Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: Salutations To The one who is the master of illusion and the cosmic creative force.
Elaboration
The name Māyāyā (Māyāyā) refers to Bhairava as the ultimate master of Māyā.
The Concept of Māyā Māyā (माया) is one of the most profound and complex concepts in Hindu philosophy. It is often translated as "illusion," but this is a very limited understanding. More accurately, Māyā represents the cosmic creative power that manifests the phenomenal world, making the relative seem real. It is the veiling power that obscures the Absolute Truth (Brahman) and the projecting power that creates the diversity and multiplicity of the universe. In a Advaita Vedanta context, Māyā is indefinable (anirvachanīya), neither entirely real nor entirely unreal.
Bhairava as the Master of Māyā By being referred to as Māyāyā, Bhairava is identified as the very source and controller of this cosmic creative and delusive force. 1. The One Who Wields Māyā (Māyāvī): He is not subject to Māyā; rather, he actively employs it to manifest the universe. This signifies his supreme power, as he can bring forth and dissolve all forms and appearances at will. 2. The Creator of the Universe: Māyā is the energetic principle through which the unmanifest (Nirguṇa Brahman) becomes manifest (Saguṇa Brahman). As the master of Māyā, Bhairava is the ultimate creator, sustenance, and dissolver of the cosmos. 3. The Remover of Illusion: Paradoxically, while he is the source of Māyā, he is also the one who can remove its veil for his devotees. By understanding Bhairava’s true nature as the absolute reality, one can transcend the illusions created by Māyā and perceive the underlying truth. Through his grace, the jīva (individual soul) can break free from the cycle of birth and death (saṁsāra), which is sustained by Māyā.
This name underscores Bhairava’s transcendent aspect, illustrating that even the vastness and complexity of the universe, with all its inherent illusions of separation and duality, are merely a play orchestrated by him. He is the puppeteer, and Māyā is his divine puppet show.
-