The short answer
In Gurbani, Maya is the pull of the material world — wealth, possessions, status and attachments — when it draws the mind away from the Divine. The world itself is the Creator's real creation and is not condemned; the problem is attachment that makes us forget the One and treat passing things as permanent.
In detail
Maya is a word with a long history in Indian thought, where it is often translated as 'illusion'. In Gurbani, its meaning is more practical. Maya refers to the material world and its attractions — money, possessions, power, status, relationships — especially when they capture the mind and cause us to forget the Divine. Gurbani often describes Maya as sweet but deceptive, alluring but temporary.
It is important to note what Gurbani does not say. The Gurus did not teach that the world is unreal or evil, or that we should run away from it. Gurbani describes creation as the work of the True Creator, and the Gurus themselves lived as householders who worked, married, raised families and managed communities. Money earned honestly and shared generously is not condemned; kirat and vand chhakna are central Sikh values.
The problem lies in attachment and forgetting. Maya becomes a trap when we treat possessions and status as the purpose of life, when we believe they will protect us for ever, or when we gain them through wrongdoing. Gurbani warns that wealth hoarded through wrong means does not go with anyone at death, and that greed leads to spiritual death. Maya is closely connected to the five vices, especially lobh (greed) and moh (attachment).
The Sikh response is not renunciation but perspective. By remembering Naam, a Sikh can use the world without being used by it. Traditional commentaries often explain this with the image of living in the world as a lotus lives in water — rooted in it, yet not soaked by it. In modern life Maya can look like endless scrolling, comparing lifestyles online, overworking for status, or measuring self-worth by possessions. Recognising these pulls is the first step to freedom.
What Gurbani says
ਪਾਪਾ ਬਾਝਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਮੁਇਆ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥
Paapaa baajhahu hovai naahee muiaa saath na jaaee.
Wealth hoarded is not gathered without wrongdoing — and it does not go with anyone when they die.
ਗਲਤ ਕੰਮ ਕੀਤੇ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਧਨ ਦੇ ਢੇਰ ਇਕੱਠੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦੇ — ਅਤੇ ਮਰਨ ਵੇਲੇ ਉਹ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾਂਦੇ।
Wealth hoarded through wrongdoing does not go with anyone when they die.
ਕਬੀਰਾ ਜਹਾ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਤਹ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਜਹਾ ਝੂਠੁ ਤਹ ਪਾਪੁ ॥ ਜਹਾ ਲੋਭੁ ਤਹ ਕਾਲੁ ਹੈ ਜਹਾ ਖਿਮਾ ਤਹ ਆਪਿ ॥੧੫੫॥
Kabeeraa jahaa giaan tah dharam hai jahaa jhooth tah paap. Jahaa lobh tah kaal hai jahaa khimaa tah aap.
Where there is wisdom, there is righteousness; where there is falsehood, there is wrongdoing. Where there is greed, there is death; where there is forgiveness, there is the Divine itself.
ਜਿੱਥੇ ਗਿਆਨ ਹੈ, ਉੱਥੇ ਧਰਮ ਹੈ; ਜਿੱਥੇ ਝੂਠ ਹੈ, ਉੱਥੇ ਪਾਪ ਹੈ। ਜਿੱਥੇ ਲੋਭ ਹੈ, ਉੱਥੇ ਮੌਤ ਹੈ; ਜਿੱਥੇ ਖਿਮਾ ਹੈ, ਉੱਥੇ ਰੱਬ ਆਪ ਹੈ।
Bhagat Kabir Ji: where there is greed there is death — the spiritual danger of attachment to Maya.
ਜੋ ਆਇਆ ਸੋ ਚਲਸੀ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਈ ਆਈ ਵਾਰੀਐ ॥
Jo aaiaa so chalasee sabh koee aaee vaareeai.
Whoever has come will depart; everyone's turn comes.
ਜੋ ਆਇਆ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਜਾਵੇਗਾ; ਹਰ ਇੱਕ ਦੀ ਵਾਰੀ ਆਉਂਦੀ ਹੈ।
Whoever has come will depart — a reminder that worldly things are temporary.
What it means
These lines point to three truths about Maya. Wealth gathered wrongly cannot be taken with us. Greed, one of Maya's strongest forms, deadens the spirit. And everything in this world is temporary, including our own lives. Seeing this clearly is not meant to make us gloomy, but to help us hold worldly things lightly and keep the Divine at the centre.
Living it today
- Before a major purchase, ask: do I need this, or am I trying to impress someone?
- Set a regular time without screens each day, and use part of it for Gurbani or Simran.
- Practise dasvandh or regular giving as a way of loosening the grip of possessions.
- When you notice envy of someone's lifestyle, remind yourself that all worldly things are temporary.
- Talk with children about the difference between enjoying things and depending on them.
A real-life example
The upgrade that never ended
Manpreet, a successful sales manager, noticed that every new achievement — a bigger car, a nicer flat, a better watch — gave him only a few weeks of satisfaction before he wanted the next thing. He was working late every night and barely saw his children. One Sunday, listening to a katha about Maya at the Gurdwara, he realised he had been chasing a finish line that kept moving. He did not quit his job. But he started leaving work on time twice a week, began setting aside dasvandh, and took his children to serve langar. 'I still like nice things,' he admitted. 'But they don't own me any more.'
Common misunderstandings
Maya means the world is an illusion and does not really exist.
Gurbani treats creation as the true work of the Creator. Maya refers to the pull of worldly attachment that makes us forget the Divine.
Sikhs should avoid money and possessions.
Sikhi values honest work and sharing. Wealth is not the problem; greed, attachment and dishonest gain are.
Maya is only about money.
Maya includes any worldly attachment — status, power, praise, even relationships — when it pulls us away from the Divine.
Sources
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 417
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1372
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 474