham means " the Supreme object, the Lord." That which is perceived without Me and not perceived when I am perceived, i.e. which is perceived by herself without My support, an object having such characteristics is called My; the Supreme Lord's Mäyä-çakti. It has two features, jévamäyä and guëamäyä. In this analysis the pure jéva is counted in the same category as the Lord because of it being likened to a ray particle of the Sun like Lord and because of being conscious like Him".
The names of Mäyä having two parts are known by the two examples in the verse. Out of these two, the above stated qualities are shown in the first part called jévamäyä by the example of reflection (yathäbhäsa) and such an impossibility is dispelled. A reflection, äbhäsa, is the light somehow bounced into an area which is separated from the light of an effulgent source of light. Just as a reflection exists outside its source yet is imperceptible without the source, jévamäyä also exists similarly. This quality of prati-cchavi, synonymous with äbhäsa, implies that Mäyä is also called äbhäsa. Therefore, sometimes its manifestation is also called äbhäsa such as in Çrémad Bhägavatam (2.10.7.), äbhäsaçaca-nirodhaçca-the creation and dissolution of the universe.
When a splendorous brilliant sun shines into someone's eyes, it covers the vision and after by its dazzling brilliance causes pain in the eyes and produces from within a polychromatic effect. Sometimes the sun produces diverse forms in this polychromatic vision. Similarly Mäyä also covers the real consciousness of the living entity, and manifests from within herself the inert material nature called guëamäyä, consisting of the modes in their balanced state. Sometimes she transforms the different modes into various forms. This is stated in the Viñëu Puräëa (1.22.54.), "As the fire situated in one place....."
Similarly the experts in äyurveda say, "Like the reflection of the sun, this eternal material nature is the reflection of the Personality of Godhead, who is purely transcendental, inconceivable, and the source of the universe. Although she is inert herself, like a mask in a play, she has manifested this ephemeral universe, by the association of the conscious potency of the Lord.
In this way the efficient or sentient aspect is called jévamäyä and the material or insentient aspect is called guëamäyä. This will be again analysed later on. Thus the portion of Mäyä called jévamäyä has been explained.
The second portion called guëamäyä is clarified with the example of darkness (yathä-tama), The word tama refers to the previously mentioned darkness like polychromes. Just as this polychromatic effect can neither exist in the light source nor without it, similarly Mäyä also cannot exist in the Lord nor without His support.
Or both of these examples separately describe Mäyä and not her two divisions. The example of reflection äbhäsa is same as explained above. The example of darkness is as follows: Darkness is perceived only in a place devoid of light, but not without the help of light. It is perceived by the eye, is the embodiment of light, and not by the back or any other sense organ. Mäyä is to be understood similarly. The two divisions of Mäyä are understood by their different functions and not by the different examples. In the former case of two examples meaning two divisions, sometimes jévamäyä is called chäyä, a synonym for äbhäsa and guëamäyä called only by the word tamas. The Çrémad Bhägavatam states (3.20.18):
"First of all, Brahma created with shadow, chäyä, the five coverings of ignorance of the conditioned soul, called tamisra, andha-tamisra, tamas, moha, and maha-moha."
And again in the Tenth Canto (S.B.10.14.11):
What am I, a small creature measuring seven spans of my own hand? I am enclosed in a pot-like universe composed of material nature, tama, the total material energy, false ego...."
In the first verse the Mäyä referred to is jévamäyä, because its subject is the jéva, being the potency of efficient cause in the form of knowledge and ignorance. The second verse describes guëamäyä, being the material cause in the form of the mahat and other elements that are composed of her three modes.
The verse 3.20.18, described that Lord Brahma at the dawn of creation manifested ignorance with the support of Mäyä called the shadow energy, chäyä-çakti. The Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.11.3) states:
O Uddhava, both knowledge and ignorance, being products of Mäyä, are expansions of My potency. Both knowledge and ignorance are beginningless and award liberation and bondage respectively to embodied living beings.
Also the different appearances of these two divisions of Mäyä are described in the scriptures. The manifestation of the first division is described in the Padma Puräëa (Uttara khaëòa 104.23,24) in a dialogue between Lord Kåñëa and Satyabhämä concerning the glories of the Kartika month in which prayers the demigods once offered to Mäyä are cited. "While the demigods were thus eulogizing her, they saw an effulgent aura in the sky, illuminating all the directions. From the being they heard the voice which filled the sky "Divided by the three modes, I am situated in three ways."
The second (division of Mäyä) is described in the Padma Puräëa (Uttara khaëòa) "Unlimited are the places of material nature, all imperishable and pitch dark."
PURPORT
In the previous anuccheda Çréla Jéva Gosvämé mentioned that the Lord has two types of energies parä and aparä. Parä means distant, beyond, superior, and so on. The energy is called parä because it is superior to the material energy or is beyond it, and thus material energy is called aparä or near or inferior. The living entities are also counted as parä, because of their conscious nature. Lord Kåñëa confirms this (B.g. 7.5):
"This eight-fold separated energy, (the material nature) is called aparä, but different from it, O mighty-armed one, is the parä energy of mine, called jéva, by which this world is sustained".
To understand parä first aparä is explained because it is easier to understand. This is called candra-çäkhä-nyäya or the branch-moon principle which means to point to the branch of a tree which is close to us and then show the moon beyond it.
To define the aparä, or external energy, Çréla Jéva Gosvämé cites one of the catuùsloké bhägavatam verses that Lord Kåñëa spoke to Brahmä at the dawn of creation (S.B. 2.9.33). In this verse the Lord defines His external energy Mäyä. The term mäyä has various meanings such as false, cheating, illusion, compassion, power, wisdom, entanglement, goddess of fortune, magic, and so on. Kåñëa uses it in the sense of the energy that causes bewilderment, the external energy.
According to this verse the basic characteristics of Mäyä are:
1. Mäyä does not exist within the Lord.
2. Mäyä does not exist without the Lord.
3. Mäyä exists outside the Lord.
4. Mäyä is perceived when the Lord is not perceived.
A doubt may be raised concerning this definition. A conditioned living entity also has the above characteristics and thus this definition has the defect of being too broad (ativyäpti doña.) To avoid this Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says that the jéva is conscious and has been counted in the same category as the Lord. Moreover the above definition should include the jévamäya and guëamäya features which are indicated in the verse. Mäyä is not in the parä-çakti. This also implies that it is not in the svarüpa of jéva or in the nature of the living being, and this is good news. Were Mäyä the part of the jéva, there would be no question of getting liberated from it.
This explanation of Mäyä defies the impersonal view. Impersonalists say that Mäyä is neither sat (real), asat (false), or a combination of both. It is different from both and yet not nonexistent. Thus it is inexplicable or anirvacanéyä and antagonistic to knowledge. Ñaìkaräcärya defines Mäyä in his Vivekacüòämaëi as (111):
"Mäyä is neither sat or asat nor a combination of sat and asat. It is neither different from nor one with Brahmän nor different and one with simultaneously. It neither has limbs or divisions nor is it without limbs nor is it a combination of both. Mäyä is most astonishing and inexplicable".
The reason behind such an explanation is that Mäyävädis do not accept that Brahman has potency. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé however established that Absolute is full of inconceivable potency which manifest in multifarious ways. This is a simple fact without which the absolute reality cannot be comprehended. Because Mäyävädis cannot accommodate this fact they have to give complicated definitions. Instead of accepting achintya çakti they are forced to accept anirvacanéyä mäyä which is certainly acintya.
Mäyävadis also propose that both Éçvara and jéva are products of Mäyä and at the absolute level there is only formless, unqualified Brahman. Vidyäraëya Swämé states in his famous work Païcadasé (6.236):
"Both jéva and Éçvara are the two calves of the kämadhenu cow called Mäyä. Let them drink the milk of dualism to their fill; indeed reality is advaita."
But the Supreme Lord does not agree with such a definitions of Mäyä. He says that Mäyä is under His support and the verse cited from Çrémad Bhägavatam (11.11.3) states that Mäyä is the Lord's energy mäyaya me and it is beginningless, ädye. Lord Brahmä also confirms this (S.B.2.6.20): yad avidyä ca vidyä ca puruñastübhayäçrayaù--Lord is the support of both the vidyä and avidyä features of Mäyä. There cannot be any entity like that who can influence Brahman to turn into Éçvara and jéva. So it cannot be said to be different from sat and asat. Kåñëa says in Bhagavad-gétä that there is either sat or asat existence. There is no third category as speculated by the impersonalists (B.g. 2.16):
"The unreal (asat) has no existence and the real (sat) has no non-existence. The conclusion about both of these has been seen by the knower of Truth".
