Rama Draws the Boundary of Maya and Names the Vision of Freedom
Aranya Kanda, Chaupai 14
Doha 15 · Movement 1 of 2
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Rama gathers the vast teaching into a few words and asks Lakshmana to listen with mind, intellect, and heart. The movements of 'I' and 'mine,' 'you' and 'yours,' are Maya, the power beneath which embodied beings live. Everything reached by the senses and pursued by the mind lies within her field.
Maya appears as avidya and vidya. Avidya is grievous and dark, casting the jiva into the deep well of becoming. Vidya brings forth the world through the three gunas, yet possesses no independent force; she works only beneath the Lord's direction.
Then Rama names the vision that no longer belongs to possession. Where pride and the conceit of knowing have disappeared, Brahman is seen equally in all. The supremely detached one treats even supernatural attainments like blades of grass and crosses beyond the three gunas. Freedom begins where the map of mine and yours can no longer divide the one reality.
Rama traces Maya as far as mind and sense can travel, then opens the equal vision in which no second territory remains.
Read the passage from the Manas
थोरेहि महँ सब कहउँ बुझाई। सुनहु तात मति मन चित लाई।। मैं अरु मोर तोर तैं माया। जेहिं बस कीन्हे जीव निकाया।। गो गोचर जहँ लगि मन जाई। सो सब माया जानेहु भाई।। तेहि कर भेद सुनहु तुम्ह सोऊ। बिद्या अपर अबिद्या दोऊ।। एक दुष्ट अतिसय दुखरूपा। जा बस जीव परा भवकूपा।। एक रचइ जग गुन बस जाकें। प्रभु प्रेरित नहिं निज बल ताकें।। ग्यान मान जहँ एकउ नाहीं। देख ब्रह्म समान सब माही।। कहिअ तात सो परम बिरागी। तृन सम सिद्धि तीनि गुन त्यागी।।
I shall explain everything to you briefly. Listen, dear one, with your mind, intellect, and heart fully gathered. The sense of 'I' and 'mine,' 'you' and 'yours,' is Maya, the power that has brought all living beings under its spell. Wherever the mind travels in pursuit of sense objects, know all of that to be Maya, O brother. Now hear the distinction within Maya itself. It has two aspects: vidya and avidya, knowledge and ignorance. One is wicked and full of sorrow. Under its grip, the jeeva has fallen into the deep well of worldly existence. The other creates the world through the Lord's own gunas. It acts at His command and holds no independent power of its own. Where neither pride in knowledge nor any trace of ego remains, where one sees Brahman equally present in all beings. Such a person, dear one, is called the supremely detached. That soul regards even siddhis as blades of grass and has risen beyond the three gunas entirely.