थोरेहि महँ सब कहउँ बुझाई । सुनहु तात मति मन चित लाई ॥
मैं अरु और तोर से माया । जेहिं बस कीन्हे जीव निकाया ॥
thorehi maham̐ saba kahaum̐ bujhāī | sunahu tāta mati mana cita lāī ||
maiṃ aru aura tora se māyā | jehiṃ basa kīnhe jīva nikāyā ||
Aranya Kanda
Chapter 15: Rama defines Maya, knowledge and the jiva
5 verses · 15 of 46
What happens in this chapter
Rama defines Maya, knowledge and the jiva
I will put it briefly, brother, says Rama. I and mine, you and yours: this is Maya, which holds all beings in its power. Whatever the senses reach and the mind goes to is Maya. It has two kinds. Avidya is wicked and sorrowful, and by it the jiva falls into the well of birth and death. Vidya creates the world and rules the gunas, yet moves only as the Lord moves it. Jnana is where no pride remains and Brahman is seen equally in all. The supreme vairagi has dropped the siddhis and the three gunas like straw. The one who does not know Maya, Ishvara or itself is the jiva; the one who gives bondage and release and moves Maya is Ishvara.
गो गोचर जहँ लगि मन जाई । सो सब माया जानेहु भाई ॥
तेहि कर भेद सुनहु तुम्ह सोऊ । बिद्या अपर अबिद्या दोऊ ॥
go gocara jaham̐ lagi mana jāī | so saba māyā jānehu bhāī ||
tehi kara bheda sunahu tumha soū | bidyā apara abidyā doū ||
एक दुष्ट अतिसय दुख-रूपा । जा बस जीव परा भव-कूपा ॥
एक रचइ जग गुन-बस जा के । प्रभु प्रेरित नहिँ निज-बल ता के ॥
eka duṣṭa atisaya dukha-rūpā | jā basa jīva parā bhava-kūpā ||
eka racai jaga guna-basa jā ke | prabhu prerita nahim̐ nija-bala tā ke ||
ज्ञान मान जहँ एकउ नाहीँ । देख ब्रह्म समान सब माही ॥
कहिय तात सो परम-बिरागी । तन सम सिद्धि तीनि गुन त्यागी ॥
jñāna māna jaham̐ ekau nāhīm̐ | dekha brahma samāna saba māhī ||
kahiya tāta so parama-birāgī | tana sama siddhi tīni guna tyāgī ||
माया ईस न आप कह, जान कहिय सो जीव ।
बन्ध मोच्छ-प्रद सर्ब पर, माया-प्रेरक जीव ॥
māyā īsa na āpa kaha, jāna kahiya so jīva |
bandha moccha-prada sarba para, māyā-preraka jīva ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0