Sri Shankaracharya

[KRN]

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I saw a thread below͵ talking about Sri Shankaracharya͵ where I wanted to reply to a few pts. Unfortunately it is now a closed thread͵ hence am opening a new thread.

To know about the mindset of Adi Shankaracharya the best way is to go through those Bhashyas that are now universally accepted as his. These include the Dasha Upanishads͵ Brahma Sutra and Bhagavad Gita. The bhashya on Vishnu Sahasranama and Sanatsujatiya is not universally considered to be written by Shankara Bhagavadpada.

 

[KRN]

As per my studies͵ the Bhashya to Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad seems to be the first͵ and most comprehensive bhashya written by Acharya. In it͵ he has systematically established Advaita as the only satusfactory explanation for life. I will write below a little͵ from Sri Shankara‘s thoughts in Brih Up.

 

[KRN]

Many people make the misconception that Sankaracharya was the creator of Advaita. Fact is͵ there is a long array of Acharyas before Sankara. He quotes from many like Bhartrprapancha͵ Dravidacharya etc.
Many people also quote “Brahma Satyam Jaganmithya“ and say͵ the world is an illusion. Wrong. A better translation of the word mithya͵ is “life under certain false notions“.

 

[KRN]

To explain this͵ I shall quote from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Shankara Bhashya (2:1)

First͵ the purvapakshin͵ the dualist‘s arguments are considered.

Atra cha Aatmetyevopaseetha (1:4:9) Atmanam evaveda AHAM BRAHMAASMI (1:4:10) iti brahmvidya prastuta. Brahmavishayam cha brahmavijnaanam iti Brahma te bravaani iti Brahma jnapayishyami iti praarabdham. Tatra idaneem asamsaari brahma jagatah karanamashanayaadyateetam nityasuddhabuddhamuktaswabhavam tad vipareethascha samsaari tasmaad AHAM BRAHMAASMI iti na grhneeyad param hi devameeshanam nikrshtah samsaaryaatmatvena smaran katham na doshabhaag syaad. Tasmaannaham Brahmaasmi iti yuktam. Tasmad pushpodakaanjalistuthinamaskaarabalyupahaaraswaadhyaayaadhyayanayogaadibhiraradhayisheta. Aradhanena viditva Sarveshitr Brahma bhavati. Na punarasamsaaribrahma samsaaryaatmatvena chintayed agnimiva sheetatvena akashamiva moorthimatvena. Brahmaatmatvapratipadakamapi saastramarthavado bhavishyati. Sarva tarkavaadasastralokanyaayaischaivam avirodhah syaad.

 

[KRN]

Translation : Now here͵ we are beginning to study Brahmavidya through the Sruti passages (1:4:9) ; (1:4:10) etc which teach “I am that Brahman“. Obviously the topic is solely on Brahma͵ hence the introduction “I shall teach you Brahman“. “I shall make you realise Brahman“. But here (ie in the Upanishad) we see that the Supreme Brahma is the cause of the Jagat or the world͵ who is beyond hunger͵ thirst͵ ever pure͵ ever perfect͵ ever knowing. While the samsari atma is just the opposite. Hence͵ if this puny mortal starts thinking AHAM BRAHMASMI I am that Brahman͵ then wont all kinds of Mistakes and confusion arise? Hence it is common sense to think “I am not Brahman“. Hence the mortal should devote himself to. Archana͵ stuti͵ namaskaram͵ bali͵ upahaaram͵ Japam͵ studying of texts and Yoga and thus worship Brahman. Through such worship the Jeeva will be able to realise Brahman. Just as coolness is not a property of fire͵ just as the space may not be construed as covered͵ in the same way this insignificant mortal should not think of himself as one with the Supreme Brahman. This will also be in alignment with loka vyavahara and all laukika sastras.

 

[KRN]

I gave the original Sanskrit only to show their authenticity￾0È8 as they say￾0È3 Sri Shankara in his own words.

