[Advaita-l] Shankara authenticates Shiva

[D Gayatri]

> Shankara quotes from that portion not because Vishnu is superior but because
> those portions are convenient for Shankara to teach the Advaitic Nirguna
> Brahman. For Shankara that Narayana is beyond avyakta and therefore Nirguna.
> That is why he cites from those poritons.

For understanding who this Narayana is, one must look at his
introduction to Gita bhashya where Shankara says that Narayana took
birth as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Moreover, all the Adi parvan
verses that I quoted earlier, also unanimously support this view point
that Narayana took birth as Krishna. NB, being nishkriya, cannot take
any avatAra. So, the contention that Narayana in this context is NB,
does not hold any water.

>
>>
>> He does not quote anything from the Shiva supremacy verses
>
>
> This is not because he does not consider Shiva as superior but because those
> portions may not be conveying the advaitic message Shankara looked for.

Shankara separates the wheat from the chaff. So he does not quote any
verses that praise Shiva as supreme. It is interesting to note that
you already accept that Shiva-supremacy verses in Mbh may not be
conveying advaitic message. That itself should prove that they are
chaff rather than the wheat, as per Shankara. The Mbh also contains
other verses which praise sAmkhya, yoga, etc. and are not quoted by
Shankara for they do not convey advaitic message.


>
> The Rg Veda, the Brihadaranyaka, the Atharvashira and other scriptures
> validate the fact of Vishnu being a created deity

The RV 7.40.5 says Rudra derives his strength from Vishnu.
The BU. 1.4.11 says Rudra-pashupathi is a created entity.
The Satapatha Brahmana and Kaushitaki Brahmana say that Rudra is born
from Prajapati.