[Advaita-l] Veda Vyasa's consistency across Bhagavata, Vishnu and Shiva Puranas

sreenivasa murthy narayana145 at yahoo.co.in
Tue Feb 18 09:55:43 EST 2020


 Dear Sri Subramanian,
      An excellent compilation from Puranas indded are these posting of yours.I thank you for this.
I have a question here. 
For a mumukshu who confine himself to Upanishads and Sri Shankara's commentaries , will these compilations of quotations from puranas  are of any help or of any use in his quest for the paramarthatattva?I request you kindly to educate me on this point.
With respectful namaskars,Sreenivasa Mrthy

    On Monday, 17 February, 2020, 11:37:14 am GMT, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:  
 
 Here, in this short excerpt from the Bhagavatam and the Shiva Puranas, we
see the episode of Daksha Yajna.  After the melee that happened during the
yajna, Shiva was approached by the Deva-s and prayed for the proper
conclusion of the stalled yajna.  In the Bhagavatam, it is reported, Lord
Vishnu said at that juncture:
श्रीभगवानुवाच -
अहं ब्रह्मा च शर्वश्च जगतः कारणं परम् ।
आत्मेश्वर उपद्रष्टा स्वयं दृगविशेषणः ॥ ५० ॥
आत्ममायां समाविश्य सोऽहं गुणमयीं द्विज ।
सृजन् रक्षन् हरन् विश्वं दध्रे संज्ञां क्रियोचिताम् ॥ ५१ ॥
तस्मिन् ब्रह्मण्यद्वितीये केवले परमात्मनि ।
ब्रह्मरुद्रौ च भूतानि भेदेनाज्ञोऽनुपश्यति ॥ ५२ ॥
यथा पुमान्न स्वाङ्‌गेषु शिरःपाण्यादिषु क्वचित् ।
पारक्यबुद्धिं कुरुते एवं भूतेषु मत्परः ॥ ५३ ॥
त्रयाणां एकभावानां यो न पश्यति वै भिदाम् ।
सर्वभूतात्मनां ब्रह्मन् स शान्तिं अधिगच्छति ॥ ५४ ॥

3. SrimadBhagavatam: Daksha yajna (IV.7.50 – 54)
(50) Lord Vishnu said: ‘I, Brahmâ and Lord S’iva as well, do not differ in
being the supreme cause and Supersoul, the witness and the self-sufficient
one of the material manifestation.) Him the Supreme Brahmân that is without
a second, is as one Supersoul with both Brahmâ and S’iva, but the living
ones who are not conversant with this, think of them as being separate. (53)
The way a person sometimes does not make a difference between the head,
hands and other parts of his own body, so does My devotee thus make no
difference between living beings. (54) He who having the one nature of the
three, verily does, of the Supersoul in all beings, not see the
separateness, o brahmin, realizes the peace.’

The same juncture has been reported thus in the Shiva Purana, where Shiva
addresses the gathering:

अहं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च जगतः कारणं परम् ।
आत्मेश्वर उपद्रष्टा स्वयंदृगविशेषणः ॥ १२ ॥

Turiya: svayam drk = kevala chaityanyam, avisheshahaH = nirvishesha Brahman
आत्ममायां समाविश्य सोऽहं गुणमयीं मुने ।
सृजन् रक्षन् हरन् विश्वं दधे सञ्ज्ञाः क्रियोचिताः ॥ १३ ॥
अद्वितीये परे तस्मिन् ब्रह्मण्यात्मनि केवले ।
अज्ञः पश्यति भेदेन भूतानि ब्रह्मचेश्वरम् ॥ १४ ॥
शिरः करादिस्वाङ्‌गेषु कुरुते न यथा पुमान् ।
पारक्यशेमुषीं क्वापि भूतेष्वेवं हि मत्परः ॥ १५ ॥
सर्वभूतात्मनामेकभावनां यो न पश्यति ।
त्रिसुराणां भिदां दक्ष स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ १६ ॥
यः करोति त्रिदेवेषु भेदबुद्धिं नराधमः ।
नरके स वसेन्नूनं यावदाचन्द्रतारकम् ॥ १७ ॥
मत्परः पूजयेद्देवान् सर्वानपि विचक्षणः ।
स ज्ञानं लभते येन मुक्तिर्भवति शाश्वती ॥ १८ ॥
विधिभक्तिं विना नैव भक्तिर्भवति वैष्णवी ।
विष्णुभक्तिं विना मे न भक्तिः क्वापि प्रजायते ॥ १९ ॥
इत्युक्त्वा शंकरः स्वामी सर्वेषां परमेश्वरः ।
सर्वेषां शृण्वतां तत्रोवाच वाणीं कृपाकरः ॥ २० ॥
हरिभक्तो हि मां निन्देत्तथा शैवो भवेद्यदि ।
तयोः शापा भवेयुस्ते तत्त्वप्राप्तिर्भवेन्न हि ॥ २१ ॥

