Are Mahamaya and Paramatma One and the Same?

Once, Brahma asked Mahamaya Parashakti,
'Are you and Paramatma the same or different?'

This kind of question does not arise only in our minds; even Brahma had such confusions. Do you know what her reply was?

'Yes, we are one and the same. If at all you see any difference, it is due to your poor intellect and immature brain misguiding you. This kind of stupidity is the one and only reason for people getting attached to samsara and taking births again and again. This kind of ignorance is the root cause of all their problems.'

Thus, Paramatma and Jagadamba are one and the same.

Why Do They Appear Different?
After creation, they seem different because that is the whole purpose of creation—to appear as many. This illusion creates the perception of separation:
'I am different from you, you are different from me, he is someone else, she is someone else, that pen is something else, this book is something else.' This illusion is how divinity amuses itself.

A movie director introduces many elements in a film. With special effects, the audience feels scared in a horror movie, laughs in a comedy, or contemplates during an emotional scene. But ultimately, it is just a movie—not real.

Similarly, the purpose of creation is to create a grand illusion where everyone participates. Everyone undergoes the effects of this illusion while also acting their roles, making others experience it. Actors and audience mingle together, with actors being the audience and vice versa.

For example, there may be a small flame or a big fire, but ultimately, it is Agni in both. Place one object before ten mirrors, and you will see reflections in all ten mirrors. This is the nature of the world.

Male or Female?
Then Brahma asked, 'Are you male or female?'

Parashakti replied, 'After pralaya, before creation, I am neither male nor female. I am not even any other gender. But after the illusion of creation occurs, all these differences appear.

There is not a single object in this world that is different from me. I am present in every nook and corner of this universe. You call me by different names:

ब्राह्मी, गौरी, रौद्री, वाराही, वैष्णवी, शिवा, वारुणी, कौबेरी, नारसिंही, इन्द्राणी,

but it is all me alone.

Not just the Devis, but the power within every deva—Shiva, Vishnu, and even you, Brahma—is me. Even if a leaf moves in this universe, it is by my power. I am present in every whisper, every breeze, every raindrop, every flower, every bird, and every bee. They all exist and act because of my energy.

The light of the sun is me, the coolness of water is me, and the heat in fire is me. I make every single heart in every being beat.

A weak or powerless person is called shaktiheena, not brahmaheena, vishnuheena, or rudraheena. Have you ever wondered why? It is because I am the one who gives power and energy to everything—even to you, Vishnu and Rudra. I am the power within all of you.'

The Ultimate Power
'I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I can remove fire from the earth. I can make air disappear just like that. I can drink all the water in the oceans in an instant.

That is power. That is who I am.'

Knowledge Bank

Three births

A man has three births. First, the biological birth through the parents. Second, when a Guru accepts him as his disciple. Third, when he gets the opportunity to worship Sri Hari.

The Wise Wife

A wealthy man with two wives decided to renounce worldly pleasures for a life of meditation in the forest. He divided his property equally between them. One wife wondered why he would abandon his luxurious life for the hardships of the forest, believing he must be seeking something greater. She asked to join him in the forest. The man gave his fortune to his other wife and took her along with him. Making the right decision at the right time yields greater benefits.