[Advaita-l] Teaching of Advaita in the Śaiva Purāṇa
V Subrahmanian
v.subrahmanian at gmail.com
Fri Jun 9 02:37:01 EDT 2023
Advaita taught in the PurÄṇa:
In the 8th Chapter (verses 56-59) of the Panchadashi, Swami Vidyaranya has
cited a few verses from the ParÄÅ›ara UpapurÄṇa, a text belonging to the
Åšiva PurÄṇa. These verses are about the true nature of the Vedantic
Brahman-Atman:
1. [RTF]Parasharopapurana.qxd - PeterFFreund.com
<http://www.peterffreund.com/Vedic_Literature/Vedic%20Literature%20Unicode/Upapurana/parashara%20upapurana.rtf>
www.peterffreund.com/Vedic_Literature/.../parashara%20upapurana.rtf
<https://www.google.co.in/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#>
-
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:B4uI1nX9GUUJ:www.peterffreund.com/Vedic_Literature/Vedic%2520Literature%2520Unicode/Upapurana/parashara%2520upapurana.rtf+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in>
आननà¥à¤¦à¤°à¥‚पः सरà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤°à¥à¤¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤§à¤•à¤¤à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ हेतà¥à¤¨à¤¾ २०. सरà¥à¤µà¤¸à¤®à¥à¤¬à¤¨à¥à¤§à¤•à¤¤à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ समà¥à¤ªà¥‚रà¥à¤£à¤ƒ
शिवसंजà¥à¤žà¤¿à¤¤à¤ƒ. जीवेशतà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¦à¤¿à¤°à¤¹à¤¿à¤¤à¤ƒ केवलः सà¥à¤µà¤ªà¥à¤°à¤à¤ƒ शिवः. सà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¨à¥à¤à¥‚तिपà¥à¤°à¤µà¥ƒà¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥
वृतà¥à¤¤à¥Œ सतà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤‚ घृणानिधिः २१. बà¥à¤à¥à¤•à¥à¤·à¥‹à¤°à¤¾à¤¤à¥à¤®à¤¨à¤ƒ साकà¥à¤·à¤¾à¤¦à¤à¤¿à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤•à¥à¤¤à¥‹ à¤à¤µà¥‡à¤¤à¥ सà¥à¤µà¤¯à¤®à¥.
These are the verses from the above text cited in the Panchadashi:
वृतà¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤ƒ साकà¥à¤·à¤¿à¤¤à¤¯à¤¾ वृतà¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤—à¤à¤¾à¤µà¤¸à¥à¤¯ च सà¥à¤¥à¤¿à¤¤à¤ƒ १८
बà¥à¤à¥à¤•à¥à¤·à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤‚ तथाजà¥à¤žà¥‹à¤¸à¥à¤®à¥€à¤½à¤¤à¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤à¤¾à¤¸à¤¾à¤œà¥à¤žà¤¾à¤¨à¤µà¤¸à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¨à¤ƒ
असतà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤²à¤®à¥à¤¬à¤¨à¤¤à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ सतà¥à¤¯à¤ƒ सरà¥à¤µà¤œà¤¡à¤¸à¥à¤¯ तॠ१९
साधकतà¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ चिदà¥à¤°à¥‚पः सदा पà¥à¤°à¥‡à¤®à¤¾à¤¸à¥à¤ªà¤¦à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤¤à¤ƒ
आननà¥à¤¦à¤°à¥‚पः सरà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤°à¥à¤¥à¤¸à¤¾à¤§à¤•à¤¤à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ हेतà¥à¤¨à¤¾ २०
सरà¥à¤µà¤¸à¤®à¥à¤¬à¤¨à¥à¤§à¤•à¤¤à¥à¤µà¥‡à¤¨ समà¥à¤ªà¥‚रà¥à¤£à¤ƒ शिवसंजà¥à¤žà¤¿à¤¤à¤ƒ
जीवेशतà¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¦à¤¿à¤°à¤¹à¤¿à¤¤à¤ƒ केवलः सà¥à¤µà¤ªà¥à¤°à¤à¤ƒ शिवः
56. It is said in the Shiva Purana that pure consciousness (Kutastha)
exists as a witness to (the rise and fall of) the mental modifications
(Vrittis), their prior (and posterior) non-existence and the state of
ignorance prior to inquiry about truth.
57-58. As the support of the unreal world, its nature is existence; as it
cognises all insentient objects, its nature is consciousness; and as it is
always the object of love, its nature is bliss. It is called Shiva, the
infinite, being the means of revelation of all objects and being related to
them as their substratum.
59. Thus in the Åšaiva-Puranas Kutastha has been described as having no
particular characteristics of Jiva and Ishvara and as being non-dual,
self-luminous and the highest good.
