4. Māyā in Āgamic Tradition

Being a pan-Indian concept, Māyā is seen in the non-Vedic religious and ritualistic systems also. In almost all Tantras and Āgamas Māyā is illustrated as ignorance and fascination and thus the cause of the universe. In the non-dual tradition of Āgamas Malinīvijaya, Svacchanda, Vijñānabhairava, Mṛgendra, etc. are important. These treatises, which are considered as the foundation of Pratyabhijñā philosophy, contain detail description on Māyā. Abhinavagupta’s encyclopedic treatise Tantrāloka is composed depending mainly on the Mālinīvijaya. Abhinavagupta states that by depending on the Mālinīvijaya itself he illustrated the nature of Māyā also.^[1] In Malinīvijaya Māyā, having two functions Āvaraṇa and Apohana, is illustrated as the cause of the impure creation. It is explained here that after entering into Māyā, for the enjoyment, the Lord created the universe as a tool of enjoyment.^[2] Here Māyā is also described as Vyāpinī, Niṣkala, Anavyaya and Ādyantarahita and as the power of Śiva.^[3] In Svacchanda Tantra also Māyā is described in the same sense.^[4]

Besides the non-dual Śaivāgamas, other treatises like the Śaivasiddhānta texts and the Āgamas widespread in south India also contain the illustration of Māyā. In Kiraṇāgama the second Paṭala is fully devoted to illustrate the nature of Māyā and its effects and is named as Māyāpaṭala. Here also Māyā is considered as the inseparable power of Lord and cause of all worldly beings. It is also conceived as a fascinating principle and as an innate impurity and thus cause of the bondage.^[5] Thus as in Vedic literature, in Āgamic literature also the notion of Māyā is seen abundantly.