Avidyā

jīva-māyā guṇa-māyeti dvy-ātmikāṁ māyākhya-śaktiṁ vidyāt

jīva-māyā guṇa-māyeti dvy-ātmikāṁ māyākhya-śaktiṁ vidyāt | … nimittāṁśo jīva-māyā | upādānāṁśo guṇa-māyeti … | avidyā-vidyākhya-nimitta-śakti-vṛttikatvāj jīva-viṣayakatvena jīva-māyātvam | … svīya-tat-tad-guṇa-maya-mahad-ādy-upādāna-śakti-vṛttikatvād guṇa-māyātvam |
(Bhagavat Sandarbha: 18)

“Know the śakti [of Bhagavān] known as māyā to be of two aspects, viz., jīva-māyā and guṇa-māyā. … The instrumental aspect is [called] jīva-māyā, and the constituent aspect is [called] guṇa-māyā. … Jīva-māyā is such because it relates to the jīva on account of being a function of the potency of [māyā’s] instrumentality known as avidyā and vidyā; guṇa-māyā is such because of its being a function of the potency of [māyā‘s] constitution in the form of the mahat and so forth [i.e., in the form of all the subtle and gross aspects of the material universe’s constitution], which are constituted of its own respective guṇas [i.e., the three guṇas of sattva, rajas, and tamas].”

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athāvidyākhyasya bhāgasya dve vṛttī—āvaraṇātmikā vikṣepātmikā ca

athāvidyākhyasya bhāgasya dve vṛttī—āvaraṇātmikā vikṣepātmikā ca | tatra pūrvā jīva eva tiṣṭhantī tadīyaṁ svābhāvikaṁ jñānam āvṛṇvānā, uttarā ca taṁ tad-anyathā-jñānena sañjayantī vartata iti |
(Paramātma Sandarbha: 54)

“Now, the aspect [of māyā] known as avidyā (ignorance) has two functions: that constituted of covering (āvaraṇātmikā) and that constituted of projecting (vikṣepātmikā). Therein, the former exists in [i.e., casts its influence over] only the jīva and covers [i.e., suppresses] its [i.e., the jīva’s] inherent awareness, and the latter produces attachment in the jīva [i.e., binds the jīva] with awareness of that which is other than itself [i.e., it captivates the jīva by causing it, in the absence of any perception of its own nature as induced by the covering (āvaraṇātmikā) function, to cast its awareness outwards towards the constituents of māyā].”

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sasarja cchāyayāvidyāṁ pañca-parvāṇam agrataḥ

sasarja cchāyayāvidyāṁ pañca-parvāṇam agrataḥ |
tāmisram andha-tāmisraṁ tamo moho mahā-tamaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.20.18; cited in Bhagavat Sandarbha: 18)

“First, he [i.e., Brahmā] emanated with his shadow fivefold avidyā (ignorance): tāmisra, andha-tāmisra, tamas, moha, and mahāmoha.”

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sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt

sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt |
mahāmohaṁ ca mohaṁ ca tamaś cājñāna-vṛttayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.12.2)

“At the beginning [of the emanation of the universe], the original creator [i.e., Lord Brahmā] emanated the functions of ajñāna (ignorance): andha-tāmisra (blinding darkness), tāmisra (darkness), mahāmoha (severe delusion), moha (delusion), and tamas (dimness).”

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aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte

aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ |
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.14)

“Hearing and recounting the qualities of Murāri produces destruction of suffering completely, so how much more does attachment (rati), attained of its own accord, to service to the pollen of his lotus feet [produce]?”

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yathā nabhasi meghaugho reṇur vā pārthivo’nile

yathā nabhasi meghaugho reṇur vā pārthivo’nile |
evaṁ draṣṭari dṛśyatvam āropitam abuddhibhiḥ ||
ataḥ paraṁ yad avyaktam avyūḍha-guṇa-vyūhitam |
adṛṣṭāśruta-vastutvāt sa jīvo yat punar-bhavaḥ ||
yatreme sad-asad-rūpe pratiṣiddhe sva-saṁvidā |
avidyayātmani kṛte iti tad brahma-darśanam ||
yady eṣoparatā devī māyā vaiśāradī matiḥ |
sampanna eveti vidur mahimni sve mahīyate ||
evaṁ janmāni karmāṇi hy akartur ajanasya ca |
varṇayanti sma kavayo veda-guhyāni hṛt-pateḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.3.31–35)

