मायापञ्चकम्
Māyāpañcakam
Five verses on Apparitional Power
Māyāpañcakam (Maya Panchakam) or “Five verses on Apparitional Power” is a hymn (stotram) composed by Adi Shankara. This article contains the Sanskrit text, along with English translation and word-for-word meaning of the hymn. It also contains a brief commentary, Roman transliteration, prose order in Sanskrit and an audio file containing the chanting of the hymn.
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Sanskrit Text, English Transliteration and English Translation
Sanskrit Text, English Transliteration and English Translation
निरुपमनित्यनिरंशकेऽप्यखण्डे
मयि चिति सर्वविकल्पनादिशून्ये ।
घटयति जगदीशजीवभेदं
त्वघटितघटनापटीयसी माया ॥ १ ॥
nirupamanityaniraṃśake’pyakhaṇḍe
mayi citi sarvavikalpanādiśūnye |
ghaṭayati jagadīśajīvabhedaṃ
tvaghaṭitaghaṭanāpaṭīyasī māyā || 1 ||
1. The Apparitional Power (Maya) – which is skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial – indeed creates differences of world, god and individual, even in me, who am the unique, eternal, part-less, undivided and doubt-free consciousness.
श्रुतिशतनिगमान्तशोधकान
प्यहह धनादिनिदर्शनेन सद्यः ।
कलुषयति चतुष्पदाद्यभिन्ना-
नघटित घटनापटीयसी माया ॥२॥
śrutiśatanigamāntaśodhakāna
pyahaha dhanādinidarśanena sadyaḥ |
kaluṣayati catuṣpadādyabhinnā-
naghaṭita ghaṭanāpaṭīyasī māyā ||2||
2. Alas! The Apparitional Power (Maya) – which is skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial – instantly taints even those who have sifted through hundreds of scriptures and Upanishads, through the lure of wealth, etc., (and makes them behave) like four-legged animals.
सुखचिदखण्डविबोधमद्वितीयं
वियदनलादिविनिर्मिते नियोज्य ।
भ्रमयति भवसागरे नितान्तं
त्वघटितघटनापटीयसी माया ॥३॥
sukhacidakhaṇḍavibodhamadvitīyaṃ
viyadanalādivinirmite niyojya |
bhramayati bhavasāgare nitāntaṃ
tvaghaṭitaghaṭanāpaṭīyasī māyā ||3||
3. The Apparitional Power (Maya) – which is skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial – having created (the elements such as) space, fire, etc., and having associated the blissful, conscious, undivided, non-dual awareness (with the elements), indeed causes (the blissfull awareness) to wander in the vast ocean of existential suffering.
अपगतगुणवर्णजातिभेदे
सुखचिति विप्रविडाद्यहंकृतिं च ।
स्फुटयति सुतदारगेहमोहं
त्वघटितघटनापटीयसी माया ॥ ४ ॥
apagataguṇavarṇajātibhede
sukhaciti vipraviḍādyahaṃkṛtiṃ ca |
sphuṭayati sutadāragehamohaṃ
tvaghaṭitaghaṭanāpaṭīyasī māyā || 4 ||
4. The Apparitional Power (Maya) –which is skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial – indeed causes delusions of son, wife and home, and notions of Brahmin, Vaisya, etc., in that joyful awareness that is devoid of differences related to quality, class and caste.
विधिहरिहरविभेदमप्यखण्डे
बत विरचय्य बुधानपि प्रकामम् ।
भ्रमयति हरिहर भेदभावा
नघटितघटनापटीयसी माया ॥५॥
vidhihariharavibhedamapyakhaṇḍe
bata viracayya budhānapi prakāmam |
bhramayati harihara bhedabhāvā
naghaṭitaghaṭanāpaṭīyasī māyā ||5||
5. Alas! The Apparitional Power (Maya) – which is skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial – having created differences of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva even in the undivided, confuses even the wise people who differentiate excessively between Vishnu and Shiva.
