[Advaita-l] A Raghuvamsha verse that reminds us of the Upanishads, Bhagavatam and many other works

[V Subrahmanian]

A Raghuvamsha verse that reminds us of the Upanishads, Bhagavatam and many
other works.
In the Raghuvamsham of Kalidasa, here is a verse in praise of Bhagavan
Vishnu:
बहुधाऽप्ययागमैर्भिन्नाः पन्थानः सिद्धिहेतवः ।
त्वय्येव निपतन्त्योघा जाह्नवीया इवार्णवे ।।२६।।
The very many paths intended to lead to the Supreme attainment,
Purushartha, end up in realizing You alone as the ultimate Goa., just as
the rivers such as Gnangaa have the ocean alone as their goal.
Mallinatha's commentary:
व्याख्या- बहुधेति । आगमैस्रयीसांख्यादिभिर्दर्शनैर्बहुधा भिन्ना अपि
सिद्धिहेतवः पुरुषार्थसाधकाः पन्थान उपाया जाह्नव्या इमे जाह्नवीया गाङ्गाः
।'वृद्धाच्छः'
इति छप्रत्ययः। ओघाः प्रवाहाः तेऽप्यागमैरागतिभिर्बहुधाा भिन्नाः
सिद्धिहेतवश्च अर्णव इव त्वय्येव निपतन्ति प्रविशन्ति। येन केनापि रूपेण
त्वामेवोपयान्तीत्यर्थः। यथाहुराचार्याः--'किं बहुना कारवोऽपि
विश्वकर्मेत्युपासते' इति।।२६।।
The commentary only elucidates the verse. In the footnote, the editor cites
a verse from the Padmapurana:
यथाद्रिप्रभवा नद्यः पर्जन्यापूरिताः प्रभो ।
विशन्ति सर्वतः सिन्धुमध्वानस्त्वां तथाखिलाः ||
The above verse is not traceable upon a search but a similar verse with a
mild variation, in the last quarter, though of the same meaning, is
available in the Srimadbhagavatam: 10.40.10:
यथाद्रिप्रभवा नद्यः पर्जन्यापूरिताः प्रभो ।
विशन्ति सर्वतः सिन्धुं तद्वत्त्वां गतयोऽन्ततः ॥ १०॥
As rivers born from the mountains and filled by the rain flow from all
sides into the sea, so do all these paths in the end reach You, O master.
There is a popular verse of Pushpadanta, from the Mahimna stotram:
त्रयी सांख्यं योगः पशुपतिमतं वैष्णवमिति
प्रभिन्ने प्रस्थाने परमिदमदः पथ्यमिति च ।
रुचिनां वैचित्र्याद्ऋजुकुटिलनानापथजुषां
नृणामेको गम्यस्त्वमसि पयसामर्णव इव ॥
Oh God! there are many scriptures like vedas, saankhya and yoga. Owing to
varied tastes of aspirants, these paths are straight
or crooked. But all the paths actually lead to you only. Just like water
from all rivers reach the sea following their own paths.
The analogy here reminds us of the following Mundakopanishad mantra:
यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रेऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय।
तथा विद्वान्नमरूपाद्विमुक्तः परात्परं पुरूषमुपैति दिव्यम्।।3.2.8।।
As rivers in their flowing reach their home in the ocean and cast off their
names and forms, even so one who knows the Truth is delivered from name and
form and reaches the Supreme beyond all cause-effect duality.
Also there is the Chandogya Upanishad that has the same theme of the
analogy:
इमाः सोम्य नद्यः पुरस्तात्प्राच्यः स्यन्दन्ते पश्चात्प्रतीच्यस्ताः
समुद्रात्समुद्रमेवापियन्ति स समुद्र एव भवति ता यथा तत्र न
विदुरियमहमस्मीयमहमस्मीति ॥ १ ॥ 6.10.1.
"These rivers, my dear, flow, the eastern toward the east and the western
toward the west. They arise from the sea and flow into the sea. Just as
these rivers, while they are in the sea, do not know: 'I am this river' or
'I am that river,' "Even so, my dear, all these creatures, even though they
have come from Pure Being, do not know that they have come from Pure Being.
Whatever these creatures are, here in this world-a tiger, a lion, a wolf a
boar, a worm, a fly, a gnat, or a mosquito, that they become again.
The various schools that are enumerated in the Srimadbhagavatam are: (As
cited as examples, by some commentators, as from Padma Puranam):
शैवाः सौराश्च गाणेशा वैष्णवाः शक्तिपूजकाः ।
मामेव प्राप्नुवन्तीह वर्षाम्भः सागरं यथा ॥
एकोऽहं पञ्चधा जातः क्रीडयन्नामभिः किल ।
देवदत्तो यथा कश्चित्पुत्राद्य्आह्वाननामभिः ॥ ६.८८.४३४४] इति ।
Sri Madhusudana Saraswati, in his Gudharthadipika commentary to the
Bhagavadgita, has composed a verse at the end of the 15th chapter, perhaps
inspired by the above:
शैवाः सौराश्च गाणेशा वैष्णवाः शक्तिपूजकाः।
भवन्ति यन्मयाः सर्वे सोहमस्मि परः शिवः।।3।
'I am that Supreme Śiva (Brahman) which is what the Śaivas, Sauras,
Gāṇeśas, Vaiśṇavas, Śāktas meditate upon.'
The schools stated here are: Shaiva, Saura, GaaNesha, Vaishnava, Shakti.
However, there are others too that are included in the
Bhagavatam itself, in the verses prior to the one cited above:
The Vaidika-s - those who devoutly engage in Vedic sacrifices, those who
are devoted to the Jnana Marga, the Vedantins, the Sankhyas, Yoga-s
(Patanjala), etc.
Sridharaswamin's commentary for the Bhagavatam 10.40.10 cited above is
attached as an image. The commentary to the next verse is also attached
here for Sridhara Swamin holding 'all effects from Brahma to the lowest
creature are non-different from Brahman.'
The commentary, interestingly, uses the adjective 'Rju-kuTila' (straight
and crooked) which is in the Mahimna stotram, also cited above.
Thus, we have from the above scriptural works that all aspirants following
whichever path, ultimately attain to the same Supreme Brahman.
Om Tat Sat