[Advaita-l] 'māyām tu prakṛtim viddhi....'

[V Subrahmanian]

There is a famous mantra of the Śvetāśvataropaniṣad that Shankara has cited
in the BSB:

 इति पारमेश्वर्याः शक्तेः समस्तजगद्विधायिन्या वाक्योपक्रमेऽवगमात्,
वाक्यशेषेऽपि ‘मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं तु महेश्वरम्’ इति ‘यो योनिं
योनिमधितिष्ठत्येकः’ (श्वे. उ. ४-११)
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/php/format.php?bhashya=svt&page=04&hval=%E2%80%98%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83%E2%80%99%20(%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87.%20%E0%A4%89.%20%E0%A5%AA-%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7)#SV_C04_V11>
इति
च तस्या एवावगमान्न स्वतन्त्रा काचित्प्रकृतिः...

The Prakṛti is not independent but is the one power that Brahman,
Maheśvara, wields to create, sustain and annihilate the world.  We have a
fine demonstration of this in the Varāha purāṇa that has been highlighted
by Sri Appayya Diukṣitar in the 'Ratna traya parīkṣā', a work that upholds
the non-difference across Hari, Hara and Ambikā:

Here are a few verses from the varāhapurāṇa that Sri Appayya Dīkṣita has
cited in his ‘ratna traya parīkṣā’ that show that all the shaktis are umā’s
various forms and are under the bhogya of Shiva:


नवकोट्यस्तु चामुण्डा भेदभिन्ना व्यवस्थिता ।
या रौद्री तामसी शक्तिः सा चामुण्डा प्रकीर्त्तिता ।। ९५.६८ ।।

The Tāmasī shakti is called cāmuṇḍā.


अष्टादश तथा कोट्यो वैष्णव्या भेद उच्यते ।
या सा च राजसी शक्तिः पालनी चैव वैष्णवी ।

Rājasī shakti is called vaiṣṇavi


या ब्रह्मशक्तिः सत्त्वस्था अनन्तास्ताः प्रकीर्त्तिता ।। ९५.६९ ।।

Brahmashakti is sattva.

एतासां सर्वभेदेषु पृथगेकैकशो धरे ।
सर्वासां भगवान् रुद्रः सर्वगश्च पतिर्भवेत् ।। ९५.७० ।।

Rudra is the pati of all the three shaktis

यावन्त्यस्या महाशक्त्यास्तावद् रूपाणि शंकरः ।
कृतवांस्ताश्च भजते पतिरूपेण सर्वदा ।। ९५.७१ ।।


All these innumerable forms that go by the principal names Lakshmi,
Saraswati and Pārvatī are created by Śiva and He is the Pati, the Lord, of
all these śakti-s.  This aught not to be understood as Śiva is the husband
and the Lakshmi, etc. are wives. Such will be a childish imagination. What
is meant by the above verses and the foundational Śvetāśvatara mantra is:
 The power required for creation, etc. is in the control of Maheśvara,
Śiva. It is under His presiding Lordship do these powers operate in
creation, etc. in the cosmic level and in the individual realm.


Thus, 'Pati' is not husband but Lord.


https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/trimurti-aikya-the-feminine-version/


Om Tat Sat