Vivekachudamani 346
विभज्य दृग्दृश्यपदार्थतत्त्वम् ।
छिनत्ति मायाकृतमोहबन्धं
यस्माद्विमुक्तस्तु पुनर्न संसृतिः ॥
samyagvivekaḥ sphuṭabodhajanyo
vibhajya dṛgdṛśyapadārthatattvam |
chinatti māyākṛtamohabandhaṃ
yasmādvimuktastu punarna saṃsṛtiḥ ||
(Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 346)
Perfect discrimination arising from direct realization distinguishes the true nature of the seer from the seen and snaps the bonds of delusion caused by maya*. There is no more transmigration for one who is liberated from this.
*Maya is the device by which Advaita explains how One Reality appears as many. In simple words, maya means illusion. It is considered as beginningless (anadi) and acts through two powers—veiling power (avarana shakti) and projecting power (vikshepa shakti). Sankara did not diffentiate between maya and avidya (nescience or ignorance) since both, in effect, tantamount to mistaking one thing for another. In his Brahmasutra Bhasya, he regards the mutual superimposition (adhyasa) of subject and object, the seer and the seen, as avidya. Through the operation of maya/avidya as a metaphysical error, we perceive the One (Self-Brahman) as the maniforld world. Even though maya/avidya is ultimately unreal (mithya), its still plays an important role in explaining the familiar world of variety.
The maya is explained very nicely in the Bhagavata, yathabhaso yatha tamah. Just like the sun is reflected in the water, and the light is reflected again on the wall. This is the exact explanation of maya. Reality, this material world, the man who manufactured all these things, nobody knows where he has gone, but these things are taken as reality. This will be also finished. It will remain as relics, as Rome, relics, but when it was..., the houses were prepared with great enthusiasm as reality. And now it is as relics. So the energy expended for manufacturing those houses, that is also maya, and now they are being visited as relics. That is also maya. So all these things are mayara vaibhava, expansion of maya. So if somebody says that you don't appreciate these things? No, we appreciate, very much appreciate intelligence. But if you, for this appreciation, if you forget, then it is maya. Forget Sri Krishna.
Napoleon wanted to finish that arch, and he was kicked out. How he's independent of God. Such a big person, strong person, he wanted to finish, but he was not allowed to finish. Then how he thinks that he's independent. That is foolishness, that I can be kicked out at any moment, and still he's thinking "I am independent." What is the answer? Why he was kicked out? He was a very powerful man, and why he was kicked out? "No, you cannot finish. You go, get out immediately." Then? Where is his independence. He was simply falsely puffed-up independent. And now, after being kicked out, if he has taken the body of a cat and dog, then what is the benefit? Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. The nature is so strong and the laws are so stringent. We are not independent. If you touch fire, fire is one of the elements, it will burn your finger. However powerful you may be, you cannot stop it. Then where is your independence?
*Maya is the device by which Advaita explains how One Reality appears as many. In simple words, maya means illusion. It is considered as beginningless (anadi) and acts through two powers—veiling power (avarana shakti) and projecting power (vikshepa shakti). Sankara did not diffentiate between maya and avidya (nescience or ignorance) since both, in effect, tantamount to mistaking one thing for another. In his Brahmasutra Bhasya, he regards the mutual superimposition (adhyasa) of subject and object, the seer and the seen, as avidya. Through the operation of maya/avidya as a metaphysical error, we perceive the One (Self-Brahman) as the maniforld world. Even though maya/avidya is ultimately unreal (mithya), its still plays an important role in explaining the familiar world of variety.
The maya is explained very nicely in the Bhagavata, yathabhaso yatha tamah. Just like the sun is reflected in the water, and the light is reflected again on the wall. This is the exact explanation of maya. Reality, this material world, the man who manufactured all these things, nobody knows where he has gone, but these things are taken as reality. This will be also finished. It will remain as relics, as Rome, relics, but when it was..., the houses were prepared with great enthusiasm as reality. And now it is as relics. So the energy expended for manufacturing those houses, that is also maya, and now they are being visited as relics. That is also maya. So all these things are mayara vaibhava, expansion of maya. So if somebody says that you don't appreciate these things? No, we appreciate, very much appreciate intelligence. But if you, for this appreciation, if you forget, then it is maya. Forget Sri Krishna.
Napoleon wanted to finish that arch, and he was kicked out. How he's independent of God. Such a big person, strong person, he wanted to finish, but he was not allowed to finish. Then how he thinks that he's independent. That is foolishness, that I can be kicked out at any moment, and still he's thinking "I am independent." What is the answer? Why he was kicked out? He was a very powerful man, and why he was kicked out? "No, you cannot finish. You go, get out immediately." Then? Where is his independence. He was simply falsely puffed-up independent. And now, after being kicked out, if he has taken the body of a cat and dog, then what is the benefit? Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. The nature is so strong and the laws are so stringent. We are not independent. If you touch fire, fire is one of the elements, it will burn your finger. However powerful you may be, you cannot stop it. Then where is your independence?
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