***
One can see that the nature of Atman/Brahman taught there as 'Åšiva' is
found in the MÄṇá¸Å«kya Upaniá¹£ad 7th mantra too: शानà¥à¤¤à¤‚ शिवमॠअदà¥à¤µà¥ˆà¤¤à¤®à¥
[prapañcopamam ’śÄntam Å›ivam advaitam..]. Shankara has also stated in the
BhÄá¹£yas this word 'Å›iva' as Atman/Brahman:
पà¥à¤°à¤ªà¤žà¥à¤šà¥‹à¤ªà¤¶à¤®à¤ƒ शिवः अदà¥à¤µà¥ˆà¤¤à¤ƒ [MÄ.up.12]
सरà¥à¤µà¤¦à¥à¤µà¥ˆà¤¤à¥‹à¤ªà¤¶à¤®à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤¾à¤¦à¥‡à¤µ शिवः । while commenting on the KÄrikÄ 1.29:
अमातà¥à¤°à¥‹à¤½à¤¨à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤®à¤¾à¤¤à¥à¤°à¤¶à¥à¤š
दà¥à¤µà¥ˆà¤¤à¤¸à¥à¤¯à¥‹à¤ªà¤¶à¤®à¤ƒ शिवः । ]
शिवं शानà¥à¤¤à¤®à¤µà¤¿à¤•à¥ƒà¤¤à¤®à¤•à¥à¤·à¤°à¤‚ सतà¥à¤¯à¤‚ परविदà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤—मà¥à¤¯à¤‚ पà¥à¤°à¥à¤·à¤¾à¤–à¥à¤¯à¤‚ सबाहà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤à¥à¤¯à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤°à¤®à¤œà¤‚
वकà¥à¤¤à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤®à¤¿à¤¤à¥à¤¯à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤°à¤‚ पà¥à¤°à¤¶à¥à¤¨à¤¤à¥à¤°à¤¯à¤®à¤¾à¤°à¤à¥à¤¯à¤¤à¥‡ । PraÅ›nopaniá¹£at 4.1 bhÄá¹£yam.
त à¤à¤¤à¥‡ करà¥à¤®à¤¾à¤£à¤¿ विजà¥à¤žà¤¾à¤¨à¤®à¤¯à¤¶à¥à¤š आतà¥à¤®à¤¾ उपाधà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¨à¤¯à¥‡ सति परे अवà¥à¤¯à¤¯à¥‡ अननà¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤½à¤•à¥à¤·à¤¯à¥‡
बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤£à¤¿ आकाशकलà¥à¤ªà¥‡à¤½à¤œà¥‡à¤½à¤œà¤°à¥‡à¤½à¤®à¥ƒà¤¤à¥‡à¤½à¤à¤¯à¥‡-
ऽपूरà¥à¤µà¥‡à¤½à¤¨à¤ªà¤°à¥‡à¤½à¤¨à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤°à¥‡à¤½à¤¬à¤¾à¤¹à¥à¤¯à¥‡à¤½à¤¦à¥à¤µà¤¯à¥‡ शिवे शानà¥à¤¤à¥‡ सरà¥à¤µà¥‡ à¤à¤•à¥€à¤à¤µà¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤¿ अविशेषतां
गचà¥à¤›à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¤¿ à¤à¤•à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤®à¤¾à¤ªà¤¦à¥à¤¯à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¥‡ जलादà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤§à¤¾à¤°à¤¾à¤ªà¤¨à¤¯ इव सूरà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¤¿à¤ªà¥à¤°à¤¤à¤¿à¤¬à¤¿à¤®à¥à¤¬à¤¾à¤ƒ सूरà¥à¤¯à¥‡,
घटादà¥à¤¯à¤ªà¤¨à¤¯ इवाकाशे घटादà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤•à¤¾à¤¶à¤¾à¤ƒ ॥
[Mundaka. 3.2.7]
पà¥à¤°à¤¸à¤¨à¥à¤¨à¤‚ शिवमतà¥à¤²à¤®à¤¨à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤¸à¤‚ नितà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¥ƒà¤ªà¥à¤¤à¤®à¥‡à¤•à¤°à¤¸à¤®à¤¿à¤¤à¥à¤¯à¤°à¥à¤¥à¤ƒ [Bá¹›.up. 3.9.28]
Shankara has also cited a seminal verse from the ÅšivapurÄṇa itself
(considered to be a tÄmasa purÄna by Vaiśṇvas as it teaches the supreme
status of Åšiva) in the Viśṇu sahasra nÄma bhÄá¹£ya explaining the name
'Rudra':
रà¥à¤°à¥à¤¦à¥à¤ƒà¤–ं दà¥à¤ƒà¤–हेतà¥à¤‚ वा तदॠदà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤¯à¤¤à¤¿ यः पà¥à¤°à¤à¥à¤ƒ । रà¥à¤¦à¥à¤° इतà¥à¤¯à¥à¤šà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¥‡
तसà¥à¤®à¤¾à¤šà¥à¤›à¤¿à¤µà¤ƒ परमकारणमॠ॥ (samhitÄ 6, ch.9, verse 14)
(‘Ruḥ’ means misery or the cause thereof. This is destroyed, melted away,
by Rudra. Hence the Supreme Lord, Shiva, who is the Ultimate Cause (of
creation, etc.) is called ‘Rudra’).
In the Brahmasutras, the Cause of creation, etc. of the universe is called
'Brahman' which alone is stated by the names Śiva and Viṣṇu.
That the teaching of the core Advaitic Atman, Brahman, in the PurÄṇa is
what is significant. It is with this in mind that such purÄṇas as the SÅ«ta
samhitÄ are considered tÄmasic by Vaiṣṇavas who could not tolerate the
explicit pronouncement of the Advaita Tattva in them by Veda Vyasa.
regards
subrahmanian.v
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