[Advaita-l] Questions regarding Advaita Vedanta.

[krishna koundinya]

Pranam,
             I am Krishna. I am new to Spirituality. I was an athiest
but by the lord's gracethe truth dawned on me. I am a smartha brahmin
and that is why I am interested in Advaita. Well coming to the point I
have some doubts on Advaita Vedanta which I am hoping to get them
clarified by the blesses vipras. Please forgive me for my insolance
and ignorance and if at all some statements may cause Guru Ninda then
please do forgive me.




http://nitaai.net/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1670
1) Classification of Puranas is found in Padma Purana:

shAstrANyapi cha sarvANi trividhAni mahAmate ||
yAni satyavaraM viShNuM vadanti parameshvaram.h |
tAni shAstrANi sarvANi sAtvikAni matAni vai ||
prajApatiM kR^ishAnuM cha tathA devIM sarasvatIm.h |
paratvena vadachChAstraM rAjasaM parichaxate ||
yachChAstraM liN^gapAramyaM vAmadevamumApatim.h |
tamaH pravartakaM vakti tattAmasamudAhR^itam.h ||

Satvic Puranas - Srimad Bhagavatham, Vishnu, Varaha, Garuda,
Brhad-Nardiya, Padma
Rajasic Puranas - Brahma, Brahmavaivarta, Brahmananda, Bhavisya,
Surya, Markendaya
Tamasic Puranas - Shiva, Linga, Skanda, Kurma, Vamana, Agni

The ISKON, dwaita, vishishtadwaita n other sampradays state these
verses we should pray only to Vishnu( dwaita buddhi that shiva n
vishnu are not the same parabrahman). They say that it is ghora papa
to equate lord Vishu with other devas. How far this true ?.Please
provide Pramanas from "sattvic Puranas" so that this can be
successfully driven in the peoples mind.

2) This is even more disturbing..After reading this I felt like I have
done great Dosha against my guru Adi Shankara. I need clarification on
these..
     These verses are found in Padma Purana.
mAyAvAdamasachchAstraMprachchannaMbauddha ucyate |
mayaivakathitaMdevikalaubrAhmaNarUpiNA || Pa Pur 6.236.7 ||

The doctrine of MAyA (illusion) is a wicked doctrine and said to be
pseudo-Buddhist. I myself, of the form of a brAhmana, proclaimed it in
Kali (age). (padma puraaNa, uttara-khaNDa, 236.7)


apaarthaMshrutivAkyAnAMdarshayanlokagarhitam |
svakarmarUpaMtyAjyatvamatraivapratipaadhyate || Pa Pur 6.236.8 ||

It shows the meaninglessness of the words of the holy texts and is
condemned in the world. In this (doctrine) only the giving up of one's
own duties is expounded. (padma puraaNa, uttara-khaNDa, 236.8)


sarvakarmaparibhraShTairvaidharmmatvaMtaduchyate |
pareshajiivapAraikyaMmayAtupratipAdhyate || Pa Pur 6.236.9 ||

And that is said to be religiousness by those who have fallen from all
duties. I have propounded the identity of the Highest Lord and the
(individual) soul. (padma PuraaNa, uttara-khaNDa, 236.9)


brahmaNosyasvayaMmrUpaMnirguNaMvakshyate mayA |
sarvasyajagatopyatramohanAarthaMkalauyuge || Pa Pur 6.236.10 ||
vedArthavanmahAshAstraMmAyayAyadavaidikam |
mayaivakalpitaMdevijagatANAshakAraNAt || Pa Pur 6.236.11 ||

I stated this Brahman's nature to be qualityless. O goddess, I myself
have conceived, for the destruction of the worlds, and for deluding
the world in this Kali age, the great doctrine resembling the purport
of the Vedas, (but) non-Vedic due to the principle of Maayaa
(illusion) (present in it). (padma puraaNa 236.10-11)

3) It is stated that in Sumadhva Vijaya that Ananda Theertha( Sri
Madhwacharya) found 32 mistakes in the very 1st sloka that he learnt
in his gurukul days which is based on Advaita and he defeated and
converted his GURU to his doctrine dwaita. How are we supposed to
believe this and interpret this and how that Sri Shankara make
mistakes which is not possible.

4) Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is an avatar of Sri Krishna paramatma
said that one who reads Shankara Bhashya of Brahma Sutras will be
deluded and eventually ruined. But in Madhava-Vidyaranya Shankara
Vijaya clearly states the episode wherein Bhagavan Ved Vyas and Sri
Shankara discuss Brahma Sutras and Sri Padmapadacharya discloses this
event. After this Bhagwan Ved Vyas himself certifies that Sri Shankara
is the only one who correctly understood the meaning of his Brahma
Sutras and granted 16 additioanal years to Sri Shankara for the
propoganda of Advaita.

5) There are so many shankara Vijayas written but Madhava-Vidyaranya
Shankara Vijaya is treated as the official one. In one of the Shankara
Vijaya it is stated that the Acharya lived up to 60 years ( in other
editions it is 32 years). Some scholars interpret this as the latter
one is Abhinava Shankara and not Adi Shankara bhagavatpadacharya. Is
this true?

6) It is clear from the Guru parampara that Gaudapadacharya is none
other that the great Patanjali maharishi who is an amsha of Adi
Shesha, but at the same time Srimad Ramanujacharya is also an amsha of
Adi Shesha. How come the same Adi Shesha who taught advaita to Govinda
Bhagavatpadacharya deny advaita and form Vishistadvaita?

7) In Anushasanaparva of mahabharatha Sri Krishna Paramatma declares
the supremacy of Lord Shiva by taking Shiva Deeksha from Upamanyu
maharishi, but in the later part of mahabharatha he states that when
ever he worships anya devata he is actually worshipping the Antrayami
Narayana so no problem with that. If this is true then this is dwaita,
How do we prove this with pramanas this in adviata marga.

8) may the lord forgive me for saying this but ISKON, dwaita and other
sampradayas directly attack advaita by calling it 'Mayavada"
philosophy and this should be shunned. It is said that a vaishnava who
even sees such a mayavadi should jump in a nearby river and get
purified..This is very painful to me. I want some clarification as to
why so many sampradays have formed when only Advaita was ruling during
Sri Shankara's period.

9) When Acharya went to varansi everyone is familiar with the
manishapanchakam episode, the other sampradayas say that Adi Shankara
was deluded and so he asked the chandala( who is lord shiva himself)
to move aside. How is it possible for the acharya who is always in the
Atman state be deluded when Adi shanka is none other that Lord Shiva
himself.?

10) It is said that Sri Madhusudhana Saraswati in his classic work
"advaitasiddhi"  cleared all the misconceptions posed by madhvas and
successfully defeated them. Please provide verses from it which prove
the truth of "Advaita Vedanta" and how can all the great acharyas of
other sampradayas who achieved great heights do not accept Advaita?



Please clear the misconceptions of this ignorant soul...


Thank You in advance....

Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara.!!!
Bhava Shanakra Desikame Sharanam...!!!