[Advaita-l] Shankara as Paramashiva - a line from the Panchapadika

[Venkatraghavan S]

Namaste,

On the occasion of Mahashivaratri, a line from the panchapAdikA
demonstrating the deep devotion that the panchapAdikAkAra had for Adi
Shankara Bhagavatpada:

तस्मात् ब्रह्मविदामेकपुण्डरीकस्य लोकानुग्रहैकरसतया
सम्यग्ज्ञानप्रवर्तनप्रयोजनकृतशरीरपरिग्रहस्य भगवतो भाष्यकारस्य
मतमागमयितव्यम् ॥
Thus, we must arrive at bhagavAn bhAShyakAra's system, the greatest of the
knowers of Brahman, who, with the sole intent of ensuring the world's
welfare, has taken a physical body in order to generate the right knowledge
of Brahman.

That Adi Shankara is considered by Padmapada to be none other than
Paramashiva Himself is known from the famous opening verse of the
panchapAdikA:

नमाम्यभोगिपरिवारसम्पदं निरस्तभूतिमनुमार्धविग्रहम् ।
अनुग्रमुन्मृदितकाललाञ्छनं विना विनायकमपूर्वशङ्करम् ॥
I offer my obeisance to that unique Shankara,
1) whose wealth is abhogi-parivAra, the company of sannyAsi-s (whereas the
well known pUrva-Shankara, i.e. Paramashiva, whose body is adorned by
bhogi-s, snakes),
2) who is free of all bhUti, material possessions (Shiva, on the other
hand, has his body covered in ashes),
3) whose body of work is half endowed with anumA, reasoning, the other half
being shruti (Shiva, on the other hand is umArdha-vigrahah, half his body
is occupied by Uma Haimavati)
4) who is anugra, free of anger (whereas Shiva, whose very name is ugrah)
5) who, being a jnAni, is free from the mark of kAla, mortality (whereas,
Nilakantha Shiva, has the black mark of poison in his throat)
6) who, has defeated the Vinayaka-s (Buddhists) (unlike, Shiva, in whose
retinue is Ganesha).

Such a Paramashiva took a physical body in the form of the apUrva Shankara
for the benefit of the world. To such a Shivavatara Adi Shankara, we offer
our obeisances on the occasion of this Mahashivaratri.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan