Maya is under the control of Krsna, the Supreme Lord

Expressions researched:
"He is the controller of the maya" |"Krishna is the supreme controller. Maya is only an instrumental agent" |"Krsna is the controller of maya" |"Lord Visnu is the controller of maya" |"Maya is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead" |"Supreme Lord is the controller of maya" |"maya is controlled by Krsna" |"maya is under the Supreme Lord's control" |"maya is under the control of Krsna" |"she is under the control of Krsna" |"the Lord is addressed as isvara, the controller of maya" |"the Lord is the controller of maya" |"the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of maya" |"the supreme controller of maya"

SB Canto 4

Māyā is the creation of the Supreme Lord; therefore the Supreme Lord is the controller of māyā.

SB 4.28.62, Purport:

Both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity are qualitatively one. There is no factual difference between the two. The Māyāvādī philosophers are again and again defeated by the illusory energy because they think that there is no separation between the Supersoul and the individual soul or that there is no Supersoul. They are also misled in thinking that everything is the Supersoul. However, those who are kavayaḥ, learned scholars, actually know the facts. They do not commit such mistakes. They know that God and the individual soul are one in quality, but that the individual soul falls under the clutches of māyā, whereas the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the controller of māyā. Māyā is the creation of the Supreme Lord (mayā sṛṣṭā); therefore the Supreme Lord is the controller of māyā. Although one in quality with the Supreme Lord, the individual soul is under the control of māyā. Māyāvādī philosophers cannot distinguish between the controller and the controlled.

SB Canto 7

When Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in His original spiritual potency, He is not forced to accept a form made by material nature. Therefore the Lord is addressed as īśvara, the controller of māyā.

SB 7.1.28-29, Purport:

This verse uses the word māyā-manuje. When Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in His original spiritual potency (sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg. 4.6)), He is not forced to accept a form made by material nature. Therefore the Lord is addressed as īśvara, the controller of māyā. He is not controlled by māyā. When a demon continuously thinks of Kṛṣṇa because of enmity toward Him, he is certainly freed from the sinful reactions of his life. To think of Kṛṣṇa in any way, in terms of His name, form, qualities, paraphernalia or anything pertaining to Him, is beneficial for everyone. Sṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, hearing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa or hearing the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa will make one pure, and then he will become a devotee. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore trying to introduce the system of somehow or other letting everyone hear the holy name of Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa's prasāda. Thus one will gradually become a devotee, and his life will be successful.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

In His original identity, the Lord is the controller of māyā. Therefore the Lord may be called māyā-manuṣya, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing like an ordinary human being, although He is the controller of both the material and spiritual energies.

SB 10.1.69, Purport:

Māyā-manuṣyasya (10.1.17). Because of being covered by yogamāyā (nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25)), Kṛṣṇa is sometimes called māyā-manuṣya, indicating that although He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He appears like an ordinary person. A misunderstanding arises because yogamāyā covers the vision of the general public. The Lord's position is actually different from that of an ordinary person, for although He appears to act like an ordinary man, He is always transcendental. The word māyā also indicates "mercy," and sometimes it also means "knowledge." The Lord is always full of all transcendental knowledge, and therefore although He acts like a human being, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full of knowledge. In His original identity, the Lord is the controller of māyā (mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10)). Therefore the Lord may be called māyā-manuṣya, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing like an ordinary human being, although He is the controller of both the material and spiritual energies.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

Lord Brahmā said, "My dear Lord, in this incarnation You have proved that You are the supreme controller of Māyā."

SB 10.14.16, Translation:

My dear Lord, in this incarnation You have proved that You are the supreme controller of Māyā. Although You are now within this universe, the whole universal creation is within Your transcendental body—a fact You demonstrated by exhibiting the universe within Your abdomen before Your mother, Yaśodā.

CC Adi-lila

It is most apparent that nondevotees violate the rules and regulations of devotional service to equate the whole cosmic manifestation, which is the external feature of Viṣṇu, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of māyā, or with His quadruple expansions.

