[Advaita-l] avidya vs maayaa - What is the difference? Part III

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms Sri Venkatraghavan prabhuji
Hare Krishna

2) From tattvaviveka (Ch 1 of Panchadashi of VidyAraNya svAmi): Based on the Nrsimha tApini upanishad vAkya जीवेशावभासेन करोति माया च अविद्या च स्वयमेव भवति, this view holds that avidyA and mAya are two forms / configurations of triguNAtmika mUlaprakriti. The configuration of mUlaprakriti where rajas and tamas are dominated by shuddha sattva is called mAya. Where rajas and tamas dominate the sattva, it is called avidyA. Thus, says Appayya DIkshitar, differences are imagined/postulated
(parikalpya) between avidyA and mAya. Here, avidyA and mAya are two configurations of the same prakriti.

>  Perhaps this is what you wanted to convey when you were saying brahman/ Ishwara's (dominant) shuddha sattva guNa (over rajas and thamas)  is itself avidyA !!  However I am not able to understanding this in the light of upanishat vAkyA - जीवेशावभासेन करोति माया च अविद्या च स्वयमेव भवति - svayameva bhavati...mAya is vaishNavi mAya (mUla prakruti, which is  avidyA beeja saMyukta and saMyukta pada makes the difference between avyakta and avidyA) of the Ishwara and lord affectionately calls it mama mAyA...(daivee hyeshA guNamayee mama mAyA duratyayA)..mAyA as shakti is svabhAva (mUla prakruti) of the Ishwara and again it is his Shakti and there is no difference between the Shakti and custodian of this Shakti (sA shaktiH brahmaiva ahaM Shakti shaktimatOH ananyatvAt, mama svarUpabhUtA madeeya mAyA etc. ) 

>  Since your observation (shuddha sattva guNa = Ishwara's avidyA) nearly matches with the above (second option ) thought of sharing something with you.  That's it :-)

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar