Selections from the advaitasiddhi - 2

[Anand V. Hudli]

Next, MadhusUdana pays respects to his three Gurus who
 taught him mImAMsA, vedAnta, and initiated him into sannyAsa.

 shrIrAma-vishveshvara-mAdhavAnAmaikyena sAxAtkR^ita-
                                         mAdhavAnAm.h |
 sparshena nirdhUtatamorajobhyaH pAdotthitebhyo .astu
                                     namo rajobhyaH   || 2 ||

 May salutations be to the dust that on contact removes
 darkness (ignorance), the dust of the feet of shrI rAma,
 shrI vishveshvara, and shrI mAdhava, who have directly
 realized the parabrahman (mAdhava) as identical with
 themselves.

 The first occurrence of "mAdhava" denotes the Guru, mAdhava,
 but the second stands for parabrahman, per gauDa-brahmAnandI -
 mAdhavAnAM parabrahmaNAm.h .


 bahubhirvihitA budhaiH parArthaM vijayante .amitavistR^itA
                                              nibandhAH  |
 mama tu shrama eshha nUnamAtmaMbharitAM bhAvayituM
                                          bhavishhyatIha || 3 ||

 Many knowledgeable people have composed lengthy works that
 are excellent and for the sake of (educating) others. But
 this effort of mine will only be for fulfilling my own
 objective.

 ViTThalesha states here that MadhusUdana has shown his lack of
 conceit, garvarAhityapradarshana.

 In the next verse, MadhusUdana briefly states the purpose of his
 work.

 shraddhAdhanena muninA madhusUdanena saN^gR^ihya shAstranichayaM
                                             rachitAtiyatnAt.h |
 bodhAya vAdivijayAya cha sattvarANAm-advaitasiddhiriyamastu
                               mude budhAnAm.h                 || 4 ||

 This advaita-siddhi has been composed by the sage MadhusUdana, whose
 sole asset is faith, with great diligence, after collecting the
 truths of the shAstras. May this advaita-siddhi be useful in imparting
 (correct) understanding and in gaining victory over disputants (with
 opposite views) to those who are too busy (to read lengthy works)
 and may it be a (source of) joy to the learned!

 Here, BrahmAnanda sees a link between "iyam.h" (this) in the current
 verse and the final verse of the advaita-siddhi:

  siddhInAm-ishhTa-naishhkarmya-brahmagAnAmiyaM chirAt.h |
  advaitasiddhiradhunA chaturthI samajAyata   ||

  After a long lapse of time since the "siddhi"s of ishhTa, naishhkarmya,
  and brahma, this advaita-siddhi, the fourth siddhi, has originated.

  The three other siddhi's being referred to are the ishhTa-siddhi of
  VimuktAtman, the naishhkarmya-siddhi of Sureshvara, and the Brahma-
  siddhi of maNDana mishra.

 MadhusUdana :-

  tatrAdvaitasiddherdvaitamithyAtvasiddhipUrvakatvAt.h dvaita-
  mithyAtvameva prathamamupapAdanIyam.h |

  Since the establishing of unreality of duality is the antecedent of
  establishing the truth of nonduality, only the unreality of  duality
  is to be established first.

  siddhivyAkhyAkAra (balabhadra) :-

  nanu advaitasiddhAvadvaitasyaiva pratipadanIyatayA tadvihAyA-
  gre dvaitamithyAtvopapAdanaM kriyamANamasaN^gatamityata Aha
  tatreti | tasyAmadvaitasidhhau dvaitamithyAtvameva prathamam-
  upapAdanIyamityarthaH | tatra hetuH advaitasiddherityAdi |
  tathAcha dvaitamithyAtve upapAdite .advaitaM sUpapAdamiti
  dvaitamithyAtvopapAdanamadvaitasiddhyanuguNatvAnnAsaN^gatamiti
  dhyeyam.h |

  An objection can be raised: In advaita-siddhi, only advaita should be
  discussed. Discarding that (objective) in the beginning, the establishing
  of unreality of duality that is being done is irrelevant. In reply,
  (MadhusUdana) states tatra, etc. In advaita-siddhi (establishing the
  truth of non-duality), the unreality of duality is to be established
  first; this is the meaning. The reason being "advaitasiddheH", etc. ie.
  "since the establishing of nonduality is preceded by establishing the
  unreality of duality." And also, when the unreality of duality
  is established, nonduality is easily established; by the establishing
  of unreality of duality, the truth of nonduality follows. Therefore,
  it is to be considered that (such establishing of unreality of duality)
  is not irrelevant.

  (To be continued)

  Anand