Guest guest Posted July 7, 2003 Report Share Posted July 7, 2003 YOGAMAYA AND MAHAMAYA: THE DIFFERENCE SB 5.18.22 The material opulences a person obtains by offering prayers to the goddess Durga are temporary. As described in Bhagavad-gita (7.23), antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam: men of meager intelligence desire temporary happiness. WE HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THAT ONE OF THE DISCIPLES OF BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASVATI THAKURA WANTED TO ENJOY THE PROPERTY OF HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER, AND THE SPIRITUAL MASTER, BEING MERCIFUL TOWARD HIM, GAVE HIM THE TEMPORARY PROPERTY, BUT NOT THE POWER TO PREACH THE CULT OF CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU ALL OVER THE WORLD. THAT SPECIAL MERCY OF THE POWER TO PREACH IS GIVEN TO A DEVOTEE WHO DOES NOT WANT ANYTHING MATERIAL FROM HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER BUT WANTS ONLY TO SERVE HIM. The story of the demon Ravana illustrates this point. Although Ravana tried to abduct the goddess of fortune Sitadevi from the custody of Lord Ramacandra, he could not possibly do so. THE SITADEVI HE FORCIBLY TOOK WITH HIM WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL SITADEVI, BUT AN EXPANSION OF MAYA, OR DURGADEVI. AS A RESULT, INSTEAD OF WINNING THE FAVOR OF THE REAL GODDESS OF FORTUNE, RAVANA AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY WERE VANQUISHED BY THE POWER OF DURGADEVI (SRSTI-STHITI-PRALAYA-SADHANA-SAKTIR EKA). SB 10.1.69 The word karyarthe refers to one who attracted the pregnancy of Devaki and bewildered mother Yasoda. These pastimes are very confidential. The Supreme personality of Godhead ordered yogamaya to bewilder His associates in His pastimes and bewilder demons like Kamsa. As stated previously, yogamayam samadisat. To give service to the Lord, yogamaya appeared along with mahamaya. MAHAMAYA REFERS TO YAYA SAMMOHITAM JAGAT, "ONE WHO BEWILDERS THE ENTIRE MATERIAL WORLD." From this statement it is to be understood that yogamaya, in her partial expansion, becomes mahamaya and bewilders the conditioned souls. In other words, the entire creation has two divisions--transcendental, or spiritual, and material. Yogamaya manages the spiritual world, and by her partial expansion as mahamaya she manages the material world. AS STATED IN THE NARADA-PANCARATRA, MAHAMAYA IS A PARTIAL EXPANSION OF YOGAMAYA. THE NARADA-PANCARATRA CLEARLY STATES THAT THE SUPREME PERSONALITY HAS ONE POTENCY, WHICH IS SOMETIMES DESCRIBED AS DURGA. THE BRAHMA-SAMHITA SAYS, CHAYEVA YASYA BHUVANANI BIBHARTI DURGA. DURGA IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM YOGAMAYA. WHEN ONE UNDERSTANDS DURGA PROPERLY, HE IS IMMEDIATELY LIBERATED, FOR DURGA IS ORIGINALLY THE SPIRITUAL POTENCY, HLADINI-SAKTI, BY WHOSE MERCY ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD VERY EASILY. RADHA KRSNA-PRANAYA-VIKRTIR HLADINI-SAKTIR ASMAD. THE MAHAMAYA-SAKTI, HOWEVER, IS A COVERING OF YOGAMAYA, AND SHE IS THEREFORE CALLED THE COVERING POTENCY. BY THIS COVERING POTENCY, THE ENTIRE MATERIAL WORLD IS BEWILDERED (YAYA SAMMOHITAM JAGAT). IN CONCLUSION, BEWILDERING THE CONDITIONED SOULS AND LIBERATING THE DEVOTEES ARE BOTH FUNCTIONS BELONGING TO YOGAMAYA. TRANSFERRING THE PREGNANCY OF DEVAKI AND KEEPING MOTHER YASODA IN DEEP SLEEP WERE BOTH DONE BY YOGAMAYA; MAHAMAYA CANNOT ACT UPON SUCH DEVOTEES, FOR THEY ARE ALWAYS LIBERATED. BUT ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR MAHAMAYA TO CONTROL LIBERATED SOULS OR THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, SHE DID BEWILDER KAMSA. The action of yogamaya in presenting herself before Kamsa was the action of mahamaya, not yogamaya. Yogamaya cannot even see or touch such polluted persons as Kamsa. In Candi, in the Markandeya Purana, Eleventh Chapter, Mahamaya says, "During the twenty-eighth yuga in the period of Vaivasvata Manu, I shall take birth as the daughter of Yasoda and be known as Vindhyacala-vasini." SB 10.1.69 P The Advent of Lord Krsna: Introduction THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO MAYAS--YOGAMAYA AND MAHA-MAYA--IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS. KRSNA'S RASA-LILA WITH THE GOPIS AND THE GOPIS' BEWILDERMENT IN RESPECT TO THEIR HUSBANDS, FATHERS-IN-LAW AND OTHER SUCH RELATIVES WERE ARRANGEMENTS OF YOGAMAYA IN WHICH MAHAMAYA HAD NO INFLUENCE. The Bhagavatam gives sufficient evidence of this when it clearly says, yogamayam upasritah. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WERE ASURAS HEADED BY SALVA AND KSATRIYAS LIKE DURYODHANA WHO WERE BEREFT OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IN SPITE OF SEEING KRSNA'S CARRIER GARUDA AND THE UNIVERSAL FORM, AND WHO COULD NOT UNDERSTAND KRSNA TO BE THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. THIS WAS ALSO BEWILDERMENT, BUT THIS BEWILDERMENT WAS DUE TO MAHAMAYA. THEREFORE IT IS TO BE CONCLUDED THAT THE MAYA WHICH DRAGS A PERSON FROM THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD IS CALLED JADAMAYA, AND THE MAYA WHICH ACTS ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL PLATFORM IS CALLED YOGAMAYA. When Nanda Maharaja was taken away by Varuna, he saw Krsna's opulence, but nonetheless he thought of Krsna as his son. Such feelings of parental love in the spiritual world are acts of yogamaya, not of jadamaya, or mahamaya. This is the opinion of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Adi 6.79 There are eleven expansions of Rudra, or Lord Siva. They are as follows: Ajaikapat, Ahibradhna, Virupaksa, Raivata, Hara, Bahurupa, Devasrestha Tryambaka, Savitra, Jayanta, Pinaki and Aparajita. Besides these expansions there are eight forms of Rudra called earth, water, fire, air, sky, the sun, the moon and soma-yaji. Generally all these Rudras have five faces, three eyes and ten arms. Sometimes it is found that Rudra is compared to Brahma and considered a living entity. But when Rudra is explained to be a partial expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is compared to Sesa. Lord Siva is therefore simultaneously an expansion of Lord Visnu and, in his capacity for annihilating the creation, one of the living entities. As an expansion of Lord Visnu he is called Hara, and he is transcendental to the material qualities, but when he is in touch with tamo-guna he appears contaminated by the material modes of nature. This is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam and the Brahma-samhita. In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, it is stated that Lord Rudra is always associated with the material nature when she is in the neutral, unmanifested stage, but when the modes of material nature are agitated he associates with material nature from a distance. In the Brahma-samhita the relationship between Visnu and Lord Siva is compared to that of milk and yogurt. Milk is converted into yogurt by certain additives, but although milk and yogurt have the same ingredients, they have different functions. Similarly, Lord Siva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, yet because of his taking part in the annihilation of the cosmic manifestation, he is considered to be changed, like milk converted into yogurt. IN THE PURANAS IT IS FOUND THAT DURGA APPEARS SOMETIMES FROM THE HEADS OF BRAHMA AND SOMETIMES FROM THE HEADS OF VISNU. THE ANNIHILATOR, RUDRA, IS BORN FROM SANKARSANA AND THE ULTIMATE FIRE TO BURN THE WHOLE CREATION. IN THE VAYU PURANA THERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF SADASIVA IN ONE OF THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS. THAT SADASIVA IS A DIRECT EXPANSION OF LORD KRSNA'S FORM FOR PASTIMES. IT IS SAID THAT SADASIVA (LORD SAMBHU) IS AN EXPANSION FROM THE SADASIVA IN THE VAIKUNTHA PLANETS (LORD VISNU) AND THAT HIS CONSORT, MAHAMAYA, IS AN EXPANSION OF RAMADEVI, OR LAKSMI. MAHAMAYA IS THE ORIGIN OR BIRTHPLACE OF MATERIAL NATURE. Prabhupada750418SB.VRN Lectures SRIMATI RADHARANI IS ALSO MAYA, YOGA-MAYA, AND DURGA IS ALSO MAYA, EXPANSION OF RADHARANI. BUT DURGA'S BUSINESS IS DIFFERENT THAN RADHARANI'S BUSINESS. DURGA'S BUSINESS IS YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVAH, TO KEEP THE LIVING ENTITIES COVERED NOT TO BECOME AWAKENED TO KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS. THAT IS MAYA'S DUTY. SO VYASADEVA SAW THIS MAYA, THIS MAHA-MAYA, WHO IS KEEPING THE LIVING ENTITIES UNDER THE COVER OF ILLUSION. SO IT IS SAID, "THIS MAYA.HE SAW THE SUPREME PERSON, AND BACK OF THAT SUPREME PERSON HE SAW THIS MAYA." WHICH MAYA? YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVA: "THAT MAYA WHICH IS KEEPING THE LIVING ENTITIES IN ILLUSION." WHAT IS THAT ILLUSION? THAT IS ALSO HERE: YAYA SAMMOHITO JIVA ATMANAM