Category Archives: maayayaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 61, Chapter 18

19 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.61, arjuna, bhraamayan, chapter 18 verse 61, eeshavaraha, hriddeshe, maayayaa, sarvabhootaanaam, sarvabhootaani, tishthati, yantraroodhaani

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eeshavaraha sarvabhootaanaam hriddesherjuna tishthati |
bhraamayansarvabhootaani yantraroodhaani maayayaa || 61 ||
 
Ishvara is seated in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, spinning all beings mounted on a machine by maaya.
 
eeshavaraha : Ishvara
sarvabhootaanaam : in all beings
hriddeshe : in the hearts
arjuna : O Arjuna
tishthati : seated
bhraamayan : spinning
sarvabhootaani : all beings
yantraroodhaani : mounted on a machine
maayayaa : by maaya
 
Quake was one of the first wildly successful multiplayer video games. Any person could participate in the video game as long as they were connected to the Internet. Players were placed in a virtual world where they could form teams with other players from across the world. Players would win points for shooting a member of the opposing team, and lose points if they would get shot. The creator of the Quake game had no influence on the outcome of the game, other than setting the rules of the game when it was created.
 
Shri Krishna says that the universe is like a gigantic video game set in motion by Ishvara. This video game is maayaa, also known as Prakriti, which is comprised of the three gunaas. By itself, maaya is insentient, it cannot do anything on its own. The eternal essence reflected in maaya adds sentience to maaya, it injects life into maaya by becoming the individual soul, the jeeva. In this way, each jeeva loses its connection with the eternal essence, and is stuck in this massive machine, this massive video game known as maaya.
 
So then, how can the jeeva liberate itself from this never ending video game of maaya? Does the jeeva have a chance? Is there any such thing as free will, or are we just slaves of maaya? The clue lies in the fact that maaya is subservient to Ishvara. If we only rely on maaya, if we only spend our lives attached to the material world, we will never have a chance at liberation. But if we direct our efforts towards knowing the true nature of Ishvara, towards contacting Ishvara, there may be a shot at liberation. Fortunately, he is not in some remote heaven, he is seated within us. How should we approach him? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 7

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.15, aashritaahaa, aasuram, apahyatajnyaanaa, bhaavam, chapter 7 verse 15, dushkritinaha, maam, maayayaa, moodhaahaa, na, naraadhamaahaa, prapadyante

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na maam dushkritino moodhaahaa prapadyante naraadhamaahaa |
maayayaapahyatajnyaanaa aasuram bhaavamaashritaahaa || 15 ||
 
Wretched and deluded evildoers do not seek my refuge. Those whose wisdom has been abducted by maaya take support of devilish tendencies.
 
na : do not
maam : my
dushkritinaha : evildoers
moodhaahaa : deluded
prapadyante : seek refuge
naraadhamaahaa : wretched
maayayaa : through maayaa
apahyatajnyaanaa : those whose wisdom has been abducted
aasuram : devilish
bhaavam : tendencies
aashritaahaa : take support
 
Previously, Shri Krishna said that only those who take the refuge of Ishvara can cross over maaya. But, many people fail to follow this instruction. Instead, their wisdom is usurped by maaya. Maaya veils Ishvara, causing people to think that they don’t have to associate with Ishvara. Shri Krishna says that these people are not just deluded or ignorant, they are wretched, they are evil doers and are the lowest among human beings.
 
First of all, there are people who are somewhat deluded by maaya. They spend their lives running after material objects and possessions because they find joy in doing so. But they do so without causing any harm to anybody. Next, there are people who are even more deluded, who don’t hesitate to break the law in their pursuit of material objects. Finally, there are the worst kind of people who will resort to taking another’s life for their material fulfillment.
 
Having thus categorized people who are deluded by maaya, Shri Krishna calls their nature “aasuri” or devilish. Our goal should not to show up in this category. So then, what kind of people seek out Ishvara? This is taken up next.