[Advaita-l] Shankara the unmatched Philosopher who lauded even his opponents

[V Subrahmanian]

A very unique feature of the Shaankara Bhaashya literature is the
extraordinary trait of the Bhashyakara who has expressed his appreciation
for even his opponent's doctrine wherever that aspect is not in
contradiction to Vedanta. The maxim 'paramatam apratishiddham anumatam
bhavati' bringing out the above idea is stated by Shankara in his Brahma
sutra Bhashya 2.4.12 in the context of the Yoga Darshana of Patanjali
Maharshi. Below are a few selections of this genre from the Bhashyam:

Nyaya:


श्रुतयः मोक्षप्रतिबन्धनिवृत्तिमात्रमेव आत्मज्ञानस्य फलं दर्शयन्ति । तथा च
आचार्यप्रणीतं न्यायोपबृंहितं सूत्रम् —
‘दुःखजन्मप्रवृत्तिदोषमिथ्याज्ञानानाम् उत्तरोत्तरापाये तदनन्तरापायादपवर्गः’
(न्या. सू. १ । १ । २) इति । मिथ्याज्ञानापायश्च
ब्रह्मात्मैकत्वविज्ञानाद्भवति ।

The noteworthy feature is that Shankara, who has refuted the nyaya
darshana, refers to the proponent thereof, Gautama Maharshi, as 'Acharya'
with utmost reverence, while citing a nyaya sutra.

Sankhya:

प्रोच्यते कथ्यते गुणसङ्ख्याने कापिले शास्त्रे तदपि गुणसङ्ख्यानशास्त्रं
गुणभोक्तृविषये प्रमाणमेव । परमार्थब्रह्मैकत्वविषये यद्यपि विरुध्यते, तथापि
ते हि कापिलाः गुणगौणव्यापारनिरूपणे अभियुक्ताः इति तच्छास्त्रमपि
वक्ष्यमाणार्थस्तुत्यर्थत्वेन उपादीयते इति न विरोधः ।

In the Bh.gita Bhashya 18.19, Shankara says: Even that philosophy teaching
about the gunas is certainly vaild so far as it concerns the experiencer of
the gunas, though it is contradictory so far as the non-duality of the
supreme Reality, Brahman, is concerned. Those followers of Kapila are
acknowldged authorities in the ascertainment of the functions of the gunas
and their derivatives. Hence, that scripture, too, is being referred to by
way of eulogy of the subject-matter going to be spoken of. Therefore there
is no contradiction.

Bauddha:

In the BSB 2.2.19, dealing with the Bauddha darshana, Shankara lists the
causal factors that lead to samsara and its perpetuation as per their
doctrine and says that 'certainly these are acceptable not just to the
Bauddha but to all schools without refuting':

ते चाविद्यादयः — अविद्या संस्कारः विज्ञानं नाम रूपं षडायतनं स्पर्शः वेदना
तृष्णा उपादानं भवः जातिः जरा मरणं शोकः परिदेवना दुःखं दुर्मनस्ता —
इत्येवंजातीयकाः इतरेतरहेतुकाः सौगते समये क्वचित्संक्षिप्ता निर्दिष्टाः,
क्वचित्प्रपञ्चिताः; सर्वेषामपि अयम् अविद्यादिकलापः अप्रत्याख्येयः |

The maxim 'paramatam apratiShiddham anumatam bhavati' stated by Shankara
himself (that which is non-contradictory in the opponent school is
admissible to us). Shankara has paid due credit to Yoga, Sankhya,
Vaisheshika, Pancharatra, and even Bauddha, etc. wherever their
tenet/contribution is acceptable to Vedantins.

In the Pancharatra adhikaraNa, Brahma sutra bhashya, 2.2.42.. Shankara, at
the outset, says: That Bhagavan Vasudeva (Brahman) has to be worshiped by
various means, contemplated upon without break, etc. is quite acceptable to
us, the Vedantins, since the worship of Ishwara is quite popular in the
Shruti and Smriti.

Thus we see this feature of happily acknowledging, recognizing, accepting,
those aspects of a non-Vedantic doctrine, as long as these are not in
conflict with Vedanta. One can experience that there is no bitterness in
Shankara's bhashya with respect to his opponents. This is a very unique
feature found in Shankara as the Bhashyakara.


एषा शंकरभारती विजयते निर्वाणसंदायिनी

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