Story of Dattatreya - Trimurti Abheda in the Bhagavatam - Sridhara Swamin

[V Subrahmanian]

Story of Dattatreya - Trimurti Abheda in the Bhagavatam - Sridhara Swamin

In the Srimadbhagavatam 4.1.27-30. is the story of Athri engaging in tapas for progeny [Dattatreya]. Pleased by his tapas the Trimurtis appeared before him. He was a little surprised as he had focused on the Lord as 'Jagatkaaranam' as he wanted an offspring that had all the traits of the Ishwara that is jagatkaaranam. The dialogue that ensued between him and the Trimurtis is:

SB 4.1.23: The sage was standing on one leg, but as soon as he saw that the three deities had appeared before him, he was so pleased to see them all together that despite great difficulty he approached them on one leg.

SB 4.1.24: Thereafter he began to offer prayers to the three deities, who were seated on different carriers -- a bull, a swan and Garuda -- and who held in their hands a drum, kusa grass and a discus. The sage offered them his respects by falling down like a stick.

SB 4.1.25: Atri Muni was greatly pleased to see that the three devas were gracious towards him. His eyes were dazzled by the effulgence of their bodies, and therefore he closed his eyes for the time being.

SB 4.1.26-27: But since his heart was already attracted by the deities, somehow or other he gathered his senses, and with folded hands and sweet words he began to offer prayers to the predominating deities of the universe. The great sage Atri said: O Lord Brahma, Lord Visnu and Lord Siva, you have divided yourself into three bodies by accepting the three modes of material nature, as you do in every millennium for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all of you and beg to inquire whom of you three I have called by my prayer.

SB 4.1.28: I called for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, desiring a son like Him, and I thought of Him only. But although He is far beyond the mental speculation of man, all three of you have come here. Kindly let me know how you have come, for I am greatly bewildered about this.

SB 4.1.29: The great sage Maitreya continued: Upon hearing Atri Muni speak in that way, the three great deities smiled, and they replied in the following sweet words.

SB 4.1.30: The three deities told Atri Muni: Dear brahmana, you are perfect in your determination, and therefore as you have decided, so it will happen; it will not happen otherwise. We are all the same person upon whom you were meditating, and therefore we have all come to you.

[See the images below for the original verses and Sridhara Swamin's commentary.]

The commentary says 'अनुयुगं कल्पे कल्पे विभज्य गृहीतो देहो यैः ते प्रसिद्धाः ब्रह्मविष्णु गिरिशाः यूयम्' [In each kalpa you take separated different bodies which are well known as Brahma, Vishnu and Girisha] which is clearly a reference to the Shivapuranam:

http://www.aa.tufs.ac.jp/~tjun/data/gicas/sivap7.html

एवं कल्पेषु कल्पेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः ॥ 19cd

परस्परेण जायंते परस्परहितैषिणः ॥ 20ab

ब्रह्मनारायणौ पूर्वं रुद्रः कल्पान्तरे ऽसृजत् ॥ 17cd

कल्पान्तरे पुनर्ब्रह्मा रुद्रविष्णू जगन्मयः ॥ 18ab

विष्णुश्च भगवान्रुद्रं ब्रह्माणमसृजत्पुनः ॥ 18cd

नारायणं पुनर्ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माणमसृजत्पुनः ॥ 19ab

एवं कल्पेषु कल्पेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः ॥ 19cd

परस्परेण जायंते परस्परहितैषिणः ॥ 20ab

तत्तत्कल्पान्तवृत्तान्तमधिकृत्य महर्षिभिः ॥ 20cd

प्रभावः कथ्यते तेषां परस्परसमुद्भवात् ॥ 21ab

The words of the Trinity, as elucidated by Sridhara Swamin:

यदेकं जगदीश्वराख्यं तत्त्वं भवान् ध्यायति ते एते त्रयोऽपि वयं तदेव एकं तत्त्वं न अस्माकं भेदोऽस्ति इत्यर्थः - The Tattva of the Jagadishvara upon which you, Atri, have meditated, verily constitutes the Three of us; there is no difference among us. Thus Sridhara Swamin brings out the purport of the Bhagavatam by explicitly stating that there is no bheda across the Trimurtis.

Vamshidhara, another commentator of the Bhagavatam, further says: 'Even though there is difference among our forms, vigraha, there is no difference in the entities, vigrahi, that we are.' He cites a Maitreyopanishad passage for this. And concludes: There is difference only in the names but in essence there is none.

The Bhagavatam is never divorced of the idea of Hari-Hara aikya and Trimurti abheda concepts. Sridhara Swamin alone brings out the idea in explicit words.

Sridhara Swamin:

Vamshidhara:

Om Tat Sat