[Advaita-l] Did Vyaasa mean Athaato Vishnu Jijnaasaa or Shiva Jijnaasaa?

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste
On Tue, Jul 19, 2016 at 11:21 PM, Srinath Vedagarbha
<svedagarbha at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> 2016-07-18 23:14 GMT-04:00 Venkatesh Murthy via Advaita-l
> <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>:
>>
>> Namaste
>>
>> Guru or Vyaasa Poornima is today. We can ask - what is in the mind of
>> Brahma Sutra Kaara Vyaasa? Advaita or Vaishnavism or Saivism?
>>
>> In the Prastaavanaa for the book Madhva Tantra Mukha Mardana it is written
>> -
>>
>> सूत्राणां शिवविष्ण्वादिप्रतिपादकत्वे ’अथातो विष्णुजिञ्जासा’
>> ’शिवजिञ्जासा’  इत्येवमेव सूत्रारम्भो भवेत् । न तथा दृश्यते ।
>>
>> If the Brahma Sutras are describing Vishnu or Siva they should begin
>> with Athaato Vishnu Jijnaasaa or Athaato Siva Jijnaasaa. But we are
>> not seeing that. We are seeing Athaato Brahma Jijnaasaa. This Brahma
>> is the Brahman of the Upanishads.
>>
>

>
> The same idea is echoed in mahA nArayaNa Upanishad's assertion "tad Eva
> brahma paramaM kavInaam". It says about deity Who is sarvOttama resting on
> the seprpent. At the very end, this Upanishad concludes with assertion 'tad
> Eva brahma paramam kavInaam'. Kavi-s (jnyAni-s) call this being only (tad
> Eva) as 'paramaM Brahma'. Please note the prefix 'paramaM' in case anyone
> were to say such deity is gouNI brahman. Thus, vishNu only is Parabrahma
> according to this pramANa.
>

Brahma Geeta - Brahmaa said

विष्णुभक्त्या च मद्भक्त्या नास्ति नास्ति परा गतिः ।
शंभुभक्त्यैव सर्वेषां सत्यमेव मयोदितम् ॥

Vishnu Bhakti or Bhakti to me is not the best path. The best path is
Siva Bhakti for all. I have told the Truth.

Now there can be objection from your Vaishnava side.

तैत्तिरीयारण्यके सहस्रशीर्षानुवाके नारायणोपनिषदि च -

सहस्रशीर्षं देवं विश्वाक्षं विश्वशंभुवम् ।
विश्वं नारायणं देवमक्षरं परमं पदम् ॥

इत्यादयो नारायणपरत्वेनोक्तत्त्वात् शिव एवोपास्य इति कथमवधार्यते?
नारायणस्यापि उपासनोपास्यत्वं संगतमिति।

In the Narayana Sukta of Taittiriya Aranyaka and Narayana Upanishad
there is stuti of Narayana with 'Sahasra Sirsham' and so on. The
prayer is for Narayana as Highest. How can we understand Siva only
must be worshipped and not others? Narayana worship is also correct.

For this objection the Samadhana is like this.

Narayana word has to be examined. What is Narayana?

There are two ways.

नारायणपदेन नराणां समूहः अयनं यस्येति विग्रहम्

The Place of Refuge of Men or Naraaha is Narayana.

Or

अथवा न विद्यते राः धनं यस्य स अराः निर्धन इति यावत् । स निर्धनो न
भवतीति नाराः धनाधिपः कुबेर इत्यर्थः । तं सख्येन अणयति संलपतीति नारायण
इति व्युत्पत्तिमाश्रित्य शिव एव गृह्यते ।

Raa is wealth and Araa is poor person. Naaraa is not poor person. This
means he is Lord of Wealth Kubera. He is talking Anayati to Kubera as
a friend. Therefore He is Narayana. He is Siva only. This is the
meaning.

Siva and Kubera are friends because one name of Kubera is Sivasakha.

Now you will argue more to show Vishnu is great and I can argue more
to show Siva is great. This argument will not end. It is endless. This
is the Anavastha you should look at.

But Advaitis say Siva and Vishnu are one and the same. Vaishnavas and
Saivas like Veera Saivas argue for  Vishnu or Siva as if they are
different. It is foolishness.

The Upanishads may have Vishnu Para statements and Siva Para
statements but finally it is only Para Brahman the Atman. Aham
Brahmasmi is the final teaching.




> Also, when it come to the term 'Atma', we have shruti saying AtatatvAchha
> mAtrutvAdAtmEti paramO hariH | AtmA bhAsAstadanyE tu na heYtEShAM tatA guNAH
> ||
>
> Krishna's direct words in this sense nails the dispute on who is known from
> all of shAstra-s -- 'vEdEschha sarvErahamEva vEdyaH'
>
> Not all sUtra-s are about advaitic nirguNa bahman -- for example, second
> sUtra is about creation and under advaitic reading this sUtra is talking
> about creator gouNI brahman and not nirguNa brhamn.
>
> /sv



-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh