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Bhagavatpadabhyudaya by Lakshmana Suri (study)

by Lathika M. P. | 2018 | 67,386 words

This page relates ‘Question of Identity� of the study on the Bhagavatpadabhyudaya by Lakshmana Suri: a renowned Sanskrit Scholar from the 19th century. The Bhagavatpada-abhyudaya is a Mahakavya (epic poem) narrating the life of Shankara-Acharya, a prominent teacher of Advaita Vedanta philosophy. This essay investigates the socio-spiritual conditions of 8th century AD in ancient India as reflected in Lakshmanasuri’s work.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

In 󲹲ٱܻ岹ⲹ ṣmṇa Sūrin gives a clear picture about the importance of Advaita in many instances. Among them some important incidents are as follows:

Enquiring a teacher Śrī Śṅk reached the banks of river Narmada. He met a Yogi residing in the nearby cave. The Yogi was none other than Sri Govinda Bhagavatpāda awaiting his disciples as per the instructions of ղ. Govinda Bhagavatpāda asked Śṅk, who he was. In reply Śrī Śṅk sang ten verses called �ٲśśǰ쾱�.

The work goes as follows: He asserts his own identity as Ś the absolute one, the Advaita principle, by negating everything empirical.

na bhūmirna ٴDzⲹ� na tejo na vāyurna nendriya� vā na teṣāṃ ū� |
ԱԳپ첹ٱٲṣuٲ첹-ٲ'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 1 ||
na ṇ� na ṇāśramācāradharmā na me dhāraṇādhyānayogādayo'pi |
anātmāśrayohaṃmamādhyāsahānā-ttadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 2 ||
na vā na na lokā na na yajñā na tīrthai bruvanti |
suṣuptau nirastātiśūnyātmakatvāttadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 3 ||
na ṃkⲹ� na ś� na tatpāñcarātra� na jaina� na mīmāṃsakādermata� vā |
viśiṣṭānubhūtya viśuddhātmakatvā-ttadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 4 ||
na cordhva na cādho na cāntarna ⲹ� na ⲹ� na tirya� na ū' dik |
viyaṅdyāpakatvādakhaṇḍaikū貹� tadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 5 ||
na śܰ� na ṛṣṇa� na ٲ� na īٲ� na ܲᲹ� na īԲ� na na dīrgham |
ū貹� tathā jyotirākārakatvā-ttadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 6 ||
na ś na śٰ� na śiṣyo kevalo'ham na ca tva� na cāha� na ⲹ� 貹ñ� |
svarūpāvabodho vikalpāsahiṣṇu-stadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kovalo'ham || 7 ||
na jāgranna me svapnako vā suṣuptirna viśvo ma vā ٲᲹ� prājñako vā |
ٳ첹ٱٳٰṇāṃ ٳܰīⲹ� sadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 8 ||
api vyāpakatvāddhi tatvaprayogā-tsvata� siddhabhāvādananyāśrayatvāt |
jagattucchametatsamasta� tadanyattadeko'śṣṭ� ś� kevalo'ham || 9 ||
na caika� tadanyāddvitīya� ܳٲ� syānna vā kevalatva� na cākevalatvam |
na śūԲⲹ� na cāśūnyamaddhaitakatvātkatha� sarvantasiddha� bravīmi || 10 ||
[1]

1. I am not the earth, nor I am water, nor light, nor the wind, not even the sky, nor the senses, nor a combination of all these, but merely Ś, the residual factor.

2. I am not ղṇa, nor ղṇaśrama Dharma, nor ٳṇa, nor ٳԲ, nor Yoga, but merely Ś, the residual factor.

3. I am not father, nor mother, nor Gods, nor people, nor Veda, nor sacrifice, nor sleep, but merely Ś, the residual factor.

4. I am not ṃkⲹ, nor Ś, nor Vaisṇava, nor īṃs첹, nor Visista, nor Suddhi but merely Ś, the residual factor.

5. I am not upper, nor down, nor in, nor out, nor middle but I am spreading all over the sky but merely Ś, the residual factor.

6. I am not white, nor dark, nor red, nor yellow, nor small, nor big nor shapeless but merely Ś, the residual factor.

7. I am not quarreller, nor king, nor student, nor teacher, nor world, nor effortseeker but merely Ś, the residual factor.

8. I am not , nor Svapna, nor ṣuپ, nor the whole world, nor Tejasa, nor ʰñ, but merely I am beyond 岵-svapna-suṣupti but merely Ś, the residual factor.

9. I spread all over the world, I am merely a philosophical factor, I am the God of world but merely Ś, the residual factor.

10. I am not one, nor two, nor absolute principle, nor emptiness, mere I am the Advaita principle but merely Ś, the residual factor.

In 󲹲ٱܻ岹ⲹ ṣmṇa Sūrin quotes Śṅk’s detailed answer to the question ‘who are you�. Śṅk answered ‘revered sir, I am neither the earth nor water, nor fire, nor air, nor sky, nor any of other properties. I am not the senses and the mind even. I am Ś, the divisionless essence of consciousness�. Hearing these words ҴDZԻ岹岹 replied ‘Dear boy through the supersensuous insight which the experience of Samadhi has given me, I see that you are the great God Ś come on earth in human form�. Then in observance of the customary rules for establishing the relation between the teacher and the disciple, the sage extended his feet through the mouth of the cave that would be a disciple worshipped with all devotion and ceremony. One may have an inborn knowledge of the truth, it is the scriptural dictum that one should be instructed duly by a teacher. Then Śṅk performed the worship of the teacher and through the devoted service of him, became the object of his loving affection. Highly pleased with Śṅk service he imparted to him the knowledge of Brahman through the four Ѳ屹ⲹ or great Vedic sentences �Prajñānam Brahma� (Brahma is pure consciousness), ‘Aham Brahmāsmi� (I am Brahman), ‘Tat-tvam-Asi� (Thou art That), ‘Ayamātma Brahma� (this Āٳ in Brahman)�. He was then taught the Vedanta ūٰ of ղ, and through them, the innermost essence of the Vedanta philosophy. ղ was the son of ʲś, and Śܰ첹, of ղ. Śܰ첹 had his disciples Gaudapāda, and Gaudapāda had his disciple ҴDZԻ岹岹, from whom Śṅk received the knowledge of Brahman. ҴDZԻ岹岹 was considered an incarnation of Ādi Śṣa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

H.R Bhagavat, Minor Works of Śrī Śṅk峦ⲹ, Chowkhamba Vidyabhavan, Varanasi: 2007, pp.64-65.

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