[Advaita-l] Who is a 'Bhaagavatottama?' (Supreme devotee of God)

[V Subrahmanian]

Who is a 'Bhaagavatottama?'  (Supreme devotee of God)

In this chapter of the Narada Purana, Lord Srihari replies to a question of
Markandeya:

नारदपुराणम्- पूर्वार्धः/अध्यायः ५
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/4ut

After listing noble traits such as pure conduct, human values, etc. the
traits of a Bhagavatottama, supreme devotee of God, are stated:

शिवप्रियाः शिवासक्ताः शिवपादार्च्चने रताः
त्रिपुण्ड्रधारिणो ये च ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः ६८

He who loves Shiva, is fully devoted, delights in the worship of Shiva,
dons the Tripundra (Bhasma on the forehead, etc.) is a Bhagavatottama.

व्याहरन्ति च नामानि हरेः शम्भोर्महात्मनः
रुद्राक्षालंकृता ये च ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः ६९

Those who chant the divine names of Hari and Hara, adorned with the
Rudraksha necklace is a Bhagavatottama.

ये यजन्ति महादेवं क्रतुभिर्बहुदक्षिणैः
हरिं वा परया भक्त्या ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः ७०

Those who perform vedic sacrifices with copious dakshina (gifts/fees to
scholars) addressed to Hari or Hara with great devotion are Bhagavatottamas.

शिवे च परमेशे च विष्णौ च परमात्मनि
समबुद्ध्या प्रवर्त्तन्ते ते वै भागवताः स्मृताः ७२

Those who conduct themselves with the idea of non-difference between Hari
and Hara are Bhagavatas.


शिवाग्निकार्यनिरताः पञ्चाक्षरजपे रताः
शिवध्यानरता ये च ते वै भागवतोत्तमाः ७३

Those who are involved in fire-sacrifices addressed to Shiva, delight in
the chanting of the Panchakshara and revel in the meditation on Shiva are
Bhagavatottamas.


In the Padmapurana while eulogising the greatness of the 12th canto of the
Bhagavatam it is said that those who do not differentiate between Hari,
Hara and Durga and look upon the Triad as Para Brahman are Vaishnavottamas:
Greatest devotees of Vishnu.

In the Kapila Upa Purana, 21st chapter, the non-difference of Hari and Hara
is emphatically stated along with the censure of the idea of difference
between the two and that the Moksha Jnana that is stated in this chapter
should not be given out to 'non-Vaishnavas'.  From this it is implied that
those who differentiate between Hari and Hara are not Vaishnavas.

In the Mahabhashya of Patanjali (Vyakarana shaastra) there is the mention
of the word 'Shiva-Bhagavata' as a compound word, as an example for a type
of samasa (compound words). A Bhagavata is a devotee of Bhagavan.  A
Shiva-Bhagavata is a devotee of Bhagavan Shiva.
https://tinyurl.com/2p8hpwkw

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