[Advaita-l] Brahman and its forms are non-different - Vishnu Puranam

[V Subrahmanian]

Brahman and its forms are non-different - Vishnu Puranam

In the Vishnu Puranam we have a stuti of Brahman by Brahmaa and the gods.
The idea of Trimurti aikyam, Turiya Vishnu, devataas-brahman aikyam,. etc.
are brought out.


https://sa.wikisource.org/s/1sre

शक्तयो यस्य देवस्य ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिकाः ।
भवन्त्यभूतपूर्वस्य तद्रिष्णोः परमं पदम् ।। ५५ ।।

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, etc. are all 'shakti-s' of Brahman, Vishnu.

....
एष ब्रह्मा तथैवायं सह रुदैस्त्रिलोचनः ।
सर्वादित्यः समं पूषा पावकोऽय सहाग्निभिः ।। ६२ ।।

This Vishnu tattva itself is Brahmaa, Rudra along with the eleven Rudras.
All the Adityas and Surya, Agni, are all Vishnu Himself.

अश्विनौ वसवश्चेमे सर्व चैते मरुदूगणाः ।
साध्या विश्वे तथा देवा देवेन्द्रश्चायमीश्वरः ।। ६३ ।।

Ashvins-, Vasu-s, all the Marut-s, Saadhya-s, etc. are all Vishnu alone.


नमो नमोऽविशेषस्त्वं त्वं ब्रह्मा त्वं पिनाकधृक् ।
इन्द्रस्त्वमग्रिः पवनो वरुणः सविता यमः ।। ६८ ।।

You are Brahmaa, You are Shiva, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Varuna, Surya, Yama.
For the word 'avishesha' in the above shloka, Sridhara Swamin says:
shuddhah, paramaatmaa, tvam brahmaadi ruupascha tvameva. [Nirvishesha
Brahman are you and also the one with the forms of Brahmaa, etc.]

वसवो मरुतः साध्या विश्वे देवगणा भवान् ।
योऽयं तवागतो देव समीपं देवतागणः ।। ६९ ।।

Vasu-s, Maruts, Saadhya-s, etc.

स त्वमेव जगत्स्त्रष्टा यतः सर्व्वगतो भवान् ।
त्वं यज्ञस्त्वं वषटूकारस्त्वमोङ्करः प्रजापतिः ।। ७० ।

You are the Creator of the world.....

Thus we see here the Vishnu puranam teaching that even Vishnu is a shakti
of Vishnu.  The former 'Vishnu' is a vibhuti, a shakti, of the latter
Vishnu.  Brahma, Shiva, Indra, etc. are all Vishnu alone.

The idea of Turiya Vishnu found here is there elsewhere too in this very
Vishnu Puranam. The Vedic passage: ‘इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुः’ (ऋ. १ ।
१९४ । ४६) इति श्रुतेः which Shankara has cited in the Brihadaranyaka
Bhashya.

Om Tat Sat