[Advaita-l] Anya Devata

[Ravisankar Mayavaram]

On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 2:54 AM, Ramanan Subramanian <prahladadasa at gmail.com
> wrote:

>
> Hence, I was thinking if it was possible to refute the assertion made by
> Vaishnavas that Sankara was a Vaishnava, using the same pramANas that
> *they*
> use for making the assertion -- ie., prasthAna-trayi bhASyas. Otherwise, we
> can try and show that Dakshinamurty-stotra/Manasollasa are genuine works,
> using *their* criteria.
>
>
The problem is - the question/assertion Sankara is a vaiShNava is in itself
not correct. A smarta may be devoted a particular devata, but that is only
in vyavahaara. For us, paramaartha  is advitiiya and nishkala. Hence, there
is no duality in the state of liberation.  The notion of ishvara and jiiva
does not exist in paramaartha.  In that state question such as vaiShNava,
Saiva, etc. does not make any sense.  For us vyavahara is mithya.

On the other hand, their definition of state of liberation is dual - there
is iishvara and countless jiiva-s. The jiivaa-s enjoy/serve the iishavara
for eterntity. For them, it becomes crucial for them if this iishvara is
vishNu, shiva, allah or christ.

I do not understand, what peace of mind  they achieve by asserting Sankara
is vaiShNava - when they disagree squarely with Sankara's siddhanta.  What
is crucial is not the a particular devata one is devoted too - but the
fundamental difference in the understanding of prasthaana trayi.  When they
disagree with the siddhanta,  what is even the point in convincing them that
Sankara is neither a Saiva nor a vaiShNava.

On a side note, one has to be an idiot or a super hero to fight one's enemy
on enemy's terms and conditions.

Ravi