Difference, Bheda, and delusion, moha – Due to Maya – Srimad Bhagavatam

A eulogy by Anshuman on Lord Kapila –

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ९/अध्यायः ८

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/iye

It clearly states what is the state of ignorance and what is the benefit of knowledge:

अंशुमानुवाच ।

न पश्यति त्वां परमात्मनोऽजनो

न बुध्यतेऽद्यापि समाधियुक्तिभिः ।

कुतोऽपरे तस्य मनःशरीरधी-

विसर्गसृष्टा वयमप्रकाशाः ॥ २२ ॥

There is no knowledge of Paramatma if the body mind, i.e. the not-self, is wrongly taken as the self.

ये देहभाजस्त्रिगुणप्रधाना

गुणान् विपश्यन्त्युत वा तमश्च ।

यन्मायया मोहितचेतसस्ते

विदुः स्वसंस्थं न बहिःप्रकाशाः ॥ २३ ॥

Being engrossed in external things, one does not get to know the spirit within oneself. The term बहिःप्रकासाः recollects mantra 2.2.1 of the famous Kathapanishad:

पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत्स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात्पराङ् पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् ।

कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् ॥ १ ॥

तं त्वां अहं ज्ञानघनं स्वभाव-

प्रध्वस्तमायागुणभेदमोहैः ।

सनन्दनाद्यैर्मुनिभिर्विभाव्यं

कथं विमूढः परिभावयामि ॥ २४ ॥

Only those who remove the hindrances caused by maya can know the Supreme Being who is pure consciousness.

प्रशान्तमायागुणकर्मलिंगं

अनामरूपं सदसद्विमुक्तम् ।

ज्ञानोपदेशाय गृहीतदेहं

नमामहे त्वां पुरुषं पुराणम् ॥ २५ ॥

This sloka tells us that the functions of creation, sustenance (of the world) that accrue to Brahman through the instrumentality/agency of maya are not absolutely real. Brahman, that is bereft of name and form, assumes the body with a purpose in view.

त्वन्मायारचिते लोके वस्तुबुद्ध्या गृहादिषु ।

भ्रमन्ति कामलोभेर्ष्या मोहविभ्रान्तचेतसः ॥ २६ ॥

In this world created by Brahman with the power of maya, the ignorant are deluded by believing as real the things which they consider as ‘me and mine’.

अद्य नः सर्वभूतात्मन् कामकर्मेन्द्रियाशयः ।

मोहपाशो दृढश्छिन्नो भगवन् तव दर्शनात् ॥ २७ ॥

This delusion is overcome by the realization of Parabrahman.

Sridharia swamin’s commentary can be found here below.

That Bheda, difference, Moha, delusion, is the cause of samsara can be seen in the Bhagavatam 1.9.42 from the words of Bhishma:

तमिममहमजं शरीरभाजां

हृदि हृदि धिष्ठितमात्मकल्पितानाम् ।

प्रतिद‍ृशमिव नैकधार्कमेकं

समधिगतोऽस्मि विधूतभेदमोह: ॥ ४२ ॥

The purport of the words of Bhishma is: giving up the delusion of difference, he realized that it is the One Consciousness that is appearing as different persons in different bodies. Herein the Vedanta premise is conveyed by the illustration of one sun and many reflections.

Even in the Vishnu Purana it is stated that difference, multiplicity, is delusion, by these verses:

सर्वभूतान्यभेदेन ददृशे स तदात्मनः ।

यथा ब्रह्मपरो मुक्तिमवाप परमां द्विजः ॥ २,१६.२० ॥

तथा त्वमपि धर्मज्ञ तुल्यात्मरिपुबान्धवः ।

भव सर्गगतं जानन्नात्मानमवनीपते ॥ २,१६.२१ ॥

सितनीलादिभेदेन यथैकं दृश्यते नभः ।

भ्रान्तदृष्टिभिरात्मापि तथैकः सन्पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २,१६.२२ ॥

एकः समस्तं यदिहास्ति किञ्चित्तदच्युतो नास्ति परं ततोन्यत् ।

सोऽहं स च त्वं च सर्वमेतदात्मस्वरूपं त्यज भेदमोहम् ॥ २,१६.२३ ॥

It is mentioned here that the Only Reality that actually exists is seen variously as ‘you, I, he, etc.,’ due to ignorance, as many persons.

Om Tat Sat