[Advaita-l] A sample of Vedanta in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam

[V Subrahmanian]

A sample of Vedanta in Kalidasa's Kumarasambhavam

In this video, http://vidmixz.com/watch/Dp6WfRj6Tuc    from 38 minutes to
42 minutes, the eminent scholar MM Sri S.T.Nagaraja Sharma, in his talk on
'Kaavya-Shaastra sambandha', gives an illustration for the point he is
making: someone who is an adept in the shaastra (here, Vedanta) too will
benefit greatly by studying the kaavya (in this case the Kumarasambhavam of
Kalidasa). The scholar takes two instances from the Canto 2 of the text to
demonstrate this. Here are the two verses along with Mallinatha's (an
Advaitin of the early 14 Century ) commentary:

Scholars have concluded that Kalidasa's (pre 5th Century CE, cited by
Kumarila Bhatta too) this work is based on the Shiva Purana and the Skanda
Purana.

http://www.archive.org/details/KumarasambhavaCantosI-vii-SanskritCommentaryEnglishTranslationNotes

This pdf contains a long reproduction of the Shiva Purana itself at the
beginning to give the readers the proof of the above claim.

That these works have been the source material for Kalidasa's kaavya, at
such a pre-Shaankaran era speaks volumes about the Vedantin's high regard
for these purana-s.  Shankara has cited from the Shiva Purana in the Vishnu
Sahasra Naama bhashyam for bringing out the Paratva of Rudra. So too has
Sridhara Swamin in the Vishnu Purana commentary.

[I am not explaining the Advaitic import of the verses, which are best
savored by listening to the video talk in those four minutes. Even those
not versed in Kannada can appreciate the talk as it is full of Sanskrit.]

Here Brahmaa is addressed by the deva-s as the Parabrahman, the One-only
without a second, prior to creation, who takes the three forms of the
Trimurtis on creation.

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/6c6
कुमारसम्भवम् - मल्लिनाथः/द्वितीयः सर्गः


स्तुतिप्रकारमाह `नमः' इत्यादिभिर्द्वादशभिः श्लेकैः -

*नमस्त्रिमूर्तये तुभ्यं प्राक्सृष्टेः केवलात्मने ।**गुणत्रयविभागाय
पश्चाद्भेदमुपेयुषे ।। २.४ ।।*
*https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/giirvaani/giirvaani/ks/sarga/02_ks.htm
<https://sanskritdocuments.org/sites/giirvaani/giirvaani/ks/sarga/02_ks.htm>*

 "Oh, god, manifesting thyself as an indivisible single soul prior to the
creation of universe thou didst diverge into various ramifications just to
devise the triunity of characteristics like sattva, rajas, tamo guNA-s,
namely placidly, activity and stolidity; our salutations to thee - the
embodiment of trinity - Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara... all praise to thee...
[2-4]


     अन्वयः- (हे भगवन् !) सृष्टेः प्राक् केवलात्मने पश्चात् गुणत्रयविभागाय
भेदम् उपेयुषे (अतएव त्रिमूर्तये तुभ्यं नमः । )
     मल्लिo- नम इति । हे भगवन्नित्यध्याहार्यं व्याख्येयम् । सृष्टेः प्राक्
। `अन्यारात्-' इत्यादिनाञ्चूत्तरपदयोगे पञ्चमी । केवलात्मन एकरुपाय । `आत्मा
वा इदमेक एवाग्र आसीत्' इति श्रुतेः `निर्णिते केवलमिति त्रिलिङ्गं
त्वेक्कृत्स्नयोः' इत्यमरः । पश्चात्सृष्टिप्रवृत्तिकाले । विभज्यतेऽनेनेति
विभागः । गुणानां सत्त्वादीनां त्रयमेव विभागो यस्य तस्मै । `गुणाः सत्त्वं
रजस्तमः' इत्यमरः । भेदमुपाधिम् । सष्टृत्वादिकमित्यर्थः । उपेयषे प्रात्पवते
। `उपेयिवाननाश्वाननूचानश्च' इति निपातः । अत एव त्रिमूर्तये
ब्रह्मविष्णुरुद्ररुपिणे तुभ्यं नमः । `नमः स्वस्ति-' इत्यादिना चतुर्थिं ।
उक्तं च-- `नमो रजोजुषे सृष्टौ स्थितौ सत्त्वमयाय च । तमोरुपाय संहारे
त्रिरुपाय स्वयंभूवे ।।' इति ।. २.४ ।।


तव तु न प्रपञ्चस्येव जन्मतिरोधानज्ञानेषु परापेक्षेत्याह-

*आत्मानमात्मना वेत्सि सृजस्यात्मानमात्मना ।**आत्मना कृतिना च त्वमात्मन्येव
प्रलीयसे ।। २.१० ।।*
You are self-aware of yourself, a self-begotten entity, and as a
self-accomplished one you convolve in your own self - unlike other created
beings that seek dependencies from Providence for awareness about
themselves, begetters for begetting them, and finally on Time-god for their
discontinuation from this world... to such independent entity as you are...
all praise to thee... [2-10]


     अन्वयः- (हे भगवन् !) त्वम् आत्मानम् आत्मना वेत्सि, आत्मानम् आत्मना
सृजसि, त्वं कृतिना आत्मना आत्मनि एव प्रलीयसे ।
     मल्लिo- आत्मानमिति ।। हे भगवन्, त्वमात्मानं लोकानुग्रहार्थं
ब्रह्मरूपेणोत्पिपादयिषितं स्वस्वरूपमात्मनैव वेत्सि जानासि । सर्वापि क्रिया
कर्तव्यार्थज्ञानपूर्विकेति भावः । तथात्मानमात्मनैव । आत्मन्येवेत्यत्रापि
संबध्यते । स्वस्मिन्नेव सृजसि । अधिष्ठानमपि स्वयमेवेत्यर्थः । `स्वेमहिम्नि
प्रतिष्ठितम्' इति श्रुतेः । कृतिना समर्थेन । इदं सर्वत्र सम्बध्यते । आत्मना
स्वेनैवात्मन्येव प्रलीयसे स्वस्मिन्नेव' प्रलीनो भवसि ।
लीयतेर्दैवादिकात्कर्तरि लट् । `प्रकृत्यादिभ्य उपसंख्यानम्' इति
वार्तिकात्सर्वत्रात्मनेति तृतीया । न हि ते प्रपञ्चस्येव ज्ञानोत्पत्तिलयेषु
परापेक्षेति फलितार्थः ।। २.१० ।।


One can enjoy the beauty of the kaavya-shaastra sambandha by listening to
the video series.  It is worth its while.  A huge lot of unknown things
come to be known.  Prostrations to that scholar and his scholarship.


regards

subrahmanian.v