[Advaita-l] Debunking Drishti-Srishti Vada and Eka Jiva Vada - part 1

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

>  Sri MS deviates from shankara  at some places ( though not Advaita hAni
from it) is also the observation made by Sri Vidyashankara Sundareshan
prabhuji.  So, it is not new to the advaitins here in this list atleast :-)

If Modi and you can read Sankara Bhashyas thoroughly you can see Bhakti to
Narayana is there in them prominently.

Adi Sankara has practically agreed with Bhagavata followers in the
Sutra Bhashya 2-2-42 on Supremacy of Narayana and importance of Bhakti and
Araadhana to Narayana. He has said -

तत्र भागवता मन्यते — भगवानेवैको वासुदेवो निरञ्जनज्ञानस्वरूपः
परमार्थतत्त्वम् ; स चतुर्धात्मानं प्रविभज्य प्रतिष्ठितः —
वासुदेवव्यूहरूपेण, सङ्कर्षणव्यूहरूपेण, प्रद्युम्नव्यूहरूपेण,
अनिरुद्धव्यूहरूपेण च ; वासुदेवो नाम परमात्मा उच्यते ; सङ्कर्षणो नाम
जीवः ; प्रद्युम्नो नाम मनः ; अनिरुद्धो नाम अहंकारः ; तेषां वासुदेवः
परा प्रकृतिः, इतरे सङ्कर्षणादयः कार्यम् ; तमित्थंभूतं परमेश्वरं
भगवन्तमभिगमनोपादानेज्यास्वाध्याययोगैर्वर्षशतमिष्ट्वा क्षीणक्लेशो
भगवन्तमेव प्रतिपद्यत इति ।

*तत्र यत्तावदुच्यते — योऽसौ नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तात्प्रसिद्धः परमात्मा
सर्वात्मा, स आत्मनात्मानमनेकधा व्यूह्यावस्थित इति — तन्न निराक्रियते,* ‘ स
एकधा भवति त्रिधा भवति’ (छा.
उ. ७ । २६ । २) इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः परमात्मनोऽनेकधाभावस्याधिगतत्वात् ;
यदपि तस्य भगवतोऽभिगमनादिलक्षणमाराधनमजस्रमनन्यचित्ततयाभिप्रेयते, तदपि न
प्रतिषिध्यते, श्रुतिस्मृत्योरीश्वरप्रणिधानस्य प्रसिद्धत्वात् ।

In Geeta Bhashya also Adi Sankara has said Ishvara is Narayana only.
Chapter 15 Sloka 16 -
*भगवतः ईश्वरस्य नारायणाख्यस्य विभूतिसङ्क्षेपः उक्तः विशिष्टोपाधिकृतः
‘यदादित्यगतं तेजः’ (भ. गी. १५ । १२)
<http://advaitasharada.sringeri.net/display/bhashya/Gita?page=15&id=BG_C15_V12&hl=यदादित्यगतं%20तेजः>
इत्यादिना *
In 18-61 he has said *ईश्वरः ईशनशीलः नारायणः *सर्वभूतानां सर्वप्राणिनां
हृद्देशे हृदयदेशे अर्जुन शुक्लान्तरात्मस्वभावः विशुद्धान्तःकरणः

His Parama Guru Gaudapada has also worshipped Narayana only in
Mandukya Karikas with words द्विपदां वरम् and Sankara Bhashya is
saying ज्ञेयैर्धर्मैरात्मभिरभिन्नम् अग्न्युष्णवत् सवितृप्रकाशवच्च यत्
ज्ञानम् , तेन ज्ञेयाभिन्नेन ज्ञानेन आकाशकल्पेन
ज्ञेयात्मस्वरूपाव्यतिरिक्तेन, गगनोपमान्धर्मान्यः सम्बुद्धः
सम्बुद्धवान्नित्यमेव ईश्वरो यो *नारायणाख्यः*, तं वन्दे अभिवादये । द्विपदां
वरं द्विपदोपलक्षितानां पुरुषाणां वरं प्रधानम् , *पुरुषोत्तममित्यभिप्रायः*

This पुरुषोत्तम is nothing but Narayana only because in first Sloka of
Mahabharata they have used word नरोत्तम in नारायणं नमस्कृत्य नरं चैव
नरोत्तमम्

Adi Sankara also wrote famous Bhashya on Vishnu Sahasra Naama and Vishnu
Shatpadi and other Slokas. Famous one is Bhaja Govindam. Govinda is
Vishnu's name. There is one more Sankara Kavya - Prabodha Sudhaakara. In
that work he has described very much like Bhaagavata the activities of
Krishna. Therefore if I can find Vaishnava Bhakti base and support in
Sankara Bhashyas easily you can imagine how much support a thorough reader
of Adi Sankara like MS can find. Huge support will be there for him. As a
matter of fact many Vaishnavas sincerely believe Adi Sankara himself was a
Vaishnava. What more can MS ask for supporting Bhakti theory?

In Prabodha Sudhaakara in Dhyanavidhi Prakarana we find Adi Sankara
describing with Supreme Krishna Bhakti - Yamuna Tata Nikata Sthita
Vrundaavana Kaanane Mahaaramye Kalpadrumatala Bhoomau Caranam Caranopari
Sthaapya Tishthantam Ghana Neelam Sva Tejasaa Bhaasayantam Iha Vishvam
Peetaambara Paridhaanam Candana Karpoora Lipta Sarvaangam Aakarna Poorna
Netram Kundala Yuga Mandita Sravanam Mandasmita Mukha Kamalam
Sukaustubhodaara Mani Haaram and so on.

It is a very beautiful description of Krishna in Vrundaavana.
If any Vaishnava is reading this he will see no difference from his own
Vaishnava Acharyas like Ramanuja and Madhva. It is so full of Bhakti.

Where is the real deviation from Sankara Bhashyas?