[Advaita-l] The Bhāṣya Ratna Prabhā - Hari-Hara Abheda

[V Subrahmanian]

The Bhāṣya Ratna Prabhā   -  Hari-Hara Abheda

Sri Rāmānanda Saraswatī (1570 - 1650 CE), the author of the popular gloss
Bhāṣya Ratna Prabhā, easily the most read sub-commentary, on Śankara's
bhāṣya to the Brahma Sutras, and a contemporary of Sri Madhusudana
Saraswati, in his invocation of eight verses to the work, gives a
commentary to his own verse, the fourth in the serial order:

कामाक्षीदत्तदुग्धप्रचुरसुरनुतप्राज्यभोज्याधिपूज्य-श्रीगौरीनायकाभित्प्रकटनशिवरामार्यलब्धात्मबोधैः
।

श्रीमद्गोपालगीर्भिः
प्रकटितपरमाद्वैतभासास्मितास्य-श्रीमद्गोविन्दवाणीचरणकमलगो निर्वृतोऽहं यथालिः
॥ ४ ॥

The commentary the author himself writes for the above verse (this author
has on several occasions in the body of the gloss, given a commentary to
his own sentence which he feels require an elucidation for ease of
understanding of the reader):

मोक्षपुर्यां श्रीकाञ्च्यां श्रीकामाक्ष्या दत्तं पायसं देवैरपि स्तुतं
प्राज्यं = सम्पूर्णम्, प्रकृष्टाज्ययुक्तं वा यद्भोज्यमन्नं तेनाधिपूज्याः
श्रीशिवरामयोगिनः | किञ्च शिवश्चसौ रामश्चेति स्वनाम्ना श्री-गौरी-नायकयोरभेदं
प्रकटयन्ति, तेभ्यो गुरुभ्यो लब्धः आत्मबोधो यैः श्रीमद्गोपालसरस्वतीभिः
तैरित्यर्थः |

[In the holy city of Kanchi, the Mokshapuri, the Goddess Kamakshi graced a
special Paayasam that was praised even by the gods (there was an excessive
ghee-content in it), as food to be consumed was offered to Sri Shiva-rama
yogin. [He was the parameshthi guru of the Ratnaprabha author). By His very
name, a combination of 'Shiva and Rama', the revered Guru is declaring the
abheda between the Lords (Hari and Hara) of Sri (Lakshmi) and Gowri
(Parvathi).  Sri Gopala Saraswati, (the author's parama guru) was graced by
him.]

That the verse and the explanatory note are by the author himself is
confirmed by none other than the commentator Sri Purnaprakashananda
Saraswati, the author of the gloss called 'abhivyakta' on the Ratnaprabha:
[This book that contains the commentary only for the chatussutri of
Ratnaprabha was published by the Sringeri Peetham last year.]

ग्रन्थद्रष्टृणामनायासेन अर्थबोधाय स्वकृतश्लोकानां स्वयमेव व्याख्यामारभते -
मोक्षपुर्यामिति | ...अभित्पदस्याभेदार्थकत्वं कथयन् शिवराम इति स्वनाम्नैव
शिवरामयोर्वेदान्तेतिहास-पुराणप्रतिपाद्यमभेदं श्रीशिवरामयोगिनो
ज्ञापयन्तीत्यतो देवताकटाक्षलब्धाद्वैतनिष्ठापराश्च परमेष्ठिगुरव इत्येतमर्थं
स्फुटीकरोति  किञ्च शिवश्चसौ इति | स्वनाम्ना
इत्यनेनाद्वैतसाधकयुक्त्यन्वेषणाय तेषां चित्तव्यग्रता नास्तीति द्योत्यते |

[With a view to enable ease of comprehending the purport by the readers,
the author explains his own verse(s). By giving the 'abheda' meaning to the
word 'abhit', the author explains that the revered Guru, by his very name
is proclaiming the abheda between Shiva and Rama that is established in the
Vedanta, itihasas and puranas.  That the Guru had, by the grace of the
Goddess, gained deep establishment in the Advaita anubhava. By saying that
'by his very name...' the author indicates that the Guru had no need to
labor to engage in the reasoning, yukti, required for Advaitic anubhava.
....]

Thus, we have a very venerable author of the Advaita parampara who, even
though had Sri Rama for his ishTa devata, was not a bigot like the
non-advaitins.  Here are his other mangala shloka-s:

यमिह कारुणिकं शरणं गतोऽप्यरिसहोदर आप महत्पदम् ।
तमहमाशु हरिं परमाश्रये जनकजाङ्कमनन्तसुखाकृतिम् ॥ १ ॥

[Invoking the grace of Sri Rama, by worshiping whom even Vibhishana, the
brother of His enemy, Ravana, attained a great status (of the King of
Lanka).]

श्रीगौर्या सकलार्थदं निजपदाम्भोजेन मुक्तिप्रदं प्रौढं विघ्नवनं हरन्तमनघं
श्रीढुण्ढितुण्डासिना ।
वन्दे चर्मकपालिकोपकरणैर्वैराग्यसौख्यात्परं नास्तीति प्रदिशन्तमन्तविधुरं
श्रीकाशिकेशं शिवम् ॥ २ ॥

[Here is a prayer to Gowri, Ganapathi and Shiva as bestowers of all
purusharthas and mukti as well. He says about Shiva: He is indicating that
there is no greater bliss than VairAgya sukha. He is devoid of end;
ananta.   We are reminded of Vachaspati Misra's words 'शाश्वताय भवाय   ]

यत्कृपालवमात्रेण मूको भवति पण्डितः ।
वेदशास्त्रशरीरां तां वाणीं वीणाकरां भजे ॥ ३ ॥

[To the Goddess of speech, Saraswati.]

श्रीशङ्करं भाष्यकृतं प्रणम्य व्यासं हरिं सूत्रकृतं च वच्मि ।
श्रीभाष्यतीर्थे परहंसतुष्ट्यै वाग्जालबन्धच्छिदमभ्युपायम् ॥ ५ ॥

[To Shankara and Veda Vyasa, verily Hari, the sutra author...]

विस्तृतग्रन्थवीक्षायामलसं यस्य मानसम् ।
व्याख्या तदर्थमारब्धा भाष्यरत्नप्रभाभिधा ॥ ६ ॥

श्रीमच्छारीरकं भाष्यं प्राप्य वाक्शुद्धिमाप्नुयात् ।
इति श्रमो मे सफलो गङ्गां रथ्योदकं यथा ॥ ७ ॥

यदज्ञानसमुद्भूतमिन्द्रजालमिदं जगत् ।
सत्यज्ञानसुखानन्तं तदहं ब्रह्म निर्भयम् ॥ ८ ॥

[The Thatastha and svarupa lakshana of Brahman are woven into this verse
and the aikya anubhava too is indicated.]

His other works are:

Brahma sutra vishaya vakya vrtti (unpublished  R. 2471 MGOML)

VivarNopanyAsa - published by Chowkhamba.  It is an elucidation of the
Pancha Paadika Vivarana.  It contains both prose and verses.

Om Tat Sat