[Advaita-l] Dvaita Vaada - Vadiraja Teertha's Nyayaratnavali Slokas 49 - 54

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

Commentary - Vaadiraaja tried to bowl a Googly last ball to the
Advaiti. But the ball was short of a length and turning towards the
leg stump. The Advaiti easily hit it over Mid Wicket for a Six.

Captain Madhwacharya is now walking to Vaadiraaja to have a word with
him. 'Why did you bowl a Googly? Why did you bowl spin first of all? I
thought you are a pace bowler. You are one of my best bowlers. I
believe you can get him out, Why don't you bowl a Yorker next'?
Vaadiraaja agrees.

He takes a long run up to bowl the next ball to the smiling Advaiti.

He is starting a new attack.

चिन्मात्रौपाधिकं नीचोच्चत्वं चिन्नाश एव हि ।
नश्येन्नापरथा तस्मात् नित्या जीवेशयोर्भिदा ।
विष्णोः सर्वोत्तमत्वं च चित्स्वभावनिबन्धनम् ॥
निराबाधं च नित्यं च कथं नाभूद् विचार्यताम् ।
If you say the highness of Ishwara and lowness of Jeeva are because of
Upadhis of Consciousness only they will get destroyed only when
Consciousness itself is destroyed. Not otherwise. Therefore the
difference between Ishwara and Jeeva is Eternal. The Supremacy of
Vishnu is supported by His Nature. It cannot be cancelled - Baadhita.
It is Eternal. You may ask how not was this?

Advaitis say the difference between the High Ishwara and low Jeeva is
only because of different Upadhis of Consciousness. But the Upadhis
are not real. There is no Real Difference between Ishwara and Jeeva.
Because both are Brahman. जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः

ब्रह्मेशाद्यानतैषीको रामः किल महाबलः ॥
तृणास्त्रेण रिपुं जिग्ये वयं च तदनुव्रताः ।
जयेमहि तृणेनैव सदसि प्रतिवादिनः ॥
Brahma, Siva, and other Gods bowed to the Raama of great strength. He
defeated his enemy with one blade of grass. We are His followers. We
will defeat our opponents in this assembly with one blade of grass.

Here Vaadiraaja is pointing to the story of the crow and Seeta in
Raamaayana. One day Raama was sleeping on Seeta's lap. A crow came and
attacked Seeta. She tried to drive it away but it did not give up.It
attacked Her and injured Her breasts. When She cried Raama woke up. He
became very angry with the bird and took one single blade of grass. He
charged it with Brahmastra Mantra and threw it at the crow. The
Brahmaastra chased the crow everywhere. It could not get protection
from its father Indra and others and it came back and fell down at
Raama's feet and begged His pardon. He pardoned it but He made the
Brahmaastra to take away its one eye.

Vaadiraaja is simply boasting here he will defeat opponents with a
blade of grass. We will see. What is his Brahmaastra?

यद्धस्तस्पर्शेमात्रेण तृणं च ब्रह्मपूर्वकैः।
नतं बभूव तं देवं को वा देवोऽतिवर्तते ॥
Simply by touching a blade of grass He made Brahma and other Gods to
bow to that blade of grass. Which God can be higher than that God
Raama?

एवं च रामदेवस्य जीवात्यन्तविभिन्नताम् ।
देवेशत्वं च संसत्सु को वा तेन न साधयेत् ॥
Raama is totally different from a Jeeva and He is the Lord of even all
Gods. Who cannot prove this in a scholarly assembly? This means
Raama's Supremacy and difference from a Jeeva is very easy to prove.
Anybody can prove it.

पश्य नामबलं विष्णोस्तद्धि लिंगानुशासनम् ।
यदीदमवजानासि कुर्यात्तर्हि शिवस्तव ॥
Look at the power of Vishnu's name. It is a sign of His Nature. If you
disregard Him your Siva will be angry with you.

Yes we Advaitis also agree Siva has given the Raama Taaraka Mantra -

श्रीराम राम रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे ।
सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥

But all these forms like Raama, Krishna, Siva, Ganesha, Devi are
Saguna Brahman. Strictly speaking Nirguna Brahman is The Highest
Brahman. Because the Upanishads are only explaining That. There is no
scope for making Saguna Brahma the Highest.

Tell me are you Saguna or Nirguna? If you say I am tall I am short I
am fair I am dark and so on it is not the correct answer. You are
describing your body but not yourself. You have to agree you are
Nirguna. If you say any Guna it is not You it belongs to Mind Body or
Intellect. But not to You. You are Nirguna. Brahman is also Nirguna.
Therefore you say Aham Brahmasmi. I am the Highest Brahman. Even
Vishnu, Siva, Brahma are not equal to me. This is not coming from Ego
but from Atma. Ego is not same as Atma. If someone says with Ego I am
Highest he is a fool.

Moreover the Vedas are saying एकं सद् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति. The Sat is
One only but wise people are calling it as different names. If you are
saying you follow the Vedas you should not disregard this also. That
Nirguna Brahman is appearing as so many Gods. Why? Because it is
difficult for people to do Upasana of Nirguna Brahma. Doing Saguna
Upasana will be easier.

Moreover शिवस्य हृदयं विष्णुर्विष्णोश्च हृदयं शिवः Siva's heart is
Vishnu and Vishnu's heart is Siva. They are not different. They are
equal. In the Shiva Maha Purana we come across this story. Brahma and
Vishnu were fighting. Siva appeared as a Fire Pillar अनलस्तम्भ between
them. Brahma and Vishnu wanted to find the origin of that Infinite
Fire Pillar. They agree to a challenge. Who finds the starting point
will be declared as Supreme Lord of all. Brahma became a Swan and flew
up to find the starting point. Vishnu became a wild boar and went down
to find it. Both could not find it but Brahma lied saying he saw the
starting point and made Ketaki flower as witness. Vishnu told the
truth he did not find it. But Siva came out of that Fire Pillar and
punished Brahma. He gave a boon to Vishnu because He told the truth.

वत्स प्रसन्नोऽस्मि हरे यतस्त्वमीशत्वमिच्छन्नपि सत्यवाक्यं
ब्रूयास्ततस्ते भविता जनेषु
साम्यं मया सत्कृतिरप्यलप्सि ।|

Son Vishnu I am pleased because you have spoken the Truth about the
Fire Pillar. Even though you wanted to be the Supreme Lord you have
spoken the Truth. Therefore from now onwards you will get Honour and
Worship equal to Me from the people.

This is proving the Equality of Siva and Vishnu.

Commentary - Vaadiraja has bowled a Yorker but the Advaiti has
converted it to a full toss and hit over long on for another Six runs.
Captain Madhwacharya is running to him and saying 'I cannot accept
this. You have to bowl a bouncer to him next ball. I don't want him to
hit another six'. Vaadiraaja nods his head. Slowly he starts walking
to the start of his run up.

-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh