What is Maya or Avidya, and what examples are given to help understand this illusion?

Maya, also called Avidya or ignorance, is the power of illusion that makes the world appear as it does, often causing one thing to be perceived as something else. As detailed in Chapter 50, even the wise can be helpless before its play. Several examples are provided to illustrate this principle: a rope in dim light being mistaken for a snake, the illusion of silver appearing in a mother-of-pearl shell, the sun's rays on a distant road appearing as a mirage of water, and a lit firebrand (kolit) being whirled rapidly in a circle to create the illusion of a solid ring of fire (Agni-kankan). These analogies show how a non-existent phenomenon can appear real due to delusion.