SB 10.14.22

Since you area the cause of everything, the universe arises from māyā, material elements, and merges into them. Taking shelter of you (tvayi), it appears like your svarūpa or your eternal abode. Because of the substantial existence of spiritual things related to you, the universe takes on substantiality to some degree. Just by being your energy, māyā has real existence. But being devoid of spiritual qualities, it is like an unreal entity, a horn of a rabbit. Though māyā is non-different from you, lacking your presence, it is like a dream, since it is not permanent. Vaidharymāc ca na svapnādivat: the ideas in the waking state are not like those of the dream state, since they are of a different nature. (Vedānta-sūtra 2.2.28) But it appears to be real and gives great suffering. It arises from your svarūpa (tanau), filled with eternal knowledge and happiness, defined as the para-brahman. Saccindānanda-rūpāya kṛṣṇayākliṣṭakāriṇe: I offer respects to Kṛṣṇa, the form of sac-cidānanda who never tires of performing actions. (Gopāla-tāpani Upaniṣad, Hayaśrīṣa-paṇcarātra) As well eka-deśa-sthinitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī: he spreads out, though located in one place like light from fire. (Viṣṇu Purāṇa) Some say that māyā means false teachings and some say that māyā means an inconceivable energy. One can see persons called magicians. Illusion does not bewilder the magicians since it is caused by the magicians. Though the illusion can bewilder others, it does not take away their vision. A mirage is an example. The sages and devatās speak of the second type of māyā. The word yoga-māyā is explained by Śrīdhara Svāmī in the Third Canto, when the Kumāras go to Vaikuṇṭha. Yeṣāṁ bibharmy aham akhaṇḍa-vikuṇṭha-yoga-māyā-vibhūtir: I am the master of my unobstructed internal energy (yoga-māyā), and the water of the Ganges is the remnant left after my feet are washed. (SB 3.16.9) This māyā is not like the previous māyā, since it is not for the self, as in the case of the airplane for pleasure made by Kapila, and from seeing that other māyā destroyed in battle by Pradyumna and others. (SB 10.76.17) Powers like this are available to sages by austerities, but māyā of the Supreme Lord is intrinsic. Viṣṇu Purāṇa mentions this apara-śakti: sarva-bhūteṣu sarvātman yā śaktir aparā tava guṇāśrayā namas tasyai śāśvatāyai sureśvara O lord of the devatās! O Paramātmā! I offer respects to your inferior energy in all beings, which takes shelter of the guṇas. Viṣṇu Purāṇa Śruti mentions māyā-śakti which is intrinsically false: asmān māyī sṛjate viśvam etad asminścānyo māyayā sanniruddhaḥ: The controller of māyā, the Lord, creates the material universe by māyā. The jīva, different from the Lord, falls under the control of māyā in the material world. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvanānām acintyājñāna-gocarāḥ ato ‘to brahmaṇas tās tu sargādyā bhava-śaktayaḥ bhavati tapatāṁ śrestha pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā O inconceivable lord! The energies of all states of being are inconceivable, beyond material knowledge. These are the energies of the Lord for creation, like the heat coming from fire. Viṣṇu Purāṇa Śruti also says: eka-deśasthitasyāgner jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis tathedam akhilam jagat This whole universe is an energy of the Supreme Lord, like distribution of light from a fire situated elsewhere. Viṣṇu Purāṇa māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyān māyinaṁ tu maheśvaram Know that māyā refers to his nature (prakṛti) and the Supreme Lord is master of that māyā. Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad Prakṛti refers to svabhāva or nature in the above verse. To make the knowledge useful the intention is to say “Know that it is not synonymous with the Lord” since knowledge would be incomplete from lack of full description by simply stating a definition. The meaning is established with the sentence “But the Lord is the master of māyā.” By saying this, it is understood that the māyā is under the control of the Lord. This also indicates that the Lord’s condition is self-contained and natural. That statement is similar to saying “Brave Indra is the possessor of māyā.” Being external, that māyā is not intrinsic to the Lord. That is shown in the example of māyā being like light spreading out from a fire. Since māyā is external, the Lord is not contaminated by its faults. Arjuna says: tvam ādyaḥ puruṣaḥ sākṣād īśvaraḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | māyāṁ vyudasya cic-chaktyā kaivalye sthita ātmani || You are the original Lord, the controller, beyond material energy. You are situated in your spiritual form, being one with your spiritual energy, and separate from the material energy. SB 1.7.23 The spiritual energy is described as superior in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: yā ‘tīta-gocarā vacām manasāṁ ca viśeṣaṇā jñāni-jñāna-paricchedyā vande tām īśavarīṁ parām I offer respects to the Lord’s superior energy which cannot be described by words and the mind, beyond knowledge and the knower. As the Lord’s spiritual energy, it is intrinsic to him, most inconceivable, performs many functions, and is thus equated with the Lord. na tasya kāryam karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat samaś cābhyadhikāś ca dṛṣyate parasya śaktir vividhaiva śruyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriya ca He has no body and no senses. No one is equal to him or higher. His supreme power is manifold. His actions are naturally revealed with knowledge and strength. Śvetāsvatara Upaniṣad In stating that the Lord has no equal or superior, it is understood that his spiritual energy intrinsic, inconceivable and not dependent on other objects and without superimposition of other objects. This śakti is called yoga-māyā in the Third Canto description of the Kumāras going to Vaikuṇṭha and is called the cic-cakti by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Madhvācārya in his commentary says: yoga māyā ca māyā ca tatheccha-śakir eva ca māyā-śabedena bhaṇyante śabda-tattvārtha-vedibhiḥ Those who know the meaning of words defined māyā as the yoga-māya, māyā and iccha-śakti. Śadba-mahodadhi says: svarūpa-bhūtayā nitya-śaktyā māyākhyayā yutaḥ ato māyāmayaṁ viṣṇuṁ pravadanti sanātanam Because the Lord is endowed with his eternal śakti arising from his svarūpa, eternal Viṣṇu is called māyā-maya. As proved by the śrutis, the word māyā like the word yoga-māyā refers to the Lord’s spiritual energy. Rāmānujācarya in his commentary shows the synonym of māyā to be knowledge from Nighaṇṭu: māyā vayunaṁ jñānam. Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary on SB 3.5.25 says that māyā is obedient to the glance of the Lord. In his commentary on SB 3.5.23 he says that ātmecchā (desire of ātmā) means māyā. This is made clear in later verses: kāla-vṛttyā tu māyāyāṁ guṇa-mayyām adhokṣajaḥ puruṣeṇātma-bhūtena vīryam ādhatta vīryavān Bhagavān, Lord of Mahā-vaikuṇṭha, in his svāṁśa expansion as the puruṣa, full of potency, at a certain moment of time, placed the jīvas into māyā which became agitated by the guṇas. tato ’bhavan mahat-tattvam avyaktāt kāla-coditāt vijñānātmātma-deha-sthaṁ viśvaṁ vyañjaṁs tamo-nudaḥ Impelled by time, from the invisible prakṛti arose mahat-tattva, composed of knowledge, in sattva-guṇa. This manifests the universe situated within itself, and destroys ignorance. SB 3.5.26-27 In SB 10.13.37, Balarāma calls the energy of his brother vimohinī. That māyā means mercy for Viśva-prakāśa says that māyā means deceit or mercy. Trikāṇḍa-śeṣa says māyā means illusion or intelligence. In SB 10.13.45 the word māyā simply means influence. Since the Lord has no fault in revealing māyā and the examples show this, the word māyā should have that meaning in those particular instances according to Śrīdhara Svāmī. All is in agreement. In this section the word māyā means the Lord’s inconceivable energy. mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā | mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ || I pervade this whole universe by my form invisible to material senses, since I am the cause. All entities are situated in me, since I am their cause, but I am not in them, since I am completely detached. BG 9.4 If the Lord does not touch māyā his presence there is illusion. That place is illusion. That is true. However, the superior energy of the Lord is a manifestation of his svarūpa in Vaikuṇṭha and other places. na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ There is no influence of māyā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshipable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2.9.10 darśayām āsa lokaṁ svaṁ gopānāṁ tamasaḥ param Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness. SB 10.28.14 itīreśe ’tarkye nija-mahimani sva-pramitike paratrājāto ’tan-nirasana-mukha-brahmaka-mitau anīśe ’pi draṣṭuṁ kim idam iti vā muhyati sati cacchādājo jñātvā sapadi paramo ’jā-javanikām When Brahmā became bewildered about what he saw and was no longer able to look at these forms, which were inconceivable, expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s power, self-revealing, proved by the scriptures through negation of matter, and which were beyond matter, Kṛṣṇa, understanding his bewilderment, immediately removed the covering created by his energy. SB 10.13.57 satya-jñānānantānanda- mātraika-rasa-mūrtayaḥ aspṛṣṭa-bhūri-māhātmyā api hy upaniṣad-dṛśām The forms all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss, which were one form. Their great glory was not even to be touched by the ātmā-jñānīs. SB 10.13.54 This manifestation of the Lord is indestructible. pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ | na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ || In Vaikuṇṭha there is no rajas or tamas, and no sattva mixed with rajas and tamas. There is no influence of time. There is no influence of māyā at all, what to speak of its products such as material elements. In Vaikuṇṭha the inhabitants are fully dedicated to the Lord and are worshippable by the devas, asuras and devotees. SB 2.9.10 kalā-kāṣtḥā-nimeṣādi kāla-sūtrasya gocare yasya śaktir na śuddhasya prasīdatu sa me hariḥ May the Lord whose pure śakti is not affected by the division of time be merciful to me. Viṣṇu Purāṇa “Pure” in the verse means not subject to transformations of time. This refers to the Lord’s great, intrinsic śakti. The inferior energy is not of this sort. This material energy is a billionth portion of a portion of his energy. This was mentioned as well in the quotation from Viṣṇu Purāṇa: sargādya bhāva-śaktayaḥ. eṣā māyā bhagavataḥ sarga-sthity-anta-kāriṇī tri-varṇā varṇitāsmābhiḥ kiṁ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi I have now described māyā, the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord, which consists of the three modes of material nature, and causes creation, maintenance and annihilation of the material universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear? SB 11.3.16 One should consider the material energy in this way.