Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran- Canto: 11, Chapters: 3
King Nimi asks, “Bhagwan’s Maya is so difficult to overcome that even great men of wisdom become deluded by it and are unable to understand its true nature. Therefore, please describe the nature of Maya. I am an ordinary mortal subject to death and have long been tormented by the various afflictions of worldly existence. The nectar of Bhagwan’s divine stories that you are giving me to drink is the only remedy for all these sufferings. My mind is never satiated by this nectar; therefore, please continue to narrate the divine stories of Bhagwan.”
ebhir bhootaani bhootaatmaa
mahaabhootair mahaabhuja
sasarjochchaa-vachaanyaadyah
svamaatra-atma prasiddhaye
Then the third Yogishwar, Antariksha, says, "O mighty-armed King Nimi! The original primaeval Lord, who is the indwelling Soul of all living beings, created all varieties of higher and lower life forms utilising the five gross material elements. He did this so that living beings may experience sense enjoyments and, through that experience, ultimately achieve the realisation of the Supreme Self." (Bhagavat 11.3.3)
In other words, the true nature of Bhagwan’s Maya cannot be fully described in words. Therefore, it should be understood through its workings.
The power through which Bhagwan creates this entire universe is called Maya.
Through this Maya, Bhagwan creates the bodies of devas, human beings, animals, birds, and all other forms of life from the five great elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space.
Through these bodies, the soul experiences pleasure and pain according to its karmas. By this same means, some pursue and attain worldly enjoyments, while others, through devotion to Bhagwan, attain liberation and ultimately attain Bhagwan Himself.
What Is Bhagwan’s Maya?
Antariksha further says that Bhagwan enters all bodies composed of the five great elements as the indwelling Lord, the Antaryami. Then, through the mind, the five senses of perception, and the five organs of action, He enables the soul to experience the world. However, the soul begins to identify the body as its true self. Through the senses, it enjoys sense objects and becomes attached to the body and the world. The soul then performs various actions through the organs of action. It experiences happiness as the result of good actions and suffering as the result of bad actions. In this way, it continues to wander through the cycle of birth and death. This is Bhagwan’s Maya.
Thus, according to its karmas, the soul continues to experience various forms of happiness and suffering, as well as birth and death. One birth is followed by another, and then by death; this cycle continues endlessly. This is Bhagwan’s Maya.
When the time of cosmic dissolution arrives, the power of eternal Time gradually begins to withdraw this entire visible creation back toward its original cause.
First, the rains cease.
Not for one or two years, but for a full hundred years, no rain falls. A terrible drought spreads everywhere. The heat of the sun becomes exceedingly intense and begins to scorch and burn the three worlds. The world that once appeared green, flourishing, and full of life begins to dry up.
Then a tremendous fire appears.
A terrifying fire emerges from the mouth of Ananta Sheshanaga. Driven by powerful winds, it rises upward from the lower regions, spreads in all directions, and begins to consume the entire creation.
After this, the deluge begins.
The Samvartaka clouds appear. These are no ordinary clouds. From them pour torrents of water as thick as elephant trunks. Rain continues without interruption for a hundred years. Gradually, the entire universe becomes submerged in water.
Now the cosmic manifestation begins to dissolve.
Just as fire naturally subsides when its fuel is exhausted, the Virat Purusha relinquishes His cosmic body and becomes absorbed into the subtle, unmanifest state.
But the dissolution does not end here.
Now creation is not merely destroyed; rather, each element begins to return, one by one, into its own cause.
- Earth loses its quality of smell and merges into water.
- Water loses its quality of taste and merges into fire.
- Fire loses its quality of form and merges into air.
- Air loses its quality of touch and merges into space.
- Space loses its quality of sound and merges into tamasic ahankara.
- Then the senses and intelligence merge into rajasic ahankara.
- The mind and its presiding deities merge into sattvic ahankara.
- Thereafter, all three forms of ahankara merge into the Mahat Tattva.
- The Mahat Tattva merges into Prakriti.
- And ultimately, Prakriti itself merges into the Supreme Brahman.
This is the wonder of Bhagwan’s Maya. The earth that appears so solid and permanent to us ultimately ceases to remain as earth. The water that seems so real also merges back into its cause. Fire, air, space, the senses, intelligence, mind, and ahankara all dissolve one by one.
