Understanding the appearance of the world and the unchanging reality behind it.
Author
Vedantic philosophy
माया (Maya) - The Power of Appearance
Maya is often translated as “illusion,” but this translation can be misleading. Maya doesn’t mean the world doesn’t exist; rather, it means the world is not what it appears to be.
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगत् मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः
Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Naparah
Brahman is real, the world is appearance, the individual self is nothing but Brahman
In Advaita Vedanta, maya refers to the power that makes the One appear as many, the eternal appear as temporal, and pure consciousness appear as limited objects.
Think of the classic example:
Similarly:
त्रिकालाबाधितम् (Trikalabādhitam)
That which is unchanging across all three times
The Vedantic definition of reality is: That which never changes, which exists in all three times (past, present, future).
By this definition:
Understanding maya doesn’t mean rejecting the world. It means:
The practical result is freedom—freedom from fear, suffering, and the sense of limitation.
नारद-नारायण संवाद (Narada-Narayana Samvada)
The great sage Narada once asked Lord Narayana to show him the power of Maya. Narayana agreed and asked Narada to fetch him some water from a nearby village.
As Narada approached the village, he saw a beautiful woman. Enchanted, he forgot his mission and married her. Years passed—they had children, built a home, accumulated wealth. Then one day, a terrible flood came and swept away everything: his home, his wife, his children. Narada cried out in anguish.
Suddenly, he heard a voice: “Narada, where is the water I asked for?”
In an instant, Narada realized only a few moments had passed. The entire lifetime had been an illusion created by Maya—yet while in it, it seemed absolutely real. This is the power of Maya: to make the unreal appear real, the temporary appear permanent.
रज्जु-सर्प न्याय (Rajju-Sarpa Nyaya)
The classic Vedantic teaching uses this example:
Similarly:
त्रैविध्य सत्य (Traividhya Satya)
Vedanta distinguishes three levels of reality:
Pratibhasika Satya (Apparent Reality)
Vyavaharika Satya (Empirical Reality)
Paramarthika Satya (Absolute Reality)
The world is vyavaharika satya—relatively real but not ultimately real. Like a dream that seems real while you’re in it, but is recognized as unreal when you wake up.
आवरण-विक्षेप शक्ति (Avarana-Vikshepa Shakti)
Maya operates through two fundamental powers:
Avarana Shakti (Veiling Power)
Vikshepa Shakti (Projecting Power)
Both powers must be overcome through knowledge (jnana) and discrimination (viveka).
Understanding Maya doesn’t mean becoming nihilistic or rejecting the world. It means:
लोकवत्तु लीलाकैवल्यम् (Lokavat Tu Lilakaivalyam)
Like in the world, but established in freedom
The realized being lives in the world but is not of it—like a lotus leaf on water, touching but not wetted by it.
The wave is not separate from the ocean. The world is not separate from consciousness. All appearances arise within and as the one reality. This is the key to liberation.
Just as gold remains gold whether shaped as a ring, chain, or bracelet, consciousness remains consciousness whether appearing as world, body, or mind. The forms change, the substance never does.