マーヤーとは

　聖仙ナーラダは、主ヴィシュヌの深い信者であった。主があるとき彼に、私の信者の中で一番偉大なのは、これこれの村に住む、これこれと言う在家の者である、とおっしゃった。聖仙ナーラダは、それはどんな人なのか知りたいと思って訪ねて行くと、彼は家族を養うために朝から晩まで働かなければならないので、ほとんど修行をするひまを持たない、ということが分かった。毎日一度だけ、沐浴をしたあとで家の神の前にひれ伏すだけなのである。ナーラダは主ヴィシュヌのもとに帰って、彼を信者の中の最も偉大な者とおっしゃるのはどういうわけであるか、お尋ねした。主はおっしゃった、「この男の生活の苦労は並大抵のものではない。誰ひとり、彼に私を思い出すひまがあろうとは思わない。しかしそれでも、彼は他の何ごとを忘れても、日に一度私の前にひれ伏すことは忘れないのだ。これほど多くの苦労をかかえ、マーヤーにまき込まれていれば誰でも、世俗のいとなみに没頭して他は忘れてしまうであろうに」ナーラダは言った、「マーヤーがそんなに強力であるとは、信じられません」と。

　翌朝、ナーラダは托鉢に出た。ある家の前に立って一にぎりの米を乞うと、若い娘が出てきてほどこしを与えた。その姿をひと目見ると彼は完全に魅せられて、彼女と結婚したいと思った。彼は彼女の父親のもとに行き彼の承諾を得て結婚した。夫婦は大変幸せに暮らし、やがて一児を恵まれた。ある日、彼らの住む小屋のそばを流れている川が氾濫し、次第に水量が増して彼らの小屋は洗い流された。ナーラダは妻と子を肩にかついで逃げようとしたが力およばず、ついに二人ともさらわれて溺れ死んだ。非常な困難と努力の末、彼自身の生命だけは助かった。水から出て来ると深い悲しみにおそわれ、二人の死を嘆きはじめた。突然、主が彼の前に現われた。即座に、彼は自分がマーヤーの犠牲であったことを悟った。在家の生活をしていた間中ただの一度も、主の聖き御名を呼ぼうという気にならなかったのは何という驚くべきことか。彼は自分のプライドがくずれ去ったのを知り、マーヤーのしわざがどれほど強力かつ不可思議であるかを悟ったことを認めた。

　　

THE WAY OF MAYA

　　Narada Rishi was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. The Lord once told him that the greatest of all his devotees was a particular householder living in a certain village. Narada Rishi was curious to see this devotee, and on going to his house found that he had to work from morning till night, in order to maintain his family and he hardly found time to perform any spiritual practice. He merely prostrated himself before the family deity once every day after taking his bath. Narada went back to Lord Vishnu and asked how it was that such a man had been described by him as the greatest of all His devotees. The latter said, "This man is so overburdened with the cares and worries of life that no one expects him to find any time to remember me, but still whatever else he may forget he never forgets to prostrate himself before me once a day. Any other man with so many cares and anxieties, and so overwhelmed with Maya would have remained wholly immersed in the activities of his life." Narada said, "It is difficult to believe that Maya can be so powerful."

　　Next morning Narada went out for alms. When he appeared at a particular house and asked for a handful of rice, a young girl came out and gave him alms. At the very sight of her he became enamoured of her and wanted to marry her. He went to her father and getting his consent married the girl. The couple led a very happy life, and in course of time were blessed with a child. One day the river, on a bank of which their cottage stood, began to overflow its banks, and as the water continued to rise more and more their cottage was washed away. Narada took his wife and child upon his shoulders, but the water continued to rise, with the result that both the child and the wife were swept off his shoulders and were drowned. With great difficulty and , after many a struggle Narada could save his life. Having come out of the water he keenly felt the loss of his wife and child, and began to lament their death. Suddenly the Lord appeared before him; immediately, Narada realized that he had been a victim of Maya, and how wonderful it was that he had not been inclined to call on the sacred name of the Lord even once while he lived a householder's life. He found that his pride had been duly humbled, and confessed that now he realized how powerful and inscrutable were the ways of Maya.
　

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