Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Maya
Shiva’s teaching to the serpent devotee describes the universe as born of Maya, or illusion, a scene of repeated embodiments and deeds. The explanation distinguishes material, instrumental and first causes through the analogy of a potter making a vessel. A separate interpretive note retells Shiva’s warning to Brahma’s first youths that worldly existence is illusion and bondage. Their withdrawal into meditation interrupts the expected work of generating descendants.
Also known as Māyā · Cosmic illusion
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalShiva’s teaching to the serpent devotee describes the universe as born of Maya, or illusion, a scene of repeated embodiments and deeds. The explanation distinguishes material, instrumental and first causes through the analogy of a potter making a vessel.
Further detail
TraditionalA separate interpretive note retells Shiva’s warning to Brahma’s first youths that worldly existence is illusion and bondage. Their withdrawal into meditation interrupts the expected work of generating descendants.
Context & interpretation
Maya is considered through the Shaiva teaching and historical interpretive note in this collection. These do not define every philosophical use of the term or establish that ordinary material experience is empirically unreal. The second claim records a retold traditional episode.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
born of Maya, illusionOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 378
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0378
- Original scan leaf
- 378
- Recorded leaf number
- 378
- Current Reader position
- 369
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
the world about them was an illusion and a bondageOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 354
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0354
- Original scan leaf
- 354
- Recorded leaf number
- 354
- Current Reader position
- 345
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Chidambaram
The sacred city associated in the collection with Shiva’s dance and the Golden Court.
Shared source pageLingam
Shiva’s sacred emblem, represented in one legend as a pillar whose limits cannot be found.
Shared source pageShiva
The ascetic and dancer whose action embraces the creation and release of worlds.
Same subject and traditionDharma
The ordering of conduct, expressed through duty and tested through loyalty.