[Advaita-l] Fwd: Bhagavatpadacharya and Bhattapadacharya authenticate the critical episodes from Yuddha kanda and Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana

[V Subrahmanian]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Mar 14, 2022 at 9:23 PM
Subject: Bhagavatpadacharya and Bhattapadacharya authenticate the critical
episodes from Yuddha kanda and Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana
To: Advaitin <advaitin at googlegroups.com>


Bhagavatpadacharya and Bhattapadacharya authenticate the critical episodes
from Yuddha kanda and Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana
==============================================
We often get to hear some arguments from Neo-dharmis on authenticity of few
portions of Yuddha Kanda of Vālmikī Ramayana and the whole of Uttara
Kanda.However, the Sampradayikas have always held the whole gamut of
sapta-kandatmaka Vālmikī Ramayana as authentic. To the delight of those who
adhere to the traditional view, we have a reference to an episode in Yuddha
Kanda and another in Uttara Kanda in the works of Bhagavatpada Adi
Shankaracharya and Shri Kumarila Bhattapadacharya respectively.
1. During the Agni-pariksha episode of Yuddha Kanda, Bhagavati Sita is
about to enter the fire to testify her purity. At that moment, Brahma,
Shiva, Kubera and others arrive there and try to remind Rama that he is no
ordinary human but is verily the Supreme Ishwara himself. Bhagavan Rama is
perplexed listening to this. He says that he thinks of himself merely as a
human being, as son of Dasharatha.
आत्मानं मानुषं मन्ये रामं दशरथात्मजम् || ६-११७-११
सोऽहं यस्य यतश्चाहं भगवंस्तद्ब्रवीतु मे |
("I think of myself to be a human being, by name Rama, the son of
Dasaratha. You, as a gracious Divinity, tell me that which I as such really
am like this.”)
At this juncture, Brahma ji intervenes  and reveals to Rama that he is
Narayana himself.
ति ब्रुवाणं काकुत्थ्सं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविदां वरः || ६-११७-१२
अब्रवीच्छृणु मे वाक्यं सत्यं सत्यपराक्रम |
भवान्नारायणो देवः श्रीमांश्चक्रायुधः प्रभुः || ६-११७-१३
(Hearing the words of Rama, Brahma (the creator), the foremost among the
knowers of Brahma the Absolute, spoke as follows: "Listen to my true word,
O the truly brave lord! You are the Lord Narayana himself the glorious god,
who wields the discus”)
As Bhagavan Rama’s avatarhood is explicitly mentioned here, this prasanga
is considered as a later insertion by many.
Interestingly, Bhagavatpada Adi Shankaracharya makes a reference to this in
his work ‘Upadeshasahasri’. Bhagavatpada says -
एवं विज्ञातवाक्यार्थे श्रुतिलोकप्रसिद्धितः ।
श्रुतिस्तत्त्वमसीत्याह श्रोतुर्मोहापनुत्तये ॥१८.९९॥
ब्रह्मा दाशरथेर्यद्वदुक्त्यैवापानुदत्तमः।
तस्य विष्णुत्वसंबोधे न यत्नान्तरमूचिवान् ॥१८.१००॥
( Just as Brahma removed the ignorance of  Daasharathi Rama by means of
words only, but did not teach him any action in order that he might know
that he was Vishnu; so, in order that one’s ignorance is removed the
Shruti, teaches one ‘ Thou art That’ when one has learnt the meanings of
subordinate sentences according to the Shruits and popular grammar.)
Upadeshasahasri is unanimously accepted as an authentic work of Adi
Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya. Thus, the said episode, where Brahma ji
reveals Bhagavan Rama his true identity (during Bhagavati Sita’s Agni
Pariksha),  has been acknowledged by Adi Shankaracharya himself and is
indeed authentic.
2. The Sita-parityaga and Ashvamedha-yagna episodes of Uttara Kanda are
known to all. Considering Lokapavada, Bhagavan Rama sends Bhagavati Sita to
the woods . But due to his immense love towards Sita Devi, he never marries
another women and arranges for a golden image of Sita to be made during the
Ashvamedha yajna. ( Relevant verses from Uttara Kanda are attached in the
comments). To our great delight, Shri Kumarila Bhattapadacharya refers to
this episode in his Tantra-Varitka, a gloss on Shabara Bhashya of Jaimini
Sutra. The context where this mention makes its appearance is as below :
Dharma can be known, says Bhagavan Manu, by the following means: Shruti,
Smriti, Sadachara and Swaruchi. Shri Bhattapadacharya ji, in his work
'Tantravartika', deliberates on the topic of Sadachara of exalted men as a
valid means of knowing Dharma. In the discussion that follows, the
purvapakshin provides a list of instances where great men have transgressed
the norms of Dharma. Thus, he makes an attempt to establish that the
conduct of great men cannot be a pramana in knowing Dharma.
In response to this, Shri Bhattapadacharya ji refutes each of the
purvapakshin's objections and establishes that Sadachara of good men is
indeed a valid pramana of knowing Dharma. In this context, Bhattapadacharya
ji points to a popular episode from Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana.
Bhattapadacharya explicitly says that Bhagavan Rama kept an golden image of
Sita Devi during the Yajna because fearing Lokapavada he couldn’t have Sita
Devi by his side and neither could he marry some other woman as he loved
Sita ji immensely. (Relevant snap from Tantra-vartika has been attached in
the comments). This description is totally consistent with Uttara Kanda and
bears testimony to the fact that the Ashwamedha episode of Uttara Kanda,
Valmiki Ramayana was well known even in the times of Shri Bhattapadacharya.
Thus, from the above references in the works of Shri Shankara
Bhagavatpadacharya - the Acharya of Uttara Meemamsa and Shri Kumarila
Bhattapadacharya - the Acharya of Purva Meemansa tradition, there remains
no doubt on the authenticity of the aforementioned portions of Yuddha Kanda
and Uttara Kanda. Such references buttress the traditional view on the
integrity and authenticity of Sapta-kanda-atmaka Valmiki Ramayana. We will
ever be grateful to Bhagavatpadacharya and Bhattapadacharya for
strengthening our faith in the Ekavakyata of our Shastric literature.
|| Janaki-kanta Smaranam Jaya Jaya Rama Rama ||  Posted by Natraj
Maneshinde in FB

https://www.facebook.com/natraj.maneshinde/posts/3830998960372527