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400 Jīva Gosvāmi and Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa [ch. are known by theselves; but the true and essential nature of Brahman is always one with all things, and, since in that state there is no duality, there is nothing knowable and no form separate from it. The ultimate reality, which reveals all things, reveals itself also--the heat rays of fire, which derive their existence from the fire, cannot burn the fire itself". The gunas-sattva, rajas and tamas-belong to the jiva and not to Brahman; for that reason, so long as the selves (jīra) are blinded by the power of māyā, there is an appearance of duality, which produces also the appearance of knower and knowable. The māyā is again described as twofold, the guņa-māyā, which represents the material forces (jadātmikā), and the ātma-māyā, which is the will of God. There is also the concept of jīva-māyā, which is, again, threefold-creative (Bhū), protective (Sri), and destructive (Durgā). The ātma-māyā is the essential power of God. In another sense māyā is regarded as being composed of the three guņas. The word yoga-māyā has also two meanings-it means the miraculous power achieved through the practice of the yoga when it is used as a power of the Yogins or sages; when applied to God (parameśvara), it means the manifestation of His spiritual power as pure consciousness (cic-chakti-vilāsa). When māyā is used in the sense of ātma-māyā or God's own māyā, it has thus three meanings, viz., His essential power (svarūpa-sakti), His will involving knowledge and movement (jñāna-kriye), and also the inner dalliance of His power as consciousness (cic-chakti-vilāsa). Thus, there is no māyā in Vaikuntha, because it itself is of the nature of māyā or svarūpa-sakti; the Vaikuntha is, thus, identical with moksa (emancipation).
Once it is admitted that the unthinkable power of God can explain all contradictory phenomena and also that by yoga-māyā God can directly manifest any form, appearance or phenomena, it was easy for the Vaisnavas of the Gaudiya school to exploit the idea theologically. Leaving aside the metaphysical idea of the nonVaisnava nature of the relation of God with Ilis powers, they tried
svarūpa-vaibhare tasya jivasya rasmi-sthānīyasya mandalasthānīyo ya ātmā paramātmā sa eva svarūpa-saktyā sarvam abhūt, anūdita eva bhavann aste, na tu tat-praveśena, tat tatra itaraḥ sa jivah kenetarena karana-bhūtena kam padārtham paśyet, na kenapi kam api paśyet ity-arthah; na hi rašmayah svasaktyā süryamandalāntargata-vaibhvam prakāśayeyuh, na carcisovalnim nirdahey'uh. Şat-sandarbha, p. 71.
2 miyate anayā iti māyā-sabdena sakti-matram api bhanyate. Ibid. p. 73. 3 Ibid. pp. 73-4.
