Back to Blog
Maya: The Grand Illusion in Indian Philosophy
How Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankaracharya, Kabir, and Yogi Vemana describe the veil that binds humanity
January 24, 2026
|Shikshak Content Board
|6 minute read
Section 2 of 7
What Is Maya? A Shared Foundation
What Maya Is Not
Before comparing them, it helps to clarify what Maya is not.
Maya is not mere imagination.
Maya is not non-existence.
Maya is:
• That which appears real,
• Functions as real,
• But dissolves under true knowledge.
The Classic Metaphor
A classic metaphor used across traditions is this:
Seeing a rope in dim light and mistaking it for a snake.
The fear is real.
The snake is not.
Now let us see how each master handles this illusion.
Related Content
Read in Other Languages
Telugu (Coming Soon)Hindi (Coming Soon)Tamil (Coming Soon)