The above verses, the first few of them, are almost a replica of the
Bhagavatam. Only that what was said by Vishnu, is stated by Shiva. Shiva
goes further to say: Without bhakti towards Brahmaa, Vishnu bhakti can't be
had. Without Vishnu Bhakti, Shiva bhakti can't be generated.    If Hari
bhakta denounces Shiva and if a Shaiva denounces Vishnu, then he will earn
the curses of both Hari and Hara and will never get the Tattva Jnana (and
moksha).

There is another correspondence across the two excerpts cited above:

आत्ममायां समाविश्य सोऽहं गुणमयीं द्विज ।
सृजन् रक्षन् हरन् विश्वं दध्रे संज्ञां क्रियोचिताम् ॥ ५१ ॥  Bhagavatam.
Vishnu says: Owing to the three Gunas and the three cosmic functions of
creation, etc. I assume three names (of the Trimurti-s).  The same is
stated by Shiva in the Shiva Purana: आत्ममायां समाविश्य सोऽहं गुणमयीं मुने ।
सृजन् रक्षन् हरन् विश्वं दधे सञ्ज्ञाः क्रियोचिताः ॥ १३ ॥ The word 'samjnaa'
means name/s.  One can see this word in both the Puranas.  In fact this
idea, with that word, is contained in the Vishnu Purana too:
सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकरणीं
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मिकाम्  । स *संज्ञां *याति भगवानेक एव जनार्दनः  ॥ १,२.६६
॥

In the Shiva Purana is a stuti by Vishnu and Brahmaa addressed to Shiva:

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/xlj

त्वमेव निर्गुणस्सत्योऽनंतोऽनंतपराक्रमः ।।
सगुणश्च सन्निवेशः प्रकृतेः पुरुषात्परः ।। ३३ ।।

You alone are NirguNa, Satya, Eternal, Infinite and of measureless power.
You are Saguna too, transcending the Prakriti and Purusha (jiva).

रजसा सृष्टिसमये त्वं ब्रह्मा सृष्टिकृत्प्रभो ।।
सत्त्वेन पालने विष्णुस्त्रिभुवावनकारकः ।। ३४ ।।

Owing to Rajoguna, at the time of creation, you are Brahmaa, the Creator, O
Lord. By assuming Sattvaguna, you alone are Vishnu, protecting the three
worlds.
तमसा प्रलये रुद्रो जगत्संहारकारकः ।।
निस्त्रैगुण्ये शिवाख्यातस्तुर्य्यो ज्योतिःस्वरूपकः ।। ३५ ।।

By Tamoguna, at pralaya, you are Rudra, the destroyer. Beyond the three
gunas, you are the Turya called Shiva, Pure Consciousness.

This is in consonance with the Mandukya upanishad 7th mantra which teaches
Brahman as the Chaturtham. Turiya, beyond the entire creation where alone
the three gunas operate.  Turiya is Nirguna Brahman.

त्रयाणां जनकः  त्रिगुणातीत निर्व्यग्र त्रिदेवजनक प्रभो ।। २७ ।।

This verse says: tri-deva-janaka which means: You, Turiya Shiva, are the
source of the Trimurtis.  The word nirvyagra means: nishkriya, non-creator,
etc. Nirguna Brahman.

Thus we see the Puranas bring out the Advaita Tattva in no ordinary terms.

regards
subbu
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