 

[KRN]

After stating the dualist¡®s position Sri Shankara devotes several pages to systematically refute the argument. Even while accepting the usefulness of Stuti￾0È3 archana￾0È3 Japa etc he emphasises how Sruti asks us to go beyond all these. His arguments are too long to be posted in a discussion forum. He concludes by retelling a story￾0È3 used by one of his predecessors (Dravidacharya) to illustrate the Advaita position.

 

[KRN]

Kaschit kila Rajaputro jaatamatra eva matapitrbhyam apaviddho vyaadhagruhe samvardhitah. Soamushya vamshyataam ajaanan vyaadhajatipratyayo vyadhajaatikarmaanyevanuvartate. na Raajaasmiti raajajatikarmaanyanuvartate. Yadaa punah kaschit paramakaaruniko rajaputrasya rajasreepraptiyogyathaam jaanan amushya putrathaam bodhayati - Na tvam Vyaadho amushya raajnah putrah kadhanchit vyaadhagruham anupravishtah - iti sa evam bodhithastyaktvaa vyadhajaatipratyayakarmaani pitrupaitaamahimaatmanah padaveem anuvartate raajaaham asti iti.

Tadha kilaayam paramaad agnivisphulingaad iva tajjathireva vibhakta iha dehendriyaadigahane pravishto asamsaari san dehendriyaadisamsaaradharmam anuvartate ... dehendriyasamghaathoasmi krushah sthoolah sukhee dukhkhee... iti paramaatmataam ajaanan atmanah. Na tvam etad atmakah parameva brahmaasya samsaari iti pratibodhitha Acharyena hityaishanaatrayaanuvruttim Brahmaivaasmi iti pratipadyate. Atra Rajaputrasya rajapratyayavad Brahmapratyayo Drudheebhavati visphulingavad eva tvam parasmad Brahmano bhrashta ityukte visphulingasya praag agnerbhramshaad agnyekatvadarshanaad.

 

[KRN]

Once there lived a Prince who was abandoned by his parents at the time of his birth. He lived in the house of a hunter. Not knowing his birth in a royal family͵ and thinking that he belonged to the hunter tribe͵ he used to perform the duties of the hunter tribe͵ Ignorant of the truth *I am a king* he did not perform the duties of a King. Once he met a most compassionate person͵ who͵ recognised the Prince by the characteristic marks of royalty in his body (Samudrika sastra)͵ informed him of his royal ancestry and tells him *You are not a hunter͵ you are the son of some King͵ due to some reason or the other you happened to reside in thus house of a hunter* in this way made him realise the truth. In this way͵ realising his true nature͵ the Prince gives up his acquired habits of a hunter tribe͵ and started doing the duties as per his natural inheritance͵ as followed by his ancestors.
In the same way͵ this soul which has separated from the Paramatma͵ like sparks separate from the fire͵ having entered this deep dark forest comprising of the body͵ indriyas etc thinks *I am a combination of this body and indriyas. I am lean. I am obese. I am happy. I am sad* without his true nature of identity with the Paramatma. When an Acharya makes him realise *I am not a combination of body etc͵ I am the Supreme Brahman uncontaminated by these things* he discards the three fundamental desires͵ and starts meditating *I am Brahman*. Just as͵ the prince never truly loses the royal marks upon his body͵ in a similar way͵ should one understand the statement *You have come out of your state of union with Parabrahman͵ like sparks come out of the fire* since it is seen that the spark͵ before arising out of the fire͵ was one with fire.

 

[KRN]

Swami Vivekananda was fond of reciting this story illustrating the core principle of Advaita. To make the story more palatable to his audience changed *Prince* to *lion* and *hunter* to *sheep*.

 

[vignesh2014]

very useful story, very useful advice but very difficult to follow in this world

 

[KRN]

Very difficult indeed... but in difficult times͵ it gives us the confidence and inspiration to fight our way through life.