[Advaita-l] Was Shankaracharya a Vaishnava??

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

On Thu, 11 Jun 2020, P R via Advaita-l wrote:

> I have had this question for a long time whether Shankaracharya was a
> Vaishnava

Sorry I am replying very late to this but it is an interesting question.
Typically the South Indian Vaishnavas have been more antagonistic on 
this issue it seems, having the notion that Shankaracharyas was almost 
some kind of demon or atleast intended to sow confusion in dharmic 
matters.  I'm Gujarati and our Vaishnavas often take a more conciliatory 
approach.  They claim that he "really" was a Vaishnava and all this 
Mayavada talk was just a sop to the Buddhists etc.


> I have listed a few reasons for it
> 1. The Geetha Bhashya starts with the mangalacharana as Narayanaha paro
> avyaktha.

This is necessary to illustrate because the Gita contains a lot of 
Samkhya/Yoga terminology.  (In the standard colophons it is even described 
as a samkhyayoga shastra.)  But in Samkhya the universe evolves from the 
pradhana or avyakta (prakriti in its unmanifest state) which is jada. 
This is contrary to the Vedantic siddhanta that self-knowing Brahman is 
the cause of the universe.  Thus Shankaracharya frequently in his works 
emphasizes that Narayana (by which is meant Brahman) is higher than the 
avyakta.


> 2. Geetha Adhyaya 18 Shloka 61
> Ishwara sarva bhutanam hrudeshe arjuna tishtathi
> Here shankaracharya comments as Eshwara eshanasheelaha narayana ityartha

As other readers have replied to you, what Shankaracharya means by 
Narayana is more than the chaturbhuja Vishnu dwelling in Vaikuntha.

> 3. The 3 amnaya peethas established by him were in vaishnava places viz
> badrinath ,puri,dwaraka. Some people also believed that he had stayed in
> kanchi for a long time which has the shrine of Varadaraja

True but he also established the Shivalinga and shrichakra in those 
places.


> 4. During his mother's last days,shankaracharya gave him Krishna mantra
> upadesha and composed bhaja govindam

This is because she was an ardent devotee of the Madhava mandir in Kalati.

Sanskrit kavis delight in slesha or double-entendre. Govinda as well as 
being a name of Vishnu Bhagavan is the name of Shankaracharyas guru.  So 
bhaja govindam can mean "worship Vishnu" or "worship the guru"


> 5. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad :- eshate mama atma antaryami amrutaha
> here while commenting shankaracharya has given the mening of antaryami as
> narayana
>

Same explanation as 2.


There is one important and relevant piece of evidence that you didn't 
mention which is the bhashya on Brahmasutra 2.2.44.  This deals with the 
nastikata of the chaturvyuhavada of the pancharatra agamas.

"Concerning this system we wish to remark that we do not intend to 
controvert the doctrine that Narayana, who is higher than the avyakta who 
is the highest Self and the Self of all, reveals Himself by dividing 
Himself in multiple ways; for various scriptural passages such as "He is 
onefold, He is threefold" (Chandogyopanishad 7.26.2) teaches us the 
highest Self appears in manifold forms.  Nor do we mean to object to the 
inculculation of unceasing concentration of mind on the Highest Being 
which appears in the Bhagavata doctrine under the forms of reverential 
approach etc.[1]; for that we are to meditate on the Lord we know full 
well from Smrti and Shruti."

[1]Earlier in that same section Shankaracharya described the methods by 
which these Bhagavatas worshipped ("reverential approach" etc.)

"The believer after having worshipped Vasudeva for a hundred years [i.e.
all his life] by means of reverential approach to the Temple (abhigamana),
procuring of things to be offered (upadana), oblation (ijya), recitation
of prayers etc. (svadhyaya), and devout meditation (yoga) passes beyond
all affliction and reaches the Highest Being."

So we can see that Shankaracharya is not at all opposed to Vaishnava 
practice but only certain Vaishnava doctrines which prevent the sadhaka 
from realizing "the highest Self, the Self of all."  (And that is also his 
view towards Shaivas, Shaktas etc.)

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>