[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Re: Who is Keshava? A Vaishnava-unfriendly sublime insight

[V Subrahmanian]

Well said. It is only those who do not           accept the non difference
that can't appreciate the shloka.

Regards
subbu

On Wed, 30 Nov 2022, 3:24 am suresh srinivasamurthy, <sureshsmr at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Namaste Sri Subbu-ji,
>
> This oneness of all deities is available in the Veda - NarayanaSuktam
> itself.
>
> tasyāḥ śikhāyā madhye paramātmā vyavasthitaḥ,
> sa brahma sa śivaḥ sa hariḥ sendraḥ so'kṣaraḥ paramaḥ svarāṭ.
>
> In the middle of that Flame, the Supreme Self dwells. This Ultimate (Self)
> is Brahma (the Creator), Siva (the Destroyer), Hari (the Protector), Indra
> (the Ruler), the Imperishable, the Absolute, the Autonomous Being.
>
> Here are few other mantras in Rudram / Chamakam also:
>
> Om Namo Bhagavate RudrAya Vishnave mruthyur may pAhi
>
> Agna Vishnu sajoshase ma vardhantu vam girah ( Agni here I would identify
> as Shiva as he is of the nature of jnyAnAgni)
>
>
> I think these mantras are great integrators of all Shanmathas. When we
> meditate on Brahman as VishwAtma - (Soul of jagat) it will be Saguna
> Brahman friendly also as all kinds of gods wherever they are gets included.
>
> It is Shiva because it is of the nature of Veda and essentially auspicious
> and it is Vishnu as it is everywhere. IMHO, as long as one does not see the
> totally of reality it will always result in constricted / fanatic view.
>
> Namaste,
> Suresh
> ------------------------------
> *From:* advaitin at googlegroups.com <advaitin at googlegroups.com> on behalf
> of V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Saturday, November 26, 2022 10:52 AM
> *To:* A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>; Advaitin <advaitin at googlegroups.com>
> *Subject:* [advaitin] Re: Who is Keshava? A Vaishnava-unfriendly sublime
> insight
>
> 'ShaNmata' is mentioned by Thyagaraja
>
> The famous Pancharatna kriti of Thyagaraja, 'Endaro mahanubhaavulu..', in
> one of its charaNams, mentions the term 'ShaNmata' with a prefix 'shiva
> aadi'.  The meaning can be read in this site:
> http://www.shivkumar.org/music/endaromahanubhavulu-new.htm
>
> The six schools of devotional practice culminating in Para Brahman
> realization are: Saivam, Saaktam, Vaishnavam, Sauram, GaaNaapatyam and
> Kaumaaram.
> It is significant that this term 'ShaNmatam' is found in a text that is
> not related to Shankaracharya or Advaita. Thyagaraja, even though a great
> devotee of Sri Rama, was not a bigoted follower. That he was of a very
> broad vision is known from his many other compositions too. Here he says
> that those are exalted men who are endowed with the knowledge of the core
> scriptures including the Veda, Bhagavatam, Ramayana, Bh.Gita, etc. and the
> paths of bhakti which are devoted to Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu, Ganesha, Kumara
> and Surya. In his vision, if someone is opposed to this view is not a
> 'mahaanubhaava'.
>
> Charanam-9: These are the great men who have derived boundless happiness
> by gathering the ocean of knowledge contained in Bhagvatam, Ramayana,
> Geeta, Vedas, Shastras by pondering over the secrets of the six religions
> orders under the class Sauram and Koumaram, by understanding the mind of
> the countless devas, by living a full life through the joy derived from
> music based on bhava, raga and laya.]
>
>
>
> Bhaagavatha: Bhaagavatham
>
> Ramayana: Ramayana
>
> Geetha adi: Bhagavadgeetha
>
> Sruthi: Vedas
>
> Sastra: Sastras
>
> Puraana: Purana’s
>
> Marmamula: secrets
>
> Siva adi Shan mathamula: six schools of devotion
>
> Ghudamulan: secrets
>
> Muppadi mukkoti: 33 crores
>
> Sura antharangamula: devatha’s minds
>
> Bhaavambulan: meaning
>
> Eringi: Knowing
>
> Bhaava: Meaning
>
> Raga:Raga
>
> Laya adi: Laya
>
> Sowkhyamu che: state of well being
>
> Chirayuvul: long life
>
> Kaligi:have
>
> Niravadi: no gap
>
> Sukhathmulai: happiness
>
> Thyagaraja aapthulaina: Friends to Thyagaraja
>
> Vaaru: They
>
>
>
> चरणम्  9
> भागवत रामायण गीतादि श्रुति शास्त्र पुराणपु
> मर्ममुल *शिवादि षण्मतमुल* गूढमुलन मुप्पदि
> मुक्कोटि सुरान्तरङ्गमुल भावम्बुल नॆरिंगि भाव राग लयादि सौख्य
> -मुचे चिरायुवुल् गलिगि निरवधि सुखात्मुलै
> त्यागराजाप्तुलैन वार-
>
>
>
> On Sat, Nov 26, 2022 at 4:22 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> In similar vein, Sri Annamacharya, a great medieval composer from the
> Telugu Country, who had explicitly owed allegiance to Srivaishnavism, says
> about the Lord of Tirupati, in a composition:
>
> Annamācārya reflects in this song:
> http://karnatiklyrics.blogspot.in/2011/06/entha-matramuna.html
>
> //The Vaishnavas worship you with reverence as Vishnu.
> The Vedic philosophers tell that you are the Supreme Consciousness.
> The Shaivas believe that you are Śiva & the Kapalikas praise you as
> Adibhairava.
> The Shakteyas consider you as the manifestation of the supreme power
> Shakti. People chant your praise in a number of ways. Ignorant people
> assume that you are insignificant.The wise recognize your infinite
> greatness.//
>
>
> [It is noteworthy that Sri Annamācārya distinguishes Vedāntins from
> ‘vaiṣṇavas’,
>
> koluthuru mimu vaishnavulu, koorimitho vishnudani
>
> palukuduru mimu vaedaantulu, parabrahma anuchu
>
>  By ‘Vedāntins’ he obviously refers to Advaitins for they alone hold the
> Supreme Reality to be ‘Brahman’ beyond all names and forms.  Those who hold
> the highest tattvam to be ‘Viṣṇu’ (the deity identified as Lakṣmipati,
> etc.) are not vedantins as per this composer.
>
> There is the famous Shiva Mahimna Stotram on the same lines:
> त्रयी सांख्यं योगः पशुपतिमतं वैष्णवमिति
> *प्रभिन्ने प्रस्थाने* परमिदमदः पथ्यमिति च।
> रुचीनां वैचित्र्यादृजुकुटिलनानापथजुषां
> नृणामेको गम्यस्त्वमसि पयसामर्णव इव॥ शिवमहिम्नःस्तोत्रम् ७.
> [ The three Vedas, Sankhya, Yoga, the doctrine of Pashupati, the doctrine
> of Vaishnavas (such are the different paths enjoined). Based on the variety
> of likings of the follower men of the straight or crooked paths, (they
> consider) this one as supreme or that one as proper. (However) the goal of
> all these is You - just like the goal of rivers is the ocean.]
> Madhusudana's 'Prasthaana bheda' is a work that is actually, originally,
> part of his commentary to the above verse. The 'title' is also given by him
> inspired by the words  *प्रभिन्ने प्रस्थाने * of the above verse.
> There is another very popular such verse by an unknown author:
> यं शैवाः समुपासते शिव इति ब्रह्मेति वेदान्तिनो. बौद्धा बुद्ध इति
> प्रमाणपटवः कर्तेति नैयायिकाः ।
> अर्हन्नित्यथ जैनशासनरताः कर्मेति मीमांसकाः. सोऽयं नो विदधातु वाञ्छितफलं
> त्रैलोक्यनाथो हरिः ॥ (हनुमन्नाटक १ । ३)
> [In this verse the poet identifies the highest Truth to be ‘Hari’ who
> alone is seen variously by different people including the Vedāntins who
> hold this Truth (called ‘Hari’) as Brahman.  [Here is a site that equates
> the above two verses:
> http://satcharcha.blogspot.in/2015/06/blog-post_20.html]
> MS has commented upon the famous work ‘Mahimna stotram’ of Puṣpadanta as
> applying to both Śiva and Viṣṇu. At the end of the work MS composes a few
> verses depicting the Hari-Hara abheda:
> भूतिभूषितदेहाय द्विजराजेन राजते |
> एकात्मने नमो नित्यं हरये च हराय च ||
> Obeisance ever to Him, who is resplendent with His body adorned with
> vibhūti, ashes, and is of the complexion of camphor (or having the moon on
> His head), the One Atman that is both Hara and Hari.
> हररशंकरयोरभेदबोधो भविु क्षुद्रधियामपीति यत्नात् |
> उभयार्थतया  मयेदमुक्तं सुधियः साधुतयैव  शोधयन्तु ॥ १
>  [With the benediction that the understanding of non-difference between
> Hari and Shankara may rise even in those with a lowly intellect have I,
> with effort, commented on the Shivamanhima stotra verses in dual-meaning
> mode (as applying to Hari and Hara). Let the noble ones accept this as
> admissible alone.]
> shaivAH saurAshcha gANeshA vaiShNavAH shakti-pUjakAH |
> bhavanti yanmayAH sarve so.ahamasmi paraH shivaH ||3||
> This occurs at the end of the 15th Chapter, of the BG commentary
> Gudharthadipika by Madhusudana Saraswati.
> regards
> subbu
>
>
>
> On Sat, Nov 26, 2022 at 1:57 PM V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Here is an excerpt:
>
>
> https://rsachi.blogspot.com/2016/06/shiva-hari-god-all-one-and-same.html?fbclid=IwAR2oHWTAkmwPFAqqP1Z2tLzxDtiPckVu-ZK8gtZckZhlT5B_C4cDTEhP1qw
>
> Tuesday, June 28, 2016
> Shiva, Hari, God - all one and the same
> My late father (1911-1993), Prof. S. S. Raghavachar of Mysore University,
> was a delegate and speaker at the World Conference of Religions conducted
> in 1963 by Prof. T.M.P. Mahadevan of Madras University. With hundreds of
> delegates from around the world, the conference was commemorating the birth
> centenary of Swami Vivekananda, who took the message to the World
> Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 that all religions basically
> lead to the one truth or God.
>
> The delegates were taken for an audience with Kanchi Paramacharya at the
> end of the conference. While giving his benediction, Paramcharya asked the
> audience, "is the there any textual mention or inscription in Hinduism
> predating Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna  which stated that the worship
> of different conceptions of God all lead to the same Reality?" My father
> Prof. Raghavachar rose and quoted an inscription from the Belur temple in
> Karnataka built by Vishnuvardhana, a disciple of Sri Ramanujacharya in the
> 11/12th C CE, which states:
>
> * yam shaivah samupasate shiva iti brahmeti vedantinah*
> *bauddhah buddha iti pramanapatavah karteti naiyayikah*
> *arhan ityatha jaina-shasana-ratah karmeti mimansakah*
> *so yam vo vidhadhatu vanchita phalam trailokyanatho harih*
>
> It seems that Paramacharya was immensely pleased with this answer and
> felicitated my father.
>
> Recently, to find out more, I dug a little into the available textual
> references to this shloka. I give you three excellent references:
> 1. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, 1926
> 2. H. Nakamura, 1983
> 3. C.P. Bhatta, 1994
>
> See the images pertaining to the above three authorities here:
>
>
> https://rsachi.blogspot.com/2016/06/shiva-hari-god-all-one-and-same.html?fbclid=IwAR2oHWTAkmwPFAqqP1Z2tLzxDtiPckVu-ZK8gtZckZhlT5B_C4cDTEhP1qw
>
>
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