[Advaita-l] Worship of any deity is allowed by the Upanishad and Shankara: 1.4.10 - yo anyām devatām upāste

[V Subrahmanian]

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Worship of any deity is allowed by the Upanishad and Shankara1.4.10 - yo
anyām devatām upāste...



In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10, in the famous mantra where Aham
Brahma Asmi is contained, there is a passage that denounces difference
between the jiva and Ishwara: yo anyām devatām upāste...

अथ योऽन्यां देवतामुपास्तेऽन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति न स वेद यथा पशुरेवं स
देवानाम् ।

[if a man worships another deity, thinking: "He is one and I am another,"
he does not know. He is like an animal to the gods.]



For this line Shankara's commentary is as follows:



तद्यथेहैव तावत् — अथ यः कश्चिदब्रह्मवित् , अन्यामात्मनो व्यतिरिक्तां *यां*
*काञ्चिद्देवताम्* , उपास्ते स्तुतिनमस्कारयागबल्युपहारप्रणिधानध्यानादिना उप
आस्ते तस्या गुणभावमुपगम्य आस्ते — अन्योऽसावनात्मा मत्तः पृथक् ,
अन्योऽहमस्म्यधिकृतः, मया अस्मै ऋणिवत्प्रतिकर्तव्यम् — इत्येवंप्रत्ययः
सन्नुपास्ते, न स इत्थंप्रत्ययः वेद विजानाति तत्त्वम् ।



Translation (Swami Madhavananda):


As, for instance, here. While he, one who is not a knower of Brahman, *who
worships any god,*  a god different from himself, approaches him in a
subordinate position, offering him praises, salutations, sacrifices,
presents, devotion, meditation, etc., thinking, '*He is one,
non-self,** different
from me, and I am another, qualified for rites, and I must serve him like a
debtor'- *worships him with such ideas,* does not know the truth.* He, this
ignorant man, has not only the evil of ignorance, but is also like an
animal to the gods.


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Om

subbu