[Advaita-l] Shankara authenticates Shiva

[V Subrahmanian]

On Thu, Aug 18, 2016 at 11:12 PM, D Gayatri <dgayatrinov10 at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Only because the implications are artificially imposed does the problem
> > arise. A student of vedanta reading the bhashya will not lose anything if
> > that information is not provided. That is why Shankara does not care to
> give
> > that. For Shankara the MB is important only because Vyasa is the author
> and
> > not because of anything else.
>
> There is no problem arising at all. The situation is very clear.
> Shankara everywhere accepts the supremacy of Narayana only.


Shankara does not need to give all the information because he assumes that
> his
> readers have basic knowledge of shAstra-s. Only if the quotes come
> from the vaidika shAstra-s will they have any value, otherwise they
> will have no value. The Mahabharata is huge and we dont know what form
> it had during his time, but Shankara quotes only from those portions
> that are compatible with advaita-vedAnta and/or show the supremacy of
> Vishnu.


Shankara quotes from that portion not because Vishnu is superior but
because those portions are convenient for Shankara to teach the Advaitic
Nirguna Brahman. For Shankara that Narayana is beyond avyakta and therefore
Nirguna. That is why he cites from those poritons.


> He does not quote anything from the Shiva supremacy verses


This is not because he does not consider Shiva as superior but because
those portions may not be conveying the advaitic message Shankara looked
for.


>
> >
> > The argument that the that mantra is about the creation of Rudra is
> > discredited by several shrutis including the Prashna, Shvetashvara,
> > Kaivalya, Jabala, Atharva shira, etc.
>
>
> The argument that the mantra is about the creation of Rudra is
> validated by several shrutis like Brihadaranyaka, Satapatha brahmana,
> Kausitaki brahmana, Rig Veda etc.
>

The Rg Veda, the Brihadaranyaka, the Atharvashira and other scriptures
validate the fact of Vishnu being a created deity