The Tripura Rahasya presents Maya not as mere deception but as the dynamic Shakti of Tripura—the Supreme Goddess who weaves the three “cities” of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Far from being a flimsy illusion, Maya is the cosmic artist painting reality’s tapestry. It projects forms, sustains experiences and, at the same time, veils the ever-present non-dual consciousness.

Often compared to a magician’s sleight of hand, Maya binds the individual soul by spinning a honeyed web of names and shapes. In modern terms, it operates much like augmented-reality filters or deepfakes: dazzling the senses, creating a “real” world that obscures its own machinery. Yet the Tripura Rahasya insists this power carries a two-faced character—both the granter of experience and the barrier to self-knowing.

Scripture frames Maya as neither wholly real nor absolutely unreal, but as “neti-neti” energy—“not this, not that”—whose ultimate delight is in concealing its source. Liberation doesn’t come from waging war on this Shakti, but by recognizing her as the very heartbeat of consciousness. Once awareness turns inward, the three cities collapse like a dream upon waking, and that which was hidden stands revealed.

In a world captivated by virtual realities and AI-generated landscapes, this ancient wisdom rings surprisingly true. It nudges seekers to look beyond the dazzling show, trace the thread of perception right back to its loom, and realize that even Maya’s might is nothing more than consciousness playing hide-and-seek.