[Advaita-l] Antaryami Vishnu and any devatas.

[srikanta]

With reference to the above topic,I came across a story by Sri.Krishna
kaundinya.

It seems Vidyaranya and Akshobyatheertha engaged in a debate on the Vakya
vichara of the "Mahavakya","Tatvamasi",Vidyaranya could not defend
himself,and vedanta Desika who acted as a judge gave the verdict as
follows:

Asina tatvamasina para -jiva prabhedhina!
Vidyaranyam Maharanyam nakshobhya muniracchinat!!

Note that,in the above couplet it is not"Prabhodina"as Krihna Kaundinaya
has written,but,"Prabhedina",which means "cut asunder".

The meaning of the above couplet is:

With the sword(asi) of "Tattvamasi)"(the Mahavakya),by the distinction of
the Para(Paramatman) and the jiva(Jivatman),the muni who is not
tormented(nakshobhya,cut asunder the Huge forest  called Vidyaranya.

This is the version of the Dwaita(Madhwa)followers.There is no truth in
this story.The debate was set to be in a place called "Mulabagilu"in
Karnataka near Chintamani,in Kolar, which is nearer to Bangalore.
There is an Adwaitic Version to the story:
Vedanta Desika spelled his verdict by the following line:
"Akshobhyam kshobhayamasa VidyaranyoMaha munih"
The Vidyaranya Mahamuni tormented Akshobhya tirtha.
Then, Vedanta Desika seems to have said with remorse:
"OH.Vidyaranya,this Akshobhya has cut the
Maharanya(He!Vidyaranya,Maharanyam(Bruhadaranyaka Upanishad)this Akshobhya
muniraccinat). called "Bruhadaranyaka",he has put  the axe to sruthi
itself(which means he has no evidence).

Vidyaranya was a great and Profound scholar.He and Vedanta Deshika were
classmates in Kanchpuram.Vidyaranya has written many Prakarana granthas
lke Jivan mukthi Viveka,Panchadashi etc.He has written also,"Sarvadardhana
sangraha",a compendium of all the darshanas,starting from Charwaka
darshana,Bauddha darshana,Jaina darshana,Nakulisha Pasupatha
darshana,Patanjala darshana,Vaishnava darshana(Ramanuja),Poornaprajna
Darshana(Madhwacharya),an lastly he has elaborated Adwaita darshana and
proved that only Adwaita Darshana is true.In this grantha he has quoted
statements from Vedanta Deshika(Venkatanatha)while discussing Ramanuja
Darshana.Infact,Vedantha Desika(called by the title,Kavi Tarkika
Kesari)held Vidyaranya in high esteem and reverence.Vidyaranya became the
Sringeri Peethadipathi,and also the prime minister of Hakka and Bukka,the
Kings of
Vijayanagara. Vidyaranya after he became the Primeminister invited Vedanta
Desika to come to Vijayanagara to occupy an important post.For
this,Vedanta Desika seems to have replied:Asti Hastishikaragre mama
praithyakam"(for my lively hood,I have the inheritance from my
forefathers,which exists at the top of the Hstishikhara,which is Puja
kainkaryam to SriVaradaRaja Swami).
Vedanta Desika was a great poet who wrote "Yadavabhyuwhich has been
commented upon by the grat Adwaitin scholar and poet,the great
SrimadAppayya Deekshitha,who wrote the books "Shivarkamani
Deepika,Shivotkarsha manjari"among other books.Vedanta Deshika's
book"Tattvamukta kalapa"is a must for a student to know Ramanuja's
Vishishtadwaita.Once it seems many of his rivals(he had many rivals) had
tied(Padarakshas)Chappals in the form of a string at the
 entrance to his house.These rivals argued with Vedanta Deshika about the
importance of karma or Jnana.The great Bhakta that he was he exclaimed:
"Kecid karmavalambhakah,Kecid jnanavalambhakah!
Vayam tu Haridasat padavalambhakah!!"
To come to this conclusion one definitely must have humility,which is a
great virtue.
Vidyaranya also was a Thyagi.When he did Thapas on Mahalakshmi for
Aishwarya,Mahalakhmiappeared before him and asked him for a boon.He
requested her to give him Aishwarya to build a Kingdom.When Mahalakshmi
told him that she can give the boon only in his next Janama,he said that
he will take Sanyasa to get Aishwarya.The Goddess of wealth gave him
wealth.With that and the boys Hakka and Bukka he built the Vijayanagar
empire.Such is the greatness of the Sage Vidyaranya!
                                                      N.Srikanta.



Infact,the Dwaita founder Madhwacharya himself has interpreted the
Mahavakya,"Tattvamasi",as "Thou art not that"(Sa Atma atatvamasi).One can
see how inconsistent the above interpretation is, for this Sruthi
statement ,from Chandogyopanishath.Do we need a "Sruthi statement to
say,"You are not that".What is known to us is not said by any Sastra.we
require Sastra to know what is not known to us.Otherwise it becomes,mere
anuvada.