[Advaita-l] A short selection from the Ksheerasvamin's commentary to the Amarakosha

[V Subrahmanian]

A short selection from the Ksheerasvamin's commentary to the Amarakosha

The commentary of Ksheerasvamin, of the 11th Century CE, is said to be the
oldest extant one. The editor of this book, K.G.Oka, 1913, says that
Ksheerasvamin belonged to the Kanoj region of Central India, was a Brahmana
and a great Shiva Bhakta. Oka makes a remark that Ksheerasvamin has cited a
passage from the Brahmasutra Bhashya (Sharirakabhashya) of Shankaracharya
(see image). Upon verification we find that this passage does not exist in
the Bhasya as it is stated by Ksheerasvamin (see image and compare with the
actual passage below). It appears that he has only stated what is 'meant'
(अर्थतः न तु शब्दतः) by Shankara and not cited the passage verbatim.

तत्र भागवता मन्यते — भगवानेवैको वासुदेवो निरञ्जनज्ञानस्वरूपः
परमार्थतत्त्वम् ; स चतुर्धात्मानं प्रविभज्य प्रतिष्ठितः —
वासुदेवव्यूहरूपेण, सङ्कर्षणव्यूहरूपेण, प्रद्युम्नव्यूहरूपेण,
अनिरुद्धव्यूहरूपेण च ; वासुदेवो नाम परमात्मा उच्यते ; सङ्कर्षणो नाम जीवः ;
प्रद्युम्नो नाम मनः ; अनिरुद्धो नाम अहंकारः ;

Ksheerasvamin cites Kumarila Bhatta, the Vajasaneya samhita, etc.which
shows his deep learning in the Veda and the Purvamimamsa. One might get
more insights into the commentator's learning, etc. if the work is studied
in detail.

Since images cannot be posted here, I am giving the link of the FB post
which has several images from the above book.


Om Tat Sat



https://www.facebook.com/subrahmanian.vaidyanathan/posts/2437188836294463