Shri Anandagiri Acharya’s bhakti towards Bhagavan Umapati Shambhu
8 views
Skip to first unread message
V Subrahmanian
Oct 6, 2022, 2:13:18 PM10/6/22
to Advaitin
Sri Natraj Maneshinde's FB Post:
Acharya Shri Anandajnana, also known as Anandagiri, is the tikakara of Advaita Sampradaya. He has authored glosses on the Prasthana-traya bhashyas of Bhagavatpada and also on the Vartikas of Shri Sureshvaracharya.
From the mangalacharana verses of his works, it is clear that Anandagiri Acharya was a devout bhakta of Bhagavan Vishnu. He frequently invokes Vishnu in the form of Purushottama, Neeladri-chudamani and Dwarakadheesh. Based on this, a few enthusiasts jump to the conclusion that Anandagiri Acharya was a ‘Vaishnava’ and so were the other early Advaitian Acharyas. But, to their great disappointment, a careful perusal of Anandagiri Acharya’s works reveals that though an ananya Vishnu-bhakta, he shows no hesitation in considering Bhagavan Shiva as the Parabrahman. Shri Subrahmanian Vaidyanathan ji has highlighted such instances in his articles. An attempt has been made below to gather them in one place.
1)Mangalacharana shloka from Nyaya-nirnaya ~ Anandagiri ji’s commentary on Sutra bhashya of Bhagavatpada .
Note the subtle reference made to the Yaksha/Uma-haimavati episode of Kenopanishad suggesting that Bhagavan Shiva was the Brahman who manifested as Yaksha.
योऽनुग्रानुग्रतेजा जनयति सकलानालयं यं लभन्ते
सर्वे निर्वान्ति येन श्रुतिपथपथिका वौषडातन्वते च ।
यस्मै यस्मादकस्मात्परिभवचकिता यस्य संरोचयन्ते
चिन्ता यस्मिन्प्रवृत्ता भृशविशदधियः संश्रये तं गिरीशम् ॥ ३ ॥
[I take refuge in Giriśa who makes haughty people humble, who is attained by all during laya, by whose grace those who walk the path of the vaidikamarga succeed, to whom all sacrifices are addressed, by whom becoming deluded by chance the devas later take delight in him [here the reference is to the Kenopaniṣad incident where the Devas, Indra, etc. sighted an Effulgence and became curious about it and were humbled by it and ultimately became truly interested in realizing it
and succeeded. Anandagiri therefore holds that Effulgence to be Śiva, who was pointed out by Umā, whom Shankara says is Rudrapatnī, vidyā] and whom those who are extremely pure-minded comtemplate upon.]
2)Mangalacharana verse from Shastra deepika ~ commentary on the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika of Shri Sureshvaracharya
The Saguna-swaroopa of Bhagavan is beautifully described here. The luster of Bhagavan Shiva, who is adorned with snakes, is said to destroy seeds of all darkness. He is said to be the repository of beauty and mercy. The grace of Uma-pati/Bhavani-pati Shiva is sought here in order to attain the blemish-less knowledge.
त्वङ्गत्तुङ्गभुजङ्गसङ्गगहनप्रत्युद्यङ्गद्युति-
भ्रश्यद्विश्वदिगङ्गन्तरालबहुलप्रौढान्धकाराङ्कुरः।
सोमः सोमकलाकलापकलितो लावण्यकारुण्यभूर्
भूयान्नो निरवद्यबोधविधये देवो भवानीपतिः॥
[हिलते हुई [फण] उठाये हुए भुजङ्ग [सर्पों] के मेल से भरे हुए जिनके शरीर से निकलती हुई द्युति से विश्व की दिशाओं दिशाओं में व्याप्त अन्धकार के बहुत से बढ़ते हुए अङ्कुर नष्ट (भ्रष्ट) कर दिये जा रहे हैं ऐसे सोम [चन्द्र] की कला के आभूषण से विभूषित सुन्दरता और करुणा के स्थान उमासहित [सोम] भगवान् भवानीपति हमारे निरवद्य [रागादि दोष से रहित] बोध [ज्ञान] के करने वाले हों [निरवद्यज्ञान के हेतु बनें]।]
Translation courtesy: Shri Divyasanu Pandey ji
3) Kenopanishad Bhashya Tika
As seen from the above verses, Anandagiri ji invokes Bhagavan Shiva, the consort of Uma, as the yaksha who deluded and later blessed the Devas with knowledge.
