[Advaita-l] 'Sauram' in the Mahabharata

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Mahabharata there is the episode of Yudhishthira obtaining the
'akshaya paatram' after worshiping Surya Bhagavan.  This stuti of
Yudhishthira contains the idea of JagatkaaraNatvam of Surya:

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1u8

त्वामिन्द्रमाहुस्त्वं रुद्रस्त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं प्रजापतिः।
त्वमग्निस्त्वं मनः सूक्ष्मं प्रभुस्त्वं ब्रह्मशाश्वतं ।। 3-3-41a
3-3-41b
[You are Indra, Rudra, Vishnu, Prajapati (Brahmaa)]

In the same chapter, after the above stuti, there is the collection of 108
names of Surya which also has the Trimurti aikya idea, portraying Surya as
the Turiya Brahman:

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च स्कन्दो वैश्रवणो यमः ।।

[Surya is Brahmaa, Vishnu, Rudra, Skanda....]

See here for the 108 names:
https://indiaplus.co.in/surya-ashtottara-shatanama-stotram/

We have another Surya stuti, by VasishTha, in the Mahabharata which also
brings out the JagatkaaraNatvam of Surya:   https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1p9


नमः सवित्रे जगदेकचक्षुषे
जगत्प्रसूतिस्थितिनाशहेतवे।
त्रयीमयाय त्रिगुणात्मधारिणे
विरिञ्चनारायणशङ्करात्मने।।

The above stuti is recited by Smarta-s of the Tamil sampradaya during their
trikaala sandhyaa vandanam.

The Surya Upanishad, of the 108 Upanishads has this prayer:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/suryopan.html?lang=sa

त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि । त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं विष्णुरसि । त्वमेव
प्रत्यक्षं रुद्रोऽसि ।


  This idea is Vedanta-friendly and finds expression in Advaita Upasana.

Thus, we have the Saura theme in the MB.  The Shaakta is found in Kurma
Puranam.

Regards
subbu