[Advaita-l] [advaitin] 'Shiva Bhujana Stotram' is of Shankaracharya

[Vinodh]

Namaskaram,

In his discourse on the topic of dating Shankaracharya's period, Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi has said the following with regard to Shiva
Bhujanga Stothram.

न शक्नोमि कर्तुं परद्रोहलेशं
कथं प्रीयसे त्वं न जाने गिरीश ।
तथा हि प्रसन्नोऽसि कस्यापि कान्ता –
सुतद्रोहिणो वा पितृद्रोहिणो वा ॥ १३ ॥

The use of the words 'suthaa drohi' (betrayer of one's son) which is a
reference to Siruthonda Naayanaar, who lived in the 7th century AD and is
said to have sacrificed his own son due to his devotion to Ishwara. Using
this reference, some researchers claim that Acharya's avatharam cannot be
before the later part of the 7th century AD. However, Sri
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi believes that is there a possibility that
some others who came after Acharya like Krupa Sankarar, Ujjvala Sankarar,
Muka Sankarar, Abhinava Sankarar etc would have made this stothra: "*There
could have been some among these [**others who came after Acharya like
Krupa Sankarar, Ujjvala Sankarar, Muka Sankarar, Abhinava Sankarar etc**]
who would have made sthothra. As is common with the passage of time, such
sthothras also came to be believed as those of Adi Sankara. Siva Bhujanga
Sthothra which talks of 'Suthaa dhrohi' could also be one such. Therefore
it would not be correct to determine a date on the basis of a single
reference."*

*Relevant excerpts from the discourse:*


*Objection*

Acharya has made a sloka called 'Bhujanga Prayaatham'. In that every line
has twelve alphabets. 'Siva Bhujangam' is one of the sthothras in it. In
that he says, 'I do not know how to please you. I am not capable of
betraying others. But you bestow yours blessings on one who betrayed his
wife, one who betrayed his son, and one who betrayed his father.' This is a
kind of 'Nindha stuthi (what looks like abuse is in fact a form of praise):
Kaantha dhrohi, suthaa dhrohi, pithru dhrohi - here three Naayanmaars have
been referred to.


'Kaantha drohi' was a Naayanaar called "Iyarpagai Naayanaar'. Iswara came
as a devotee and asked him to give his wife and he readily gave her.
Subsequently it also ended happily as in the story of Siruthondar. Except
that Iyarpagai Naayanaar was a merchant and nothing is known about his
period.


Siruthondar is the 'Sutha dhrohi'. He was the commander-in-chief of
Narasimha Varma's army when he invaded Vathapi in 7th century AD and
defeated the Chaalukya king. Later, when Narasimha Varman came to know that
he was a great Siva bhakta he felt sorry that he was being involved i wars,
sought his apology and retired him from service and sent him to a place
giving him sufficient gifts. It was only after that he had a child and the
rest of the story happened.


Therefore, say the researchers, Acharya's Avatharam could not have taken
place before the later part of 7th century AD.


*Response*

What is our answer for the reference to Siruthondar of the 7th century AD
as Suthaa drohi?


It is not correct to say that Acharya would have not made any bhakthi
sthothra. Even then it is doubtful if all the sthothras now being mentioned
as those of Acharya were made by him. He must have authored sthothras like
Soundarya Lahari, Sivaananda Lahari, Bhaja Govindham, Subrahmanya
Bhujangam, Kanakadhaaraasthvam etc. Yet when we see some of the sthothras
we find internal evidence to the contrary. (For example) 'Devi Aparadha
kshamapana Sthothram' is said to be that of Acharya. In that is is said 'A
bad son may be born; but a bad mother is never born'. :


Kuputhro jaayathe kwachithapi kumaatha na bhavathi


In that it is clearly said 'If you do not show your compassion to me when I
am over 85 years, where will I seek refuge?' Could Acharya who lived only
for 32 years have said like this?


Which is the one done by Sankara? In the Mutts founded by Acharya any
number of Swamis have come with the name Sankaracharya. Among them there
are many who have had 'Sankara' in their sanyasa name also like Krupa
Sankarar, Ujjvala Sankarar, Muka Sankarar, Abhinava Sankarar etc. In
Sringeri they refer to one Vidhya Sankarar with great respect. *There could
have been some among these who would have made sthothra. As is common with
the passage of time, such sthothras also came to be believed as those of
Adi Sankara. Siva Bhujanga Sthothra which talks of 'Sudhaa dhrohi' could
also be one such. Therefore it would not be correct to determine a date on
the basis of a single reference. *

On Mon, Dec 6, 2021 at 11:46 AM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Bhaskararaya (Bhāskararāya Makhin) (1690–1785) in his commentary
> 'Soubhagyabhaskara' to the Lalita Sahasra Nama, to the nama 'Parashakti'
> cites a line from the Shiva Bhujana Stotram and says that this is authored
> by Bhagavatpada. पराशक्तिमित्रं नुमः पञ्चवक्त्रमिति
> भगवत्पादानां प्रयोगाद्यद्येकं पदं तदा पराशक्त्यै नम इत्येव प्रयुज्यताम् |
> https://sringeri.net/stotras/shivastotrani/shivabhujangam
>
>     From this we can infer that this work was popularly known/accepted as
> that of Shankaracharya even in the 18 Century and surely before that too.
>
> warm regards
> subbu
>
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