[Advaita-l] Brahma Sutra-supreme brahman

[S Jayanarayanan]

--- "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 31 Mar 2004, Ramesh Badisa wrote:
> 
> > My question is why the highest place here is referred as place of
> Vishnu,
> 
> 
> This is not some invention by Swami Shivananda.  Shankaracharya does
> indeed call moksha ViShnoh param padam and Swami Shivananda has
> accurately
> translated it as "the highest place of Vishnu"
> 
> Why describe Brahman with this particular formulation?
> 

Jaldhar, there is no doubt that the "highest place of VishhNu" can be
taken as the place of Ishvara, etc. But the question was:

---
"The Sutra declares that at the dissolution of Brahmaloka the souls,
which by that time have attained knowledge, along with the Saguna
Brahman attain what is *** higher than the Saguna Brahman, i.e., para
Brahman or the pure highest place of Visnu ***"
...But how come, Sri AdiShankaracharya mentioned supreme brahman in the
form of Vishnu in IV.3.10 commentry, which is a Saguna form of Brahman?
---

I find it extremely strange that Shankara would choose the term
"VishhNu" to refer to the nirguNa Brahman when specifically
DIFFERENTIATING it from saguNa Brahman! I think the question asked is
very valid and still unanswered. 

-Kartik

PS: In your own reply, you've repeatedly spoken of "VishhNu Bhagavan" -
NOT nirguNa Brahman.

> One theory is based on the tradition that Shankaracharya himself had
> Vishnu Bhagavan (Bhagavan Lakshmi-Nrsimha to be precise) as his
> ishtadevata.  Although today most smartas are shakta/shaivas (and
> indeed
> confused with such) we actually revere all the Vedic Gods so this
> indeed
> is possible.
> 
> Another possible reason is Shankaracharya is showing the depth of his
> Vedic knowledge.  The avatara of Vishnu Bhagavan as Vamana is an
> ancient
> one.  I don't have access to the Rgvedic text itself but here is
> Prof.
> Wendy O'Flahertys' translation ("Hindu Myths" P. 176) of Rgveda
> I.154.5
> 
> Would that I might reach his dear dwelling place, where men who love
> the
> Gods, become intoxicated; there one is joined with the
> wide-strider,Vishnu,
> in His highest place, the fountain of honey.
> 
> "Honey" -- Madhu refers to the secret of immortality.  In
> Brhadaranyakopanishad Madhukanda tells how Rshi Dadhichi taught the
> madhuvidya to the Ashvins and became immortal even though Indra cut
> off
> his head for it.  The intoxication is that caused by Soma which is
> also
> honey.  In this sukta, Vishnu Bhagavan is compared to the Sun who in
> three
> steps (sunrise, noon, and sunset)  leaps up the highest heaven,
> brings
> down the soma and plants in the ground (where it grows in the
> moonlight.
> Soma is identified with the moon.)
> 
> That book also mentions a passage from Shatapatha Brahmana where it
> says
> the Asuras had overcome the Devas and reduced them to poverty.  They
> begged for enough land for Vishnu Bhagavan to take three steps in
> order to
> perform the yajna.  (For the vedi or altar is three paces in length.)
> They granted it thinking Vishnu is a dwarf how much land could it be?
> but
> Vishnu Bhagavan stretched out to cover the whole earth (Recall also
> from
> the Purushasukta: "He covers all this and ten fingers beyond.")
> thereby
> tricking the Asuras out of their conquests.
> 
> You are probably familiar with the Puranic version of this story. 
> The
> Asura king Bali took up Dharma and thereby overcame the Devas. 
> Vishnu
> Bhagavan came to his court in the form of a Brahmana boy (or dwarf)
> and
> asked for a boon of three steps of land.  It was granted and He
> immediately expanded covering the worlds in two steps.  The wise
> Asura
> Bali realized who his visitor was and humbly offered his head as the
> third
> step.  Now Bali reigns in naraka where Vishnu Bhagavan joins him
> during
> chaturmasa.
> 
> So viShnoh paramam padam can be read in two ways.  As the "highest
> place"
> from which Vishnu Bhagavan brings the soma or amrta that confers
> immortality.
> As the upanishad makes clear this madhu is jnana.  Or it means the
> "ultimate step" of Vishnu.  Bali became immortal not by becoming a
> world
> conqueror (chakravarti) but by shedding ego and offering everything
> to
> Bhagavan including his very head.  You can see that this seemingly
> simple
> phrase is actually rich in Vedantic meaning.
> 
> 
> > Interestingly enough, in second chapter of Brahma Sutras, some
> sutras refute
> > both pasupata (the Mahesvara) II.2.37 onwards and  the Bhagavata
> systems,
> > II.II.2.42 onwards.
> 
> I translated the bhashya on the sutras related to the refutation
> of the Bhagavatas a while back, check the archives.  It is
> interesting to
> note that Shankaracharya refutes the 4 vyuha theory and the non-Vedic
> origins of the Pancharatra Agamas but is quite conciliatry taking
> pains to
> note that he is not criticizing the idea of worship but only the
> philosophical aspects.  In the same vein, his main problem with the
> Pashupatas is that they do not consider Ishvara to be the creator
> only the
> observer of the world which is a kind of dualism similiar to the
> samkhya/yoga type.
> 
> Incidently tomorrow is Vamana dvadashi and the story of Vamana avatar
> from the Bhagavata etc. should be read.
> 
> -- 
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
> It's a girl! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/shailaja/
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