Concept of Maya by His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswamiji.

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Concept of Maya by His Holiness Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi

Mahaswamiji.

 

A selected article from "Acharya's Call" a book published in two

volumes, which contains English translations of some invaluable

speeches given by His Holiness, Paramacharya Chandrasekharendra

Saraswathi Mahaswamiji.

 

In the Mangala Sloka(invocation) to this Beeja Ganita(algebra),

Bhaskaracharya says that supreme which is Infinite, does not suffer

diminution when creating the world out of Himself, or gain addition

when the created word attains Laya(merger) in Him. For, if the

addition of even a fraction can make a difference to the infinite,

then it could not have been infinite before such addition. Similarly

infinite cannot become less than the infinite when any thing is taken

away from it. The Infinite is poorna, full and limitless Supreme. The

Prapancha (Universe) which is infinitely varied, is also limitless

Supreme, the limitless Supreme will remain intact. Therefore, if this

Poornam ( the infinitely varied form of the objective Prapancha) is

taken away from that Poornam (the subject which is Infinite), that

Poornam, the subject Infinite, alone will remain.

 

This may be illustrated mathematically as follows : if 2 is divided

by 2, the quotient is 1. With 2 as the dividend, if the divisor is

progressively reduced as 1, 1/2, or 1/4 etc., the quotient will

respectively be 2, or 4, or 8,etc., Thus the divisor becomes less and

less, the quotient will become more and more. When the divisor is the

least, that is infinitesimal, approximating to Zero, the quotient

will be infinity. This is known as the Khaharam - Kha standing for

Aakas, signifying poojyam (zero), haaram, meaning taking away or

dividing.

 

How do we verify the correctness of an arithmetical question in

division? We multiply the quotient with the divisor and check whether

the resulting is equivalent to the dividend given in the question. In

this Khaharam, or division. In this Khaharam, or division of any

number by zero, the number that is divided stands for the Prapancha

9the pluralistic universe of infinite variety), the divisor, zero or

Poojyam, which in mathematical language is an indefinable factor,

approximating to nothingness, stands for Maya, and the quotient is the

Infinite, that is Brahman. For the purpose of creating the Prapancha,

which is dividend, Brahman , which is the quotient , multiplies itself

by Maya, which is divisor. Even as I divided by Zero, or 2 divided by

Zero, or 3 divided by Zero, will give the same quotient, when the

Infinite is multiplied by Zer, it is undeterminate, and therefore, it

can take the values 1,2,3 etc., which are Bheda sankhyas, or numbers

connoting differences, standing for the plurality of the world. The

Upanishad says that the One Absolute determined to become many, and

for that purpose. It associated itself with Maya, and become Many.

When this Absolute Infinite multiplied Itself in association with

Maya, which is tantamount to zero, it appears as 1,2,3,4 etc., the

several objects of this Prapancha. But when any number is multiplied

by Maya. The dividend, which is the plurality of the prapancha is the

Infinite variety. The quotient, which is Brahman, is Real Akhanda and

Ananta. In the Saanti Mantra, Poornam adah is the quotient , Absolute

Infinity, and Poornam idam is the dividend, pluralistic Infinity.

Advaita anantam multiplied by Poojyam is Dvaita anantam. if the

latter is divested of is Maya -- by a process of Khaharam-dividing by

Poojyam which is Maya -- we get the Advaita anantam. Maya multiplies

the formless Infinite which is One only without a second , into an

infinity of finite forms. Th One alone , that is real, has value; the

Many, which are products of Maya, are like Maya, without ultimate

value. So Brahman is not affected either by diminution from It

(creation or Srsti) or by the addition to It(merger or Laya) of

Prapancha, which has no ultimate value.

 

The Divine Mother is the Creative Principle of the universe, the Maya

Sakti aspect of Brahman, which makes the Infinite One appear as the

Infinite Many. She presents the formless Supreme in finite forms. It

is only by her grace that one can transcend the Maya and obtain the

advaitic realisation of the One without a second.

 

Source: http://kamakoti.org/acall/ac-concept.html