Varaha Purana 125.5: Adhyaya 125, Shloka 5
The Cycle of Māyā
Illusory Causation and Perceptual Reversal
यामेनां भाषसे देव मम मायेत्य नित्यशः ॥ का माया कीदृशी विष्णो किं वा मायेत्य चोच्यते ॥
yām enāṃ bhāṣase deva mama māyeti nityaśaḥ | kā māyā kīdṛśī viṣṇo kiṃ vā māyeti cocyate ||
Das, was du, o Gott, immerfort «meine Māyā» nennst: Was ist Māyā, wie ist ihr Wesen, o Viṣṇu, und in welchem Sinn heißt sie «Māyā»?
Pṛthivī (Vasundharā)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Earth presses a precise doctrinal question to Viṣṇu/Varāha, seeking definition and scope of ‘my māyā’."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"analytical, curious, intent on śabda-artha clarity; slightly perplexed by repeated usage ‘mama māyā’.","key_question":"What is māyā, what is its nature, and why is it termed ‘māyā’ when you call it ‘my māyā’?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"‘My māyā’ signals the Lord’s sovereign power of manifestation/veiling: the same reality appears as many without compromising transcendence.","vedantic_connection":"Upaniṣadic tension of nirguṇa/saguṇa: māyā as dependent power (śakti) that projects nāma-rūpa; inquiry aligns with Vedāntic definitions (anirvacanīyatā/āvaraṇa-vikṣepa in later idiom) while remaining Purāṇic-theistic."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"Metaphysical terminology (māyā-vicāra)","core_concept":"True understanding requires defining terms: nature (svarūpa), function, and etymological/usage basis of key metaphysical words.","practical_application":"When studying śāstra, ask: what is the referent, what are its properties, and how does scripture use the term across contexts."}
Subject Matter: ["Philosophy","Terminology (śabda-artha inquiry)","Metaphysics (māyā)"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: mythic-cosmic discourse space
Related Themes: Continuation of māyā-prakaraṇa in this chapter (question sets up the Lord’s response/withholding)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhu Devi gestures as if parsing a term, asking for definition; Viṣṇu/Varāha listens, composed, embodying hidden power.","item_prompts":["Bhu Devi with inquisitive hand gesture (vitarka-mudrā-like)","Viṣṇu/Varāha calm, attentive","subtle aura suggesting ‘māyā’ as veiling light","scroll/palm-leaf with the word ‘माया’"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: close conversational framing; Bhu Devi’s expressive questioning face; Viṣṇu/Varāha with serene smile; stylized aura patterns hinting at māyā.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate central deity with gold aura; faint layered translucent veils behind to symbolize māyā; Bhu Devi pointing to a palm-leaf inscription.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined, scholarly ambience; gentle interior-like setting with minimal props; emphasis on facial expression and hand mudrās.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate dialogue under a stylized sky; soft veils of cloud as māyā metaphor; delicate textiles and pastel tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, reflective","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, interrogative, precise"}
FAQs
It documents a technical inquiry into a key philosophical term (māyā), showing how Purāṇas participate in broader Sanskrit intellectual debates about appearance, power, and reality.
No geographic location is mentioned; the focus is conceptual and definitional.
The verse encourages clarity in language and concepts—asking not only 'what is it?' but also 'why is it called that?'
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