[Advaita-l] Sharaba

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,
 
//
Does this in any way mean that Sankara does not accept the Shaiva view?
//
 
Sankara Bhagavatpada is neither against vaiSNava nor saiva.  Otherwise, He would not
have advocated panchAyatana worship.  That which is shruti viruddha, has been 
rejected and abandoned.  As simple as that.
 
That said, the purpose of sankara bhagavatpada's birth was meant entirely 
for a different purpose which He accomplished in a short span of 32 years !
 
shrI vidyAraNya in Vedanta Panchadasi says:
 
itO(a)pyatishayaM matvA mantrAnvashyAdikAriNaH
mUDA japantu tEbhyO(a)timUDAH kriSimupAsatAM
 
Among the 2 forms of upAsanAs viz., nirguNa and saguNa, the nirguNa is superior.  
So, tattva chintana is uttama mArga.  Only the mUDAH (fools) who are mandAdhikArIs
take to mantra mArga and practice vaSIkaraNa mantrAs.  
 
sharabha sALuva mantra is not capable of giving chitta shuddhi.  It is only used to mAraNa 
prayOgAs, Atma rakSa from AbhichArika prayOgAs against some forms of krityA prayOga.  It is a tAmasika mantra and *AkAsa bhairava kalpa* details out it's worship.
 
Whereas, nrisimha mantra is called *mantra rAja* and all the Acharyas of Sringeri 
worship this nrisimha anuSTup mantra as a part of their nityAnuSTAna and followed
by pArAyaNa of nrisimha pUrva & uttara tApini upaniSad.  The bija mantra *mrityu mrityuM* confers immortality to the upAsaka.  
 
regs,
sriram