Māyāpañcakam (Maya Panchakam) or “Five verses on Apparitional Power” is a hymn (stotram) composed by Adi Shankara, and consists of 5 verses (ślokas) that describe the effects of Maya (the Apparitional Power).
What is Maya?
In the philosophy of non-dualism (Advaita Vedanta), Maya is a technical term used to refer to the power that causes the appearance of the universe and the individual souls. In this article, Maya has been translated as Apparitional Power.
Maya is perhaps one of the most confusing topics in Advaita Vedanta, and is quite a challenge to explain. Hence it is also referred to as “anirvachaniyam” or inexplicable.
Maya does not merely mean “illusion”. Maya refers to a special category that is “neither real nor unreal” (sat-asat-vilakshana).
What is meant by “real”? Whatever exists in all three timeframes or tenses (past, present and future) is “real”. The known universe did not exist in the past (before the Big Bang) and will not exist in the future (after the Big Crunch), and hence the entire universe is not “real” in that sense, However, we cannot say it is “unreal” either, since we are experiencing it in our daily lives.
To understand this further, we must know that there are three levels of reality, as follows:
1) Absolute Reality (paramarthika satyam): This is the highest level of reality, that is beyond the realm of space, time and causality. In this level, there is only one single, non-dual, homogeneous, undifferentiated, undivided, unchanging entity called Brahman, whose nature is that of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (sat-chit-ananda)
2) Empirical Reality (vyavaharika satyam): This is a lower order of reality or truth which is within the confines of time, space and causality. At this level the non-dual Brahman appears as the multiplicity and variety of objects and experiences that are constantly changing and ephemeral.
3) Subjective Reality (pratibhasika satyam): This is the lowest order of reality, which is purely conjured up by the individual’s cognitive process. For example, the dream world and dream experiences constitute subjective reality – they appear as though real during the dream, but are falsified once we wake up.
Maya is the power that keeps us enthralled in the level of Empirical Reality. It is considered as a power (or a capability) of Brahman (the Absolute Reality), that causes Empirical Reality.
It is said that Maya functions by using two powers – the power to conceal the truth (referred to as avarana shakti), which results in non-apprehension, and the power to project the “neither real nor unreal” (real at the empirical level, but unreal at the absolute level, referred to as vikshepa shakti) which results in mis-apprehension.
To understand this non-apprehension and consequent mis-apprehension, let us consider a few examples from the world of science:
1) The earth is actually rotating at a speed of around 1650 km/hour (around 1000 miles/hour) on the surface, yet it appears as though the earth is stationary.
2) The moon appears to be waxing and waning every day, whereas it the variations in the relative positions of sun, moon and earth that cause this appearance.
3) All matter is composed of the same fundamental particles (quarks, leptons and bosons), but it appears as though there are millions of different objects in the universe.
From an individual perspective also, we must understand that what appears as the world is only the “perception” of the world through our sense organs. Our sense organs are limited in their ability of perception. Let us take the human eye as an example:
· The human eyes can see only the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is a minuscule portion of the entire spectrum. The wavelength of visible light is between 450 and 700 nm, whereas the entire electromagnetic spectrum ranges from less than 10-12 m (gamma rays) to more than 1 mm (radio waves).
· The eyes are unable to see the millions of microbes such as bacteria and viruses that are ever-present in front of us. In every cubic meter of air, there are millions of such microbes.
· The maximum speed of image processing for a human eye is somewhere between 30 frames per second (fps) and 60 fps. If images are rapidly changed at more than 30 fps, the eye does not see them as individual images, but rather as a continous video. In fact, it is this limitation of the eye that allows us to enjoy watching videos and movies!
· The number of different colours/shades that the human eye can see is limited by the number of cone cell varieties in the retina. Usually people have three types of cone cells and they can differentiate around 1 million shades. However, tetrachromats - people with a rare genetic mutation that results in an extra 4th type of cone cell - can see up to 100 million shades, whereas those with colour-blindness (dichromats) who have only two types of cone cells can see only 10,000 colours.
Thus, the human eye is limited in terms of the wavelength, size, speed and colours that it can process. So it is fair to say that we do not see the world as it is - we only see the world that lies within the processing power of our eyes. Similarly, the other four sense organs (ears, nose, tongue and skin) are also limited in their capabilities, and what we perceive is only a limited and distorted perception of reality. Hence we can logicaly conclude that what we see is only an appearance, and the reality could be very different.
The above examples of Maya (related to science), are relatively harmless. However Maya can cause acute suffering in the Empirical level of reality, due to the non-apprehension and mis-apprehension of the true self.
The true self is eternal, conscious and blissful. The body-mind-intellect complex, on the other hand, is ephemeral, inert and a mixture of joy and sorrow. Maya hides the true nature of the self, and projects the false nature of the body-mind-intelligence as though that is the self. This is the cause for the ignorance and the consequent cycle of transmigratory existence (birth, death, rebirth, etc.).
Introduction
Each verse ends with the constant refrain of “aghatita-ghatana-patiyasi maya”. “Ghatana” means an event or an occurrence – something that has happened. “Aghatita ghatana”, means an event that has actually not occurred. “Patiyasi” refers to someone (in the feminine gender, since Maya is in feminine gender) who is very skilful. So, Shankaracharya describes Maya as something that is skilful in projecting something that has not happened as though it has actually happened. In this article, the phrase “aghatita ghatana patiyasi” has been translated as “skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial”.
In this hymn, Adi Shankara marvels at the power of Maya, and its ability to conjure up stuff that does not even exist. This hymn may appear as though it is in praise of Maya, but the sincere seeker of self-realization must look at it as a warning about Maya. The hymn provides powerful examples of the bondage created by Maya, and as a corollary, provides clues on how to get liberated from such bondage.
Verse 1: Apparent Multiplicity of the Unitary
In the first verse, the hymn wonders at the ability of Maya to project variety and multiplicity in place of the reality which is homogenous and unitary. Brahman, the ultimate reality in non-dual (unitary) and undivided, but the empirical world is full of millions of objects and there is a clear sense of division - “I” vs. “all others”.
Where do these differences arise from? It is indeed difficult to give a conclusive answer. If we consider the example of matter vs. energy, we know that all matter is made of energy, but out of this formless and shapeless energy, arise so many different materials with vastly different forms and properties!
Even if we ignore energy, and stick to matter alone – even then, we know that the building blocks are essentially of very limited variety. The fundamental (quantum) particles are just quarks, leptons and bosons. But these same fundamental particles, when arranged in different configurations behave very differently – from gases, to liquids, to solids.
Verse 2: Apparent Discontent of the Ever-contented
When the misconception of multiplicity and identification with the body-mind-intellect complex sets in (verse 1), then it leads to a sense of limited individuality, and therefore the tendency to compare with other individuals. This comparison causes discontent, and the discontent generates desire for acquiring various things (such as wealth etc). The ultimate realty or Brahman is non-dual – there is nothing other than Brahman – and therefore there is no possibility of comparison or discontent. But due to Maya, the ever-content reality appears as the discontented individual.
Thus in verse 2, Adi Shankara wonders at the power of Maya that can instantly contaminate even scriptural scholars, and make them behave as though they are animals (i.e., behave instinctively, disregarding logic and rationale), through the lure of wealth and other inducements.
Thus from the false notion of limitedness (due to multiplicity) arises the false notion of discontent.
Verse 3: Apparent Attachment of the Non-attached
In the third verse, the hymn talks about the role of Maya in the creation of the universe (at the level of Empirical Reality). From the undivided Brahman (at the level of Absolute Reality), the five primordial elements emerge in sequence – space, air, fire, water and earth. The five elements basically represent the five properties that can be sensed by the human sense organs – sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The five elements show a gradual progression and evolution from one property to five properties. Space has one property (sound), air has two properties (sound and touch), fire has three properties (sound, touch and form), water has four (sound, touch, form and taste) and earth has all five (sound, touch, form, taste and smell).
