[Advaita-l] Anandagiri on 'Nārāyaṇaḥ paro'vyaktāt...'

[V Subrahmanian]

Anandagiri on 'Nārāyaṇaḥ paro'vyaktāt...'

Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada opens his Bhagavadgītā commentary with an
introduction. He first cites a purāṇic verse as invocation:

नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसम्भवम् ।
अण्डस्यान्तस्त्विमे लोकाः सप्तद्वीपा च मेदिनी ॥

Nārāyaṇa is beyond the unmanifest avyakta. The Great Egg is born of the
avyakta. Within this Egg lie the various worlds characterized by the seven
islands.

Sri Anandagiri Acharya who has commented on the entire prasthāna traya
bhāṣya of Shankara elaborates the meaning of the terms in the above verse.
Here is his commentary:

आनन्दगिरिटीका

कर्मनिष्ठाज्ञाननिष्ठेत्युपायोपेयभूतं निष्ठाद्वयमधिकृत्य
प्रवृत्तगीताशास्त्रं व्याचिख्यासुर्भगवान् भाष्यकारो
विघ्नोपप्लवोपशमनादिप्रयोजनप्रसिद्धये
प्रामाणिकव्यवहारप्रमाणकमिष्टदेवतातत्त्वानुस्मरणं
मङ्गलाचरणं सम्पादयन् अनवशेषेणेतिहासपुराणयोर्व्याचि
ख्यासितगीताशास्त्रेणैकवाक्यतामभिप्रेत्य पौराणिकश्लोकमेवान्तर्यामिविषयमुदाहरति
–

नारायण इति ।

'आपो नारा इति प्रोक्ता आपो वै नरसूनवः ।

अयनं तस्य ताः पूर्वं तेन नारायणः स्मृतः ॥ ‘ [मनुः १.१०] इति स्मृतिसिद्धः
स्थूलदृशां नारायणशब्दार्थः । सूक्ष्मदर्शिनः पुनराचक्षते – नरशब्देन
चराचरात्मकं शरीरजातमुच्यते । तत्र नित्यसन्निहिताश्चिदाभासा जीवा नारा इति
निरुच्यन्ते । तेषामयनमाश्रयो नियामकोऽन्तर्यामी नारायण इति ।
यमधिकृत्यान्तर्यामिब्राह्मणं श्रीनारायणाख्यं मन्त्राम्नायं चाधीयते । तदनेन
शास्त्रप्रतिपाद्यं विशिष्टं तत्त्वमादिष्टं भवति ।


ननु परस्याऽऽत्मनो मायासम्बन्धादन्तर्यामित्वं शास्त्रप्रतिपाद्यत्वं च
वक्तव्यम् । अन्यथा कूटस्थासङ्गाविषयाद्वितीयस्य तदयोगात् । तथा च
शुद्धतासिद्धौ कथं यथोक्ता परदेवता शास्त्रादावनुस्मर्यते ? शुद्धस्य हि
तत्त्वस्यानुस्मरणमभीष्टफलवदभीष्टम् । तत्राह –

परोऽव्यक्तादिति ।

अव्यक्तम् अव्याकृतं मायेत्यनर्थान्तरम् । तस्मात् परो –
व्यतिरिक्तस्तेनासंस्पृष्टोऽयं परः, ‘अक्षरात् परतः परः’ (मु. उ. २-१-२)
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Mundaka?page=2&id=MD_C02_S01_V02&hl=%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%83%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%83>इति
श्रुतेर्गृहीतः । तत्त्वतो मायासम्बन्धाभावेऽपि कल्पनया
तदीयसङ्गतिमङ्गीकृत्यान्तर्यामित्वादिकमुन्नेयम् ।


यस्मादीश्वरस्य व्यतिरेको विवक्षितस्तस्मिन्नव्यक्ते साक्षिसिद्धेऽपि,
कार्यलिङ्गकमनुमानमुपन्यस्यति –


अण्डमिति ।


अपञ्चीकृतपञ्चमहाभूतात्मकं हैरण्यगर्भं तत्त्वमण्डमित्यभिलप्यते । तदव्यक्तात्
पूर्वोक्तादुत्पद्यते । प्रसिद्धा हि श्रुतिस्मृतिवादेषु हिरण्यगर्भस्य
मूलकारणादुत्पत्तिः । तथा च कार्यलिङ्गादव्यक्तादभिव्यक्तिरित्यर्थः ।


हिरण्यगर्भे श्रुतिस्मृतिसमधिगतेऽपि कार्यलिङ्गकमनुमानमस्तीति मन्वानो
विराडुत्पत्तिमुपदर्शयति –


