[Advaita-l] Padmapada in the Panchapadika says Shankara is incarnation

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Panchapadika, Padmapada pays rich tributes to his Acharya:

तस्मात् ब्रह्मविदामेकपुण्डरीकस्य लोकानुग्रहैकरसतया
सम्यग्ज्ञानप्रवर्तनप्रयोजन*कृतशरीरपरिग्रहस्य* भगवतो भाष्यकारस्य
मतमागमयितव्यम् ॥

//Thus, the foremost among Knowers of Brahman, with the intent to benefit
the world, Bhagavan Bhashyakara has assumed this body with a view to
disseminate the right knowledge. No doubt his doctrine is based on the
Veda.//

Here, we see Padmapada as holding Shankara as not a mere human but a divine
being who has taken up the form of the Acharya.  Of course, at the
beginning of his work Padmapada engages in invoking the blessings of both
the Guru and Ishwara by a compare-contrast verse having Shankara the
Acharya and Shankara the Ishwara:

नमाम्यभोगिपरिवारसम्पदं निरस्तभूतिमनुमार्धविग्रहम् ।
अनुग्रमुन्मृदितकाललाञ्छनं विना विनायकमपूर्वशङ्करम् ॥ ३ ॥

Om Tat Sat