[Advaita-l] Is the concept of maya essential to explain advaita?

[Venkata sriram P]

The concept of mAyA is also present in kAshmir trika siddhAnta.  Mahamaheshwara 
Ahinavagupta do refer to this in his work tantrasAra which is an abridged version of
Tantraloka.
 
"mA" denotes "vinAsha rupa niShedha" after “vastu prApti” and "yA" denotes the 
"gati" (projecting forth).

"mA" is the "vinAsha rupa niShedha" ie., when bhairavatva is realized 
(here it is called pratyabhijna) (vastu-prApti), the result is destruction of “mala”.  
"yA" is the "gati" which denotes movement and projecting forth the creation in the 
form of 36 principles which also refers to the vyApaka tattva 
(expansion in the terms of 36 principles).

mA+yA denotes "vinAsha rupa niShedha + gati".

THAT, which is NOT PRESENT (mA) upon vastu-prApti (upon the identity 
with Siva) and that which is PRESENT (yA) among the jivas (entangled by pancha-kanchukas) as pashutva by projecting forth 36 Principles, IS MAYA.
 
Regs,Sriram