In other words, the world that we cling to as permanent is, in reality, a temporary manifestation brought forth by Bhagwan’s power. When the appointed time arrives, that same power withdraws the entire creation layer by layer and merges it back into its original source.
- The manifestation of creation is Maya.
- Its appearance as real and permanent is Maya.
- And its final dissolution back into its cause is also the power of that same Maya.
Then, by the will of Bhagwan, creation manifests once again in the reverse order of this process.
How Can One Easily Transcend Maya?
Antariksha says, “O King! This is Bhagwan’s Maya, composed of the three gunas, which brings about the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the universe. I have described it briefly. Now, what would you like to hear next?”
King Nimi asks, “O great sage! For those who have not brought their minds under control, Bhagwan’s Maya is extremely difficult to transcend. Please explain how even those who identify themselves with the body and whose understanding is not very deep can easily cross beyond this Maya.”
Then the fourth Yogishwar, Prabuddha, says, “O King! People bound by relationships between men and women and by other worldly attachments continually perform many great and strenuous actions in order to attain happiness and remove suffering. But one who wishes to transcend Maya should carefully observe that the results of these actions are often the very opposite of what is intended. A person seeks happiness, yet receives suffering. He tries to remove suffering, yet his suffering continues to increase.
“Consider wealth itself. It is difficult to earn, difficult to protect, and it increases anxiety. Deluded by attachment to wealth, a person forgets his true nature. Similarly, home, children, family, relatives, animals, and other possessions are all perishable. Even if a person acquires them, how can they provide lasting happiness and peace?
“One who wishes to transcend Maya should also understand that even heavenly realms attained after death are not permanent. They, too, are limited results of limited karmas. Even there, rivalry with others exists. There may be competition among equals, envy of those who possess greater pleasure and opulence, and contempt for those who possess less. And when the fruits of one’s virtuous karmas are exhausted, one must fall from those realms. Therefore, even there, the fear of decline and destruction remains.”
tasmaad gurum prapadyeta
jijnaasuh shreya uttamam
shaabde pare cha nishnaatam
brahmany upashamaashrayam
Therefore, one who sincerely seeks the highest spiritual welfare should, without delay, take shelter of an authentic Guru. Such a Guru should be thoroughly versed in Shabda Brahman, the knowledge of the Vedas and scriptures; firmly established in the direct realisation of the Supreme Lord, that is, a God-realized saint; and fully situated in supreme peace, having brought the mind and senses under control and having become completely free from worldly disturbances. (Bhagavat 11.3.21)
The sincere seeker should regard the Guru as the dearest one, the true well-wisher, and as worthy of the same reverence as one’s Ishta Dev. With a sincere and guileless heart, the seeker should serve the Guru and, by remaining in his association, learn Bhagavat Dharma. One should not merely hear about the practices of devotion (sadhana) but also learn to put into practice the spiritual disciplines that lead to the attainment of Bhagwan. Through sadhana, Bhagwan, the indwelling Lord of all beings, becomes pleased and bestows upon His loving devotee even the gift of His own divine Self.
How Should One Practise Devotion?
- A spiritual seeker should first learn to reduce attachment to the body, children, and worldly possessions. One should cultivate sincere love for the devotees of Bhagwan and, according to each situation, maintain a genuine attitude of compassion, friendship, and humility toward all living beings.
- One should practise both external and internal purity, faithfully perform one’s prescribed duties, and cultivate forbearance, silence, self-study, simplicity, brahmacharya, and non-violence.
- One should also remain balanced amid the dualities of heat and cold, pleasure and pain, and other opposing conditions.
- One should understand and constantly internalise the truth that Bhagwan is present within all living beings as the One who gives consciousness to the soul, and that the same Bhagwan governs, sustains, and controls the entire universe from without.
- One should seek solitude, avoid possessiveness toward any place by thinking, “This alone is my home,” and remain content with whatever comes through prarabdha.
- One should have faith in the scriptures that reveal the path to the attainment of Bhagwan, never criticise any scripture, and exercise control over the mind, speech, actions, and senses.
- One should speak the truth and restrain the mind from wandering toward sense objects.
- One should hear, sing, and meditate upon Bhagwan’s divine births, deeds, qualities, and pastimes, and perform every bodily action for His sake. One should offer yajna, charity, austerity, japa, righteous conduct, spouse, children, home, life, vital energies, and every cherished possession at the lotus feet of Bhagwan.
