[Advaita-l] Fwd: Śaṅkarabhagavatpāda’s meditation on Bhagavān’s ūrdhva-puṇḍram

[V Subrahmanian]

Gokulakrishna Aiyar
2d
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Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarabhagavatpāda’s meditation on Bhagavān’s ūrdhva-puṇḍram in
His Viṣṇu-pādādi-keśānta-stotram:
While writing the introduction to this verse in his Sanskrit commentary on
this Stotra, Swāmi Pūrṇa Sarasvatī says that the Lord’s tilakam represents
Sāvitrī: "अथ भगवतः सावित्रीरूपं तिलकमुपास्ते".
Verse 43 of Viṣṇu-pādādi-keśānta-stotram:
रूक्षस्मारेक्षुचापच्युतशरनिकरक्षीणलक्ष्मीकटाक्ष-
-प्रोत्फुल्लत्पद्ममालाविलसितमहितस्फाटिकैशानलिङ्गम् ।
भूयाद्भूयो विभूत्यै मम भुवनपतेर्भ्रूलताद्वन्द्वमध्यात्
उत्थं तत्पुण्ड्रमूर्ध्वं जनिमरणतमःखण्डनं मण्डनं च ॥ ४३ ॥
The following words are very important here: "भुवनपतेः
भ्रूलताद्वन्द्वमध्यात् उत्थं तत् ऊर्ध्वं पुण्ड्रं मम विभूत्यै भूयात्" इति ।
Translation: May the ūrdhva-puṇḍram of the Lord of this Universe that stem
from the middle of His two lotus-like eyebrows give me all opulence.
Of the 3 adjectives used by Ācārya here for the word 'ūrdhva-puṇḍram', the
second one "जनिमरणतमःखण्डनम्" is very important here. It implies that a
vidhi-niyamitam (something that is worn as per shastric rules)
ūrdhva-puṇḍram will definitely give mukti.
A genuine follower of Śrī Ādi Śaṅkarabhagavatpāda will have utmost respect
for ūrdhva-puṇḍram and those who wear it.
And yes, there are some Śaivas in Tamilnadu who would come to us and say
that such verses were never composed by Bhagavatpāda and have been written
by some unscrupulous persons who try to corrupt His teachings by injecting
Vaishnavism in to his tradition. They have passed on their own writings as
the writings of the great Ācārya.
Viṣṇu-pādādi-keśānta-stotram was published in the Srirangam Sri Vani Vilas
Press edition of the Works of Shankaracharya by Sri TK Balasubrahmanya
Aiyar with the blessings of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sacchidananda
Sivabhinava Nrsimha Bharati Swamigal and Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri
Chandrashekhara Bharati Swamigal. The mula-grantha was published separately
in Volume 18 and a Sanskrit commentary on it was published in the year 1911
separately. The Sringeri Shankaracharyas will not let their disciples
publish any spurious work under the Acharya's name.