Crossposting (was Re: An Interesting article - any response?)

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Shrisha Rao wrote:

[..]

> In an introductory essay by Sri Vidyaamaanya Tiirtha, one comes across
> the following prose:
>
> ata eva shrIshaN^karAchAryaiH `OM patyurasAmaJNjasyAt.h' iti
> sUtrabhAshhye spashhTaM pAshupatamataM nirAkAri |
>
> meaning something like "thus only, Sri Shankaraachaarya has clearly
> denounced the Shaiva doctrine in his commentary upon the Suutra, `OM
> patyurasAmaJNjasyAt.h'."
>
> The Suutra in question is 2.2.37 in Sri Shankara's commentary, but I
> have no access to a proper version with appropriate sub-commentary,


The specific view being addressed by Sankara in his commentary is that
brahman is the efficient cause of the universe, but not the material
cause. This is not accepted by Sankara who interprets the brahmasUtra as
upholding the view that brahman is the only, and therefore *both* material
and efficient cause. Note that the Skt. text of Sri Vidyamanya Tirtha has
the word "pASupatamatam", indicating the views of the pASupata school.
They are not the only "Saivas", as you well know. Also, note that
Sankara's bhAshya has it that this sUtra refutes not only the pASupatas,
but also the theistic sAm.khya and yoga, as well as the nyaya-vaiSeshika
schools. And, if Sankara were alive today, he would unhesitatingly say
that the sUtra also refutes the tattvavAda tenet that brahman cannot be
the material cause. The bhAgavatas are not addressed in this sUtra,
because they hold that vAsudeva is both the efficient and material cause.
Towards the end of this section (2.2) of the brahmasUtras, Sankara finds
only their theory of four vyUhas problematic.

In Vidyaranya's Sarvadarsana-sangraha, the pASupatas are also called
ISvara-kAraNins, and this view is seen as being refuted in vedAnta. I
don't see why it should be problematic for today's followers of Sankara.
One can worship Siva or vishNu in the vedic way, without adhering to a
pASupata or a bhAgavata doctrine.

Vidyasankar