[Advaita-l] A 'Shiva' version of the 'Narayana' verse Shankara cites in the BG Bhashya

[V Subrahmanian]

Shankaracharya's opening citation in the Gita Bhashya:

नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसम्भवम् ।
अण्डस्यान्तस्त्विमे लोकाः सप्तद्वीपा च मेदिनी ॥

Has any commentator/editor identified the source of this puranic verse?

I got the two lines in two different Puranas as shown below:   Could anyone
point to a source where the whole verse is available in one place, as one
verse?

https://tinyurl.com/46v7ut6t   Vayupuranam:

नारायणः परोऽव्यक्तादण्डमव्यक्तसम्भवम्।

पद्मपुराणम्/खण्डः १ (सृष्टिखण्डम्)/अध्यायः ०२
https://sa.wikisource.org/s/i50
अंडस्यांतस्त्विमेलोकाः सप्तद्वीपा च मेदिनी।

We find a 'Shiva' version of this verse in
https://tinyurl.com/3j7axusd  Linga Purana Purvabhaga Ch.70:

महेश्वरः परोव्यक्तादंडमव्यक्तसंभवम्।। ७०.६१ ।।
The word 'Narayana' is replaced by 'Maheshvara'.

अंडाज्जज्ञे स एवेशः पुरुषोर्कसमप्रभः।।
तस्मिन्कार्यस्य करणं संसिद्धं स्वेच्छयैव तु।। ७०.६२ ।।

स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते।।
तस्य वामाङ्गजो विष्णुः सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः।। ७०.६३ ।।

लक्ष्म्या देव्या ह्यभूद्देव इच्छया परमेष्ठिनः।।
दक्षिणांगभवो ब्रह्मा सरस्वत्या जगद्गुरुः।। ७०.६४ ।।

तस्मिन्नंडे इमे लोका अंतर्विश्वमिदं जगत्।।

The very same meaning of the verse cited by Shankara.  The second line
means: In that Cosmic Egg inhere all the worlds.

This is an important aspect to note. It was only the great Advaitin Sri
Appayya Dikshitar that said:

// viShNurvA shankaro vA shruti-shikhara-girAmastu tAtparya-bhUmiH
na-asmAkam tatra vAdaH prasarati kimapi spaShTam-advaita-bhAjAm |
kintu-Isha-dveSha-gADhAnala-kalita-hRRidAm durmatInAm duruktIH
bhanktum yatno mama-ayam nahi bhavatu tato viShNu-vidveSha-shankAm ||

The meaning of the above beautiful verse is:

'I have not the slightest objection, to anyone coming to any conclusion,
that the spirit of the Vedas and the Vedantas, declare either Vishnu or
Shiva as the First God. I am a follower of the Advaita doctrine. I have no
difference between Shiva and VishNu. But if in order to establish Vishnu as
the main God, if somebody starts abusing Shiva or hates him, I cannot bear
it. *There are as many proofs or pramanas in the Vedas, Vedantas, Puranas
and Agamas to establish that Shiva is a mighty God, as there are to prove
that Vishnu is a powerful one.* However, I am propagating my religion and
indulging in debate and disputation, only to persuade everyone not
to hate Shiva. Let no one have the slightest doubt that I either hate or
wish to denigrate Lord Vishnu simply because I praise the grace and
greatness of Lord Shiva.'

The sublime devotion of Dikshita to Lord Vishnu is fully seen from his
great work 'Varadaraja stava' where he has sung in ecstatic poetry about
Lord Varadaraja of Kanchipuram. Vaishnavas declare that Vishnu is the
supreme being and that Shiva has a lower status, being a mere jiva. Sri
Dikshita however proves in his 'Ratna-traya-parIkShA' that Shiva, Vishnu,
Ambika, all the three are the same, viz., the supreme reality, and proves
it with the pramanas taken from the puranas, vedas and agamas. //

The above is quoted from the book: 'Sri Appayya Dikshita' (p.66,67) by Dr.N.
Ramesan, IAS.

The above is the greatest compliance ever with the Mahabharata:

रुद्रो नारायणश्चैव सत्त्वमेकं द्विधा कृतम्।
लोके चरति कौन्तेय व्यक्तिस्थं सर्वकर्मसु।। 12-350-27a 12-350-27b.

It is One Principle that appears as Rudra and Narayana...

Om