'mÄyÄdhÄ«Å›a' 'mÄyÄ-vaÅ›a' — Ä«Å›vare-jÄ«ve bheda
hena-jīve īśvara-saha kaha ta' abheda
mÄyÄ-adhÄ«Å›a - the Lord of energy; mÄyÄ-vaÅ›a - subjected to the influence of mÄyÄ; Ä«Å›vare - in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; jÄ«ve - in the living entities; bheda - the difference; hena-jÄ«ve - such living entities; Ä«Å›vara-saha - with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaha - you say; ta' - indeed; abheda - one and the same.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is by nature the master of all potencies. By nature, the living entities, being infinitesimal, are always under the influence of the Lord’s potencies. According to the Muṇá¸aka Upaniá¹£ad (3.1.1-2):
dvÄ supará¹‡Ä sayujÄ sakhÄyÄ
samÄnaá¹ vá¹›ká¹£aá¹ pariá¹£asvajÄte
tayor anyaḥ pippalaá¹ svÄdv atty
anaÅ›nann anyo ’bhicÄkaśīti
samÄne vá¹›ká¹£e puruá¹£o nimagno
’nÄ«Å›ayÄ Å›ocati muhyamÄnaḥ
juá¹£á¹aá¹ yadÄ paÅ›yaty anyam Ä«Å›am
asya mahimÄnam eti vÄ«ta-Å›okaḥ
The Muṇá¸aka Upaniá¹£ad completely distinguishes the Lord from the living entities. The living entity is subjected to the reactions of fruitive activity, whereas the Lord simply witnesses such activity and bestows the results. According to the living entity’s desires, he is wandering from one body to another and from one planet to another, under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ParamÄtmÄ. However, when the living entity comes to his senses by the mercy of the Lord, he is awarded devotional service. Thus he is saved from the clutches of mÄyÄ. At such a time he can see his eternal friend, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and become free from all lamentation and hankering. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.54), where the Lord says, brahma-bhÅ«taḥ prasannÄtmÄ na Å›ocati na kÄá¹…ká¹£ati: “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything.†Thus it is definitely proved that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all potencies and that the living entities are always subjected to these potencies. That is the difference between mÄyÄdhÄ«Å›a and mÄyÄ-vaÅ›a.