[Advaita-l] Shankara authenticates Shiva

[D Gayatri]

> For an academician let that part not be an interpolation.  For a Vedantin
> Shanakara only the Advaitic message is relevant. That alone is authenticated
> by him in the MB and not the other peripheral things. So, there is no merit
> in saying that Shankara authenticates Shiva as son of.....

This is your personal opinion that though Shankara quoted from that
passage, he authenticates only one aspect of that passage and not the
other. That sounds very selective.


> The mantra itself says 'iti' which Shankara comments as īti evamādīni'
> =.'and other such cases ' showing that the list is not exhaustive. That is
> why Shankara says 'it is well known.' Where is it well known? in the Yajur
> Veda samhita.

If Vishnu is included, then Shankara would have mentioned it, but he
does not. That should end the matter. Moreover, since he says Vishnu
is supreme at many other places, we cannot consider the above reading
as valid.


> For Shankara only the Nirguna Brahman is supreme.  That Narayana is the one
> Turiya beyond avyakta. Nowhere in the Bhashya Shankara has identified that N
> as the resident of vaikuntha, etc. For Shankara 'Parameshwara' can take any
> illusory form out of will to bless an aspirant.' Narayana is a deity, is one
> such form. And if it is a form then it is anātmā and abrahma for Shankara .
> So, for Shankara the Supreme Brahman is Nirguna only which alone can be
> identified as one's self.


This part, I will probably reply in a separate thread shortly because
it requires some prior discussion on related topics. So keep watching
this space.