[Advaita-l] The word 'Anukampaa' in the Kalpataru and Gaudapada Karika

[V Subrahmanian]

There is this famous couple of verses from Amalananda's Kalpataru (which is
a commentary on the BhAmatI for which Appayya Dishitar wrote the ParimaLa)
says:

निर्विशेषं परं ब्रह्म साक्षात्कर्तुमनीश्वराः ।
ये मन्दास्ते*ऽनुकम्प्यन्ते* सविशेषनिरूपणैः ॥
वशीकृते मनस्तेषां सगुणब्रह्मशीलनात् ।
तदेवाविर्भवेत्साक्षादपेतोपाधिकल्पनम् ॥

The meaning is:

It is beyond the ken of many to realize the Supreme Brahman that is without
any attributes.  The scripture talks about Brahman with attributes
with a view to help these people, out of compassion.  Once their mind
becomes attenuated by practicing saguNabrahma disciplines, with not much
effort the upAdhi-free Brahman realization comes about to be realized.

In Gaudapada Karika 3rd ch. Advaita Prakarana we  find this verse:

आश्रमास्त्रिविधा हीनमध्यमोत्कृष्टदृष्टयः ।
उपासनोपदिष्टेयं तदर्थमनुकम्पया ॥ १६ ॥
16 There are three stages of life, corresponding to the threefold
understanding of men: inferior, mediocre and superior. Scripture, out of
compassion, has taught this discipline for the benefit of the
unenlightened.

The Bhashyam is:
यदि हि पर एवात्मा नित्यशुद्धबुद्धमुक्तस्वभाव एकः परमार्थतः सन्
‘एकमेवाद्वितीयम्’
(छा. उ. ६ । २ । २)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=6&id=Ch_C06_S02_V02&hl=%E0%A4%8F%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D>
इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः,
असदन्यत् , किमर्थेयमुपासनोपदिष्टा ‘आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः’ (बृ. उ. २ । ४ ।
५)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=2&id=BR_C02_S04_V05&hl=%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83>
 ‘य आत्मापहतपाप्मा’ (छा. उ. ८ । ७ । १)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=8&id=Ch_C08_S07_V01&hl=%E0%A4%AF%20%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE>
 ‘स क्रतुं कुर्वीत’ (छा. उ. ३ । १४ । १)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=3&id=Ch_C03_S14_V01&hl=%E0%A4%B8%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4>
 ‘आत्मेत्येवोपासीत’ (बृ. उ. १ । ४ । ७)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Brha?page=1&id=BR_C01_S04_V07&hl=%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4>
इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः,
कर्माणि चाग्निहोत्रादीनि ? शृणु तत्र कारणम् — आश्रमाः आश्रमिणोऽधिकृताः,
वर्णिनश्च मार्गगाः, आश्रमशब्दस्य प्रदर्शनार्थत्वात् , त्रिविधाः । कथम् ?
हीनमध्यमोत्कृष्टदृष्टयः हीना निकृष्टा मध्यमा उत्कृष्टा च दृष्टिः
दर्शनसामर्थ्यं येषां ते, मन्दमध्यमोत्तमबुद्धिसामर्थ्योपेता इत्यर्थः ।
उपासना उपदिष्टा इयं तदर्थं मन्दमध्यमदृष्ट्याश्रमाद्यर्थं कर्माणि च । न
चात्मैक एवाद्वितीय इति निश्चितोत्तमदृष्ट्यर्थम् । *दयालुना देवेनानुकम्पया*
सन्मार्गगाः सन्तः कथमिमामुत्तमामेकत्वदृष्टिं प्राप्नुयुरिति, ‘यन्मनसा न
मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम् । तदेव ब्रह्म त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते’ (के. उ.
१ । ५)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Kena_pada?page=1&id=KP_C01_V05&hl=%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%20%E0%A4%A8%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%87%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8B%20%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%C2%A0%E0%A5%A4%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B5%20%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%20%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%87>
 ‘तत्त्वमसि’ (छा. उ. ६ । ८ । ७)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=6&id=Ch_C06_S08_V07&hl=%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BF>
 ‘आत्मैवेदं सर्वम्’ (छा. उ. ७ । २५ । २)
<https://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Chandogya?page=7&id=Ch_C07_S25_V02&hl=%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%82%20%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D>
इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः
॥

F b ultimate perfect of the opposition is in Advaita alone why is it seen
that the operations also talk about Upasana? To this question
Gaudapadacharya says that it is to help those who cannot comprehend the
advaitic truth, by helping them rise up to secure that capacity that
Upanishads speak about Upasana too.

It is possible that the Kalpataru was inspired by this statement of
Gaudapadacharya since we find the word 'anukampa' (compassion) in both
verses, in the same sense.

Om