Maayaa

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Q R S T-U V-W-X Y-Z

Maayaa

(1) Supernatural power.
(2) Illusion. Whatever one sees is not there in reality.
(3) Trick.
(4) Siddhaantists say that Maayaa is the clay (material cause or proximate cause, Upaadaan Kaaran), Shakti is the potter's wheel (the instrumental, or concurrent, or expedient, cooperating cause, or the Sahakaaree Kaaran), and God is the maker (efficient cause or Naimittik Kaaran) of this world and beings. While God is A-Kaaran - there is no cause for Him, other than Him.

This word has changed its meaning over the ages. In the Vaidik and Upanishadik times, it means creation, occult power, knowledge, or wisdom. Aadi Shankaraachaarya, in the 8th century AD, gave it the meaning of illusion. During the following centuries, this word was also used in the sense of trickery and wealth.

This word occurs in Rig Ved (10-177-1) where it has been used in the sense of creation, knowledge or wisdom. This word was not common in the vocabulary of Upanishad. It has been used only twice in Shwetaashwatar Upanishad which is one of the last of the genuine Upanishad, in verses 4-9 and 4-10, and once only in Prashn Upanishad. Here Maayaa denotes God's creation, with no other hidden meaning.

Shankar, though claiming to follow the Upanishad, has put out his own theory of non-Dualism, in which he states that only Brahm is real and Prakriti (the sense and everything that the senses perceive) is Maayaa. By Maayaa, he means that which is unreal or which is an illusion. He includes man's mind as part of Prakriti - Maayaa. There are two things to be said about this doctrine - (1) First, this doctrine is not founded in Upanishad, and he is not supported in his meaning of the words Maayaa by Upanishad; (2) Second, his assertion that Prakriti including mind is unreal poses a serious problem. Because if mind is unreal then Shankar is rendered incapable of knowing the reality - his mind is also an illusion.
[Aangiras, p 286]

Home \| Names \| Dictionary \| Locations \| Tidbits
Dictionary-Maayaa	Back to M