तस्या एव प्रतिच्छायारूपा माया गुणात्मिका ॥
मिथ्याप्रपञ्चजननी मिथ्याभ्रान्तितमोमयी ।
अतोऽनिरूप्यानित्याद्या जीवसंसारकारिणी ॥
अष्टमावरणास्याधिष्ठात्री मूर्तिमती हि या ।
कार्याकारविकारस्याप्राप्त्या प्रकृतिरुच्यते ॥
यस्यास्त्वतिक्रमेणैव मुक्तिर्भक्तिश्च सिध्यति ।
उत्पादितं यया विश्वमैन्द्रजालिकवन्मृषा ॥
tasyā eva praticchāyā-rūpā māyā guṇātmikā ||
mithyā-prapañca-jananī mithyā-bhrānti-tamomayī |
ato’nirūpyānityādyā jīva-saṁsāra-kāriṇī ||
aṣṭamāvaraṇāsyādhiṣṭhātrī mūrtimatī hi yā |
kāryākāra-vikārasyāprāptyā prakṛtir ucyate ||
yasyās tv atikrameṇaiva muktir bhaktiś ca sidhyati |
utpāditaṁ yayā viśvam aindrajālikavan mṛṣā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.179–182)
“Her [i.e., Bhagavān’s superior potency’s (parā-śakti’s)] semblance is [his inferior (aparā) śakti known as] māyā constituted of the guṇas, who is the mother of the false phenomenal world (prapañca), constituted of the darkness of delusions based on falsity, thus unascertainable, impermanent, primordial, the cause of the jīvas’ saṁsāra, possessed of form as the superintendent of the eight coverings [of the brahmāṇḍa], and called prakṛti on account of [her] non-obtainment of transformations in the form of [the] effects [she produces]; only by crossing beyond whom [i.e., her] mukti, as well as bhakti, is attained, and by whom [i.e., her], like a magician, the universe is falsely produced.”
Commentary
According to the Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā, the author defines Bhagavān’s inferior potency (aparā-śakti), viz., māyā, on the basis of her nature and effects in these verses (tām eva viśeṣeṇa svarūpataḥ kāryataś ca lakṣayati—mithyeti tribhiḥ). He describes māyā as the “mother of the false phenomenal world” (mithyā-prapañca-jananī) because māyā is constituted of darkness (tamas), that is, a covering (āvaraṇa) over awareness of real existence (tattva-jñāna), in the form the delusions (bhrānti) of knowledge, ignorance, liberation, bondage, and so forth (jñānājñāna-mokṣa-bandhanādi-rūpā) which are based on falsity (mithyā). Māyā is thus “unascertainable” (anirūpya), that is, unable to be designated in nature as being of some particular manner or type (idam itthantayā svarūpato nirdeṣṭum aśakyā). Furthermore, māyā is called “impermanent” (anityā) because she disappears with knowledge (jñānena layāt), meaning, she withdraws from a jīva when the jīva acquires knowledge of her possessor, Śaktimān, Śrī Bhagavān. She is also called “primordial” (ādyā) because of her being a shadow [alt., reflection, or, semblance] (cchāyā-rūpatvāt) of the cit-śakti [i.e., Bhagavān superior potency (parā-śakti) and “the cause of the jīvas’ saṁsāra” (jīva-saṁsāra-kāriṇī) because of her being the cause of the jīvas’ perpetual transmigration (saṁsṛti) throughout material existence by means of spreading ignorance [i.e., inhibiting and misdirecting the jīvas’ capacity for awareness of self and Śrī Bhagavān] (avidyā-prasāraṇena saṁsṛti-kāraṇatvāt). Māyā is called prakṛti to convey that although she produces various effects, she herself does not undergo any transformation thereby and thus is the counter-positive (pratiyogin) of transformation. Māyā is said to be “like a magician” (aindrajālikavat) in that as something is falsely shown by a magician [to onlookers], so the universe is falsely produced, that is, generated and shown [to jīvas] (yathā aindrajālikena mithyaiva kim api kim api darśyate, tathā mṛṣaiva utpāditam utpādya darśitam), since māyā in this case māyā becomes manifest as the jīvas’ delusions based on falsity (māyāyā mithyā-bhrānti-vilāsa-mayatvāt).