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Mahamaya and Yogamaya
Mahamaya, the mother or
source of this material world, and the delegated demigods are but diverse
external energies or agencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Under the
direction of the Personality of Godhead, these agencies perform their respective
functions in the administration of the universal laws. That is the information
we have from the Bhagavad-gita, in which the Personality of Godhead declares
that only under His direction does the material energy produce the material
world, and the whole administration of the universes is thus controlled,
ultimately by Him.
The internal energy of
Godhead is different. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita—there is
another permanent energy of Godhead that is never destroyed, even after the
annihilation of the whole cosmic manifestation. That internal energy is
different from mahamaya and she is called yogamaya.
The permanent universe is
the creation of yogamaya. Those who want unalloyed loving service to the
Personality of Godhead must ask for the mercy of yogamaya. Those who want to
satisfy their own senses or those who desire to become one with the impersonal
Brahman because of being baffled by the pursuit of sense gratification worship
mahamaya or the predominating demigods respectively.
The damsels of Vraja
worshiped yogamaya to get the son of the King of Vraja as their husband or
lover, while others within the system of material varnashrama-dharma worship
mahamaya, the superintending Deity of the material world, to alleviate
distress. There is a gulf of difference between the results of these two
varieties of worship, and the attempt to equalize such diametrically opposed
activities is like the jaundiced eye seeing everything as yellow. Such is the
vision of the diseased person in ignorance.