[Advaita-l] Trimurtis are created of Pancha bhūta-s - Shankara

[V Subrahmanian]

2017-11-19 21:27 GMT+05:30 H S Chandramouli via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>:

> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 12:33 PM, V Subrahmanian via Advaita-l <
> > advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote
> >
> >
> >
> > <<  That the trimurti-s are also created ones, from pancha bhuta-s, is
> > stated
> > by Shankara in the text Sarva vedanta siddhanta sara sangraha:
> >
> > verses 417-429 The deities presiding over the senses
> >
> >
> >
> > << After enumerating the various deities that preside over the various
> > organs,
> > Shankara says in verse 491 above that all these deities starting from dik
> > (direction/space) are created from the pancha bhūtas such as ākāśa. In
> that
> > list Shankara includes Trivikrama (Vishnu), Rudra, Prajāpati, Brhaspati,
> > etc. Thus all deities in creation, including the trimurtis, are created
> > ones from pancha bhutas. >>
> >
> >
> >
> > My understanding is different.  The Trimurtis are NOT created from
> > panchabhutas.  When the words  Trivikrama (Vishnu), Rudra are used in the
> > context of dik pAlakAs, they should not be understood as referring to the
> > Trimurtis.  If it is desired to find a reference to Trimurtis in the text
> > Sarva vedanta siddhanta sara sangraha itself, reference could be made to
> > verses 310-312 copied below.   In 312, Iswara is equated with MahaVishnu.
> >  <<  मायोपहितचैतन्यं साभासं सत्त्वबृंहितम् ।
> > सर्वज्ञत्वादिगुणकं सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारणम् ॥ ३१० ॥
> >
> > अव्याकृतं तदव्यक्तमीश इत्यपि गीयते ।
> > सर्वशक्तिगुणोपेतः सर्वज्ञानावभासकः ॥ ३११ ॥
> >
> > स्वतन्त्रः सत्यसङ्कल्पः सत्यकामः स ईश्वरः ।
> > तस्यैतस्य महाविष्णोर्महाशक्तेर्महीयसः ॥ ३१२ ॥
>


Again in the Nrsimha uttara tapini  chapter,  anubhuti prakasha, Vidyaranya
says.

हिरण्य़गर्भः सूत्रात्मा त्रिमूर्तिः च इति उदीर्यते ।
ब्रह्मा विष्णुः च रुद्रः च मूर्तयो गुणभेदतः ॥ 151

The Samashti jiva is called variously as 'Hiranyagarbha, Sūtrātmā, Trimūrti
- Brahmā, Viṣnu and Rudra, on the basis of the three guṇa-s.

This is in complete agreement with the scriptural position. Shankara has
stated in the Mundakopanishat bhashyam that Vishnu is a samashti jiva.


This is in the BSB:

श्रुतिस्मृत्योश्च त्रैलोक्यशरीरस्य प्रजापतेर्जन्मादि निर्दिश्यमानमुपलभामहे
— ‘हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेक आसीत् । स दाधार पृथिवीं
द्यामुतेमां कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम’ (ऋ. सं. १० । १२१ । १) इति — समवर्ततेति
अजायतेत्यर्थः — तथा, ‘स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते । आदिकर्ता स
भूतानां ब्रह्माग्रे समवर्तत’ इति च । विकारपुरुषस्यापि सर्वभूतान्तरात्मत्वं
सम्भवति, प्राणात्मना सर्वभूतानामध्यात्ममवस्थानात् । अस्मिन्पक्षे ‘पुरुष
एवेदं विश्वं कर्म’ इत्यादिसर्वरूपोपन्यासः परमेश्वरप्रतिपत्तिहेतुरिति
व्याख्येयम् ॥ २३ ॥

The birth of Hiranyagarbha is quite popular. In the Mundakopanishat 1.8
bhāṣyam, Shankara says:

पसा चीयते ब्रह्म ततोऽन्नमभिजायते ।
अन्नात्प्राणो मनः सत्यं लोकाः कर्मसु चामृतम् ॥ ८ ॥
यद्ब्रह्मण उत्पद्यमानं विश्वं तदनेन क्रमेणोत्पद्यते, न
युगपद्बदरमुष्टिप्रक्षेपवदिति क्रमनियमविवक्षार्थोऽयं मन्त्र आरभ्यते — तपसा
ज्ञानेन उत्पत्तिविधिज्ञतया भूतयोन्यक्षरं ब्रह्म चीयते उपचीयते
उत्पादयिष्यदिदं जगत् अङ्कुरमिव बीजमुच्छूनतां गच्छति पुत्रमिव पिता हर्षेण ।
एवं सर्वज्ञतया सृष्टिस्थितिसंहारशक्तिविज्ञानवत्तयोपचितात् ततः ब्रह्मणः
अन्नम् अद्यते भुज्यत इत्यन्नमव्याकृतं साधारणं कारणं संसारिणां
व्याचिकीर्षितावस्थारूपेण अभिजायते उत्पद्यते । ततश्च
अव्याकृताद्व्याचिकीर्षितावस्थात् अन्नात् प्राणः हिरण्यगर्भो ब्रह्मणो
ज्ञानक्रियाशक्त्यधिष्ठितो जगत्साधारणोऽविद्याकामकर्मभूतसमुदायबीजाङ्कुरो
जगदात्मा अभिजायत इत्यनुषङ्गः ।
Regarding the Hiranyagarbha's birth, Anandagiri clarifies there:
तस्मान्महाभूतादिसर्गादिसंस्कारास्पदं गुणत्रयसाम्यं मायातत्त्वन्
अव्याकृतादिशब्दवाच्यम् इह अभ्युपगन्तव्यम् । पूर्वस्मिन्कल्पे
हिरण्यगर्भप्राप्तिनिमित्तं प्रकृष्टं ज्ञानं कर्म च येन अनुष्ठितं तदनुग्रहाय
मायोपाधिकं ब्रह्म हिरण्यगर्भावस्थाकारेण विवर्तते । स च जीवः तदवस्थाभिमानी
हिरण्यगर्भ उच्यते इत्यभिप्रेत्याह - ब्रह्मण इति ।

It is clear from the above that Hiranyagarbha is a product of the
apanchīkṛta pancha bhūtas. Since he is popularly admitted to be the
samashṭi bhuddhyabhimānī, the buddhi being admitted as a product of
apanchikrta pancha bhutas, it is quite in order to say that Hiranyagarbha
is a product of pancha bhutas. Since he is equated, synonymously, as
sūtrātma, trimūrti, as stated by Vidyaranya, the bodies of these murtis is
also of the apanchikrita panchabhutas only.
Apart from this, the logic is: If there has to be someone who does
something, is having a body, senses, etc. and is perceptible and resides in
a particular abode, etc. such an entity has to be a product of panchabhutas
only. For example, rūpam is a karya of tejas bhuta. It might be sukshma,
requiring sukshma indriyas to be seen; nevertheless it is a product of
pancha bhutas. That is why Hiranyagarbha loka is Brahma loka. People who go
there interact with him and gain atmavidya from him. He is also subject to
pralaya when that loka lapses in mahapralaya.
The Vicharasagara admits the stand that is admissible for Vedantins that:
It is one loka that is reached by upasakas of various deities such as
brhma, vishnu and shiva. They see that loka as satya loka, vaikuntha,
kailasa. Therefore, all these trimurtis are panchabhuta karya only.

> >
> >
> >
> > << mAyopahitachaitanyaM sAbhAsaM sattvabRRiMhitam |
> >
> > sarvaj~natvAdiguNakaM sRRiShTisthityantakAraNam || 310 ||
> >
> > avyAkRRitaM tadavyaktamIsha ityapi gIyate |
> >
> > sarvashaktiguNopetaH sarvaj~nAnAvabhAsakaH || 311 ||
> >
> > svatantraH satyasa~NkalpaH satyakAmaH sa IshvaraH |
> >
> > tasyaitasya mahAviShNormahAshaktermahIyasaH || 312 || >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > My understanding of the Trimurtis as not creations of panchabhutas is in
> > line with what Swami Vasudeva Brahmendra Saraswati, in his work Vichara
> > Sagara, pp 125, observes concerning avatAra purushAs like Sri Rama/Sri
> > Krishna ( let alone Trimurtis ).
> >
> >
> >
> > << किञ्च रामकृष्णादिशरीरं न पञ्चभूतपरिणामः, किन्तु
> चैतन्याश्रितमायापरिणामः
> > । >>
> >
> >
> >
> > << ki~ncha rAmakRRiShNAdisharIraM na pa~nchabhUtapariNAmaH, kintu
> > chaitanyAshritamAyApariNAmaH | >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Translation << However, the bodies of Sri Rama, Sri Krishna etc are not
> > transformations ( parinama ) of panchabhutas, but transformations of mAyA
> > located in Chaitanyam  >>.
> >
> >
> >
> > SVBS cites the Bhashya on BG introductory portion in support of this  <<
> > अत एव भगवत्पादौर्गीताभाष्योपक्रमे   “ स च भगवान्
> > ज्ञानैश्वर्यशक्तिबलवीर्यतेजोभिः सदा सम्पन्नः त्रिगुणात्मिकां स्वां मायां
> > मूलप्रकृतिं वशीकृत्य, अजोऽव्ययो भूतानामीश्वरो नित्यशुद्धबुद्धमुक्तस्वभावो
> > ऽपि सन् , स्वमायया देहवानिव जात इव च लोकानुग्रहं कुर्वन् लक्ष्यते ।“ इति
> >    “जगतः स्थितिं परिपिपालयिषुः स आदिकर्ता नारायणाख्यो विष्णुः भौमस्य
> > ब्रह्मणो ब्राह्मणत्वस्य रक्षणार्थं देवक्यां वसुदेवादंशेन कृष्णः किल
> > सम्बभूव ।“  इति च कृष्णशरीरं मायाकार्यत्वेन वर्णितम् । >>
>


This is not at all disputed. The avataras are not present in the beginning
of creation of that kalpa and they do not exist at the time of maha
pralaya. Their stint in the world is temporary. The Advaita siddhi also
admits of aprakrta shariram for avataras. Brahmananda has clarified that it
is mayakaryam, bypassing the panchabhuta transformation. So, this is not
contradicting the idea of the trimurtis who exist throughout creation till
end are panchabhuta karyas. Also upanishads such as atharvashira/shikha
clearly say that the trimurtis are born of Brahman.

The ones stated in the Sarvavedantasiddhanta...work are undoubtedly
trimurtis, like all other deities.



regards
subbu

> >
> >
> > << ata eva bhagavatpAdaurgItAbhAShyopakrame “ sa cha bhagavAn
> > j~nAnaishvaryashaktibalavIryatejobhiH sadA sampannaH triguNAtmikAM svAM
> > mAyAM mUlaprakRRitiM vashIkRRitya, ajo.avyayo bhUtAnAmIshvaro
> > nityashuddhabuddhamuktasvabhAvo.api san , svamAyayA dehavAniva jAta iva
> cha
> > lokAnugrahaM kurvan lakShyate |” iti   jagataH sthitiM paripipAlayiShuH
> sa
> > AdikartA nArAyaNAkhyo viShNuH bhaumasya brahmaNo brAhmaNatvasya
> > rakShaNArthaM devakyAM vasudevAdaMshena kRRiShNaH kila sambabhUva |” iti
> > cha kRRiShNasharIraM mAyAkAryatvena varNitam | >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Regards
> >
>
>
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