[Advaita-l] Shankara authenticates Shiva as the son of Brahma

[D Gayatri]

Namaste

In the Shanti parva of the Mahabharata, Krishna-Dwaipayana relates a
conversation between Brahma and Shiva. Here it is revealed by
Krishna-Dvaipayana, that Shiva is actually the son of Brahma and
Brahma gives instructions to Shiva on the supreme purusha and brahman,
who is none other than Narayana. This is another instance of Vishnu
being praised as the vedAntic brahman in the Mahabharata.

Now, the Shanti parva and Anushasana parva of the Mahabharata are
widely believed to contain many interpolations, to the extent that
even the critical BORI edition may not be free from interpolations as
far as these two parva-s are concerned. Fortunately, the above
instance of Brahma teaching his son Shiva about the nature of
Narayana, the supreme Atman, is authenticated by none other than our
own Shankara bhagavatpAda in his Brahmasutra Bhashya.

Below, I will explain how Shankara bhagavatpAda authenticates this incident.


Shankara's Brahmasutra Bhashya 2.1.1. contains the following
quotations from the Mahabharata -

महाभारतेऽपि च — ‘बहवः पुरुषा ब्रह्मन्नुताहो एक एव तु’ इति विचार्य,
‘बहवः पुरुषा राजन्सांख्ययोगविचारिणाम्’ इति परपक्षमुपन्यस्य
तद्व्युदासेन — ‘बहूनां पुरुषाणां हि यथैका योनिरुच्यते । तथा तं पुरुषं
विश्वमाख्यास्यामि गुणाधिकम्’ इत्युपक्रम्य ‘ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये
देहसंस्थिताः । सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न ग्राह्यः केनचित्क्वचित् ॥
विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः । एकश्चरति भूतेषु स्वैरचारी
यथासुखम्’ — इति सर्वात्मतैव निर्धारिता ।


The above portion of the bhAshya contains 4 quotations from the Mahabharata -

1. बहवः पुरुषा ब्रह्मन्नुताहो एक एव तु

2. बहवः पुरुषा राजन्सांख्ययोगविचारिणाम्

3. बहूनां पुरुषाणां हि यथैका योनिरुच्यते । तथा तं पुरुषं
विश्वमाख्यास्यामि गुणाधिकम्

4. ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहसंस्थिताः । सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न
ग्राह्यः केनचित्क्वचित् ॥ विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः ।
एकश्चरति भूतेषु स्वैरचारी यथासुखम्


The 4 quotations are found in the Shanti parva of the Mahabharata.
Shankara himself says that all these quotations are from the
Mahabharata.

The first quotation of Shankara is from Mbh 12.338.1 in the critical
edition. The complete verse is as follows -

जनमेजय उवाच|| बहवः पुरुषा ब्रह्मन्नुताहो एक एव तु | को ह्यत्र पुरुषः
श्रेष्ठः को वा योनिरिहोच्यते ||१||

[Janamejaya asks Vaisampayana whether there are many purushas or
whether there is only one. Who is the foremost of the purushas and who
is the source of all?]

(I have based my translations from the work of K M Ganguly)

The second quotation of Shankara is from Mbh 12.338.2, the complete
verse being -

वैशम्पायन उवाच|| बहवः पुरुषा लोके साङ्ख्ययोगविचारिणाम् | नैतदिच्छन्ति
पुरुषमेकं कुरुकुलोद्वह ||२||

[Vaisampayana says, those who follow Samkhya and Yoga consider
purushas as many. They dont think there is a single purusha]

Shankara considers the above position of Samkhyas and Yogins as
pUrva-paksha, which will be refuted in the subsequent sections of the
Mahabharata itself.

The third quotation of Shankara is from the Mbh 12.338.3 -

बहूनां पुरुषाणां च यथैका योनिरुच्यते | तथा तं पुरुषं विश्वं
व्याख्यास्यामि गुणाधिकम् ||३||

[In the same manner in which the many Purushas are said to have one
origin in the Supreme Purusha, it may be said that this entire
universe is identical with that one Purusha of superior attributes.]

(Now, before we come to Shankara's 4th quotation, we need to
understand in what context it occurs, so I will explain the context.)

Vaisampayana then goes on to relate a narrative about Brahma's
instructions to his son Shiva, in this context. It is clearly
specified in this section that Shiva is the son of Brahma.

Mbh: 12.338.8 -

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् | ब्रह्मणा सह संवादं त्र्यम्बकस्य
विशां पते ||८||

[In this connection is cited the old narrative of the discourse
between Brahma, O king, and the Three-eyed Mahadeva.]

Mbh: 12.338.11 -

अथ तत्रासतस्तस्य चतुर्वक्त्रस्य धीमतः | ललाटप्रभवः पुत्रः शिव
आगाद्यदृच्छया ||११|| आकाशेनैव योगीशः पुरा त्रिनयनः प्रभुः ||११||

[While the four-faced Brahma of great intelligence was seated there,
his son Mahadeva, who had sprung from his forehead encountered him one
day in course of his wanderings through the universe. In days of yore,
the Three-eyed Siva endued with puissance and high Yoga, while
proceeding along the sky, beheld Brahma seated on that mountain and,
therefore, dropped down quickly on its top.]

