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Mithyā
मिथ्याअव्यय (indeclinable) · मिथ् धातु (mith — falsely perceived) + या प्रत्यय
mithyā
Fundamental Concepts
Apparent — neither real nor unreal, dependent on Brahman
Mithyā is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Vedānta. It does not mean 'false' or 'illusory' — it means 'apparent', that which has no independent existence. The world is mithyā: it exists, can be experienced, but depends on Brahman as its substrate. Like a wave depends on water — the wave is real as water, but has no independent existence as wave.
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