THE Doctrine of Maya - HolyBooks.com

""""""""30 THE DOCTRINE OF MAYAetc., are known, (2) <\/*M.a,to measure by which theritual, etc., are measured (i.e., understood, or performed) ;of the ritual, etc.hence maya = the knowledge of the objectAgain in R.V. iii. 60. i also, adds Sayana,"miyantejnayante iti mayah karmani," i.e."mayah" (nom.means pi.) ritual practices because they are known(from to <y/ma, know). In R.V. x. 53.9 too Sayanatakes the word to mean karma." We are inclinedto say that this derivation of Sayanafar-fetched. Another rather fanciful derivationgiving the meaning correctlyis a littlenone the less ismaya = ma ya, i.e., that which is not thatwhich truly is not but stillappears to This be."is,however, a merely interesting derivation withoutany principles of etymology.Another way to derive it would be mati (svatmanam)darsayati iti maya," i.e., that which showsitself that which appears to our view (withouthaving any real existence)."This will be fromtoA/ma, show.Hence, the conception of maya as the causal willpower (iccha-sakti or prajfia) may be derived from<V/ma,to know ; and, as the effectual state of theworld as illusion, from ^ma, to measure, to build,etc./ To sum up: we have seen that the wordmeant in R.V.maya(i) Supernatural power, mysterious will-power,wonderful skill, and that the idea of the