Māyā

Māyā is the power (śakti) of Brahman that projects the phenomenal universe. It is not illusion in the sense of non-existence — it is a real appearance that has Brahman as its substratum. Māyā has two powers: āvaraṇa (concealment of truth) and vikṣepa (projection of multiplicity). The knowledge of Vedānta removes the effect of māyā, revealing that only Brahman exists.