[Advaita-l] 'Saraswati - in Sarvajnatman's vision - Post by Natraj Maneshinde

[V Subrahmanian]

Natraj Maneshinde
<https://www.facebook.com/natraj.maneshinde?__cft__[0]=AZUY7NG1L-opAte5NFWNqJ-gXUV6u1XLvtQFycX3ozLG6ELoUGehvIar4KWv3NMeBq4nU-4Icnljk5lsutJpZLZPRL40OMdGTFv9o7oNsAvdfIBXSGuiEgQ1S8vSzGNKrxOpYyT2QBrln2X-YtqsLUxvEb0CR-qPS4COMUaYumVW6w&__tn__=-UC%2CP-y-R>
FB post
========================
“Bhagavati Saraswati is verily the Veda” - says Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji
========================
Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji is the author of Sankshepa-sharirika, a work which
elaborates on the Sutra bhashya of Bhagavatpada. In the mangalacharana
verses of the work, Sarvajnatma ji invokes the Nirguna Brahman, Vishnu,
Saraswati and Ganapati.
The verse on Bhagavati Saraswati is quite dense in its tattvik import. It
runs as follows :
औत्पत्तिकी शक्तिरशेषवस्तुप्रकाशने कार्यवशेन यस्याः ।
विज्ञायते विश्वविवर्तहेतोर्नमामि तां वाचमचिंत्यशक्तिम् ॥ ४॥
[Obeisance to Bhagavati Vagdevi, who possesses Achintya-shakti, who is the
cause of Vishva-vivarta, whose shakti of revealing everything thing is
swabhavika and is known only through it’s effects]
From the verse we understand the following:
1. Bhagavati Vagdevi is endowed with the inherent (औत्पत्तिकी/स्वाभाविकी)
shakti that illumines everything (अशेषवस्तुप्रकाशनशक्ति)
2. She is the cause of Vishva-vivarta. ie. It is she who brings about the
appearance of Jagat with the Brahman as its substratum
This work has been commented upon by four Acharyas : Shri Nrusimhashrama,
Shri Madhusudhan Saraswati, Shri Rama Tirtha and Shri Purushottama. In the
context of the verse above, all the commentators clarify that Veda itself
is being praised here as Bhagavati Saraswati. The significance of
Veda-pramanya is being conveyed by describing Veda as Saraswati. Further,
Madhusudhan Saraswati ji clarifies in his commentary that the verse brings
out the purport of the sutra :
शास्त्रयोनित्वात् ॥ ३ ॥ (Brahma sutra 1.1.3)
The above sutra has been interpreted by Bhagavatpada in his bhashya in two
ways :
1) Brahman is the source of Veda :
महत ऋग्वेदादेः शास्त्रस्य
अनेकविद्यास्थानोपबृंहितस्यप्रदीपवत्सर्वार्थावद्योतिनः सर्वज्ञकल्पस्य योनिः
कारणं ब्रह्म । नहीदृशस्य शास्त्रस्य ऋग्वेदादिलक्षणस्य
सर्वज्ञगुणान्वितस्यसर्वज्ञादन्यतः सम्भवोऽस्ति ।
[Brahman is the yoni (i.e. the material and efficient cause) of great
scriptures (shastras) like the Rigveda etc. which are supplemented by other
scriptures that are themselves sources (of various kinds) of knowledge,
which reveal all things like a lamp, and which are almost omniscient]
2) Veda is the only valid means of knowing Brahman
अथवा यथोक्तमृग्वेदादिशास्त्रं योनिः कारणं प्रमाणमस्य
ब्रह्मणोयथावत्स्वरूपाधिगमे । शास्त्रादेव प्रमाणात् जगतो
जन्मादिकारणंब्रह्माधिगम्यत इत्यभिप्रायः ।
[Or the aphorism means: Since the scriptures are Its valid means (of
knowledge) .
The scriptures, viz the Rigveda etc., just enumerated, are the valid means
of knowing (yoni) the real nature of this Brahman. The idea implied is that
Brahman is known as the source of birth etc. of this universe from the
scriptures alone that are a valid means of knowledge]
Madhusudhan Saraswati ji, while commenting on शक्तिरशेषवस्तुप्रकाशने,
demonstrates how the two-fold interpretation of Bhagavatpada on the above
Sutra is brought out in the verse of Sankshepa-sharirika. His explanation
can be summarized as below :
1. Veda illumines everything in the world. The Veda is capable of doing so
because it has Brahman as it’s source. As Brahman is
सर्वप्रकाशनशक्तिमत्परमेश्वर , the Veda, sprung out of Brahman, is also
capable of revealing all that is contained in the jagat. Hence, by praising
Sarasvati’s ( Veda’s) shakti in aforementioned manner, the first
interpretation of the sutra शास्त्रयोनित्वात् is brought out.
2. Alternatively, अशेष implies the शेषि ie. the Brahman. Veda reveals the
Brahman. That is to say, Veda generates the Brahmakara-vritti in the
mumukshus and finally blesses them with Brahma-sakshatkara. Thus,
Saraswati, in the form of Veda, is the only valid means of knowing the
Brahman.
Also, the verse describes Bhagavati as विश्वविवर्तहेतुः. In the Vaidika
tradition, it is a known principle that Parameshvara, at the beginning of
every cycle, exhales the Veda and the makes the Jagat on the basis of the
Vaidik word. Hence, the Jagat has the Vaidik word as it’s source. Says the
Manu Smriti,
नामरूपं च भूतानां कर्मणां च प्रवर्तनम् ।
वेदशब्देभ्य एवादौ निर्ममे स महेश्वरः ॥(म. स्मृ. १ । २१)
Hence, Bhagavati Saraswati, in her form as the Veda, is responsible for the
Vivarta of the Jagat.
From the above study, we understand that Bhagavati Saraswati is verily the
Veda. She brings about the creation and reveals everything in the Jagat.
Also, she blesses the aspirants (who study her) with the
akhandakara-vritii, which in turn bestows Brahma-sakshatkara.
Note that the prime intent of the shloka is to demonstrate the importance
of Veda-pramanya. Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji could have conveyed this in
generic terms with out bringing any deity into the picture. But the fact
that he conveys the intended tattva by describing Saraswati as verily the
Veda, clearly indicates his love towards the form of Bhagavati. It is
heartening to see the same emotion in the ‘Panchapadika-Vivarana’ of Shri
Prakashatma Yati ji, who was probably a contemporary of Shri Sarvajnatma
Muni.
यस्याः प्रसादमवलम्ब्य जगद्गुरूणामप्यस्खलद्बहुगुणाः प्रसरंति वाचः।
सा वेदशास्त्रपरिनिर्मितवन्द्यदेहा भूयात् समग्रवरदैव सरस्वती नः ॥२॥
(पंचपादिका-विवरण)
[जिसकी कृपा का आश्रय लेकर जगद्गुरुओं की भी वाणी बिना स्खलन के (निर्दोष रूप
से) प्रसारित होती हैं। वह वेदशास्त्र से निर्मित वन्दनीय शरीर वाली माता
सरस्वती हमें सभी वरों को देने वाली हों।]
These references are strong testimonies to fact that the Bhagavati has
always been dearly beheld by the Advaitian Acharyas.
Note: The relevant snaps have been attached in the comments
Courtesy : Thanks to Shri Subrahmanian Vaidyanathan ji for helping me
understand the commentary of Madhusudhan Saraswati ji
।। पराचितिस्वरूपिणि जय जय जगज्जननि।।