Mahamaya (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"mahamaya" |"maha maya"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

They do not come under the control of this mahāmāyā. They have got their own spiritual potency.

Morning Walk -- September 30, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: So all the avatāras of God, they come with a controlling...

Prabhupāda: Ātma-māyā.

Dr. Patel: Controlling.

Prabhupāda: Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6]. They do not come under the control of this mahāmāyā. They have got their own spiritual potency. Āhlādinī-śakti. Ātmanaṁ sṛjāmy aham. Ātmanam: Myself, I advent." How it can be like ordinary man? We are... karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa [SB 3.31.1]. We get body. But He says....

Dr. Patel: And it is by His own free will.

Prabhupāda: Yes, as He likes. He likes to appear as fish, that's all. Not that... Ordinary fish, it is forced to take the body of a fish.

For so many years people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but still they are in bodily concept. That is the misfortune.

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is the beginning. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, He says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Because everyone is rascal, he is thinking, "I am this body." Arjuna was also thinking, "How shall I kill my other side, my brother, my nephews?" Bodily. Therefore the beginning of spiritual education is to understand that "I am not this body; I am soul." That is the beginning. For so many years people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but still they are in bodily concept. That is the misfortune.

Dr. Patel: Mahāmāyā duratyayā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Two māyās are working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa: the mahāmāyā, this material world; and yogamāyā, the spiritual world.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The mothers were more anxious to feed the older calves, although the new calves were present, because the older calves were expansions of Kṛṣṇa. This was surprising.

Pradyumna: (Sanskrit-paśyato' pi to yoga-māyaiva)

Prabhupāda: No, just explain it. These were happening by the yogamāyā's manipulations. It is not generally happening, but on account of yogamāyā, it was so happening. Two māyās are working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa: the mahāmāyā, this material world; and yogamāyā, the spiritual world. So this uncommon thing was happening on account of yogamāyā's influence.