[Advaita-l] Is the concept of maya essential to explain advaita?

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste Bhaskarji,
 
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When pot is seen as 'pot' as a separate entity, then it is upAdhi drushti, when the 'same' 
pot is seen with svarUpa drushti it is clay only nothing else
 
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The reason for mentioning the word "confusion" is because, even shAktAs who
borrow the concept from pariNAmavAda do believe in that.  And that is what
Shri Bhaskararaya Makhin explained in Saubhagya Bhaskara while explaining the 
name "mithyA-jagat-adhiSTAnA".  The bhEda-driSTi between the Sakti and the Jagat, per se is mithyA.  And tAntrikAs believe in this school of thought only.  The entire jagat is 
sakti-spandana which the prakAsa rupa Siva creates out of His own will.  Since, Sakti
is real, so is the sakti-spandana.  
 
When the prakAsa tattva tries to become many, there is a throb in Him in the form of 
spanda.  Prakasa sees His own pratibimba in the form of Vimarsa.  This spandana is called AHAM.  Both united create the Jagat.  Having created the Jagat, enter into it 
and assume different names & forms.  Thus, shAktAs visualize as "sarvaM shakti 
mayam jagat".  
 
So in the example of Potter-Clay-Pot, the Potter (Siva) with the help of Sakti (Clay), 
creates Jagat (Pot).  
 
So, shAktAs say that the perception of Pot, as Pot, per se is not real.  The difference 
in perception between Pot & Clay is "mithyA".  Infact, the substratum of Pot is Clay 
only.  This is the interpretation of Shri Bhaskara.  
 
However, this interpretation is not palatable to hardcore vivartavadis who don't seem to
believe in the Bhaskara's interpretation.  
 
Rest of the comments, i don't want to comment as again it would spin off several
arguments whether avidya is bhAvarUpa or abhAvarUpa.
 
sriram