In the above, Shiva is called as lalATaprabhavaH putraH - the son who
arose from the forehead of Brahma. This is also confirmed by the next
few verses, where Shiva pays respects to Brahma, by touching his feet.

Mbh: 12.338.12-15 -

ततः खान्निपपाताशु धरणीधरमूर्धनि | अग्रतश्चाभवत्प्रीतो ववन्दे चापि पादयोः ||१२||

तं पादयोर्निपतितं दृष्ट्वा सव्येन पाणिना | उत्थापयामास तदा प्रभुरेकः
प्रजापतिः ||१३||

उवाच चैनं भगवांश्चिरस्यागतमात्मजम् | स्वागतं ते महाबाहो दिष्ट्या
प्राप्तोऽसि मेऽन्तिकम् ||१४||

कच्चित्ते कुशलं पुत्र स्वाध्यायतपसोः सदा | नित्यमुग्रतपास्त्वं हि ततः
पृच्छामि ते पुनः ||१५||


[With a cheerful heart he presented him before his progenitor and
worshipped his feet. Beholding Mahadeva prostrated at his feet, Brahma
took him up with his left hand. Having thus raised Mahadeva up,
Brahma, that puissant and one Lord of all creatures, then addressed
his son, whom he met after a long time, in these words. "The Grandsire
said, 'Welcome art thou, O thou of mighty arms. By good luck I see
thee after such a long time come to my presence. I hope, O son, that
everything is right with thy penances and thy Vedic studies and
recitations. Thou art always observant of the austerest penances.
Hence I ask thee about the progress and well-being of those penances
of thine!']

The discussion between Brahma and his son Shiva progresses and Brahma
explains the meaning of Purusha to Shiva. The discussion continues
into the next chapter (here is where we will find the 4th quotation
from Shankara).

Mbh 12.329.1-5

ब्रह्मोवाच||

शृणु पुत्र यथा ह्येष पुरुषः शाश्वतोऽव्ययः | अक्षयश्चाप्रमेयश्च
सर्वगश्च निरुच्यते ||१||

न स शक्यस्त्वया द्रष्टुं मयान्यैर्वापि सत्तम | सगुणो निर्गुणो विश्वो
ज्ञानदृश्यो ह्यसौ स्मृतः ||२||

अशरीरः शरीरेषु सर्वेषु निवसत्यसौ | वसन्नपि शरीरेषु न स लिप्यति कर्मभिः ||३||

ममान्तरात्मा तव च ये चान्ये देहसञ्ज्ञिताः | सर्वेषां साक्षिभूतोऽसौ न
ग्राह्यः केनचित्क्वचित् ||४||

विश्वमूर्धा विश्वभुजो विश्वपादाक्षिनासिकः | एकश्चरति क्षेत्रेषु
स्वैरचारी यथासुखम् ||५||

(The fourth quotation from Shankara comprises the verses 4 and 5
above. These are the words of Brahma addressed to his son Shiva).

['Brahma said,--'Listen, O son, as to how that Purusha is indicated.
He is eternal and immutable. He is undeteriorating and immeasurable.
He pervades all things. 1 O best of all creatures, that Purusha cannot
be seen by thee, or me, or others. Those that are endued with the
understanding and the senses but destitute of self-restraint and
tranquility of soul cannot obtain a sight of him. The Supreme Purusha
is said to be one that can be seen with the aid of knowledge alone.
Though divested of body, He dwells in every body. Though dwelling,
again, in bodies, He is never touched by the acts accomplished by
those bodies. He is my Antaratma (inner soul). He is thy inner soul.
He is the all-seeing Witness dwelling within all embodied creatures
and engaged in marking their acts. No one can grasp or comprehend him
at any time. The universe is the crown of his head. The universe is
his arms. The universe is his feet. The universe is his eyes. The
universe is his nose. Alone and single, he roves through all Kshetras
(Bodies) unrestrained by any limitations on his will and as he likes.]

The discussion continues and a few verses later, Brahma reveals that
the Purusha is Narayana -

Mbh: 12.329.14

तत्र यः परमात्मा हि स नित्यं निर्गुणः स्मृतः | स हि नारायणो ज्ञेयः
सर्वात्मा पुरुषो हि सः ||१४||

[The truth is that he who is the Supreme Soul is always divested of
attributes. He is Narayana. He is the universal soul, and he is the
one Purusha.]

Thus, Brahma reveals to his son Shiva that Narayana is the supreme
Purusha and the Atman of all. Since Shankara quotes this incident from
both these chapters (328 and 329 of Shanti parva), these incidents are
not interpolations as they have been authenticated by the great
Shankara himself, who stands in greatness, next only to
Krishna-Dvaipayana (vyasa).

Thus, this is another instance in the Mahabharata, where Vishnu has
been praised as the Vedantic brahman.


Regards
Gayatri