This definition of Mäyä also defeats the philosophy of Çakti, Çakta Väda. They consider that Çakti, or Devé, who has various forms, is the Supreme controller. She is the müla prakåti, original nature, and divides herself into puruña and prakåti. She is Mahämäyä, who creates Viñëu, Séva and Brahmä out of herself and enables them to perform their respective duties. In her ultimate feature she is nirguëa and called parabrahmaëa. There are various branches of the Çäktas and they have various types of practices for attaining their goal, which is described in scriptures like Devé Bhägavat Puräëa, Kularëva Tantra, Rudra Yämala Tantra, Spandakärikä Tanträloka, and so on.
In the Skanda Puräëa, Devé Bhägavat Mähatmya (2.36) Närada Muni describes the glories of Devé:
"Bhagavaté, or the Supreme Goddess, is eternal and has a transcendental form. She pervades the whole universe and there is nothing superior to Her".
In Sections 17-19 of the Tattva Sandarbha, Jéva Gosvami established after careful analysis that among all the Puräëas the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the Supreme. The various Puräëas are in different modes and the Çrémad Bhägavatam is the most sättvika, hence the most efficient in giving knowledge of the Absolute. Skanda Puräëa and Séva Puräëa conceal the reality and glorify some other deity for the benefit of those in the lower modes. Therefore the verses that establish Devé as Absolute cannot be taken in the absolute sense.
On the contrary, Çrémad Bhägavatam clearly describes that Mäyä cannot exist without the support of Lord Kåñëa. She cannot even face Him. Mäyä paraityabhimukhe ca villajamänä (S.B. 2.7.47). In Bhagavad-gétä (7.14) Kåñëa says "Mäyä is My divine material energy". Since Bhagavad-gétä is accepted as authoritative even by the impersonalists, certainly the claim of the Säktas is not supported by the prasthäntrayi which is accepted by all Vedi philosophers.
Çréla Jéva Gosvämé says that Mäyä can be divided in two categories based on her functions. The two examples in the verse (S.B. 2.9.33) explain these two features. The first feature is called jévamäyä, or the feature of Mäyä that covers the svarüpa of the living entity. This is also called nimitta, or the efficient part, owing to its being instrumental in covering the living entity with ignorance. But it is not sufficient to cover the nature or intelligence of the living entity. To make the bondage perfect she gives the material body, senses, and sense objects for the enjoyment of the jéva. This is called guëamäyä, because all this paraphernalia is a transformation of the modes (guëa) of Mäyä. This feature is also called upädäna, or the material aspect, because it supplies the material ingredients. Just as when a man goes to a nightclub first he gets intoxicated which covers his intelligence (jévamäya) then he gets allured by sense objects, such as a young woman, (guëamäyä). That makes his illusion complete. In this way the attack of Mäyä is two-fold--internal and external. The two features complement and strengthen each other. Thus it is impossible for a conditioned soul to get out of her clutches without superior help.
Although Mäyä is real and this world manifested by her is also real, the bondage of the jéva is not real. Otherwise there will be no possibility of liberation. This is confirmed in Lord Kåñëa's teachings to Uddhava (S.B. 11.11.1):
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: "My dear Uddhava, due to the influence of the material modes of nature, which are under My control, the living entity is sometimes designated as conditioned and sometimes as liberated. In fact, however, the soul is never really bound up or liberated, and since I am the supreme Lord of Mäyä, which is the cause of the modes of nature, I also am never to be considered liberated or in bondage."
These two aspects of Mäyä are indicated by Jvara in his prayers to Lord Kåñëa (S.B. 10.63.26):
"Time; fate; karma; the jéva and his propensities; the subtle material elements; the material body; the life air; false ego; the various senses; and the totality of these are reflected in the living being's subtle body. All this constitutes Your material illusory energy, mäyä, and is an endless cycle like that of seed and plant. I take shelter of You, the negation of mäyä."
