IV: 6

Chapter 4, Verse 6

"I am the birthless,
The deathless,
Lord of all beings.
I seem to be born.
It is only Maya,
My wondrous,
Creative power."

Father Bede Griffiths:

"Maya originally meant something like 'magic power.' It is the power which creates, the power which produces. It can be used for a magician who creates an illusion, and that is how it gradually acquired the sense of illusion. But in the earlier stages it referred much more simply to the manifestation of the Lord's power, the power in creation.

There is a story in which Vishnu tells Narada to go fetch him a jug of water from a nearby lake. As Narada is leaning over to fill the jug, in the reflection of the lake he sees a beautiful woman over his own right shoulder. He immediately falls in love with her, forgets all about the jug, and follows her to her home. The family approves of him, and arrangements are made for the wedding. In due course, three children are born to the happy couple. Their village is a small one set in a valley.

One day there is a tremendous downpour, and the whole village, including Narada's house, is flooded. He tries to escape with his wife and children. He sets off through the rushing water with one hand supporting his wife and holding two children with the other hand, while the third child is perched on his shoulders. He stumbles and the child on his shoulders topples into the floodwaters. While trying to catch hold of this child, he loses the other two; and his wife is also swept away. Grieving inconsolably, he throws himself down upon a rock which stands out from the raging flood. When Narada looks up, there is Vishnu saying, 'Now, about that jug of water...'

The idea is that all of human life, all these adventures we have, are all simply passing moments in God's Maya. Stories like this give us a wonderful perspective on the transient nature of human time and the eternity of God."