[Advaita-l] Can a mithyA-vastu produce an effect? असत्यवस्तुनः अर्थक्रियाकारित्वम्

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste Sunilji,
 
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As regards the "Maya" the word appears in the Bhagavad Gita, composed about 5,100 years ago and in some other texts. However to my knowledge, the Buddhist scholars  Vasubandhu and Dignaga, who preceded Adi Sankaracharya,   used the word "Maya" to mean "Cheating"
 
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The word mAyA do appear in Rg Veda in 3rd, 10th, 6th etc. manDalAs respectively.  
 
The Rg Veda (6.47.18) says:
 
rUpaM rUpaM pratirUpO bhabhUva tat asya rUpaM pratichakShaNAya /
indrO mAyAbhiH pururUpa IyatE yuktA hyasya harayaH satAdasa //
 
Here, the word mAyA implies the power to transform oneself or assume strange form.
 
However, if you observe the Amarakosa, mAyA has been defined as an "indrajAla" (magic).
 
So, probably, mAyA was associated with magical powers (indrajAla vidya).  And Sankara
has taken this indrajAla concept in His Dakshinamurty Stotra while defining the mAyA while refering "mAyAvIva vijrumbhayatyapi mahAyOgIva svEcchayA......"; "mAyA sakti vilAsa kalpita mahAvyAmOha saMhAriNe..."; "mAya kalpita dEsa kAla......" etc. 
 
In rAmAyaNa, the techniques of war adopted by Indrajit (Meghanath) is called "mAyA yuddhaM" ie., the demonstration of magical powers in the war.
 
regs,
Sriram