māyā has it’s āśraya (locus) in the pure consciousness that is devoid of differences such as jīva and īśvara. Since māyā has no production, it is beginingless. If we were to say that it is produced, it will be illogical like saying that the son produces the father. māyā cannot be produced from creation … it is illogical.

Then we would have to say that māyā is produced from caitanya. But, if we accept this, since both jīvatva and īśvaratva are produced from māyā, māyā cannot be produced from the jīva-caitanya or the īśvara-caitanya. If we accept otherwise, jīva and īśvara would have to be present to produce māyā; and māyā would have to be present to accept jīva and īśvara. This is anyonyāśra doṣa (error of mutual dependence). Pure consciousness is asaṅga, akriya and avikāri (has no attachment, is devoid of action, and has no modification). If māyā is produced from caitanya, then caitanya would be subject to modification. In addition, if māyā arises from pure consciousness, then even in the condition of mokṣa, māyā could once again arise. The entire mokṣa śāstra would be meaningless. Thus, māyā is devoid of production …. it is beginingless. It is singular. And as it is sublated by knowledge, it has an end.

This māyā is neither ‘sat’ nor ‘asat’. The permanent is that which is not negated in any of the three time periods. Only consciousness fits this definition and is sat. Since māyā is sublated, it is different from sat. That which is not perceived at any time – such as the rabbit’s horn, barren woman’s son and flower in the sky – is asat.

But māyā and it’s effects are perceived before jñāna. In the waking state, we say “I am ignorant and don’t know brahman”. In this way, we experience māyā. In the dream state, the upādāna kāraṇa (material cause) for everything that we experience is māyā. On waking from deep sleep, we say “I slept soundly and did not know anything”. This memory of something not experienced would not be possible. Thus, even in suṣupti, ajñāna is experienced. The same entity (vastu) is called ajñāna or māyā. Thus, in all three avasthās, māyā is experienced. As such, it is not asat. The world (jagat) which is a product of māyā, and is different from both sad and sat is itself different from sat and asat.

In advaita, the vastu which is neither sat nor asat is called mithyā, or anirvacanīya. Thus, māyā or it’s effects don’t result in a second entity. māyā and it’s effects are different from sat and asat – thus it is all mithyā. No mithyā entity results in dvaita – just as an entity perceived in dreams does not result in dvaita. In the same way, through māyā and it’s effects that are mithyā, a second entity apart from brahman does not arise.