TRI-GUNATMAKAM. TRI-GUNA, TRI-GUNA MEANS THE SATTVA-GUNA, RAJO-GUNA, TAMO-GUNA. So, under the influence of maya, we are identifying with the different gunas or qualities of this material world. So sattva-guna, yes, sattva-guna is the brahminical qualification. So one is thinking that "I am brahmana." One is thinking, who is under the control of rajo-guna, "I am ksatriya." Or in other words, this is, this identification, is all over the world. Now you may not think, "I am brahmana," but you may think, "I am American." Or I may think, "I am Indian." There is some sort of identification. And therefore the whole world is full of anarthas, unnecessary, unnecessary thing. I am not brahmana; I am not Indian; you are not American; you are not ksatriya; or... This is all false identification. So this is the work of maya, that all the living entities they are under certain impression that "I am this. I am this." And this "I am this. I am that," they cannot make any solution Prabhupada741011SB.MAY Lectures So these things are going on in the name of worshiping God. But that is not God worship. That is worshiping the fearful personified by the criminals. Just Durga... Kali is expansion of Durga. Just like Visnu is expansion of Krsna, similarly, Krsna's energy... Energy has also many expansions. Dasa maha-vidya. THERE ARE MANY EXPANSIONS OF DURGA BECAUSE SHE HAS TO LOOK AFTER... JUST LIKE POLICE DEPARTMENT. POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THERE, BUT THERE ARE MANY OFFICERS IN THAT POLICE DEPARTMENT. SIMILARLY, DURGA IS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE OF THIS UNIVERSE. DURGA. DURGA MEANS THE FORT, DURGA. GA MEANS GOING, AND DUR MEANS DIFFICULTY. So where you cannot go unless you accept so many difficulties, that is called durga, or fort. SO THIS UNIVERSE, MATERIAL WORLD, IS JUST LIKE A DURGA. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE. CONDITIONED SOULS, YOU CANNOT ESCAPE. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT. DAIVI HY ESA GUNAMAYI DURATYAYA. 68-05-28. Letter: Uddhava SAMBHU IS THE PRINCIPLE BY WHICH THE LORD IMPREGNATES THE MATERIAL NATURE WITH THE SEEDS OF LIVING ENTITIES. DURGA IS EXPANSION OF INTERNAL ENERGY AND RADHARANI IS THE QUINTESSENCE OF INTERNAL ENERGY. IN THAT SENSE DURGA IS EXPANSION OF RADHARANI. Brahma is the father of Rudra or Sambhu, therefore Brahma is the original creature for creation. Generally Sambhu is the creator of many many demons. Demons are therefore mostly worshippers of Lord Siva. 69-02-09. Letter: Hamsaduta REGARDING YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SUBHADRA AND DURGA, THEY ARE NOT AT ALL THE SAME. DURGA'S OTHER NAME IS BHADRA, NOT SUBHADRA, AND DURGA'S ACTIVITIES ARE WITHIN THE MATERIAL WORLD. SUBHADRA DOES NOT WORK AS DURGA. SUBHADRA IS INTERNAL ENERGY, AND DURGA IS EXTERNAL ENERGY. AS ENERGY, THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AS MUCH AS WE ARE ENERGIES OF KRISHNA, BUT THE ENERGIES ARE WORKING IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY THE ENERGY IS ONE, BY THEIR EXPANSION, THE ACCENTS OF THE ENERGIES ARE DIFFERENT, AND AS WE ARE NOT IMPERSONALISTS, THIS VARIEGATEDNESS OF ACTIONS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD, AS MUCH AS THE GOVERNMENT IS ONE BUT THERE ARE MULTI-DEPARTMENTS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE CRIMINAL DEPARTMENT ARE ALL DEPARTMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT IS CONNECTED WITH ALL PARTS AND DEPARTMENTS, BUT THE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. This is the philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different manifestations of the Absolute Truth Prabhupada711111RC.DEL Conversations Guest: In that expansion can't we take Durga and Siva, even for... Prabhupada: Yes. THAT IS SAKTI-TATTVA. We have to take expansion according to the tattva. Substance and categories; in which category. THE SUBSTANCE IS VISNU, AND ALL OTHER TATTVAS ARE CATEGORIES. SO DEVATAS, THEY ARE SAKTI-TATTVA, SAKTI CATEGORY, THE SAME CATEGORY AS YOU ARE. The same example. Just like here a government officer, he is also Indian gentleman, you are also Indian gentleman, but he has got his power on account of his high qualities. SIMILARLY YOU CAN BECOME ALSO DURGA. YOU CAN BECOME INDRA, CANDRA, SURYA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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