Across centuries of Indian thought, one haunting question keeps returning: If truth is eternal and liberating, why do humans remain bound, fearful, and restless? The answer, given in different voices but with remarkable unity, is Maya—the grand illusion that makes the temporary appear permanent, the unreal appear real, and the limited self appear absolute. What makes Indian philosophy unique is not just that it identifies illusion, but that it relentlessly exposes it—sometimes through refined metaphysics, sometimes through sharp poetry, and sometimes through earthy common sense.

In this article, we explore how three towering figures— • Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya, • Kabir, the radical mystic-poet, and • Yogi Vemana, the Telugu philosopher-saint— approach Maya from different angles, yet arrive at the same liberating truth.