[Advaita-l] Mahabharata ~ Hinduism

[S Jayanarayanan]

 An opinion of mine is that the Mahabharata is roughly or approximately Hinduism.
That is, the Mahabharata approves of almost every path which may be called "Hindu".
Here are some reasons for this claim.
 
 
(1) All the Deities are worshipped in their respective Temples or Shrines - Vishnu, Shiva, Devi!
 
  (Sage Pulastya says,) "The pilgrim should then, O king, proceed
  to the tirtha called Anaraka. Bathing there, O king, one never meeteth with distress hereafter.
  There, O king, Brahma himself with the other gods having Narayana at their head, is ever present,
  O tiger among men! And, O royal son of the Kuru race, the Wife also of Rudra is present there. Beholding
  the Goddess, one never meeteth with distress hereafter. There in that tirtha O king, is also
  (an image of) Visweswara, the Lord of Uma. Beholding the God of Gods there, one is cleansed of all
  his sins."
 
  tato gachChedanarakaM tIrthasevI narAdhipa |
  tatra snAtvA naro rAjanna durgatimavApnuyAt ||
 
  tatra brahmA svayaM nityaM devaiH saha mahIpate |
  anvAsyate narashreShTha nArAyaNapurogamaiH ||
 
  sAMnidhyaM chaiva rAjendra rudrapatnyAH kurUdvaha |
  abhigamya cha tAM devIM na durgatimavApnuyAt ||
 
  tatraiva cha mahArAja vishveshvaramumApatim |
  abhigamya mahAdevaM muchyate sarvakilbiShaiH ||
 
 
(2) Vishnu is of course praised in several places, but Shiva is accorded due respect in three important ways:
  (i) The Most Powerful Weapon in the Universe - the Pashupatastra - is in the custody of Shiva.
  (ii) The Vedic Hymn most glorified is the "Rudram", which is addressed to Shiva.
  (iii) Krishna is repeatedly hailed as the Greatest Devotee of Shiva.
 
Details are at http://www.advaita-vedanta.org/shiva.pdf
 
 
(3) All the various "sects" of Hinduism are accepted as genuine paths to Moksha,
    albeit clothed in a world-view best described as "Advaitic Vaishnavism"! :-)
 
  “Vaisampayana continued, "I have thus narrated to thee, O monarch, the circumstances connected
  with the former birth of our revered preceptor, viz., Vyasa of unstained mind, as asked by thee. Listen
  to me once again. There are diverse kinds of cults, O royal sage, that go by diverse names such
  as Sankhya, Yoga, the Pancha-ratra, Vedas, and Pasupata. The promulgator of Sankhya cult is said
  to be the great Rishi Kapila. The primeval Hiranyagarbha, and none else, is the promulgator of the
  Yoga system. The Rishi Apantaratamas is said to be the preceptor of the Vedas, some call that Rishi
  by the name of Prachina-garbha. The cult known by the name of Pasupata was promulgated by the
  Lord of Uma, that master of all creatures, viz., the cheerful Siva, otherwise known by the name of
  Sreekantha, the son of Brahma. The illustrious Narayana is himself the promulgator of the cult, in
  its entirety, contained in the Pancharatra scriptures. In all these cults, O foremost of kings, it is seen
  that the puissant Narayana is the one sole object of exposition. According to the scriptures of these
  cults and the measure of knowledge they contain, Narayana is the one sole object of worship they
  inculcate."”
 
  vaishampAyana uvAcha||
 
  eSha te kathitaH pUrvaM sambhavo.asmadgurornRRipa |
  vyAsasyAkliShTamanaso yathA pRRiShTaH punaH shRRiNu ||
 
  sA~NkhyaM yogaM pa~ncharAtraM vedAH pAshupataM tathA |
  j~nAnAnyetAni rAjarShe viddhi nAnAmatAni vai ||
 
  sA~Nkhyasya vaktA kapilaH paramarShiH sa uchyate |
  hiraNyagarbho yogasya vettA nAnyaH purAtanaH ||
 
  apAntaratamAshchaiva vedAchAryaH sa uchyate |
  prAchInagarbhaM tamRRiShiM pravadantIha kechana ||
 
  umApatirbhUtapatiH shrIkaNTho brahmaNaH sutaH |
  uktavAnidamavyagro j~nAnaM pAshupataM shivaH ||
 
  pa~ncharAtrasya kRRitsnasya vettA tu bhagavAnsvayam |
  sarveShu cha nRRipashreShTha j~nAneShveteShu dRRishyate ||
 
  yathAgamaM yathAj~nAnaM niShThA nArAyaNaH prabhuH |
 
 
Regards,
Kartik