Creation Mystery

Mahamaya (महामाया) and Yogmaya (योगमाया) are two important things to discuss here. Yogmaya infact is the 'Chit shakti/ चित शक्ति' of Parmeshwar, where enternal play of the lord takes place. Its an extremely pure state (vishudh roop/ विशुद्ध रूप). Above maya is Mahamaya and below Maya is Nature/ prakriti (प्रकृति). In a way, we can say that 'Achit shakti/ अचित्त शक्ति' of the lord is divided into three parts, namely Mahamaya/ महामाया, Maya/ माया and Prakriti/ प्राकृति. Prakriti comprises of three attributes or is trigunatmak. Mahamaya is also Achit but is relatively purer than Maya. The moment one pierces Mahamaya, one gets freedom from maya. Now two states can be achieved, 

1.One is pure state of atma which is called 'Vishudh Kaivalya/ '. Chit-shakti has no connection with it, as this is real form of Chit. 

2.After this due to pure grace of Parmeshwar one attains 'Unmani/ उन्मनि' state. (At this stage, third eye opens and attains state of Shiva and starts moving towards Paramshiv). After this atma starts moving towards Parmeshwar automatically.

Practitioners who follow the path of discrimination (vivek/ विवेक), they getting free of prakriti attain state of Kaivalya (कैवल्य). But this state, though beyond three attributes, is still considered the lowest because one has not yet pierced Maya and Mahamaya. When moving on this path, practitioner gets free of maya, then he reaches a state of higher kaivalya. Here atma gets free of Prakriti and maya, circle of life and death and attains high state of kaivalya. Since even in this state chit shakti does not awaken, hence state of Shiv is not expereinced. The highest goal of path of discrimination is to pierce mahamaya, but this is also not completness because the Achit connection has not got removed completely yet. Though there is no presence of Chit shakti but still people consider it somehow equal to Nirvan.

Other is the yog path. Without arising of the power/ pure vidya (shudh vidya/ शुद्ध विद्या) of Parmeshwar, this path cannot be pursued. (At the time of initiation this power is provided by the Guru). Shudh Vidya is Vishudh Ahamatmak gyan (knowledge of the self). Knowledge of people under the speel of maya is not like this. Because in the base of duality is maya or ignorance. Hence in every mayik knowledge is the presence of 'Idam/ इदम्'. In the path of discrimination Idam. which represents Achit (अचित्त) gets separated from Aham/ अहम्, which represents Chit (चित्त). Achit resides in ignorance and senses while Chit resides in mind, intellect and atma. After arising of completion of the discriminative knowledge, Achit and Chit separate, hence in the atma realization of self does not arise. On dawning of realization, feeling of Idam/ does not disappear. This is called 'Kaivalya/ कैवल्य'. 

Yog path is different. Here realization of Aham arises stage by stage till it achieves fullness. When ultimate stage is achieved, then only complete Aham is left and idam disappears completely leaving behind Shunya. Thus only Aham is left and Idam does not exist, this is the state of Parmeshwar.  Thus Atma appears as complete Aham and creation appears as Idam. This is completeness of Aham. Through Yog path only one can reach here and not through path of discrimination. Prakriti, Mahamaya and Maya exist in the Aham only. 

Maya (माया) is Achintya shakti (अचिन्त्य शक्ति) of the lord. This mesmerizes the jeev-form-atma. Animal form jeev under the spell of this power alone roams in the mayic creation. When due to the effect of Vidya (विद्या), self realization dawns then this maya itself comes under the control of Atma and allows atma to express itself freely. The independent powers of Atma in the form of Khechari (खेचरी), Gochari (गोचरी), Dik chari (दिक्चरी) and Bhuchari (भूचरी) follows it. Actuall Atma does not come under spell of any power except its own. This 'coming under its own spell', is known as Nitya-leela (नित्य लीला). Atma by contracting itself becomes an animal, coming under the control of Maya gets engaged in karm and then experiences pain and happiness accordingly. From Karm only one attains causal body (kaaran deh/ कारण देह) and with that one experiences the fruits of karma. In the base of maya is the contraction of atma and in the base of that is the leela or play of independent power of it.

Chit is the inner power and Anand is the outer power. Chit (चित्त) cannot create, only ananad (आनन्द) can create, hence agitation during creation also takes place in the anand (आनन्द) and not Chitt (चित्त). From 'Anand/ आनन्द', due the effect of 'desire/ इच्छा', subject appears in the form of seed. After this, due to the effect of action/ dynamism (kriya), the desired object manifests (desire to Knowledge, knowlege to action, Action to object through seed). This happens in the direction of creation, while in the path of annihilation reverse steps take place (Object to Seed, Seed to action, Action to Knowledge and Knowledge to Desire). Om!......shaktanand.blogspot.com.      

 from Shakti ka Jagran aur Kundalini, written by Pt. Gopinath Kaviraj.