[Advaita-l] 'Yoga Yajnavalkya' authenticated by Narayanashrama

[V Subrahmanian]

'Yoga Yajnavalkya' (YY) authenticated by Narayanashrama, the 13 CE Advaita
Acharya who has commented on several upanishads. Amalananda belongs to his
lineage. Shankarananda is admitted to be his colleague.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Yajnavalkya
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_Yajnavalkya>

In the commentary to the Atharvashira Upanishad Narayanashrama cites the
YY.   याज्ञ्यवल्क्योऽपि  षोडशच्छदसंयुक्ताशिरः पद्मादधोमुखात् ।
निर्गतामृतधाराभिः
[सहस्राभिः समन्ततः ]॥ ३७॥

The above verse is available in the YY:
https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_yoga/yogayAjnyavalkya.html?lang=sa

There are many interesting aspects of Shiva-Vishnu abheda in this text.


This following verse in the YY : प्राणसंयमने गार्गि मन्त्रं प्रणववर्जितम् ।
नमोन्तं शिवमन्त्रं वा वैष्णवं वेष्यते बुधैः ॥ १७॥
means: One can chant the name 'shivaya namah' or any name of Vishnu in
order to achieve control of breath.
One can see this to be in tune with the Mahabharatha where Krishna teaches
that worship of Vishnu or Shiva both lead to the same result. See an
article here:
https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2017/04/24/worship-of-shiva-or-vishnu-lead-to-the-same-result-mahabharata/

While this is said about Shiva in the YY: आकाशे वायुमारोप्य हकारोपरि शकरम्
। बिन्दुरूपं महादेवं व्योमाकारं सदाशिवम् ॥ २२॥ शुद्धस्फटिकसङ्काशं
बालेन्दुघृतमौलिनम् । पञ्चवक्त्रयुतं सौम्यं दशबाहुं त्रिलोचनम् ॥ २३॥
सर्वायुधोद्यतकरं
सर्वाभरणभूषितम् । उमार्धदेहं वरदं सर्वकारणकारणम् ॥ २४॥ मनसा चिन्तयनत्तु
मुहूर्तमपि धारयेत् । स एव मुक्त इत्युक्तस्तान्त्रिकेषु सुशिक्षितैः ॥
२५॥ एतदुक्तं
भवत्यत्र गार्गि ब्रह्मविदां वरे । ब्रह्मादिकार्यरूपाणि स्वे स्वे सम्हृत्य
कारणे ॥ २६॥ तस्मिन्सदाशिवे प्राणं चित्तं चानीय कारणे । युक्तचित्तस्तदात्मानं
योजयेत्परमेश्वरे ॥ २७॥

[The gist of the above is: the consort of Uma, with Her as half of his
body, the Lord is 'sarva kaarana kaaranam', the primordial cause of the
universe, jagakaaranam.]
We have the following about Vishnu: नारायणं जगन्नाथं सर्वभूतहृदि
स्थितम् । वासुदेवं
जगद्योनिं योगिध्येयं निरञ्जनम् ॥ १२॥ आनन्दममृतं नित्यं
परमात्मानमीश्वरम् । ध्यायन्हृदि
हृषीकेशं मनसा सुसमाहितः ॥ १३॥

[Narayana is the jagatkaaranam]

There is a fine delineation of saguna and nirguna dhyanam which is a guide
to sadhakas.

Thus, much before Vidyaranya and Appayya Dikshita the idea of Hari-Hara
abheda and Advaita sadhana of saguna and nirguna dhyanam has been
authenticated by the purvacharyas.

Om Tat Sat