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Yoga Maya and Maha Maya

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1. Yogamāyā vs Mahāmāyā

Mahāmāyā

  • Covers Krishna
  • Controls the material world
  • Manages karma

Yogamāyā

  • Reveals Krishna
  • Arranges līlā
  • Deepens devotion

👉 One-line: Yogamāyā reveals; Mahāmāyā covers

2. Are they different energies?

  • Same divine śakti
  • Different functions

3. SB 10.1 — Who is Krishna speaking to?

Krishna speaks to:

  • Yogamāyā (internal potency)

Tasks assigned:

  • Transfer Balarama
  • Arrange divine birth

4. Why does she “appear as Durgā”?

  • Not a new creation

👉 It is a manifestation in a specific līlā

  • Already exists
  • Appears in a role

5. Why “more worshipped than Viṣṇu”?

  • Easier to approach
  • Gives material results
  • More popularly worshipped

6. Does Yogamāyā become Durgā?

❌ No duplication

✅ Same śakti, different role

7. Does Yogamāyā have a form?

Yes:

  • Personal
  • Conscious
  • Flexibly manifesting

8. Svarūpa-śakti breakdown

Three aspects:

  • Sandhinī → existence
  • Saṁvit → knowledge
  • Hlādinī → bliss

9. Rādhārāṇī

  • Radha
  • Full Hlādinī-śakti
  • Embodiment of divine love

10. Yogamāyā

  • Arranges līlā
  • Facilitates love

11. Lakṣmī and Sītā

  • Same internal energy

Different moods:

  • Lakshmi → majesty
  • Sita → dignity

12. Durgā

  • Durga
  • External energy (Mahāmāyā)
  • Governs the material world

13. Are all expansions of Rādhārāṇī?

  • Lakṣmī, Sītā → ✅ Yes (internal energy)
  • Durgā → ❌ No (external energy)

14. Mahāmāyā as reflection of Yogamāyā

  • Same function-type
  • Different outcome

Yogamāyā:

  • Loving illusion

Mahāmāyā:

  • Binding illusion

15. Final structure

Krishna
├── Internal energy (Svarūpa-śakti)
│   ├── Rādhārāṇī
│   ├── Yogamāyā
│   ├── Lakṣmī / Sītā
│
├── Marginal energy (Jīva)
│
└── External energy
    └── Durgā (Mahāmāyā)

16. Final takeaway

Same energy manifests as:

  • As love → Rādhārāṇī
  • As arranger → Yogamāyā
  • As reverence → Lakṣmī
  • As illusion → Durgā
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