[Advaita-l] Pashupatas and Pancharatrikas worship the same Ishvara’ says Bhagavan Sureshvaracharya

[V Subrahmanian]

Shri Natraj Maneshinde posted:

https://www.facebook.com/100003873830844/posts/pfbid0hSebP5pZRUTSp2JtRNN9veH94AfqGDDKkkiXbreawa1spJgLdZZbc1EEiGpJu9S3l/


According to Advaita Sampradaya, the one and the same Parabrahman assumes
various forms to bless the sincere upasakas. Says Shri Acharyapada
Shankara,

स्यात्परमेश्वरस्यापीच्छावशान्मायामयं रूपं साधकानुग्रहार्थम् (Brahma Sutra
Bhashya 1.1.20)

Hence, in the Sampradaya, various upasya forms like Shiva,Vishnu,Surya,Devi
etc are beheld as the same Parabrahman. Bhagavan Sureshvaracharya ji and
Tikara Anandagiri Acharya ji re-iterate the same principle in their works.

 In his Brihadaranyaka bhashya vartika, Shri Sureshvaracharya ji clearly
states that the Brahman, the Antaryami, though essentially devoid of forms
and gunas, appears to be endowed with form. This one Ishvara is worshipped
by Pancharatrikas, Pashupatas, Hairanyagarbhas and others.

अंतर्यामी परः साक्षादशरीरोगणोद्वयः ।
विलक्षणोऽतो विज्ञेयः पृथिवीदेवतात्मनः ॥३३॥

[The Antaryâmi, is the Superior, Directly available, Bodiless, A-guna
(nirguna), without a second.
Therefore He is to be known as distinct from the prthvidevatà (whom he
controls).]

स्वतस्त्वकरणोऽदेहो निर्गुणोऽभेद एव च ।
चिदाभासस्वमोहोत्थकार्यैस्तद्वानिवेक्ष्यते ॥३७॥

[By itself, the antaryāmi, is without any organs, bodiless, nirguna, with
no difference whatever. Owing
to the delusion that one has organs, body, etc. the antaryāmi appears to be
one endowed with body, etc.]

चतुर्धा प्रविभज्यैनं सात्वताः पर्युपासते ।
तथा हैरण्यगर्भीयास्तथा पाशुपतादयः ॥३८॥ ( Vartika on Brihad.Up 3.7)

[This one do the Sattvatas worship after having divided him into four
parts, similarly (do the) worshipers of Hiranyagarbha and similarly, the
Pasupatas and others.]

The four parts are Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Sankarshana.

Thus, in the vision of Bhagavan Sureshvaracharya, all the upasaya forms are
the varied manifestations of the same Brahman.

Commenting on the above words of Bhagavan Vartikakara, Shri Anandagiri ji
quotes verses from Paancharatra , Shaivagama and states that the said
schools worship the same Antaryami per their respective principles. Acharya
Anandagiri ji also states that by the word ‘adi’ in the verse of Vartika
(verse 38), all the Seshvaravaadis are suggested. Thus, from the Vartika
and its tika, we can gather that per Advaita siddhanta , the upasya forms
of various schools like Pancharatra, Pashupata, Soura, Shakta, Ganapatya
etc , are ultimately regarded as the one Brahman only.

The image of the Vartika and it’s tika has been attached below. Based on a
quick search, I could track the quoted verses ( numbered 1 and 2 in the
image) to the following Agamaik texts :

1. Pancharatra Agama , Paushkara samhita :
https://vishvasa.github.io/AgamaH/AryaH/hinduism/branches/vaiShNavaH/pAncharAtrAgamaH/pauShkara-saMhitA/36_adhyAyaH/
2. Raurava Agama, 10 th chapter ( on Vyoma vyapi mantra)
https://www.himalayanacademy.com/view/raurava-agama-vidya-pada

Only those who have studied the Advaita Bhashyas can say the above. Others
outside the sampradaya try to portray Shankara, Sureshwara, etc as
sectarians and bigots.

Om Tat Sat