Soundarya Lahari - Part 74

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Let me now explain the subtle difference between the  MAyA of advaita and the different  Shaktis of the Shaiva and  shAkta schools. Starting from  the ShivaM-Brahman, they talk of 36  principles. According to the Shaiva-siddhanta school,  the first five are called pure ‘MAyA’ and the latter 31 belong to the category of impure ‘MAyA. 

ShivaM is the first. Next there come three different  Shaktis, namely, cit-shakti, jnAna-shakti, vidyA-shakti. These correspond to three different dimensions of cit. When it pertains to the non-dual shiva-Shakti, it is cit. When it pertains to the seed-knowledge of duality for the purpose of creation it is called jnAna. In the next stage it is aware both of its non-dual state and its potential for the sprouting out into multiplicity, and then it is called (pure) vidyA. After these three, come the next, now the fifth in order, namely the kriyA Shakti which is the executing part. Only thereafter, starting from the sixth principle, it is MAyA and all its evolutes.  

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