[Advaita-l] ‘Shiva-patni Uma is Guru swaroopini’ ~ says Swami Shankarananda Saraswati

[V Subrahmanian]

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‘Shiva-patni Uma is Guru swaroopini’ ~ says Swami Shankarananda Saraswati -
Guru of Swami Vidyaranya
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The anecdote of Kenopanishad where Bhagavati Uma blesses Indra with
Brahma-vidya is known to all. In Advaita Sampradaya, this Uma-haimavati,
the daughter of Himavan, who is ever in union with her consort Sarvajna
Ishvara (Bhagavan Shiva), is verily beheld as Brahma-vidya. At the same
time, She is also regarded as the Guru-tattva.
Shri Shankaranada Saraswati Swamiji, the guru of Shri Vidyaranya Swamiji,
has done a great service to the Vedantic literature. He has authored
deepikas on various Upanishads. His tika on Bhagavat-geeta is highly
revered in the tradition. He has also authored a deepika on the
Sutra-bhashya of Bhagavatpada. Together with these works, Shri Shankaranada
ji has authored a magnanimous work called ‘Atma-purana’ which brings out
the essence of various Upanishads in a Puranic style. In the chapter
dealing with Kenopanishad, Swamiji describes Bhagavati Uma as
Guru-swaroopini.
Here are a few verses from Atma Purana (
chapter 15) which have a beautiful description of Uma.
तस्मिन्नेव तदाऽकाशे बलवीर्यसमन्वित: ।
व्यलोकयत् स्त्रियं काञ्छित् तरुणीं रूपशालिनीम् ।
हिमवत्तनयां सर्वगुणलक्षणशालिनीम् ॥ १५० ॥
[ Verily there in the sky(where the yaksha had disappeared), Indra beheld a
beautiful young lady with all auspicious attributes. She was indeed the
daughter of Himavan]
शोभमानां श्रिया स्वस्या अनौपम्यवापुर्धराम् ।
आत्मनि स्नेहमापन्नाम् मातरम् भगिनीमिव ।
उमां भावनीं देवीं तां ब्रह्मविद्येति कीर्तिताम् ॥१५२ ॥
[ She was resplendent due to her own grace. Her body was beyond any
comparison. Like a compassionate mother or a sister, Shiva-patni Uma, who
is known as Brahma-vidya, was gracing Indra]
भक्तानामार्तिनाशार्थम् सौम्याऽपि गुरुतां गता ।
सहस्रचक्षुषां तेजो हरन्ती स्वात्मदर्शनात् ॥ १५९ ॥
[ Bhagavati Uma assumes the form of Guru to destroy the miseries of her
devotees. Such gracious Uma’s form was dazzling before the thousand eyes of
Indra]
सर्वदोपनिषत्स्वेव वसन्ती मानसेषु च ।
यतीनां परमहमसानां ब्रह्मचर्यादिभाजिनाम् ॥ १६१ ॥
[ She always resides in the Upanishads in the form of Brahma-vidya. She
also manifests in the minds of the Paramahamsa sanyasis who are ever
established in Brahmacharya]
वामदेवस्य या वामे भागे भर्तुर्महात्मनः ।
स्मरशत्रोस्त्रिनेत्रस्य ब्रह्मणो यक्षरुपिण: ॥ १६२ ॥
[ Bhagavan Trinetra-dhari Vamadeva Shiva
, the enemy of Kamadeva, is the Brahman who had manifested as the Yaksha.
Hence, Bhagavati Uma was present there in the vamanga of her consort (i.e
on the command of Bhagavan Shiva, She manifested there, after his
disappearance, to bless Indra with the knowledge)]
Hence, as clarified by Shri Shankaranada Saraswati Swamiji, Brahma-Vidya
Swaroopini Uma, who is verily Shiva-patni Parvati, is to be regarded by us
as the Guru tattva. These verses also stand as a testimony to the love our
Acharyas have had towards the Swaroopa of Bhagavati Uma.
Picture courtesy: Arjun Jagadish
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॥ पराचिति स्वरूपिणी जय जय जगज्जननि ॥