[Advaita-l] Padmapadacharya's commentary to the Prapanchasara - Panchapadika similarity

V Subrahmanian v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Wed Jan 18 02:07:02 EST 2023


In the following post of Sept 6, 2019 on the subject:

//Padmapada in the Panchapadika says Shankara is incarnation//

 I had said:

In the Panchapadika, Padmapada pays rich tributes to his Acharya:

तस्मात् ब्रह्मविदामेकपुण्डरीकस्य लोकानुग्रहैकरसतया
सम्यग्ज्ञानप्रवर्तनप्रयोजन*कृतशरीरपरिग्रहस्य* भगवतो भाष्यकारस्य
मतमागमयितव्यम् ॥

//Thus, the foremost among Knowers of Brahman, with the intent to benefit
the world, Bhagavan Bhashyakara has assumed this body with a view to
disseminate the right knowledge. No doubt his doctrine is based on the
Veda.//

Here, we see Padmapada as holding Shankara as not a mere human but a divine
being who has taken up the form of the Acharya.  Of course, at the
beginning of his work Padmapada engages in invoking the blessings of both
the Guru and Ishwara by a compare-contrast verse having Shankara the
Acharya and Shankara the Ishwara:

नमाम्यभोगिपरिवारसम्पदं निरस्तभूतिमनुमार्धविग्रहम् ।
अनुग्रमुन्मृदितकाललाञ्छनं विना विनायकमपूर्वशङ्करम् ॥ ३ ॥

Om Tat Sat

Now, upon seeing the Prapanchasara (Shankaracharya) commentary of
Padmapada, at the beginning the statement ' इह खलु *लोकानुग्रहैकरसतया
* *कृतशरीरपरिग्रहो
*भगवान् शंकराचार्यः....' we are reminded of the Panchapadika statement by
Padmapada: *लोकानुग्रहैकरसतया* सम्यग्ज्ञानप्रवर्तनप्रयोजन*कृतशरीरपरिग्रहस्य*
 भगवतो भाष्यकारस्य..

It gives one the idea that the popular belief that Padmapadacharya has
authored a commentary to the Prapanchasara is not without substance.
Someone familiar with the Panchapadika and the Prapanchasara commentary
could perhaps come up with more evidences.

warm regards
subbu


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