Thus Maya creates seemingly different attributes out of the attribute-less Brahman, which results in the multiplicity of the universe. Then, due to the interaction of the sense organs with sense properties, likes and dislikes arise, leading to attachment and aversion. For example, the sense organ of touch (skin) interacts with an air-conditioned space, and feels comfortable with the ambient temperature of that space. As a result, there develops an attachment towards the possession of an air conditioner, aversion towards power outages (which prevent the functioning of the air conditioner), etc.
This attachment towards the gratification of sense organs makes us lose sight of the fact that the real self (which is beyond the sense organs) is non-attached and attribute-less. All attachment is at the body-mind-intellect level, but we mistake it to be at the level of the true self. Thus we fall prey to the enchantment of Maya and “wander in the vast ocean of existential suffering”.
Verse 4: Apparent Attributes of the Attribute-less
In the fourth verse, Adi Shankara marvels at the ability of Maya to create notions about roles (son, wife, etc.), possessions (home, etc.) and identities (priest, trader, etc.).
Being attached to the attributes of external objects and people can indeed cause suffering. However, the suffering increases exponentially when such attributes are assigned to the self. For example, we may consider another person to be handicapped (physically challenged) and feel sorry for them. But if our own body-mind-intellect is afflicted by such a handicap, the level of suffering we experience is much worse. Thus, notions of “me” and “mine” are the ropes which bind us and prevent our liberation.
Let us take one of the examples given by Shankara in this verse – that of “son”. If an unknown kid makes some rude remarks against you, you may feel offended and angry. But if your son makes such remarks, then the suffering experienced is much higher. This is because we superimpose the notion of “my son” on “a kid”, which prevents us from viewing him for what he really is, namely, one among eight billion human beings.
Therefore, the sincere seeker of self-knowledge must be aware and cautious about this ability of Maya to create such superficial notions and identities. In worldly life, we play an endless array of roles such as son, brother, boyfriend, fiance, husband, son-in-law, brother-in law, father, father-in-law, grandfather, friend, competitor, acquaintance, employee, subordinate, superior, colleague, neighbour, resident, citizen, etc. Strong identification with one or a few roles tends to magnify the ups and downs of life.
Verse 5: Apparent Victimhood of the Witness
Having given a few examples of the power of Maya and its functioning in the previous four verses, Adi Shankara concludes by addressing perhaps the most powerful binding rope used by Maya – that of religious identification. This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for a sincere seeker of self-realization. Self-realization requires a calm and unagitated mind, and this in turn requires certain moral, ethical and behavioural discipline. In the initial part of the development of such required discipline, religion can play a useful role.
“God” (in whatever form he or she may be imagined) is a provisional assumption that substitutes for the “Ultimate Reality”, till the seeker finds the Truth. It is like the “x” in algebra – it is a provisional label for an unknown value of a variable, till we arrive at the exact value when we solve the equation. However, sometimes the seeker becomes so attached to his notion of God, that this strong identification becomes an obstacle to self-realization.
Religious identity is formed merely based on upbringing, life experiences and personal belief. Nobody has “seen” or “met” his god. Even then, some people are so convinced that their god is the only god, that they are willing to kill others, and even sacrifice their own lives, due to such religious identification. Therefore Shankara bemoans the fact that even wise people, having created notions of differences among various gods “differentiate excessively between” one god and the other, and thus are trapped by Maya.
