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

[V Subrahmanian]

We have in the Panchikaranam of Shankara and the Vārtikam of Sureshwara
thereof the following:

https://sa.wikibooks.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D

अपञ्चीकृतपञ्चमहाभूतानि पञ्चतन्मात्रणि

    तत्कार्यं च पञ्च प्राणाः दशेन्द्रियाणि
    मनोबुद्धिश्चेति सप्तदशकं लिंगं भौतिकं
    हिरण्यगर्भ इत्युच्यते |

एतत्सूक्ष्मशरिरमात्मनः ||२||    The adjective 'bhautikam' for लिन्गम् means
made of elements. This 17-part linga is called Hiranyagarbha. This is
called sukshma sharira of Atman.


Later, in the same page are given the Vārtika verses of Sureshwaracharya.
There the relevant verse is:


शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धैः पञ्चगुणा मही | तेभ्यः समभवत्सूत्रं भूतं सर्वात्मकं
महत् ||६||

In the book 'Panchikaranam' published by Advaita Ashrama, on page 15 we
have the relevant portion translated thus:


// Out of all these subtle elements came into being the great, universal,
all-pervading, called Sūtra.//


A footnote no.2 on the same page says: Sūtra, the total vital force before
manifestation is the soul that pervades the universe like a thread....It is
also called 'Prāṇa' for having the power of activity. 'Hiraṇyagarbha' is
its another name. .....


Thus, we have pramāṇa from Shankara Himself and Sureshwara for the
Hiranyagarbha being bhautika and created.  We already know from Vidyaranya,
for instance, that Hiranyagarbha, Sutratma, trimurti are names for the same
entity: samashti jiva. Shankara has specified Vishnu as samashti jiva in
the Mundaka bhashya.

regards

subbu