- One should love those saints who have realised Bhagwan Shree Krishna as their very Self and Master. One should serve all living beings and especially seek the association of benevolent noble souls and saints filled with divine love for Bhagwan.
- One should engage in mutual discussions only about Bhagwan’s sacred glories and divine pastimes. One should live lovingly in the company of devotees, experience contentment and spiritual peace in their association, and gradually become free from attachment to the world.
Prabuddha says, “Shree Krishna burns away heaps upon heaps of sins in a single moment. Everyone should remember Him and inspire one another to do the same. By continually practising sadhana bhakti in this way, prema bhakti, divine loving devotion, arises in the heart, and the devotee’s body thrills with ecstasy.”
What Happens When Prema Bhakti Arises?
- When Prema Bhakti arises, the condition of the devotee’s heart becomes truly extraordinary. Sometimes the devotee begins to think, “I have still not attained Bhagwan! What should I do? Where should I go? Whom should I ask? Who will lead me to Bhagwan?” Thinking in this way, the devotee begins to weep.
- Sometimes, the devotee remembers one of Bhagwan’s divine pastimes. For example, remembering how the all-powerful Bhagwan hides out of fear of the Gopis, the devotee bursts into joyful laughter.
- Sometimes, experiencing Bhagwan’s love and divine presence, the devotee becomes immersed in bliss. At times, rising above ordinary worldly consciousness, the devotee begins to speak directly with Bhagwan.
- Sometimes, believing that Bhagwan Himself is listening, the devotee begins to sing His divine qualities. At other times, the devotee dances in an attempt to please Him.
- Sometimes, unable to find Bhagwan nearby, the devotee begins searching for Him here and there. And at other times, experiencing profound unity and intimacy with Him, the devotee becomes absorbed in supreme peace and falls silent.
Prabuddha says that one who receives the teachings of Bhagavat Dharma and sincerely follows them attains Prema Bhakti. Becoming completely established in surrender to Bhagwan Narayan, such a devotee easily crosses beyond that Maya which is otherwise exceedingly difficult to overcome.
Who Is Narayan?
King Nimi asks, “O great sages! You are supreme knowers of the Paramatma's truth. Please explain the true nature of the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme Lord, who is described by the name ‘Narayan.’”
The fifth Yogishwar, Pippalayan, says, “O King! Know that Supreme Truth as Narayan who is both the efficient (eg; potter) and material (eg; clay) cause of the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the universe, yet is Himself without any cause; who is the witness of the three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep, and remains ever unchanged even in samadhi; and by whose very presence the body, senses, vital energies, and inner faculties perform their respective functions.
“That Supreme Reality lies beyond the reach of the mind, speech, intellect, and senses. The eyes cannot see Him, speech cannot fully describe Him, and the intellect cannot confine Him within its limits. Even the Shrutis, through the declaration ‘Neti, Neti’ (‘not this, not this’) negate all limited conceptions and thereby point toward that self-luminous Supreme Truth.
“Before creation, that one Supreme Truth alone existed. Through His infinite powers, He is described in relation to Prakriti, the Mahat Tattva, the Sutratma (the cosmic life principle), and Ahankara. All the senses, their objects, their presiding deities, and the entire visible and invisible universe are manifestations of His power. Both cause and effect exist within Him, and yet He remains beyond them all.
“That Supreme Self is neither born nor does He die; He neither increases nor diminishes. He is the witness of all changes in the past, present, and future, all-pervading and imperishable. He is not a limited knower, nor an object that can be known; He is Knowledge itself.
“Just as the same vital force, Prana, is known by different names according to its various functions within different bodies, similarly, the one Self, whose nature is pure consciousness, appears to be many because of the differences among the senses. In deep sleep, the senses and Ahankara become absorbed, yet upon waking, a person remembers, ‘I slept happily.’ This memory attests to the presence of the witnessing Self even in that state.
“O King! When intense devotion is practised for the attainment of the lotus feet of Bhagwan Kamalanabha, that very devotion burns away all impurities of the heart like fire. As soon as the heart becomes pure, the truth of the Self is directly realised, just as the light of the sun becomes clearly visible when the eyes are free from impurity.”
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 06.07.2026