“As a mass of clouds is attributed [i.e., taken to be] to the sky or a particle of earth [is taken to be] to the air, so the visible [i.e., the body] is [taken to be] to the seer [i.e., the ātmā] by the unintelligent. Beyond this [i.e., the gross body] is the jīva [i.e., the subtle body], which is unmanifest [i.e., externally imperceptible] because of its being an unseen and unheard of entity not arranged by the guṇas to be developed [i.e., to have physical, visible limbs] and [because of its] undergoing rebirth. When these gross and subtle forms are negated [i.e., understood to not be the self] through full knowledge of the self, whereby they are recognized as being imposed upon the ātmā by ignorance (avidyā), then darśana [i.e., sākṣātkāra, direct experience] of Brahman occurs. When this supernatural māyā belonging to the Expert [i.e., Īśvara] in the form of thought [i.e., misunderstanding] becomes withdrawn, then one certainly becomes fortunate [i.e., endowed with experience of the bliss of Brahman] and exalted in one’s own greatness—this is known [to the wise]. In this [same] way, the wise describe the births and activities, hidden to the Vedas, of he who is a non-actor and unborn [i.e., Bhagavān, who is transcendental to saṁsāra], the Lord [situated] in the heart.”

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tan naḥ prabho tvaṁ kukalevarārpitāṁ

tan naḥ prabho tvaṁ kukalevarārpitāṁ
tvan-māyayāhaṁ-mamatām adhokṣaja |
bhindyāma yenāśu vayaṁ sudurbhidāṁ
vidhehi yogaṁ tvayi naḥ svabhāvam iti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.19.15)

“Therefore, O Prabhu! O Adhokṣaja! May you please grant us yoga with you, that is, a natural disposition [towards you], whereby we can quickly cut away this most difficult to sever sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ [i.e., identification and affectionate possessiveness] invested in the repulsive [material] body because of your māyā.”

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prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam

prāpyāpi durlabhataraṁ mānuṣyaṁ vibudhepsitam |
yair āśrito na govindas tair ātmā vañcitaś ciram ||
aśīti-caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tān jīva-jātiṣu |
bhramadbhiḥ puruṣaiḥ prāpya mānuṣyaṁ janma-paryayāt ||
tad apy aphalatāṁ jātaṁ teṣām ātmābhimāninām |
varākānām anāśritya govinda-caraṇa-dvayam ||
(Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa: cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.650–652; Bhakti Sandarbha: 108)

“The ātmā (self) is prolongedly cheated by those who do not take shelter in Govinda even after receiving a most rare to attain human life [which is] desired [even] by the devas. A human life is attainable by living beings wandering amid the eight million, four hundred thousand species of life on account of the revolution of births [i.e., it is finally attained as a result of gradually transmigrating through the vast myriad of life-forms found throughout the universe in accord with the unfolding of living beings’ individual and collective karma]. Even that [attainment of a human life, however, sadly,] becomes fruitless for those of self-conceit [i.e., those who identify with the body and lack awareness of their actual self], the wretched [i.e., the low-minded absorbed in the pursuit of external pleasures], by not taking shelter in the two feet of Govinda.”

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yasmāt priyāpriya-viyoga-sayoga-janma

yasmāt priyāpriya-viyoga-sayoga-janma-
śokāgninā sakala-yoniṣu dahyamānaḥ |
duḥkhauṣadhaṁ tad api duḥkham atad-dhiyāhaṁ
bhūman bhramāmi vada me tava dāsya-yogam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.9.17)

“Because I am burning in every birth [i.e., even in that of a king] in the fire of grief produced by separation from and union with that which is pleasing and displeasing and [because] the remedies for suffering are also [causes of further varieties of] suffering [e.g., poverty produces one type of suffering and the various processes of acquiring wealth produce others], I am bewildered by [alt., I am wandering on account of] my unknowing mind [i.e., despite my undergoing perpetual and unavoidable suffering, I still have the tendency to identify with my present body, even if it is that of a hog, and think that I am actually happy even in the midst of my suffering]. [Therefore,] O Great One, please tell me about the means of [attaining] your service [i.e., your service is the only actual means of remedying my condition of suffering].”

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