So far we have seen the scope, expanse and manifestations of Māyā
in daily life. It is also important
to learn about the substratum (adhishthāna) i.e. Brahman on which Māyā functions.
Ādi Shankarāchārya was the first one to formally expound on the
principle and expanse of Māyā and turn it into Māyāvada (the doctrine of Māyā).
His approach is specifically based on Upanishads. To understand Māyā in greater
detail, it is important to get acquainted with various names and attributes by
which Māyā is known in Vedic literature. Māyā is mithyā (neither real no
unreal), bhrāmak (illusory), kalpit (imaginary), nirarthak (meaningless),
jñana-nivartya (vincible i.e. capable of being conquered
by the intuitive knowledge of Brahman), prateeti-mātra-sattāvān (having
perceptual existence) and sat-asat-vilakshan (dissents from the definitions of
absolute existence and non-existence). The attributes of Māyā are -
Swāshrayā - Māyā is called as swāshrayā, which
means it dwells in the shelter of 'Swa'. It does not have an autonomous
existence. The word 'Swa' here means Brahman or Ātman. Māyā can exist only on
the substratum of Brahman. The illusion of mirage appears on the substratum of a
desert-land. Similarly, the illusion of Māyā appears in the form of the visible
universe on the adhishthāna of Brahman.
Swaviṣhayā - Māyā is swaviṣhayā, which means
it explains 'Swa' or Brahman as a subject. Brahman is, in-fact, nirviṣhaya,
which means it cannot be comprehended by five sense organs, or nine
epistemically reliable means for gaining knowledge such as perception,
inference (i.e. nine pramāṇas such as pratyakṣa, anumāna) etc. A person who explains
the concept of Brahman, is ultimately a manifestation of Māyā. This Māyic
person analyzes and describes the subject of Brahman in detail. Brahman is nitya-prāpta
i.e. ever-attained or eternally realized. It is all-pervading and
transcendental. A Māyic person, however, still says that he will 'attain' or
'realize' the principle of Brahman. All of this is nothing but Māyā's pastime.
If we come across a bare tree trunk (sthānu) at dusk-time, it
looks like a ghost due to partial darkness. It is not possible for this
illusory ghost to talk about the bare tree-trunk. The ghost does not exist for
real; it is only illusory, and hence it is incapable of talking about its
substratum i.e. tree-trunk, which exists for real. Similarly, Māyā which deceptively
appears real on the adhishthāna of Brahman, is incapable of uttering even a
single word about Brahman. But, since Māyā is aghatita-ghatnā-patiyasi
(adept at making the impossible happen), it is capable of executing what is
inconceivable. Adhyasta (reflected existence) is, in-fact, unable to talk about
adhishthāna in any way. To talk about anything other than the knowledge of
Brahman is a pointless exercise. To talk about the principle of Brahman is
futile as well, however, it at-least helps in delving into the concept of
Brahman. Other discussions about the material world only create discrepancies,
and hence should be minimized.
Swanirvāhak - Māyā is swanirvāhak, which means it
subsists 'Swa' or 'Brahman'. It gloriously flaunts itself as if the existence of
'Swa' depends on Māyā. But it is true in
a way. Without the prevalence of Māyā, who would have discussed or heard about
Brahman? Vedic scriptures have bestowed this glory upon Māyā. Hence, the
existence of Brahman is subsisted by the influence of Māyā.
Paranirvāhak - Māyā is paranivāhak,
where 'para' means ‘different’. Duality is imaginary and different from the
all-pervading principle of 'Brahman'. Māyā explains the concept of duality with
words such as 'this exists, that exists' etc. Everything in the world pertains
to a 'name and form', and appears dual and illusory due to the impact of Māyā. Only
through Māyā can we formally conclude the existence of the world. Each jiva delusively
feels, ‘I am my body (deha-tādātmya), I am the doer, and the enjoyer of sensory
pleasures (kartrutva-bhoktrutva bhrānti)’. Māyā is
accountable for these experiences. The subtle body present in everyone is
manifestation of Māyā. The gross body is Māyic as well, but it cannot speak by
itself. Jiva does the speaking that ‘I am Māyic’. The impulsion to speak is
given to jiva due to chidābhāsa i.e. reflected consciousness. Each jiva
consists of chidābhāsa, which is the reflection of Ātman in the mind (Antahkaraṇa). In other words, each individual Self consists of the reflection of the Universal
Self. Chidābhāsa incites jiva
to perform all routine activities, but Chidābhāsa is basically Māyic i.e. reflected, not
real. In short, using a medium which is essentially Māyic in nature, it is Māyā
that subsists illusory duality (para), and hides the only one transcendental
and universal principle of Brahman.
