[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Vishnu is Brahma and Shiva as well - Bhishma in MB

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

It is like this. A wise woman knows that all persons are Brahman only and
there is nothing but Brahman. Aham Brahmasmi is true for every person. But
she will not make the mistake of treating all men as her husband. Her
husband is special to her though she accepts other men also as Brahma
Svarupa.

A Bhakta has special affection and love for his Ishta Devata. He accepts
the Abheda between Vishnu and Shiva but still has special Bhakti to one of
them as Ishta Devata. There is nothing wrong in this.

On Wed, 10 Aug 2022 at 4:59 PM Bhaskar YR via Advaita-l <
advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

> praNAms
> Hare Krishna
>
> Yes in smruti text vishNu is shiva & brahmA and in some other purANa shiva
> is brahmA and vishNu and again in yet another purANa devi is
> trimUrtyAtmaka.  All these upAdhi vishishta daiva tattva-s which we are
> worshipping/meditating  saying that the tattva behind all these prateeka-s
> or upAsya devata-s is ONE and the same.  But having said this can we deny
> the bheda in upAdhi through which these tattva cognizable to us ??
> Definitely I don’t think so.  Yes, from the transcendental point of view
> there is no bheda between shiva & vishNu, likewise there is no bheda in
> jeeva & Ishwara as well.  So from that point of view there is no duality
> whatsoever.  But when we are in the vyavahAra, when we are doing the
> prateeka upAsana, when we are assuming ourselves as upAsaka/bhakta/dhyAni
> the upAsya devata also would be different and upAsana vidhi also will be
> different, archanAdi vidhi will be different, viniyOga vedic mantra will be
> different, AkAra and attire of the upAsya devata will be different and more
> importantly the phala of upAsana also will be different when we are doing
> vividha devata upAsana as prescribed in scriptures.  For example we don’t
> use/chant laghunyAsa or mahAnyAsa, namakam & chamakaM when worshipping
> ShrirAma Chandra or vishNu Bhagavan and we don’t see shree rAma Chandra
> with two wives, holding flute and wearing peacock feather though
> ‘tattva’wise both rAma & Krishna one and the same.  Likewise we don’t see
> vishNu picture wearing gaja charma, kapaala mAla, chitAbhasma lepita deha,
> nAgAbharaNa which are exclusive costumes of shiva bhagavaan and  in devi
> ArAdhana, chakrArchana, chandi pArAyaNa there are specific mantra, nyAsa
> etc. will be used / chanted to propitiate devi though devi is nothing but
> paratattva or parabrahmasvarUpiNi.  So, bedha is definitely there in the
> vyAvahArika realm where upAsaka, upAsana & upAsya devata triad holds sway
> and all upAsya devata-s are capable of giving us krama-mukti or granting
> membership in hiraNya garbha lOka.    And in pAramArthika there is
> absolutely no difference between jeeva, jagat & Ishwara and evidently no
> difference among rudra, vishNu, brahmA, devi, jeeva, thAvara, jangama,
> stree, purusha, giri, nadi, tatAka etc.  So, where exactly or from which
> view point we are trying to prove this abedha ONLY between Shiva &
> VishNu!!??  Not clear to me.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> Bhaskar YR
>
>
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-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh