[Advaita-l] 'Ekan anEkan' of Tamil Sivapuranam and 'EkAnEka..' of Vishnu Puranam

[V Subrahmanian]

In the following Vishnu Puranam verse, Brahman is stated to be One and
Many. Sridhara Swamin comments: One as the unmanifest and Many in the
manifest forms.   विष्णुपुराणम्/प्रथमांशः/अध्यायः २
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1smu

एकानेकस्वरूपाय स्थूलसूक्ष्मात्मने नमः ।
अव्यक्तव्यक्तरूपाय विष्णवे मुक्तिहेतवे ॥३॥

We find a fine similarity in the ancient Tamil Saiva song:
https://ta.wikisource.org/s/6m01
Manikkavachagar says:

 நமச்சிவாய வா அழ்க! நாதன் தாள் வாழ்க! Namachchivaaya vaaazhga! naadhan
thall vaazhgal
இமைப்பொழுதும் என்நெஞ்சில் நீங்காதான் தாள் வாழ்க! Imaippozhudhum ennengjil
neenggaadhan thallvaazhga!
கோகழி ஆண்ட குருமனிதன் தாள் வாழ்க! Kõgazhi aannda gurumannithan thaall
vaazhga!
ஆகமம் ஆகிநின்று அண்ணிப்பான் தாள் வாழ்க! Aaga mam aaginindiu annnnippaan
tbalı vaazhga!

In this song, the following line is the one which is in perfect tune with
the Vishnu Puranam verse cited above:
ஏகன் அனேகன் இறைவன் அடிவாழ்க!
Egan anēgan irraivan adi vaazhga!

The meaning given to the Tamil line is also the same as the one given for
the Vishnu Puranam verse.  That which is by default One alone takes
countless forms in the creation.

In the Brahma sutra bhashya, in the Bhagavata/Pancharatra adhikaranam,
Shankara cites a Chandogya passage in support of the doctrine of this
school:  2.2.42    तत्र यत्तावदुच्यते — योऽसौ नारायणः
परोऽव्यक्तात्प्रसिद्धः परमात्मा सर्वात्मा, स आत्मनात्मानमनेकधा
व्यूह्यावस्थित इति — तन्न निराक्रियते, *‘ स एकधा भवति त्रिधा भवति’ (छा. उ.
७ । २६ । २) इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः परमात्मनोऽनेकधाभावस्याधिगतत्वात्*

There alone, in the bhashyam for 2.2.44, Shankara observes:

न चैते भगवद्व्यूहाश्चतुःसंख्यायामेवावतिष्ठेरन् , ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तस्य
समस्तस्यैव जगतो भगवद्व्यूहत्वावगमात् ॥ ४४ ॥

It is not that the manifestations of Bhagavan are restricted to just four;
the entire creation consisting of Brahmaa up to the smallest creature, is
known from the Shruti to be the forms of Bhagavan.

Thus, we have such a fine correspondence across the Shaiva, Vaishnava and
the Upanishadic streams.

regards
subbu