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Māyāpañcakam: The Nature of Illusion

Māyā is adept at making the impossible possible. It superimposes distinctions of the world, God, and individual souls onto the infinite, limitless consciousness. Māyā tempts even learned people with wealth, causing them to behave like animals. It makes the eternal ātman identify with a material body and whirl in rebirth. Māyā creates in the attributeless self notions of caste and family attachments. It divides the limitless Brahman into gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, confusing even scholars about their nature.

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29 views1 page

Māyāpañcakam: The Nature of Illusion

Māyā is adept at making the impossible possible. It superimposes distinctions of the world, God, and individual souls onto the infinite, limitless consciousness. Māyā tempts even learned people with wealth, causing them to behave like animals. It makes the eternal ātman identify with a material body and whirl in rebirth. Māyā creates in the attributeless self notions of caste and family attachments. It divides the limitless Brahman into gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, confusing even scholars about their nature.

Uploaded by

min4chu
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MĀYĀPAÑCAKAM TRANSLATION

1. Māyā, adept at making the impossible possible,


superimposes on me who am in reality --consciousness,
incomparable infinite impartite limitless and devoid of all
divisions the distinctions in the form of the jagat, īśvara,
and jīva.

2. Alas! māyā, adept at making the impossible happen,


makes even those who have mastered the Vedas and the
Upanishads behave no better than four-legged animals by
tempting them with wealth and possessions.

3. Māyā, which is adept at making the impossible possible,


makes the ātman which is of the nature of joyful infinite
consciousness, and is without a second, identify itself with
the body made up of the elements, namely, ether, air etc.,
and whirl intensely in the ocean of saṃsāra.

4. Māyā, adept at making the impossible possible, creates


in the saccidānanda-ātman, which is devoid of attributes
such as caste, creed and the like, the notion of 'I'-ness, of
looking upon oneself as a brāhmaṇa, vaiśya, etc., as well
as attachment to offspring, wife and home.

5. Alas! māyā, which is adept at making the impossible


happen, creates in Brahman which is limitless, without any
parts, distinctions such as Brahma, Vishnu and Siva and
thereby perplexes even the learned by making them look
upon Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva as different from one
another.

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