“Vighneshwara is the Jagat-karana Brahman” - says Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji

[V Subrahmanian]

Sri Natraj Maneshinde's post:

===========================
“Vighneshwara is the Jagat-karana Brahman” - says Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji
===========================

Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji is the author of ‘Sankshepa-shareerika’ - an exposition on the sutra bhashya of Bhagavatpada. From his works, it is evident that Sarvajnatma ji was  devoted to Bhagavan Vishnu. But like any true Vedanti, he does not hesitate to behold the same Parabrahman in other Bhagavat-swaroopas as well. This conviction of his is evident in the following Mangalacharana shloka of Sankshepa Shareerika :

आरम्भाः फलिनः प्रसन्नहृदयो यश्चेत्तिरश्चामपि
नो चेद्विश्वसृजोऽप्यलं विफलतामायानत्युपायोद्यमाः ।
विश्वैश्वर्यमतो निरड़्कुशमभूद्यसैव विश्वप्रभोः
सोऽयं विश्वहिते रतो विजयते विघ्नेश्वरो विश्वकृत् ॥

(If Bhagavan Vighneshvara is pleased, even the efforts of the animals attain fulfillment and if not, even Brahma’s efforts go in vain. Victory to such  Vighneshvara, who is the Vishva-karta, whose glory knows no bounds and who is always engaged in benefiting the world)

Thus, in the vision of Sarvajnatma Muni ji, Bhagavan Ganapati is the Vishva-karta i.e. the Jagat-karana Brahman.

Shri Madhusudhan Saraswati ji and Shri Nrusimhashrama ji make some insightful remarks while commenting on the above shloka.  The snaps from their tika-s are attached in the comments. Below are the highlights :

1)Swami Madhusudhan Saraswati ji says that  Bhagavan Vighneshvara rules over everyone , right from animals to Brahma himself. Hence, he is सर्वप्रशास्तृ, the lord of all.  Swamiji quotes the shruti vakya : भीषास्माद्वातः पवते and says that Bhagavan Vighneshwara is verily that tattva which is described in the said Shruti.

Let us look into the Bhashya of Bhagavatpada on the cited Shruti:

भीषास्माद्वातः पवते । भीषोदेति सूर्यः । भीषास्मादग्निश्चेन्द्रश्च । मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चम इति । (Taittiriya Upanishad, 2.8.1)

Bhashya :
 भीषा भयेन अस्मात् वातः पवते । भीषोदेति सूर्यः । भीषा अस्मात् अग्निश्चेन्द्रश्च । मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चम इति । वातादयो हि महार्हाः स्वयमीश्वराः सन्तः पवनादिकार्येष्वायासबहुलेषु नियताः प्रवर्तन्ते ; तद्युक्तं प्रशास्तरि सति ; यस्मात् नियमेन तेषां प्रवर्तनम् , तस्मादस्ति भयकारणं तेषां प्रशास्तृ ब्रह्म । यतस्ते भृत्या इव राज्ञः अस्मात् ब्रह्मणः भयेन प्रवर्तन्ते तच्च भयकारणमानन्दं ब्रह्म ।

(From fear of this, the wind blows. From fear, rises the sun. From fear of this, speed Agni and Indra, and Death, the fifth. "Wind etc.," of great worth, though lords in themselves regularly performed their functions, blowing etc., requiring great effort. This regularity with which they perform their functions can be appropriate only if there is a controller. Therefore, Brahman, their
cause of fear and controller, exists; because they set about their duties from fear of this Brahman, as servants from fear of kings. That cause of fear is Bliss, ie., Brahman)

Thus, Madhusudhan Saraswati ji clearly establishes that the Vighneshvara praised by Sarvajnatma Muni ji is the Parabrahman fearing whom all devata-s engage in their respective duties. Commenting further, Swamiji says that this Vishvakarta-Vighneshvara, the Jagat-karana Brahmam, himself incarnates in the form of Ganesha! Thus, in the vision of Advaita Acharyas, Ganapati, the son of Shiva-Parvati, is verily the Avatara of Parabrahman !

2)Shri Nrusimhashrama ji commenting on the last two lines of the shloka, makes an interesting remark. Swamiji says that this Vighneshvara is ‘shruti-loka-prasiddha’ i.e well known in both Veda and in the world. As he is Vishva-karta, Vishva-palaka ( विश्वहिते रतो) and also its samharaka, Vighneshvara is verily the embodiment of Brahma-Vishnu-Rudra!

