Swami answers questions of Shri Ramakanth on Mahaa Maaya

Note: This article is meant for intellectuals only

1. Is medium Kārya Māyā Śakti and internal form the Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti + Parabrahman in incarnation of God?

[Shri Ramakanth asked:- Swami, in the 11^th verse of 17^th Chapter in Radhakrishna Gita, it is written “Following the first meaning as product, Prakruti is having both inert and non-inert items. Both Anaghā and Datta bear Prakruti (product) externally as their media. Internally, both have Purusha (cause). Hence, both Anaghā and Datta have Prakruti (Mahā Māyā) externally as their media and Purusha (Parabrahman) internally. Both show external dualism and internal monism.” (Click here:- Link). Below are my questions regarding this: i) Can we say that in any incarnation of God, externally exists the Kārya Māyā Śakti (medium) and internally exists the Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti (Mahā Māyā) + Parabrahman?]

Swami replied:- For any incarnation of God, we can say that Kāraṇa Brahman or Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti or Parabrahman or Purusha exists internally and Kārya Brahman or Kārya Māyā Śakti or Mahā Māyā or Prakruti exists externally.

2. Are Mahā Māyā and Kārya Māyā Śakti directly related in anyway?

Swami replied:- They are linked with each other, not logically but by superimposed assumption. Mahā Māyā is the unimaginable power of unimaginable God. From Unimaginable Mahā Māyā, imaginable Tejas or inert energy is created. From imaginable inert energy (Tejas) only, the entire imaginable creation (Prakṛti) is made. This inert energy or Tejas is also called as Kārya Brahman or Kārya Māyā Śakti. The process by which this Tejas was created by Unimaginable Mahā Māyā is again unimaginable. However, since Parabrahman is called as Purusha by superimposed assumption, Mahā Māyā is also called as Prakṛti by superimposed assumption. Fundamentally, the process of production of imaginable inert energy (Kārya Brahman/ Kārya Māyā Śakti) from the unimaginable God/Power (Kāraṇa Brahman / Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti) is unimaginable. The only imaginable items are the imaginable inert energy (Tejas/ Kārya Brahman/ Kārya Māyā Śakti) and its final product called world (Prakṛti). Hence, both Mahā Māyā and Kārya Māyā Śakti are linked with each other by superimposed assumption of Prakṛti as Mahā Māyā. Although in reality, the imaginable Kārya Māyā Śakti came from the unimaginable Mahā Māyā only through a process that is unimaginable, such an unimaginable process is assumed as imaginable process so that we call Mahā Māyā as Prakṛti.

3. Why is it said that externally Mahā Māyā is present?

[Why is it told that externally Mahā Māyā is present? Shouldn't it be Kārya Māyā Śakti since external medium is just a part of creation, which is effective power?]

Swami replied:- In this point, Mahā Māyā is superimposed on Prakṛti as representative model due to assumption. Just like the child is modification of the flesh and blood of the mother, this creation is the modification of the imaginable inert energy. Hence, the inert energy is called as Mūla Māyā. The entire world (Prakṛti), which is the modification of inert energy (Mūla Māyā or Tejas) is also called as ‘Mahā Māyā’ in the sense of wonderful infinite (infinite from the view of soul and not from the view of God) item. As a representative model, Mahā Māyā is superimposed on Prakṛti. Hence, the word ‘Mahā Māyā’ is also used in the place of ‘Prakṛti’. Since the external medium (body and soul) of incarnation is made of the elements of ‘Prakṛti’, we can say that the external medium of incarnation is Mahā Māyā. We can say that the incarnation is Parabrahman internally. These both correspond to one facet with two sides. We can consider the below 1-1 mapping to understand both sides of the incarnation in a better way:-

Internally– Creator/ Parabrahman/ Purusha/ Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti/ Kāraṇa Brahman.

Externally – Creation/ Mahā Māyā/ Prakṛti/ Kārya Māyā Śakti.

4. Why is Mahā Māyā representative of Prakruti?

[Why is Mahā Māyā representative of Prakruti? Why can't we say that Mahā Māyā is just Kārya Māyā Śakti, but not Kāraṇa Māyā Śakti?]

Swami replied:- In actual true sense, Parabrahman and Mahā Māyā are one and the same unimaginable God since both the possessor of unimaginable power and the unimaginable power are unimaginable and inseparable. Two or more unimaginable items together result in one final unimaginable item only. For easy understanding of majority of public, we can say that Purusha is Parabrahman and Prakṛti is Mahā Māyā. Since external medium of incarnation is Prakṛti, we can say that the external medium is Mahā Māyā on the basis of superimposed assumption and representative model. The internal personality of incarnation is Parabrahman.

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