Within the Dvaita Vedānta of Madhvācārya, Māyā is understood as a real and positive principle, not as a mere illusion or falsity. It is affirmed as the genuine, eternal power (śakti) of Viṣṇu, through which the universe is created, sustained, and governed. The world that arises through this power is not a deceptive appearance but a truly existent cosmos. Māyā, therefore, does not negate reality; it is the very means by which reality, in its multiplicity, is manifested.

At the same time, this real power of Māyā is closely connected with the condition of ignorance and bondage experienced by individual souls (jīvas). The delusion associated with Māyā does not lie in the non-existence of God, soul, or world, but in the soul’s mistaken understanding of their true nature and relationships. Under the influence of this power, the jīva fails to recognize fully its dependence on Viṣṇu and misapprehends the hierarchy and distinction between God, souls, and matter. Ignorance (ajñāna or avidyā) is thus real, but it is an error of knowledge rather than a proof that the world itself is unreal.

A central feature of this perspective is the affirmation of enduring difference. The distinctions between God, individual souls, and the material world are held to be eternally real and are never erased or dissolved by Māyā. Rather than veiling a hidden non-dual identity, Māyā serves as the divine instrument that manifests and maintains this authentic plurality. Liberation, in this vision, rests on right understanding of these real differences and on recognizing the supreme, distinct nature of Viṣṇu, whose power Māyā always remains and by whom it is completely governed.