Prateeti-mātra-sattāvān - Māyā has perceptual
existence and is transient in nature. In other words,
it exists only so long as it is experienced, not otherwise. e.g. - How long can
one see mirage (mrig-jala)? Only in the afternoon roughly from 12 to 3 pm or
so. After that time, it ceases to exist. The perceptual visibility of a mirage has
existence only in that predetermined duration, not otherwise. Similarly, a
person, his body and the universe are all Prateeti-mātra-sattāvān in essence. The
world has no existence other than the brief period for which it is experienced.
Once this fact is embraced, worldly pains and sorrows cease to be effective.
Dreams have perceptual existence just like mirage. Objects in dreams exist only
so long as the dream is seen, not before or after the dream. Since the Māyic
world is a 'prolonged dream', dualities in the world do not exist for real.
Jñana-Nivartya - Māyā is vincible
(capable of being conquered) by the direct intuitive knowledge (AparokshaJñana)
of Brahman. The effect of Māyā lasts only till the time jiva is involved in
either the body, world or ego (that I am the doer or the experiencer). ‘I am
Brahman realization’ breaks Māyā’s shackles on the jiva and frees it. It is
possible to break Māyā’s shackles. Until this knowledge is realized, Māyā
continues its semblance in the form of visible world. After realization, Māyā
withdraws itself and its existence becomes inconsequential.
Sat-Asat Vilakshana-Anirvachaniya-Mithyā - The
word 'Sat' means time-absolute existence irrespective of past, present
or future. In other words it means transcendence. Hence attributes of Māyā do
not match with the definition of Sat. So Māyā is not Sat i.e. it is
Sat-contradictory (Sat-Vilakshana). The word 'Asat' means absolute
non-existence. E.g. Hare's horns, which are purely nonexistent are called as
Asat. But Māyā is Prateeti-mātra-sattāvān, so it has transitory existence. This
means, Māyā is not 'Asat' i.e. it is Asat-contradictory (Asat- Vilakshana). In
short, Māyā is neither real nor unreal, and hence it is indescribable (anirvachaniya).
It cannot be described in a definite, concrete manner. Hence Vedic Scriptures call
Māyā as 'Sat-Asat Vilakshana-Anirvachaniya'. It is neither Satya nor Asatya,
thus named as Mithyā.
Bādhayogya - One can defend against Maya with
thoughts and make its impact completely irrelevant. Thus Māyā is bādhayogya,
which means it can be made inconsequential with thoughts. The illusion of mirage goes away once we
understand the secret of illusion. After
that, even if a mirage continues to appear in the same way, it has no effect on
the observer (drashtā) who knows the reality of a desert under the mirage. Observer
does not expect anything in return from that mirage since he has refuted its
existence. Similarly, Māyā ceases to be influential on the seeker who has
understood the mithyātva of Māyā. His involvement in his own body, world and
ego comes to an end. He has no expectations from worldly objects or people
around him. Once this attribute of Māyā is clearly understood, it helps the
seeker channelize his thoughts in appropriate direction, and eventually get
liberated from the influence of Māyā.
Traikālika-Nishedha-Pratiyogitvam
– Sometimes silver (rajat) is deceptively seen instead of a glittering seashell
(shimpi). Silver did not exist before or during that illusory appearance. After
one clearly starts seeing the original seashell, silver has no existence as
well. Silver has absolute negation (Nishedha) over the substratum of seashell
in all three periods of time - past, present, and future. Same logic needs to
be applied to the visible universe. Māyā is responsible for the illusion of the
visible universe, which in-fact has negation in all three times on its
adhishthāna Brahman. Hence Māyā is called as pratiyogi of
traikālika-nishedhā. The word pratiyogi means contradictory. Māyā gives contra-positive
appearance to the universe, which has no factual existence in all three times. The
universe as it appears to us, in-fact, does not exist. Still, it feels as if it
exists for real. Māyā is the reason behind this illusion.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment