Hare Krsna
What is Mayavada Philosophy ?
What are the Implications of Mayavada Philosophy ?
Who Propagated Mayavada ?
What is the Purpose of Mayavada Philosophy ?
What are scriptural references against Mayavada Philosophy/Interpretation ?
In the following shlokas narrated by Lord Shiva, he clearly exposes the reality of mayavada philosophy. The following is from Chapter 236, Uttara Khanda, Padma Purana
pārvatyuvāca |
tāmasāni ca śāstrāṇi samācakṣva mamānagha |
saṃproktānica tairvviprairbhagavadbhaktivarjitaiḥ |
teṣāṃ nāmāni kramaśaḥ samācakṣva sureśvara || 1 ||
Pārvatī said:
1. O sinless one, tell me about the vicious texts which were composed by the brāhmaṇas bereft of devotion to the lord. O lord of gods, tell me their names in a sequence.
rudra uvāca |
śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi tāmasāni yathākramam || 2 ||
teṣāṃ smaraṇamātreṇa mohaḥ syājjñānināmapi |
prathamaṃ hi mayaivoktaṃ śaivaṃ pāśupatādikam || 3 ||
macchaktyāveśitairvvipraiḥ proktāni ca tataḥ śṛṇu |
kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat || 4 ||
Rudra said:
2-4. O goddess, listen. I shall tell you about the vicious texts in a sequence. By merely remembering them even the wise ones would be deluded, First I myself proclaimed the Śaiva, Pāśupata (texts) etc. Hear about the ones which were proclaimed by the brāhmaṇas into whom my power had entered, after that: Kaṇāda proclaimed the great Vaiśeṣika text.
gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai |
dhiṣaṇena tathā proktaṃ cārvvākamatigarhitam || 5 ||
daityānāṃ nāśanārthāya viṣṇunā buddharūpiṇā |
bauddhaśāstramasatproktaṃ nagnanīlapaṭādikam || 6 ||
māyāvādamasacchāstraṃ pracchannaṃ baddha ucyate |
mayaiva kathitaṃ devi kalau brāhmaṇarūpiṇā || 7 ||
5-7. Similarly Gautama (proclaimed the doctrine of) Nyāya, and Kapila (proclaimed) Sāṃhkhya. Dhiṣaṇa (Bṛhaspati) in the same way (proclaimed) the much censured Cārvāka (doctrine); Viṣṇu of the form of Buddha proclaimed the false Buddhist doctrine and those of the naked and wearing dark blue garmentsfor the destruction of the demons. The doctrine of Māya (illusion) is a wicked doctrine and said to be pseudo-Buddhist. I (Lord Shiva) myself, of the form of a brāhmaṇa(Sripada Adi Shankaracarya), proclaimed it in Kali (age).
apārthaṃ śrutivākyānāṃ darśayanlokagarhitam |
svakarmmarūpaṃ tyājyatvamatraiva pratipādyate || 8 ||
sarvakarmmaparibhraṣṭairvaidharmmatvaṃ taducyate |
pareśajīvapāraikyaṃ mayā tu pratipādyate || 9 ||
brahmaṇosya svayaṃ rūpaṃ nirguṇaṃ vakṣyate mayā |
sarvasya jagato'pyatra mohanārthaṃ kalau yuge || 10 ||
vedārthavanmahāśāstraṃ māyayā yadavaidikam |
mayaiva kalpitaṃ devi jagatāṃ nāśakāraṇāt || 11 ||
madājñayā jaimininā pūrvaṃ vedamapārthakam |
nirīśvareṇa vādena kṛtaṃ śāstraṃ mahattaram || 12
8-12. It shows the meaninglessness of the words of the holy texts and is condemned in the world. In this (doctrine) only the giving up of one’s own duties is expounded. And that is said to be religiousness by those who have fallen from all duties. I have propounded the identity of the Highest Lord and the (individual) soul. I stated this Brahman’s nature to be qualityless. O goddess, I myself have conceived, for the destruction of the worlds, and for deluding the world in this Kali age, the great doctrine resembling the purport of the Vedas, (but) non-Vedic due to the principle of Māya (illusion) (present in it). By my order formerly Jaimini propounded the great doctrine of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā, stating godlessness and making the Veda meaningless.
What is Mayavada Philosophy ?
To consider the any of the avatar, rupa, lila, guna, nama of Bhagavaan (within this material world or in transcendental world) as creation or product of maya or material illusion is Mayavada Philosophy.
avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā
mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto
mama bhūta-maheśvaram
Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.(BG 9.11)
This mayavada philosophy manifests in many ways, some are as below
* Considering avatar of Bhagavaan as ordinary jiva.
* Equating devi/devatas to Bhagavaan.
* Equating Jiva as Bhagavaan in material world.
* Equating Jiva after liberating to Bhagavaan in spiritual world.
* Qualifying Bhagavaan to be a special jiva with attained powers.
* Considering Bhagavaan as dependent or subordinate to some devi/devata or prakriti or kala or vidhi.
* Considering some jiva/devi/devata or prakriti or kala or shakti or maya to be independent from Bhagavaan.
* Considering Bhagavaan to be without form or with temporary form.
* Considering Bhagavaan to be lower or subordinate to Brahman or Paramatma.
What are the Implications of Mayavada Philosophy ?
* All vedic scriptures/instructions are meaningless
* All duties/laws/goals/ambitions/aspirations/experience are meaningless
* Everything in world and whole world itself is a giant illusion.
Who Propagated Mayavada ?
Lord Shiva himself in the form of Sripada Adi Shankaracharya propagated Mayavada philosophy.
What is the Purpose of Mayavada Philosophy ?
It's purpose is to delude atheists and pretenders of kali yuga and to lead them to their destruction without they (or even others) realizing it.
What are scriptural references against Mayavada Philosophy/Interpretation ?
mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ |
puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ ||
Beyond the great Ātman is the Unmanifested; beyond the Unmanifested is the Puruṣa (the Cosmic Soul); beyond the Puruṣa there is nothing. That is the end that is the final goal. (Katha Upanishad 1.3.11)
The above clearly states that Purusha is beyond atma and thereis nothing beyond Purusha and Purusha is the ultimate destination.
bahir aṇḍa kapāt vēdhā racayitvaiva tiṣṭhati
aṇḍasyāpi bahir yō 'yaṃ tasya buddhir bahiḥ sthitā 63
buddhēs tu bahir avyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ
panca śaktimayō viṣṇur vāsudēvaḥ sanātanaḥ 64
naiva tasmāt paraṃ kiṃcid āstikatvaṃ pitāmaha
satvan ādir ananta ca parimāṇa vivarjitaḥ 65
Outside of this cosmic egg is vedha (Brahman), having created this in this manner. Outside of where he is, is buddhi.
Outside of this buddhi is avyakta. Outside avyakta is the Supreme Purusa - Vishnu - Vasudeva - The eternal with His five energies
There is nothing outside of Him, o Pitamaha. He is without beginning and end, being immeasurable. (Parama Samhita 26.63-65)
The above shloka clearly states that the identity of the Purusha who is beyond the unmanifested impersonal Brahma is Sri Vishnu.
nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
tam ātma-sthaṁ ye ’nupaśyanti dhīrās
teṣāṁ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām
There is One eternal entity among many eternal entities, the one truly conscious Entity among many conscious entities who, fulfils the desires of the many. Eternal peace belongs to those wise, who perceive Him within themselves and not to others. (Katha Upanishad 2.2.13)
The above clearly states that there is one entity which is eternally independent and all other living entities are eternally dependent on Him.
hiraṇmayena pātreṇa
satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham
tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu
satya-dharmāya dṛṣṭaye
O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.(Isa Upanishad 15)
The above clearly states that Supreme Absolute truth has transcendental face (form)
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham
amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya
sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness. ( BG 14.27)
In the above shloka from Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krsna states that He, Bhagavaan is the basis of impersonal Brahman
How to deal with Mayavadis ?
By not associating with them or getting rid of them or going away from them. Any interaction with them can drastically reduce one's devotion, leads to offensive mentality towards Sri Krsna and Vaishnavas.
Hence one should never directly associate with any mayavadi, especialliy those who shamelessly preach mayavada philosophy.
One should never hear anything from mayavadi or writings of mayavadi or interpreted by mayavadi.
Param Vijayate Sri Krsna Sankirtanam
Replies
Hare Krsna