The same is also seen in his Kenopanishad bhashya tika.
While commenting on the Kena-pada bhashya , Anandagiri ji says that Ishvara manifested as yaksha by the virtue of his trigunatmika shakti.
ईश्वरस्य सेतवो मर्यादा वर्णाश्रमादिधर्मास्तद्भेदकान् । जगतः स्थेम्ने स्थैर्याय । स्वयोगमाहात्म्यनिर्मितेन सत्त्वरजस्तमसां त्रयाणां गुणानां योगो युक्तिर्घटनं माया तन्माहात्म्येन निर्मितं तेनेत्यर्थः ॥
In his tika on Kena-vakya bhashya, he quotes( or composes ?) the following verse :
“यः सुराणां जये हेतुरसुराणां पराजये ।
सत्त्वप्रधानया शक्त्या सम्पन्नः सोऽहमीश्वरः ॥” इति
It is said here that Ishvara, who is endowed with Sattva-pradhana shakti, is the cause of the victory of Devas and defeat of the asuras.
One may wonder how is this explicitly suggestive of Bhagavan Shiva? To answer this question, let’s read further bearing these words in mind : ‘सत्त्वप्रधानया शक्त्या सम्पन्नः’.
Commenting on the yaksha episode further, Anandagiri ji clarifies who exactly is Bhagavati Uma.
The bhashya says the following:
अत इन्द्रस्य बोधहेतुत्वाद्विद्यैवोमा ।
( Uma, who is cause of Indra’s bodha, is verily the Vidya)
Explaining what exactly is meant by Vidya in the above sentence of the bhashya, Anandagiri ji says :
विद्येति सत्त्वप्रधाना शक्तिश्चित्तादात्म्यापत्त्या बोधहेतुः ॥
(Here, Vidya (Uma) refers to the Sattva-pradhana shakti which is identical with the Chit - pure consciousnesses - and hence causes bodha/realization.)
From the aforementioned references , it is clear that Bhagavati Uma is the Vidya, the sattva-pradhana shakti identical with Chit. And, the Ishvara, who manifested as Yaksha, is endowed with this Sattva-pradhana Shakti. Hence, in Anandagiri Acharya’s vision, the Yaksha is none other than Bhagavan Uma-pati Mahadeva himself.
4) A verse from Anandagiri ji’s Tattvaloka where Bhagavan Shiva is described as the Vedanta-vedya Brahman and as the basis of Srishti-sthiti-laya of Jagat.
After refuting the doctrine of the Naiyayika who admits of an Ishwara merely based on anumana, Anandagiri ji composes a verse in benediction.
भजामि शम्भुं भवभीविदारणं जगत्प्रसूतिस्थितिनाशकारणम् |
विधूतभेदं निरवद्यमाद्यं परं पदं वेदशिरस्सु वेद्यम् || 12 ||
[I venerate Shambhu, the destroyer of the fear of samsara, the cause of the creation, sustenance and lapsing of the world, free of differences, devoid of any defects, the First, the Supreme Reality, that can be known from the Upanishads.]
(The Vedanta Tattvaloka was published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1969. p.44 of pdf)
From the above instances, we understand that Shri Anandagiri ji, in-spite of being devoted to Vishnu, has no reservations in beholding Uma-pati Mahadeva as the Para-brahman. Such has also been the attitude of all the Advaita Acharyas including Bhagavan Bhashyakara himself who considered all the Bhagavat-swaroopas as the varied manifestations of the one nondual Parabrahman. Ample evidences, attesting the said fact, are found in the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika of Shri Sureshvaracharya. Shri Anandagiri ji has also explained the said portions of Vartika and has explicitly asserted the principle of Trimurti-abheda. Please read the following article of Shri Subrahmanian ji for more details.
https://drive.google.com/.../1D1f67i6thcgFSUxjO47.../view...