अण्डस्येति ।


उक्तस्याण्डस्य हिरण्यगर्भाभिधानीयस्यान्तरिमे भूरादयो लोका विराडात्मका
वर्तन्ते । कार्यं हि कारणस्यान्तर्भवति । तेन हिरण्यगर्भान्तर्भूता भूरादयो
लोका विराडात्मानस्तेन सृष्टा इति तल्लिङ्गाद्धिरण्यगर्भसिद्धिरित्यर्थः ।


लोकानेव पञ्चीकृतपञ्चमहाभूतात्मकविराडात्मत्वेन व्युत्पादयति –


सप्तद्वीपेति ।


‘सा पृथिव्यभवत्‘ [बृ.उ. १.२.२] इति श्रुतौ विराजो जन्म
सङ्कीर्तितमित्यङ्गीकारादशेषद्वीपोपेता पृथिवीत्यनेन सर्वलोकात्मको
विराडेवोच्यते । चशब्देन विराजो हि हिरण्यगर्भे पूर्वोक्ताण्डात्मन्यन्तर्भावात्
, ततः सम्भवोऽनुकृष्यते । परमात्मा हि स्वाज्ञानद्वारा जगदशेषमुत्पाद्य
स्वात्मन्येवान्तर्भाव्याखण्डैकरससच्चिदानन्दात्मना स्वे महिम्नि
तिष्ठतीत्यर्थः । अत्र च नारायणशब्देनाभिधेयमुक्तम् । नरा एव नारा जीवाः,
त्वम्पदवाच्याः, तेषामयनमधिष्ठानं तत्पदवाच्यं परं ब्रह्म । तथा च
कल्पितस्याधिष्ठानातिरिक्तस्वरूपाभावाद्वाच्यस्य कल्पितत्वेऽपि लक्ष्यस्य
ब्रह्ममात्रत्वाद्ब्रह्मात्मैक्यं विषयोऽत्र सूच्यते ।
तेनार्थाद्विषयविषयिभावः सम्बन्धोऽपि ध्वनितः । परोऽव्यक्तादित्यनेन
मायासंस्पर्शाभावोक्त्या सर्वानर्थनिवृत्त्या परमानन्दाविर्भावलक्षणो मोक्षो
विवक्षितः । तेन च तत्कामस्याधिकारो द्योतितः । परिशिष्टेन तु- शब्देन वस्तुनो
वास्तवमद्वितीयत्वमावेदितम् । तेन च वस्तुद्वारा परमविषयवं
तज्ज्ञाननिष्ठायास्तदुपायभूतकर्मनिष्ठायाश्चावान्तरविषयत्वमित्यर्थादुक्तमित्यवधेयम्
॥ १ ॥


Here is what Sri Anandagiri says on that verse:


