Maya is also the name of an Asura, who was the father-in-law of the Lord of Lanka, Ravana and the father of Mandodari. He is the archnemesis of Vishwakarma, the
celestial architect of the Gods. His knowledge and skills are
compatible with Vishwakarma. When Lanka was dstroyed by Hanuman, it was the King of Demons, Maya who had re-installed the beauty of that Island Kingdom.
Maya in Hindu philosophy
In Advaita Vedanta philosophy, maya is the illusion of a limited, purely physical and mental reality in
which our everyday consciousness has become entangled, a veiling of the
true, unitary Self, also known as Brahman. Maya originated in the Hindu scriptures known as the Upanishads.
Many philosphies or religions seek to "pierce the veil" in order to
glimpse the transcendent truth, from which the illusion of a physical
reality springs, drawing from the idea that first came to life in the
Hindu stream of Vedanta.
In Hinduism, Maya must be seen through in order to achieve moksha (liberation of the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth) - ahamkar (ego-consciousness) and karma are seen as part of the binding forces of Maya. Maya is seen as the
phenomenal universe, a lesser reality-lens superimposed on the one Brahman that leads us to think of the phenomenal cosmos as real.
Maya as the Goddess
In Hinduism, Maya is seen as the illusory form of Devi, the Divine Goddess. Her most
famous explication is seen in the Devi Mahamaya, also known as Candi or Abhaya, which is said to spring from the Devi Sukta passage of the Vedas.
Essentially, Mahamaya (great Maya) both blinds us in delusion (moha) and has the power to free us from it. Maya, superimposed on Brahman, the one divine ground and essence of monist Hinduism, is envisioned as one with Kali, Durga, etc. A great modern (19th century) Hindu sage who often spoke of Maya as being the same as the Shakti principle of Hinduism was Shri Ramakrishna.
In the Hindu scripture 'Devi Mahatmyam,' Mahamaya (Great Maya) is said to cover Vishnu's
eyes in Yoganidra (Divine Sleep) during cycles of existence when all is
resolved into one. By exhorting Mahamaya to release Her illusory hold
on Vishnu, Brahma is able to bring Vishnu to aid him in killing two
demons, Madhu and Kaitabh, who have manifested from Vishnu's sleeping
form. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa often spoke of Mother Maya and combined deep Hindu allegory with the
idea that Maya is a lesser reality that must be overcome so that one is
able to realize his or her true Self.
See Also
-
-