॥ हर नमः पार्वती पतये हर हर महादेव ॥
॥ पराचितिस्वरूपिणि जय जय जगज्जननि ॥
From the mangalacharana verses of his works, it is clear that Anandagiri Acharya was a devout bhakta of Bhagavan Vishnu. He frequently invokes Vishnu in the form of Purushottama, Neeladri-chudamani and Dwarakadheesh. Based on this, a few enthusiasts jump to the conclusion that Anandagiri Acharya was a ‘Vaishnava’ and so were the other early Advaitian Acharyas. But, to their great disappointment, a careful perusal of Anandagiri Acharya’s works reveals that though an ananya Vishnu-bhakta, he shows no hesitation in considering Bhagavan Shiva as the Parabrahman. Shri Subrahmanian Vaidyanathan ji has highlighted such instances in his articles. An attempt has been made below to gather them in one place.
1)Mangalacharana shloka from Nyaya-nirnaya ~ Anandagiri ji’s commentary on Sutra bhashya of Bhagavatpada .
Note the subtle reference made to the Yaksha/Uma-haimavati episode of Kenopanishad suggesting that Bhagavan Shiva was the Brahman who manifested as Yaksha.
योऽनुग्रानुग्रतेजा जनयति सकलानालयं यं लभन्ते
सर्वे निर्वान्ति येन श्रुतिपथपथिका वौषडातन्वते च ।
यस्मै यस्मादकस्मात्परिभवचकिता यस्य संरोचयन्ते
चिन्ता यस्मिन्प्रवृत्ता भृशविशदधियः संश्रये तं गिरीशम् ॥ ३ ॥
[I take refuge in Giriśa who makes haughty people humble, who is attained by all during laya, by whose grace those who walk the path of the vaidikamarga succeed, to whom all sacrifices are addressed, by whom becoming deluded by chance the devas later take delight in him [here the reference is to the Kenopaniṣad incident where the Devas, Indra, etc. sighted an Effulgence and became curious about it and were humbled by it and ultimately became truly interested in realizing it
and succeeded. Anandagiri therefore holds that Effulgence to be Śiva, who was pointed out by Umā, whom Shankara says is Rudrapatnī, vidyā] and whom those who are extremely pure-minded comtemplate upon.]
2)Mangalacharana verse from Shastra deepika ~ commentary on the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika of Shri Sureshvaracharya
The Saguna-swaroopa of Bhagavan is beautifully described here. The luster of Bhagavan Shiva, who is adorned with snakes, is said to destroy seeds of all darkness. He is said to be the repository of beauty and mercy. The grace of Uma-pati/Bhavani-pati Shiva is sought here in order to attain the blemish-less knowledge.
त्वङ्गत्तुङ्गभुजङ्गसङ्गगहनप्रत्युद्यङ्गद्युति-
भ्रश्यद्विश्वदिगङ्गन्तरालबहुलप्रौढान्धकाराङ्कुरः।
सोमः सोमकलाकलापकलितो लावण्यकारुण्यभूर्
भूयान्नो निरवद्यबोधविधये देवो भवानीपतिः॥
[हिलते हुई [फण] उठाये हुए भुजङ्ग [सर्पों] के मेल से भरे हुए जिनके शरीर से निकलती हुई द्युति से विश्व की दिशाओं दिशाओं में व्याप्त अन्धकार के बहुत से बढ़ते हुए अङ्कुर नष्ट (भ्रष्ट) कर दिये जा रहे हैं ऐसे सोम [चन्द्र] की कला के आभूषण से विभूषित सुन्दरता और करुणा के स्थान उमासहित [सोम] भगवान् भवानीपति हमारे निरवद्य [रागादि दोष से रहित] बोध [ज्ञान] के करने वाले हों [निरवद्यज्ञान के हेतु बनें]।]
Translation courtesy: Shri Divyasanu Pandey ji
3) Kenopanishad Bhashya Tika
As seen from the above verses, Anandagiri ji invokes Bhagavan Shiva, the consort of Uma, as the yaksha who deluded and later blessed the Devas with knowledge.
