[Advaita-l] Rudra and ambica

[Kaushik Chevendra]

On Mon 9 Nov, 2020, 1:11 PM , <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:

> This is advice for all list members not just Kaushik.  When you are
> replying to a message, delete all extra material except for the exact
> words you are responding too.  As well as causing extra waste for those
> members who receive advaita-l in digest mode, it makes it hard to read.
> In this case there is only one new line, in the middle of my entire quoted
> message.  I assumed Kaushik had accidently reposted my message.  It's only
> looking at it again just now I realize he is continuing the conversation.
>
I will keep it in mind sir.

>
>
> Anyway,
>
> On Sat, 24 Oct 2020, Kaushik Chevendra wrote:
>
> > I might be wrong sir. But this verse occurs in shatapatha brahmana and
> > krishna yajurveda also.
> >
>
> I'm not familiar with krishnayajurveda but I can tell you this mantra (it
> is a yajuh not a verse btw) does not occur in the Shatapatha Brahmana
> itself though it is quoted there in the discussion on the Tryambakeshti.
> (SB 2.6.2)
>
> The difference between the shukla and krishna yajurvedas is that in the
> former, the mantras and brahmanas are separated whereas in the latter they
> are not.
>
> But anyway the SB casts further light on the meaning.  There is a
> Sayanabhashya on the Madhyandina shaka of SB and Hariswami is also an
> authoritative commentator.  I have consulted both and learned a few other
> interesting details.
>
> When the Devas fought against Vrtrasura many of them were slain by
> arrows but by propitiating Rudra by means of this Tryambakeshti, they were
> brought back to life.  (Although the text and commentaries don't
> specifically say it, this shows another meaning of Mrtyunjaya don't you
> think?)
>
> Ambika is explicitly said to be the sister of Rudra.  The Sayanabhashya
> just prefunctorily glosses this and there is no mention in it of autumn,
> disease etc.
>
Do the commentators give any specific reason as to why she is called so sir?

>
> This sister Ambika has equal rights to the havan offerings as Her brother.
> Thus the name Tryambaka is explained as Striyambaka ("together with a
> woman")
>
> The sacrificial pashu is described by by Mahidharacharya as a Mushika
> which is usually translated as mouse or rat (think of Ganesha Bhagavans
> vahana for instance.) but this appears to be wrong because SB describes it
> as living in a burrow.  (The offerings are placed in the burrow and the
> animal is not actually killed.)  The English translator of SB calls it
> "mole" but that is also incorrect IMO because the mole is not native to
> India.  It seems to me that it should be what in Gujarati is called
> "chhuchhundar" which wikipedia tells me is the "Asian Musk Shrew." or
> "Indian Musk Shrew" but not the muskrat which is a yet different animal.
>
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>