Three Qualities of Maya

findingmyway · #1 (**permalink**) 07-Jan-2011, 06:03 AM

There is a shabad on ang 33 that has one section which I cannot fathom and would appreciate some help. I understand the general gist of the shabad - it is that we can connect to Naam through following the path of the Guru Granth Sahib ji (discussed in more detail here http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-y...tanding-3.html ). This line however, I am not sure what the highlighted section means.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/gurmat-vichaar/33889-three-qualities-of-maya.html

ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਸਭਾ ਧਾਤੁ ਹੈ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਉ ਵਿਕਾਰੁ ॥
thrai gun sabhaa dhhaath hai dhoojaa bhaao vikaar ||
If one accepts the three qualities of Maya (temptation) it is due to its influence. The love of duality is corrupting.

What are the 3 qualities of Maya? In the teeka I read it said it was ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ = ਮਾਇਆ ਦੇ ਤਿੰਨ ਗੁਣ, ਰਜੋ ਗੁਣ, ਤਮੋ ਗੁਣ, ਸਤੋ ਗੁਣ।
but to be honest I don't understand this.

Thank you :happykaur:
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=33889

spnadmin · #2 (**permalink**) 07-Jan-2011, 06:55 AM

Does this help?

Quote:

THREE ASPECTS (NOT GUNA) OF MAYA (by T. Singh)

This Suhaagan (i.e., Maya) is the daughter of a miser. Abandoning God's servants
(i.e., the true devotees), she sleeps with the world (i.e., Maya is the wife of the worldly
people). Standing at the door of the Holy Being (the Saadhoo), she says, "I have come
to your sanctuary; now save me!" (i.e., Maya is the slave of the Holy people) (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 872).

According to the ancient Indian religious Granths, Maya is indicated to be tripple-qualitied or having three Guna. However, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sri Guru Granth Sahib), goes one step further. In addition to the Maya's three qualities (three modes of material nature), it also indicates three aspects of Maya as follows:

(1) Maya as the daughter of the miser.
(2) Maya as the wife of the worldly persons.
(3) Maya as the slave of the Holy people.

* ਸੋਹਾਗਨਿ ਕਿਰਪਨ ਕੀ ਪੂਤੀ ॥ ਸੇਵਕ ਤਜਿ ਜਗਤ ਸਿਉ ਸੂਤੀ ॥ ਸਾਧੂ ਕੈ ਠਾਢੀ ਦਰਬਾਰਿ॥ਸਰਨਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਿ ॥: Sohaagan kirapan kee pootee. Sevak taj jagat siou sootee.Saadhoo kai thaadhee darabaar. Saran teree mo kaou nisataar: This Suhaagan (i.e., Maya) is the daughter of a miser. Abandoning the Lord's servant (i.e., the true devotees), she sleeps with the world (i.e., Maya is the wife of the worldly people). Standing at the door of the Holy Being (the Saadhoo), she says, "I have come to your sanctuary; now save me!" (i.e., Maya is the slave of the Holy people) (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 872).

The Gurbani indicates that, as the miser (and the Manmukh, Saakat etc.) serves Maya, they are Maya's slaves — they work for Maya. To the contrary, the Holy ones (Saadhoos, Saints, Mahaatamaans, Gurmukhs etc.) serve only God. Thereby, Maya is their slave (i.e., Maya works for them). As true spiritual beings (Persons of Perfection or Pooran Purakh), they are selfless and live for others. Their words are medicine: the Light in the darkness.

* ਮਾਇਆ ਦਾਸੀ ਭਗਤਾ ਕੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥: Maya daasee bhagataa kee kaar kamaavai: Maya is the slave of the Lord's devotees; it works for them (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 231).
* ਮਾਇਆ ਬੰਦੀ ਖਸਮ ਕੀ ਤਿਨ ਅਗੈ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਕਾਰ ॥: Maya bandee khasam kee tin agai kamaavai kaar: Maya, the maid-servant of God, serves them: the Lord's devotees (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 90).
* ਜਾ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਕਵਲਾ ਦਾਸਿ ॥: Jaa kai simaran kavalaa daas: Meditating on God, Maya becomes one's slave (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 986).
* ਸਿਮਰਤ ਨਹ ਕਿਉ ਮੁਰਾਰਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਚੇਰੀ ॥: Simarath nah kiou muraar Maya jaa kee chaeree: Why not meditate on the Lord? Even Maya is His slave (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 1352).

In the article T. Singh concludes...

Quote:

The Holy people remain unaffected by Maya because they do not live in the menacing body-consciousness. Here the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not talking about the bogus Holy ones (saints, Gurus, Mahaatamaans, Gurmukhs etc.) — swindlers or religious con-artists, merely interested in money and sex. These fake ones take advantage of the worldly consciousness of the people and cheat them. The reality is, in the worldly consciousness of desires and attachments, we cannot differentiate between the real and the fake ones (ਸੱਤ and ਅਸੱਤ). The entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji sings the Glory of the Holy. Transcending the three Guna of Maya, they are established in the Fourth State (Chauthaa Pada) of Consciousness. If one desire to read more about the enduring qualities or values of the real Holy people, read, for example, "Gaurhee Sukhmani Mahalaa 5" (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 262).

More at this link. Hope it was relevant to what you were interested in.

http://www.gurbani.org/articles/webart299.htm