The same is also seen in his Kenopanishad bhashya tika.
While commenting on the Kena-pada bhashya , Anandagiri ji says that Ishvara manifested as yaksha by the virtue of his trigunatmika shakti.
ईश्वरस्य सेतवो मर्यादा वर्णाश्रमादिधर्मास्तद्भेदकान् । जगतः स्थेम्ने स्थैर्याय । स्वयोगमाहात्म्यनिर्मितेन सत्त्वरजस्तमसां त्रयाणां गुणानां योगो युक्तिर्घटनं माया तन्माहात्म्येन निर्मितं तेनेत्यर्थः ॥
In his tika on Kena-vakya bhashya, he quotes( or composes ?) the following verse :
“यः सुराणां जये हेतुरसुराणां पराजये ।
सत्त्वप्रधानया शक्त्या सम्पन्नः सोऽहमीश्वरः ॥” इति
It is said here that Ishvara, who is endowed with Sattva-pradhana shakti, is the cause of the victory of Devas and defeat of the asuras.
One may wonder how is this explicitly suggestive of Bhagavan Shiva? To answer this question, let’s read further bearing these words in mind : ‘सत्त्वप्रधानया शक्त्या सम्पन्नः’.
Commenting on the yaksha episode further, Anandagiri ji clarifies who exactly is Bhagavati Uma.
The bhashya says the following:
अत इन्द्रस्य बोधहेतुत्वाद्विद्यैवोमा ।
( Uma, who is cause of Indra’s bodha, is verily the Vidya)
Explaining what exactly is meant by Vidya in the above sentence of the bhashya, Anandagiri ji says :
विद्येति सत्त्वप्रधाना शक्तिश्चित्तादात्म्यापत्त्या बोधहेतुः ॥
(Here, Vidya (Uma) refers to the Sattva-pradhana shakti which is identical with the Chit - pure consciousnesses - and hence causes bodha/realization.)
From the aforementioned references , it is clear that Bhagavati Uma is the Vidya, the sattva-pradhana shakti identical with Chit. And, the Ishvara, who manifested as Yaksha, is endowed with this Sattva-pradhana Shakti. Hence, in Anandagiri Acharya’s vision, the Yaksha is none other than Bhagavan Uma-pati Mahadeva himself.
4) A verse from Anandagiri ji’s Tattvaloka where Bhagavan Shiva is described as the Vedanta-vedya Brahman and as the basis of Srishti-sthiti-laya of Jagat.
After refuting the doctrine of the Naiyayika who admits of an Ishwara merely based on anumana, Anandagiri ji composes a verse in benediction.
भजामि शम्भुं भवभीविदारणं जगत्प्रसूतिस्थितिनाशकारणम् |
विधूतभेदं निरवद्यमाद्यं परं पदं वेदशिरस्सु वेद्यम् || 12 ||
[I venerate Shambhu, the destroyer of the fear of samsara, the cause of the creation, sustenance and lapsing of the world, free of differences, devoid of any defects, the First, the Supreme Reality, that can be known from the Upanishads.]
(The Vedanta Tattvaloka was published by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1969. p.44 of pdf)
From the above instances, we understand that Shri Anandagiri ji, in-spite of being devoted to Vishnu, has no reservations in beholding Uma-pati Mahadeva as the Para-brahman. Such has also been the attitude of all the Advaita Acharyas including Bhagavan Bhashyakara himself who considered all the Bhagavat-swaroopas as the varied manifestations of the one nondual Parabrahman. Ample evidences, attesting the said fact, are found in the Brihadaranyaka Bhashya Vartika of Shri Sureshvaracharya. Shri Anandagiri ji has also explained the said portions of Vartika and has explicitly asserted the principle of Trimurti-abheda. Please read the following article of Shri Subrahmanian ji for more details.
https://drive.google.com/.../1D1f67i6thcgFSUxjO47.../view...
॥ हर नमः पार्वती पतये हर हर महादेव ॥
॥ पराचितिस्वरूपिणि जय जय जगज्जननि ॥
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages