By the three guṇas in motion, the universe is veiled by māyā

The three guṇas — sattva (lucidity), rajas (activity), tamas (inertia) — are the three modes in which consciousness appears to itself. They are not substances but tendencies, not things but directions. When sattva dominates, the world appears clear and luminous. When rajas dominates, it appears active and compelling. When tamas dominates, it appears heavy and obscure. Māyā is not a fourth guṇa; it is the system of the three acting together to create the appearance of a world that is neither fully clear, fully active, nor fully obscure — but seems to be all three.