Split-sandhis, Prose Order and Word-for-word Meaning
Verse-1
निरुपम-नित्य-निरंशके-अपि-अखण्डे
मयि चिति सर्व-विकल्पना-आदि-शून्ये ।
घटयति जगत्-ईश-जीव-भेदं
तु-अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया ॥१॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया तु निरुपम-नित्य-निरंशके अखण्डे सर्व-विकल्पना-आदि-शून्ये मयि चिति अपि जगत्-ईश-जीव-भेदं घटयति ॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial माया Apparitional Power तु indeed निरुपम-नित्य-निरंशके in the unique, eternal and part-less अखण्डे in the undivided सर्व-विकल्पन-आदि-शून्ये in that which is free from all doubt, etc. मयि in me चिति in consciousness अपि even जगत्-ईश-जीव-भेदं the differences of world, god and individual घटयति causes to occur (creates)
Verse-2
श्रुति-शत-निगम-अन्त-शोधकान्
अपि-अहह धन-आदि-निदर्शनेन सद्यः ।
कलुषयति चतुष्पदात्-अभिन्नान्
अघटित घटना-पटीयसी माया ॥२॥
अहह अघटित घटना-पटीयसी माया श्रुति-शत-निगम-अन्त-शोधकान् अपि धन-आदि-निदर्शनेन सद्यः कलुषयति, चतुष्पदात्-अभिन्नान् ॥
अहह alas अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial माया Apparitional Power श्रुति-शत-निगम-अन्त-शोधकान् those who have sifted through hundreds of scriptures till the very end of the Vedas अपि even धन-आदि-निदर्शनेन through the lure of wealth, etc. सद्यः instantly कलुषयति pollutes चतुष्पदात्-अभिन्नान् those who are not different from quadrupeds (animals)
Verse-3
सुख-चित्-अखण्ड-विबोधम्-अद्वितीयं
वियत्-अनल-आदि-विनिर्मिते नियोज्य ।
भ्रमयति भव-सागरे नितान्तं
तु-अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया ॥३॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया तु वियत्-अनल-आदि विनिर्मिते नियोज्य सुख-चित्-अखण्ड-विबोधम् अद्वितीयं नितान्तं भव-सागरे भ्रमयति ॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial माया Apparitional Power तु indeed वियत्-अनल-आदि space, fire, etc. विनिर्मिते created नियोज्य and having associated सुख-चित्-अखण्ड-विबोधम् blissful, conscious, undivided awareness अद्वितीयं non-dual नितान्तं भव-सागरे in the excessive (vast) ocean of existential suffering भ्रमयति make wander
Verse-4
अपगत-गुण-वर्ण-जाति-भेदे
सुख-चिति विप्र-विट्-आदि-अहंकृतिं च ।
स्फुटयति सुत-दार-गेह-मोहं
तु-अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया ॥ ४ ॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया तु अपगत-गुण-वर्ण-जाति-भेदे सुख-चिति सुत-दार-गेह-मोहं विप्र-विट्-आदि-अहंकृतिं च स्फुटयति ॥
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial माया Apparitional Power तु indeed अपगत-गुण-वर्ण-जाति-भेदे in that which is devoid of differences related to quality, class and caste सुख-चिति in joyful awareness सुत-दार-गेह-मोहं delusions of son, wife and home विप्र-विट्-आदि-अहंकृतिं the notions of Brahmin, Vaisya, etc. च and स्फुटयति causes to appear
Verse-5
विधि-हरि-हर-विभेदम्-अपि-अखण्डे
बत विरचय्य बुधान्-अपि प्रकामम् ।
भ्रमयति हरि-हर भेद-भावान्
अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया ॥ ४ ॥
बत अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी माया अखण्डे अपि विधि-हरि-हर-विभेदम् विरचय्य बुधान् अपि हरि-हर भेद-भावान् प्रकामम् भ्रमयति ॥
बत alas अघटित-घटना-पटीयसी skilful in the substantification of the nonsubstantial माया Apparitional Power अखण्डे in the undivided अपि even विधि-हरि-हर-विभेदम् differences of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva विरचय्य having created बुधान् अपि even the wise people हरि-हर-भेद-भावान् those who differentiate between Vishnu and Shiva प्रकामम् exceedingly (excessively) भ्रमयति confuses
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