[Advaita-l] Krishna is Shiva's child (was Re: Shankara authenticates Shiva as the son of Brahma)

[S Jayanarayanan]

According to the Mahabharata, each of the Trimurti's has been described to be another's child:
1) Krishna is Shiva's child.
2) Brahma is Vishnu's child.
3) Shiva is Brahma's child.
 
References follow.
 
1) Krishna is Shiva's child.
 
"Keshava is that Devoted Worshipper of Rudra who has sprung from Rudra Himself."
 
sa eSha rudrabhaktashcha keshavo rudrasambhavaH |
 
 
2) Brahma is Vishnu's child.
 
"On the occasion of the seventh creation, viz., that which
was due to the primeval Lotus, Narayana, endued with the austerest penances, transcending both
good and ill, and possessed of unrivalled splendour, at first created Brahma, from his navel. After
Brahma had started into birth, Narayana addressed him, saying; Thou halt sprung from my navel."
 
prApte prajAvisarge vai saptame padmasambhave |
nArAyaNo mahAyogI shubhAshubhavivarjitaH || 17||
 
sasRRije nAbhitaH putraM brahmANamamitaprabham |
tataH sa prAdurabhavadathainaM vAkyamabravIt || 18||
 
mama tvaM nAbhito jAtaH prajAsargakaraH prabhuH |
 
 
3) Shiva is Brahma's child.
  
"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."
 
atha tatrAsatastasya chaturvaktrasya dhImataH |
lalATaprabhavaH putraH shiva AgAdyadRRichChayA || 11||
 
AkAshenaiva yogIshaH purA trinayanaH prabhuH || 11||
 
 
Sankara has quoted the Jabala Upanishad in his commentaries. Here's what it says:
 
III-1. Then the discipline students (Brahmacharins of Yajnavalkya) asked him: ‘Pray, tell
us, what is that mantra by reciting which one attains immortality?’ He replied: ‘By (reciting)
Satarudriya’. These mantras are indeed the names of (Rudra to achieve) immortality. By
(reciting) these (mantras) one becomes immortal.
 
atha hainaM brahmachAriNa UchuH ki.n japyenAmR^itatvaM brUhIti ||
sa hovAcha yAj~navalkyaH | shatarudriyeNetyetAnyeva ha vA
amR^itasya nAmAni ||
etairha vA amR^ito bhavatIti evamevaitadyAj~navalkyaH || 3||
 
 
General article on Shiva in the Mahabharata and other sources: http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/shiva.pdf
 
Regards,
Kartik