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

It is most apparent that nondevotees violate the rules and regulations of devotional service to equate the whole cosmic manifestation, which is the external feature of Viṣṇu, with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of māyā, or with His quadruple expansions. Equating māyā with spirit, or māyā with the Lord, is a sign of atheism. The cosmic creation, which manifests life in forms from Brahmā to the ant, is the external feature of the Supreme Lord. It comprises one fourth of the Lord's energy, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42)). The cosmic manifestation of the illusory energy is material nature, and everything within material nature is made of matter. Therefore, one should not try to compare the expansions of material nature to the catur-vyūha, the quadruple expansions of the Personality of Godhead, but unfortunately the Māyāvādī school unreasonably attempts to do this.

Māyā is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; it is not that He is covered by māyā.

CC Adi 7.115, Purport:

Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī explains that the variegated personal feature of the Absolute Truth is the viṣṇu-tattva and that the material energy, which creates this cosmic manifestation, is the energy of Lord Viṣṇu. The creative force is merely the energy of the Lord, but the foolish conclude that because the Lord has distributed Himself in an impersonal form He has no separate existence. The impersonal Brahman, however, cannot possess energies, nor do the Vedic literatures state that māyā (the illusory energy) is covered by another māyā. There are hundreds and thousands of references, however, to viṣṇu-māyā (parāsya śaktiḥ), or the energy of Lord Viṣṇu. In the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14) Kṛṣṇa refers to mama māyā ("My energy"). Māyā is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; it is not that He is covered by māyā. Therefore Lord Viṣṇu cannot be a product of the material energy. In the beginning of the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), indicating that the material energy is also an emanation of the Supreme Brahman. How then could He be covered by the material energy? If that were possible, material energy would be greater than the Supreme Brahman. Even these simple arguments, however, cannot be understood by the Māyāvādī philosophers, and therefore the term māyayāpahṛta-jñāna, which is applied to them in the Bhagavad-gītā, is extremely appropriate. Anyone who thinks that Lord Viṣṇu is a product of the material energy, as explained by Sadānanda Yogīndra, should immediately be understood to be insane, for his knowledge has been stolen by the illusory energy.

CC Madhya-lila

As already explained, Lord Viṣṇu is the controller of māyā. How, then, can He associate with māyā?

CC Madhya 20.307, Purport:

This is a description of the Rudra form, which is another expansion of Kṛṣṇa. Only viṣṇu-mūrtis are expansions of Kṛṣṇa's personal and plenary portions. Mahā-Viṣṇu, who lies on the Causal Ocean, is an expansion of Saṅkarṣaṇa. When Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu accepts the material modes of nature for the purpose of dissolving the cosmic manifestation, His form is called Rudra. As already explained, Lord Viṣṇu is the controller of māyā. How, then, can He associate with māyā? The conclusion is that the incarnation of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā indicates the absence of the supreme power of Viṣṇu. When the supreme power is not there, it is possible to associate with māyā, the external energy. Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva are to be considered creations of māyā.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Lord Brahmā said, "My dear Lord, in this incarnation You have proved that You are the supreme controller of māyā."

Krsna Book 14:

"My dear Lord, in this incarnation You have proved that You are the supreme controller of māyā. You remain within the cosmic manifestation, and yet the whole creation is within You. This fact has already been proved by You when You exhibited the whole universal creation within Your mouth before Your mother, Yaśodā. By Your inconceivable potency of yogamāyā, You can effect such things without external help."

