What Is Māyā | Are you hurting yourself? | Spirituality, Yoga

What is Māyā ?

In Vedanta, Maya is described as an illusion. Maya tempts the mind of desire, because of the temptation by Maya, the person is deprived of salvation and in illusion he forgets the holy self.

The mind can experiences the self as a consumer of worldly matters. Due to which, instead of realizing the real truth of the whole world, this world becomes a lie. That lie is called Maya. And by attaining self-knowledge, one realises the existence of a self separate from the mind, which is called Brahma in the Vedas.

People who are ignorant of the holy self can feel that all happiness is in Maya itself. But in reality Maya is a web of sorrow and suffering.

Whose intelligence is killed by Maya. The joys and sorrows of life disturb them. Like a slight gust of wind disturbs the Light of a lamp. Sometimes it ends with a gust of wind.

But those who do not let the holy self to be corrupted by Maya, they are free from this illusion called Māyā. Being free from Maya, they attain immense bliss.

In spirituality, Maya hides the real truth (Brahman). It ensures the person's mind in the web of aspiration.

The highest achievement of spiritual meditation is to attain Brahman. Maya is that which takes human consciousness away from spirituality, meditation and Ultimate knowledge.

'Māyā' word meanings

The word 'Maya' belongs to the Sanskrit language. 

This word Maya is made up of two letters 'Mā' and 'Yā'. 'Mā' means 'not' and 'yā' means 'that or those which Is' . Maya is that which is not there. It used for illusion and deprivation. 

The magic of a magician is also called Maya. That magic is not real, it is only an illusion.

Māyā also means kindness, affection. Even in Hinduism Maya is one of the names of Goddess Lakshmi .

Human consciousness under the influence of Maya.

Maya is the illusionary world that a person with ego and desire sees. It seems real to him. Due to desires from the material world, that consciousness remains trapped in that illusory world.

What is maya? (Story of Lord Vishnu and Nārada)

Once, in vaikuntha Nārada thought that I'm not a victim of Maya unlike humans who often fell prey to it. He was felling proud Nārada went to Lord Vishnu. And he politely asked Lord Vishnu some questions. 

Nārada Said: Lord! I think I am not a victim of Maya.

Vishnu said : Nārada be careful with such decoration, maya is hard to conquer takes many forms, lust, anger, passion, fascination, jealousy, and greed. It is trigunātmak.

Nārada said : lord ! I wish to see this maya , if you are pleased with me please reveal this its true form

Lord Vishnu smiled and he assured to fulfill Nārada's wish.

Vishnu said: Maya is in the whole world, even within living beings. In reality, Maya is not anywhere because it is untrue.

Nārada wished to see or know Maya by Lord Vishnu.

Lord Vishnu and Narada mounted on Garuda and started traveling in the world to see the Maya .

When they reached kanyākunj, Vishnu was thirsty by traveling for a long time. He asked Nārada to bring water to drink.

Vishnu was sitting in the shade of a tree. And Nārada went to search water. and he saw a river. 

He went inside that river and submerged himself and after emerged he found himself transformed in woman. He lost past memory. 

Nardha was thinking sitting near that river. Who am i? , What should I do? A king named Taladvāja riding on a horse came to the woman, formly Narada. He was Enchanted by the women's beauty. 

King Said: Who are you? and what are you doing here? Who are your parents or husband? where is your house? What brings you here?

she said: O king! I don't remember anything, I am very confused by experiencing myself here, I can't answer your questions. 

The king said mercifully: I am worried because of your difficult situation. But I would like to take you to palace. You come to the palace with me, I hope you will be fine.

She was impressed by his words, and she agreed to go to the palace with the king

A few months later, the king and women got married. She had 12 children and was happily engrossed in her life. Sometimes, she was also feeling sorrows.

Even she had been forgot true identity and about that rivar incident. and did not visited again.

Once, The kingdom was attacked by another king and his army. her 12 sons were killed in that war. she was deeply saddened.

She went to the Brahmins to know the cause of her sons' death.

A Brahmin advised him not to grieve. and he said death the part of life.

The life with attachment and illusion, This is world of maya which is unreal. This is the cause of sorrow and bondage.

After the death of the sons, she again went to that river and she 

Transformed in Narada's form. Narada reached Vishnu with water.

Vishnu said :  Narada! Why did you take so long?

Narada said: Lord! I was trapped in the world of illusions. And forgot my purpose.

Lord Vishnu smiled watching Narada At the end, Narada went to Brahmaloka, and lord vishnu went to vaikuntha .