[Advaita-l] Vishnu, donning the Bhasma Tripundra, meditates on Shiva - Harivamsha

[V Subrahmanian]

This post is a citation of the preface to a book in Kannada by
Mahamahopadhyaya (late) Sri Ranganatha Sharma in Kannada. He has cited
verses from Harivamsha, etc. to show that if people, owing to ignorance or
ill-disposition, think Shiva is someone lesser than Vishnu, the cited
verses dispel such an attitude. One verse, from Harivamsha he has cited is:

भास्वत्त्रिपुण्ड्रो भसितैः सितः सन्
मौनी जटी वल्कलवान् मुकुन्दः |
निरन्तरं चेतसि चन्द्रचूडं
विचिन्तयन् पञ्च जजाप वर्णान् || [Reference not given]

[Mukunda, donning the tripundra with bhasma, bright, observing mauna, with
matted hair and clad in bark dress, incessantly thinking of Chandrachuda in
his mind, chanted the panchAkshari - namaH shivaaya.]

Readers may share the images with their Kannada-knowing friends.

He has also cited a verse from the Lingapurana:

सूत उवाच।।
एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवं दंडवत्प्रणिपत्य च।। [alt: कृत्वा पाशुपतं व्रतम्]
जजाप रुद्रं भगवान्कोटिवारं जले स्थितः।। ७१.९८ ।।

Lord Vishnu, having saluted and praised Rudra, prostrated to him by
completely laying his body to the ground. Vishnu stood in water and chanted
the Sri Rudra japa a crore times. This reminds us of a Vaidika Shiva Bhakta
of the Tamil land, named ‘Rudra Pasupathi Naayanar’ :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudra_Pasupathi_Nayanar
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FRudra_Pasupathi_Nayanar%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR39Av5ROcf7eIPDPgQ9TVRZLWefwNmCbfVr_VojS16uWdzZt1oV96sz5Qs&h=AT3-KaCQ41nWV0i-aHXwICHTcn_xqGRPgtt83rV6DQpE0W7rMK6JUCeRX1oltkau9bVC6MzC9_bThR9E89TxOxgRSz_uYsj4e5s5TK27UcfXGkALmsWnnFpBetlxNZ0FTIY4P_3AEwnLVovSCEgHbIuhy1nL05VA>
and
a A short Tamil documentary on Sri Rudra Pasupathy Nayanar:
https://youtu.be/LbIIiSp11xk
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FLbIIiSp11xk%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0nsW9m4CYoDvNhd4OcKUiZrNu9WBn3e5SPmMDklbzsYR7AdPY8i0EH5GM&h=AT3cod7mz7ZqRmZjZLokDE_9_0rmDdqI4hxSWmFwYFxcekL7IxPNfC73KCgqTL6FtmRZtJqksHFmEL0W2pN1Kkhte2eidliccJtAdctLhEYDjBcBJwZqH6JC0coAJCsDZNJWjQFeQynTH6YhNuNART3BlZ4DhNm1>What
is astounding is that Lord Vishnu adopted the same method of chanting the
Sri Rudram (Shatarudriyam of the Krishna Yajur Veda which is extremely
popular among smarta-s alone) in praise of Shiva alone ] by standing in the
water just as the Tamil Vaidika Saint who has attained immortality both
ways: in his own life and in the Tamil History called Periya Puranam.

See this post too:
https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/shiva-is-narayana-for-narayana/

The preface of MM Sri Ranganatha Sharma was for a book on the Shiva Sahasra
Nama of the Mahabharata which was translated by another eminent scholar of
Advaita Sri Sheshachala Sharma who taught in the Govt. Jayachamarajendra
Sanskrit College, Bengaluru.  This was translated to English and published
by the Chinmaya Mission:

https://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/sivasahasranama-stotra-ratnam-NAK496/

One can read the preface in the above link in English.  The book, in
English can be purchased by visiting the above link.

The Harivamsha verse cited above is not to be found in the extant editions
of the Harivamsha on the internet. Those that are not on the internet have
not been searched. It is to be noted that the BORI when preparing the
critical edition of the Harivamsha has said that it has examined not less
than 36 manuscripts.  That shows that there have been countless manuscripts
in vogue in the ancient times.

Those desirous of reading the preface of MM Sri Ranganatha Sharma in his
original Kannada may visit:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/vedaonline/permalink/2210251862577746/

regards

subbu

 Om Tat Sat