Renunciation Through Wisdom

All the facilities available to us in our material condition are products of the Lord's external, material energy. Since māyā is under the Supreme Lord's control, all the material qualities also emanate from Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Renunciation Through Wisdom 2.12:

The facilities available to us in our material condition are many. One facility in the mode of goodness is intelligence, which gives us the ability to distinguish subtle elements and to discriminate between matter and spirit, and in this way to avoid coming under illusion. Also in the mode of goodness are tolerance, truthfulness, control of the senses, equanimity, and other such qualities. Added to the list are qualities in the mode of passion, such as strong desire, fearlessness, and unwavering determination, as well as qualities in the mode of ignorance, such as fear, madness, and distress over birth, death, old age, and disease. All these facilities are products of the Lord's external, material energy. Since māyā is under the Supreme Lord's control, all the above-mentioned qualities also emanate from Kṛṣṇa Himself. But Lord Kṛṣṇa is beyond the periphery of our sensual experience, and therefore simply cultivating the nobler qualities—those in the mode of goodness—is not sufficient spiritual practice to elevate us to the Lord's lotus feet. The only way to overcome māyā is to take complete shelter at the Lord's lotus feet. Kṛṣṇa states in the Gītā (7.14) that those who surrender to Him can easily cross beyond māyā. Once māyā is surmounted, one's endeavor is crowned with the realization that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

The theory that Kṛṣṇa becomes covered, that is nonsense. How Kṛṣṇa can be covered? Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered. He is the controller of the māyā.

Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

So Vyāsadeva, by his meditation, saw the Supreme Person and māyā also. Māyā is on the backside. Māyā cannot come in the front side. So Kṛṣṇa is never covered by māyā. It is our eyes which covered by māyā. So we, the fragments of Kṛṣṇa, mamaivāṁśaḥ, we are covered by māyā, not Kṛṣṇa. The theory that Kṛṣṇa becomes covered, that is nonsense. How Kṛṣṇa can be covered? Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered. He is the controller of the māyā. And we are controlled by the māyā. That is the difference. Kṛṣṇa, māyādhīśa, and we are māyādhīna. Adhīna. We can become free. Exactly the same example that when our eyes are covered by the cloud, we cannot see the sun, although the sun is there. So if some way or other... We have got very good experience nowadays by flying in the airship. As soon as the airship goes above the cloud, you have got immense sunlight. Immense sunlight. And practically, the jet planes, they go seven miles above the surface and there is no cloud. The cloud is down. Similarly, you can go also above māyā. You can transcend māyā and see Kṛṣṇa always. That is possible. How? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). You simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa will arrange that you are no more under māyā. Simple process.

So māyā is controlled by Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. That is not very good theory. That is due to poor fund of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered.

Lecture on BG 7.4-5 -- Bombay, March 30, 1971:

So māyā is controlled by Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. Kṛṣṇa is never controlled by māyā. That is not very good theory. That is due to poor fund of knowledge. Kṛṣṇa cannot be covered. Just like Vyāsadeva, by his bhakti-yoga meditation he saw Kṛṣṇa and māyā. Māyā apāśrayam, just on the background. Background, just like you find the shadow of the man. Not in the front. Similarly, māyā cannot cover Kṛṣṇa. That is wrong philosophy. Māyā can cover the individual soul. Therefore because the individual soul is apt to fall down sometimes under the clutches of māyā, it is called taṭastha-śakti. Taṭastha-śakti. Just like in the seaside the shore, the beach, sometimes you see it is covered by water and sometimes it is land; similarly, when we are covered by māyā, that is our jīva-bhūta stage, and when there is no more covering, that is brahma-bhūta stage. When we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we are brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), and when we are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are materially conscious, that is māyā.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We are controlled by māyā, but Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā. That is the difference.

Lecture on SB 1.7.2-4 -- Durban, October 14, 1975:

So Vyāsadeva, he is also living entity, although he is empowered, so apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam, and the back side is māyā. Māyā means the external energy. Just like if you stand facing the sun, the back side of your, there is a big shadow, that is māyā. So both things are there, the puruṣam, the Kṛṣṇa, and the māyā also. Both things he saw. But He is not affected by māyā. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa. Although māyā is there, he says, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is there, but Kṛṣṇa is not influenced by māyā, but He is controller of māyā. Therefore He is described, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. We are controlled by māyā, but Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā. That is the difference. We are not controller; we are controlled. In the next verse, it is described, therefore, yayā sammohito jīva (SB 1.7.5). This māyā is illusion, is illusion to the jīva, to the living entities, not to Kṛṣṇa. One who thinks Kṛṣṇa as like us, they are mistaken.

We are compelled to take birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in such condition. Because māyā is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. So how māyā can control Kṛṣṇa?

Lecture on SB 1.8.34 -- Los Angeles, April 26, 1973:

So somebody says that Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, somebody says Kṛṣṇa appeared for this purpose, but the real conclusion is that Kṛṣṇa appeared for His own pleasure. Not, not being bound by any cause. Kṛṣṇa is fully independent. Just like we take our birth being bound by the cause of our karma. Kṛṣṇa does not come being bound up by somebody's request or by His karma. He comes out of His free will. Ātma-māyayā. It is said ātma-māyayā. He's not compelled by another's māyā. Just like we are compelled by the energy of Kṛṣṇa, external energy, this material energy. We are compelled to take birth. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth in such condition. Ātma-māyayā. Not by the... Because māyā is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. So how māyā can control Kṛṣṇa? One who thinks that Kṛṣṇa is also like us, controlled by māyā, they are called mūḍhas. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11).

Māyā is situated in the back side, back side, without any influence upon Kṛṣṇa, apāśrayam, under the control. So māyā is always controlled. Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā.

Lecture on SB 3.26.4 -- Bombay, December 16, 1974:

Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva, when he was instructed by his spiritual master Nārada Muni to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, at that time, by bhakti-yoga meditation, he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this māyā also. But it is said, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is situated in the back side, back side, without any influence upon Kṛṣṇa, apāśrayam, under the control. So māyā is always controlled. Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā.

Māyā is very, very strong, but she is under the control of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.22 -- Mayapur, February 29, 1976:

So those who have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaching work, they should always know that things are not going to happen so easily. Māyā is very, very strong. Very, very strong. But still, we have to struggle against māyā. It is a declaration of war with the māyā. Māyā is keeping the living entities under her control, and we are trying to save the living entity from her un... That is the difference. Kālo vaśī-kṛta-visṛjya-visarga-śaktiḥ. This śakti, visarga-śaktiḥ, is very, very strong, but it is under the control. Although it is very, she is very, very strong, but she is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Although prakṛti is acting so wonderfully... Very, very, I mean to say, great task she is performing, that immediately the cloud comes. Now it is so bright. Within a second a very big, dark cloud may come and cause devastation immediately. That is possible. These are the wonderful activities of Māyā. But still, she is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

1971 Correspondence

Everything is under Krishna's control. Krishna is the supreme controller. Maya is only an instrumental agent.

Letter to Danavir -- London 24 August, 1971:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 17th August, 1971 and have noted the contents carefully. I was very much shocked on hearing of the accidental death of Professor Dosa. I am sending herewith one letter for his wife which please hand over to her and give her all solace. Everything is under Krishna's control. Krishna is the supreme controller. Maya is only an instrumental agent. The example is given generally that in the rainy season the rain falls down equally everywhere but on the ground different seasonal plants and vegetables grow. Similarly when the material world is created it is set in motion by the Supreme Lord through the instrumental agency of maya. But according to different fruitive actions of different living entities different phases of happiness and distress appear exactly as after the rainfall there are varieties of vegetables. So everything takes place according to one's past individual karma but those who are in Krishna Consciousness their resultant action of karma becomes summarized. Professor Dosa took initiation, or shelter of Krishna. He will always be protected. In the next life he will get birth in a very good devotee's house so that from the very beginning of life he will get chance to devote himself to Krishna Consciousness. This is the observation from the sastra angle of vision. So no one should be agitated for sudden death of Professor Dosa. He is always blessed. Now he will get a very good chance for advancing in Krishna Consciousness. Be sure.