Thus, from the above verse of Shri Sarvajnatma Muni ji, who was a devout Vishnu-bhakta, we understand that Advaitan Acharyas see the one and the same Parabrahman in all Bhagavat-swaroopas.

Courtesy : Many thanks to Shri Subrahmanian Vaidyanathan ji for helping in understanding the commentaries. 🙏🙏🙏

Additionally Bhagavatpada and Anandagiri Acharya also behold Bhagavan Ganapati as ‘Vishva-karta’.

बन्धूकबन्धुरुचये रचये नमस्यां
हेरम्बनाम वहते महते गजाय ॥
प्रत्यूहभङ्गविधये निधये गुणानां
शोभामतीव भजते सृजते जगन्ति ॥ ४ ॥

~ श्री आनन्दगिरि आचार्य, शास्त्रदीपिका (टीका on बृहदारण्यक भाष्य वार्तिक)

[I compose the praise of Bhagavan Heramba,  who is having the shape of a great tusker, who shines with the red lustre like flowers of badhuka, who eliminates impediments, who is a treasure of Gunas, who is glorious and who is creating the worlds]

The conviction of Advaitin Acharyas, that Bhagavan Ganapati is the Jagat Karana Brahman, is rooted in the following verse of Bhagavatpada

बीजापूरगदेक्षुकार्मुकरुजाचक्राब्जपाशोत्पल
व्रीह्यग्रस्वविषाणरत्नकलशप्रोद्यत्कराम्भोरुहः।
ध्येयो वल्लभया सपद्मकरयाश्लिष्टो ज्वलद्भूषया
विश्वोत्पत्तिविपत्तिसंस्थितिकरो विघ्नो विशिष्टार्थदः।।17.9।।

~ श्री शंकर भगवत्पूज्यपाद, प्रपंचसार

[Bhagavan Vighneshvara holds a pomegranate, gada, a bow made of sugarcane, a trishula, chakra, lotus, pasha, utpala, dhanya-vallari, tusk in his ten hands. He bears a ratna-kalasha in his trunk. He is embraced by his consort who holds a lotus. Bhagavan Vighneshvara of such a form, who brings about the srushti-sthiti-sahmara of the Jagat, grants all the wishes of his devotees.]

[Bhaskar YR]

praNAms

Hare Krishna

 

And now the question is, when the jignAsu comes out of delusions like vighneshwara is jagat kAraNa, bhagavati is bhavatAriNi etc. and elevate himself to become jnAni and realizes that these characters are mere phantacy figures in his mind!!?? 😊

 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!

bhaskar

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hare Krishna Jaldhar prabhu ji,

What you are saying is a fact and I don't dispute it.  But what should ones reaction to that fact be?  Take the rainbow for example.  So beautiful!  People consider it Indra dhanush, take pictures and post them on instagram etc.  Actually it is an illusion caused by the refraction of light through water droplets.  Even once you know this...isn't a rainbow beautiful?

In this context, I would like to cite a couple of verses (2.40 and 2.41) from Shri GangOttarI kshetra mAhAtmyam by Shri Swami Tapovan Maharaj:

सौन्दर्यं ब्रह्मणो रूपं प्रकृत्यामनुवर्तते। 

प्रकृतेर्नास्ति सौन्दर्यं स्व स्वरूपात्मको गुणः।। 

सत्यानाञ्च महासत्यं चेतनानाञ्च चेतनम्।

ब्रह्म विद्धि जगद्बीजं सुन्दराणाञ्च सुन्दरम्।।

If we see, it is said clearly that saundarya, beauty, which is seen in prakriti basically belongs to Brahman and not to the prakriti. So, while the form of indra-dhanush or the form of prakriti is verily an illusion, the saundarya isn't of prakriti but of Brahman. This saundarya is also the swarUpa of Brahman, like satyatva, jnAnatva and Anandatva. How exactly it needs to be defined can be discussed. But the point is, saundarya is Brahma-swarUpa. 

Looking at the variety of mystical experiences in the religions and cultures of the world it seems to me they are of two basic types.  One is a total feeling of diminishment.  One becomes acutely aware of ones complete and utter insignificance.  The other is a feeling of expansion. One thinks there is nothing that is not the self. I would argue that the
experience of the Rshis is of the second sort.

I understand what you are saying. I too side with second view. However, the mechanism needs to be clear. When we say that there is nothing which is not myself, it is same as saying "whatever is seen, including the I, is non-existent. It just appears as a mirage". This is what is bAdha-sAmAnAdhikaraNya. Seen (including I) is not, only myself is. 

And beauty, eternity, existence, consciousness, bliss are all my very swarUpa. My very being.

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.