   - Shankara Bhagavatpāda is invoking his iṣṭadevatā *tattvam* (the
   *essence* of the chosen deity) that is the antaryāmi, the impeller,
   Nārāyaṇa with a view to seek the divine blessings for the unimpeded
   accomplishment of the task he has taken up (of writing the commentary on
   the BG).
   - Since the doctrine of the BG is completely discussed in the itihāsa
   and purāṇa-s, with a view to bring out the idea that the purāṇa and the BG
   have the same subject matter, he is citing a purāṇic verse.
   - The ordinary meaning of the term 'nārāyaṇa' is brought out by the Manu
   smrti verse 1.10:  Water is called ‘nara,’—water being the offspring of
   nara; since water was the first thing created by (or, the original
   residence of) that being, he is, on that account, described as
   ‘nārāyaṇa.’—(10)
   - The refined meaning of the above verse is: The word 'nara' means the
   bodies of all beings. 'nāra' means the jīva-s that are embodied there.
   Nārāyaṇa is the abode, support, impeller, of the jīva-s.
   - The antaryāmibrāhmaṇam of the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad and the Nārāyaṇa
   sūktam have this nārāyaṇa for their subject matter.
   - Thereby the specific tattva is the one taught by the śāstra is
   specified by citing the purāṇic verse by Shankara.
   - But then, the idea of antaryāmi arises only when the adjunct of māyā
   is administered to the Supreme Brahman. This is because, to control/impel,
   there has to be someone other than the controlling entity. Thus, in the
   absence of applying māyā to the immutable completely unattached Brahman
   there can be no impeller-hood to Brahman. Therefore with a view to gain
   purity, how indeed is the Supreme Brahman invoked in the beginning of the
   śāstram? For, one intends to accomplish his desires only by contemplating
   on the tattvam that is pure, unalloyed.
   - This is answered by the term: paro'vyaktāt in the invocatory verse.
   'avyakta, avyākṛta, māyā' are all synonyms.
   -  'Nārāyaṇa' is beyond and different from māyā, untouched by it.  The
   Mundakopaniṣat 2.1.2 says 'It is beyond akṣara (māyā) which is superior (to
   its effects).'
   - Even though there is really no māyā-connection to Brahman (Nārāyaṇa),
   by imagining such a connection alone one can account for His antaryāmitvam,
   etc. In other words, nirguṇa Brahman cannot be the antaryāmin.
   - So far, from the Anandagiri commentary we come to know that: Nārāyaṇa
   is beyond the third pāda of the Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣat 6th mantra. The Turiya of
   the seventh mantra is what is designated as Nārāyaṇa by Shankara, by the
   Purāṇa. This Turiya is Nirguna Brahman. Avyakta is māyā.
   - From avyakta arises the Hiraṇyagarbha who is of the nature of the five
   tanmātra-s, the apanchīkṛta pancha bhūta-s. These are also called sūkṣma
   bhūta-s. These bhūta-s themselves arise from mūlaprakṛti called avyakta in
   the verse.
   - From Hiraṇyagarbha arises virāṭ who represents the entire manifest
   universe spanning the fourteen loka-s. As per the verse, these loka-s exist
   within the container called Hiraṇyagarbha. Virāt is born of Hiraṇyagarbha.
   What is the role of Iśvara then? [Shankara designates 'Viṣṇu' as virāṭ in
   the Muṇḍaka bhāṣya]
   - Nirguṇa Brahman, known as 'Nārāyaṇa', through his own ignorance having
   created the entire universe, remains in His own Self as the impartite sat
   chit ānanda. This is the svarūpa lakṣana of Brahman. This is applicable to
   the Nirguṇa Brahman alone.
   - 'Nārāyaṇa' is etymologically dissected: 'narāḥ' are the jīva-s,
   denoted by the tvam-pada (of the mahāvākya tat tvam asi). Their ayanam,
   adhiṣṭhānam, substratum, is the Para Brahman denoted by the term 'tat' of
   the mahāvākya. Thus, the word 'nārāyaṇa' means the Nirguṇa Brahman, the
   purport of the mahāvākya.
   - Īśvara, Hiranyagarbha, Virāt, distinct from Nirguṇa Brahman (Para
   Brahman) are terms meaning apara brahman. [Shankara in the BSB has said:
   saguṇam, kāryam, aparam: that which is saguṇa is an effect, produced and is
   inferior. If someone erroenously thinks that Shankara holds Viṣṇu as the
   saguṇa brahman, then it is inevitable that Shankara holds that Viṣṇu to be
   an effect, created and inferior.
   - Since the imagined universe has no existence distinct from the
   substratum (Nārāyaṇa), the lakṣya, being Brahman alone, the subject matter,
   'viṣaya', of the Gitāśāstram is Brahmātmaikyam. By this, the 'sambandha',
   connection, of the nature of 'viṣaya-viṣayi' is also implied.  That is, the
   viṣaya for the śāstram is brahmātmaikyam. The gitāśāstram is the viṣayī.
    [The anubandha-chatuṣṭayam, the four-fold requirements to be specified at
   the beginning of a work: adhikārī, viṣaya, sambandha and prayojanam - are
   being identified by Anandagiri from the verse itself.]
   - Since Ṇārāyaṇa' is stated to be beyond avyakta, māyā, the former is
   none other than mokṣa that is completely untouched by māyā. The Turīya of
   the Mandukya is explained by the mantra itself as: prapanchopaśamam śāntam
   śivam advaitam, sa ātmā. This is the prayojanam of the study and practice
   of the vedānta śāstram.  The adhikārin, the aspirant, for this mokṣa, for
   this śāstram, also stands implied thereby.
   - The word 'tu' of the verse 'aṇḍasya antaḥ tu ime..', denotes that the
   brahma vastu is verily the Real (distinguished from all unreal anātmā
   commencing from avyakta....up to the loka-s) devoid of second of anything -
   satya-advitīyam. This is also Nirguṇa Brahman; the vastu is 'Nārāyaṇa.'

   - Through this 'vastu' ('nārāyaṇa' that is nirguṇa Brahman, Shankara is
   conveying that the ultimate, primary, purport, subject matter,
   parama-viṣaya, of the Gitāśāstram is nirguṇa brahman, brahmātmaikyam. The
   subsidiary, secondary, avāntara-viṣaya is the means to attain the supreme
   purport: jñāna niṣṭhā and karma niṣṭhā (the two yoga-s called jnana and
   karma yoga-s).

Ānandagiri continues:

अथैवमपि कथमीश्वरस्यानादिनिधनस्य नित्यशुद्धबुद्वमुक्तस्वभावस्य स्वभावविपरीतं
जन्मादि सम्भवति ? न हि भूतानामीशिता स्वतन्त्रः स्वात्मनोऽनर्थं स्वयमेव
सम्पादयितुमर्हति, न चास्य देहादिग्रहे किमपि फलमुपलभ्यते, तत्राह –


त्रिगुणात्मिकामिति ।
Though Brahman is endowed with lordly powers (through māyā association),
how is it that it takes on a body through birth, etc. quite contrary to its
true nature of being Pure consciousness, etc.? The answer Shankara gives
is: through the association of the māyā of the three guṇa-s.

देहग्रहे प्राधान्यं मायाया दर्शयितुं पुनः स्वमाययेत्युक्तम् ।


‘स वा अयं पुरुषो जायमानः शरीरमभिसम्पद्यमानः’ (बृ. उ. १४-३-८)
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=4&id=BR_C04_S03_V08&hl=%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%83%20%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%83>
इति
श्रुतिमाश्रित्याह –


देहवानिति ।



इव जात इव

इवकाराभ्यां देहादेरवस्तुत्वेन कल्पितत्वं द्योत्यते ।

It is predominantly māyā that is contributing in Brahman taking upon a
body. He is *as though* born and *as though *embodied. By using the 'iva'
to indicate 'as though' the purport is: the body, etc. of the Lord are not
real, but only imaginary.


Shankara concludes his introduction to the BGB thus:
इमं द्विप्रकारं धर्मं निःश्रेयसप्रयोजनम् , परमार्थतत्त्वं च वासुदेवाख्यं परं
 ब्रह्माभिधेयभूतं विशेषतः अभिव्यञ्जयत् विशिष्टप्रयोजनसम्बन्धाभिधेयवद्गी
ताशास्त्रम् । यतःतदर्थविज्ञाने समस्तपुरुषार्थसिद्धिः, अतः तद्विवरणे यत्नः
क्रियते मया ॥

The Gītāśāstra especially reveals the Supreme reality called 'Vāsudeva'
that is the name of the Parabrahman by also teaching the two-fold dharma of
pravṛtti and nivṛtti leading to mokṣa.

Thus, Shankara holds the term 'vāsudeva' to be signifying the
Parmārthatattvam that is Parabrahman and not a person, deity . Anandagiri
has also made it very clear that the term 'Nārāyaṇa' is that nirguṇa tattva
which is beyond the avyakta. The personal god,  'bhagavān' with the
six-fold attributes of omniscience, etc. is within the avyakta, which is
māyā and mithyā in Vedānta. Shankara has said that in the BSB 2.1.14:

तदेवमविद्यात्मकोपाधिपरिच्छेदापेक्षमेवेश्वरस्येश्वरत्वंसर्वज्ञत्वं
सर्वशक्तित्वं च, न परमार्थतो विद्यया अपास्तसर्वोपाधिस्वरूपे आत्मनि
ईशित्रीशितव्यसर्वज्ञत्वादिव्यवहार उपपद्यते ;

It is only owing to the avidyā-born upādhi-caused finitude that omniscience
and omnipotence apply to Brahman and these do not inhere in It in absolute
terms upon these being negated by right knowledge about Brahman-Ātman where
the ruled-ruler relationship ceases to be.

Anandagiri echoes the above idea of Shankara in the BGB gloss itself, as
pointed out above:  परमात्मा हि *स्वाज्ञानद्वारा* जगदशेषमुत्पाद्य   -
through the medium of *its own ignorance *Brahman creates the entire
world....

Thus, in Shānkara Vedānta, the terms 'nārāyaṇa, vāsudeva..etc.' basically
mean the Nirguṇa Tattvam and not a person or deity. Even in the case of
'nārāyaṇa' as antaryāmi, Shankara has rejected the idea of 'the jiva as the
body of Brahman where the former is ruled by the latter' by the logic of
'there cannot be two distinct conscious entities in one body' in the BSB
antaryāmyadhikaraṇam. In the Br.Up. antaryāmi brāhmaṇam too, for Shankara
it is a mahāvākya 'एष त आत्मा अन्तर्याम्यममृतः’ 'this antaryāmi (that is
Pure consciousness illumining and enlivening the inert body-mind complex)
is your very eternal Self'. If the jīva is the body of Brahman, the former
will only be inert, for only an inert entity requires impelling by another
sentient entity. Shankara has elaborated the idea of the Pure Consciousness
that is Brahman impelling the inert body-mind complex in the Kenopanishad
bhāṣya. The 'viṣaya', subject matter, for the Vedānta śāstra is not any
formed, created, entity but the uncreated nirguṇa brahman.

To condense the entire foregoing discourse in a capsule form would be: that
which is beyond avyakta is nirguṇa brahman. The purāṇic verse Shankara uses
as invocation depicts 'nārāyaṇa' as beyond avyakta. Anandagiri brings out
the purport very clearly.

All the Advaita Acharyas starting from Shankara, Sureshwara, Anandagiri,
Sāyana (in the nārāyaṇa sūktam), Upaniṣadbrahmayogin, etc. have uniformly
held the 'nārāyaṇa' śabda to denote the nirguṇa brahman.

Om Tat Sat