In this verse, time, fate, karma, and the jéva and his propensities form the jévamäyä and the rest of the elements constitute the guëamäyä.
The Lord said that whatever is experienced in His absence is Mäyä. This means that only when a living entity is not favorably disposed to the Lord he experiences Mäyä. Sage Kavi further described this to King Nimi (S.B. 11.2.37):
"Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body, because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity turns away from the Supreme Lord, he forgets his constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency of illusion, called mäyä. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage steadfastly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul."
This absorption of the living entities into the second i.e. Mäyä, the deluding potency, is the cause of his bondage and thus the jévas are called nitya-baddha or anädi-baddha. Nobody can trace the beginning of this conditioning. When by good fortune the living entity surrenders to the bonafide spiritual master, this bondage is cut. The fear is not because of Mäyä but due to becoming absorbed in it. If one is absorbed in devotional service then the Mäyä can do no harm to him although he may live in the material world. Therefore one need not give up the material world but change his consciousness or object of absorption .
The jévamäyä feature is further classified in two groups, vidyä and avidyä. This is explained in Çrémad Bhägavatam 11.11.3. Vidyä is the gateway to liberation and avidyä to bondage. The essence is that guëamäyä creates the upädhis and then, owing to ignorance caused by jévamäyä, the jéva superimposes these false designations onto himself or vice versa. The result is his bondage to illusion. When he understands his real nature as servant of the Lord and surrenders to a bonafide servant of the Lord, then he is freed from this adhyäsa, or illusory superimposition.
This understanding refutes the impersonal theory that the jéva comes about by the combination of consciousness with inert matter, which in effect means that the jéva has no factual existence.
In the catuhsloki the Lord gives two examples to illustrate the covering and deluding aspects of mäyä. The first example is that of a light reflected into a dark region. The reflection cannot occur without the light source nor can it occur within the source, and it cannot be perceived while perceiving the source. Yet to perceive the reflection we need eyes, which work on the principle of light. If a strong light shines into one's eyes the vision will be distorted. It is not possible to see the source of light. This is the function of jévamäyä--to cover the vision of the living entity. This is also called äbhäsa and chäyä. When the eyes are dazzled, one sees colors that are caused by the reflected light which appear to take various shapes. This effect is the guëamäyä feature--to delude the living entity. This polychromatic effect is referred to by the word tama because it is like darkness.
Or the example of reflection and darkness, independently, describe Mäyä. The explanation of the reflection is same as above. Darkness cannot be found in the source or presence of light, yet it is dependent on light because darkness is nothing but absence of light. And it is seen with the help of light, the eyes, which are designed to perceive light.
Mäyä, although the energy of the Lord, is external to or apart from His internal nature. She is like the skin of a snake just before it is shed. It is dependent and supported by the snake and grows from the body yet is inert and external to his body. The defects of this shed skin do not reflect in the person of the snake. Hence it is neither one with nor different from the snake. It is not one because snake sheds it and still exists as before without feeling any loss. It is not different because it cannot grow independent of the snake.
In conclusion, Mäyä is an inert potency of the Lord. It is separate from the Lord, yet not independent. Although inferior, aparä, to the jéva which is parä or superior, it nevertheless covers its intelligence by its inconceivable power and engrosses them in sense gratification by supplying them a material body, senses, and sense objects. It is real and thus eternal, yet undergoes transformations and has a personal form called Devé or Durgä. Padma Puräëa describes the different appearances of jéva mäyä and guëamäyä energies. One can get free from its influence only by taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.
The word mäyä is also used to indicate yogamäyä, which is a manifestation of the Lord's internal potency. This should be noted. Sometimes the external energy is called mahämäyä to distinguish it from yogamäyä. Yogamäyä favorably covers the living entity so that he can participate in intimate pastimes with the Lord without feelings of awe and reverence. Feelings of awe and reverence create distance between the master and servant. Such distance is not conducive for intimate affectionate pastimes. YogaMäyä, however, being the internal potency of the Lord, accommodates the pleasure of the Lord. Thus the living entities that are qualified are favorably covered so they can loving intimacy free of awe and reverence. The understanding of Mahämäya will help one to understand the Yogamäyä.
In the following Text Çréla Jéva Gosvämé explains that all activities have their ultimate source in the internal potency.