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Did Sri Shankara establish the six sects?

(Translated to English from the original Kannada article https://adbhutam.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/shankara-shanmata-kan.pdf

By Sri K.Sathyanarayana)

There is a general belief that Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda established the six sects namely Shaiva, VaishNava, ShAkta, Soura, and SkAnda. The dieties respectively worshipped in these sects are , , Devi, , GaNapati and Skanda. The purport is that the followers of those sects may meditate on the respective diety as ParaBrahma and attain liberation. Sri Shankaracharya AshTOttara (108 names used to worship Shankara) contains the name to the effect that the Acharya established the six schools. But there is no direct mention of the fact in any well-known text. As such, there is also a school that says there is no relation at all between Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda and these six sects.

In this article, we explore the relation between Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda and these six sects, mainly on the basis of PrasthAna traya BhAshya.

Shaiva

Sri Shankara has cited the ShvetAshvatara Upanishat in many contexts. One example:

‘ स कारण ं करणाधिपाधिपो न चास्य कधिज्जधनता न चाधिपः’ (श्व.े उ. ६ । ९) इधत च ब्रह्मणो जनधितारं वारिधत ।

Brahma BhAshya 2.3.9.

This sentence states: ‘There is no prior cause for , whatsoever.’ In this Upanishat, Rudra is stated to be the Para Brahman, the cause for the universe.

Here is an elaboration of this Upanishat on the aspect of Rudra being the Brahman: https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2021/03/09/the-advaitins-shanti-mantra- shvetashvatara-up-and-a-glimple-of-the-shiva-purana/ 2

VaishNava:

On several occasions in various BhAshyas, Sri Shankara has mentioned VishNu / nArAyaNa as Para Brahman:

‘ अति सक्षं पे धिि ं �णध्वु ं नारािणः सवधव िद ं परु ाणः । स स셍कव ाले च करोधत सवं सहं ारकाले च तदधि भिू ः’ इधत परु ाण े ; भ셍वद्गीतास ु च — ‘ अहं कृ त्स्नस्य ज셍तः प्रभवः प्रलिस्तथा’ (भ. 셍ी. ७ । ६) इधत ; 2.1.1 - Brahma sUtra BhAshya 2.1.1; (िहा. भा.स.ं आ पनू ा १२-२६०-११०) nArAyaNa as Para Brahman is mentioned in and BhagavadGIta.

ShAkta:

The following explanation is offered for the hymn 3.12 in the pada-bhAshya for kEna-Upanishat.

स तधिन्नवे ाकाश े धिििाज셍ाि ब शोभिानाििु ा ं हिै वतĂ ता ं होवाच धकिते द्यक्षधिधत ॥ १२ ॥ 3.12

Bhashya:

तस्यन्द्रे स्य िक्ष े भधतं बद्ध्वु ा धवद्या उिा셂धपणी प्रा饁रभत्स्त्रू ी셂पा । ....अथवा उिैव धहिवतो 饁धहता हैिवती धनत्यिवे सवज्ञव ने श्वे रणे सह वततव इधत ज्ञात ंु सिथधे त कृ त्वा तािपु ज셍ाि ..

Saying “VidyA appeared as UmA, the daughter of Himavanta and the constant companion of the omniscient Ishvara”, Sri Shankara extolls, in one sentence, both Shiva and (Parvati) Devi (manifestation of ), as the omnipresent, omniscient Para Brahman. In this Upanishad it is Umadevi that imparts the Brahmavidya to Indra.

Soura:

The concluding part of IshAvAsya Upanishat elaborates saguNa-upAsane (meditation on form and attributes) and mentions Surya (sUrya) as saguna-brahman.

‘तद्यित्सत्यिसौ स आधदत्यो ि एष एतधिन्म赍डले प셁ु षो ििाि ं दधक्षणऽे क्षन्प셁ु षः’ (बृ. उ. ५ । ५ । २) एत饁भि ं

सत्य ं ब्रह्मोपासीनः िथोतकिकव ृ च्च िः, सोऽन्तकाले प्राप्त े सत्यात्मानिात्मनः प्राधप्तद्वारं िाचत े — 3

धहर赍ििने पात्रणे सत्यस्याधपधहत ं िखु ि ।्

तत्त्वं पषू न्नपावणृ ु सत्यििािव 饃ष्टि े ॥ १५ ॥

धहर赍ििने पात्रणे धहर赍ििधिव धहर赍ििि ,् ज्योधतििव धित्यते त ,् तने पात्रणे वे अधपिानभतू ने सत्यस्य

आधदत्यि赍डलस्थस्य ब्रह्मणः अधपधहति आ् च्छाधदत ं िखु ं द्वारि ;् तत त्व् ं ह े पषू न अ् पावणृ ु अपसारि सत्यििािव तव

सत्यस्योपासनात्सत्य ं ििो िस्य िि सोऽहं सत्यििा व ति ै िह्यि ;् अथवा, िथाभतू स्य ििस्यव ानष्ठु ात्र,े 饃ष्टि े तव

सत्यात्मन उपलब्धि े ॥

पषू न्नके ष े िि सिू व प्राजापत्य व्यहू

र�िीन्सिहू तजे ो िि े 셂प ं कल्याणति ं

ति े प�िाधि िोऽसावसौ प셁ु षः सोऽहिधि ॥ १६ ॥

ह े पषू न ज् 셍तः पोषणात्पषू ा रधवः । तथा एक एव ऋषधत 셍च्छतीत्यके 셍षः ह े एकष े । तथा सवस्यव सिं िनाद्यिः ह े िि ।

तथा र�िीना ं प्राणाना ं रसाना ं च स्वीकरणात्सिू ःव ह े सिू व । प्रजापतरे पत्य ं प्राजापत्यः ह े प्राजापत्य । व्यहू धव셍िि

र�िीन स्व् ान ।् सिहू एकीकु셁 उपसहं र तजे ः तावकं ज्योधतः । ित त् े तव 셂प ं कल्याणतिि अ् त्यन्तशोभनि ,् तत त् े

तवात्मनः प्रसादात प् �िाधि । धकञ्च, अहं न त ु त्वा ं भत्यृ वद्याच े िोऽसौ आधदत्यि赍डलस्थः असौ व्यात्यविवः प셁ु षः

प셁ु षाकारत्वात ,् पणू ं वानने प्राणबद्ध्यु ात्मना ज셍त्सिस्तधिधत प셁ु षः ; पधुर शिनाद्वा प셁ु षः । सोऽहि अ् धि भवाधि ॥

In the :

इि ं धववस्वत े िो셍 ं प्रोतवानहिव्यिि ।् धववस्वान्मनव े प्राह िनधुरक्ष्वाकवऽे ब्रवीत ॥् १ ॥ 4.1

इिि अ् ध्यािद्विने ोतं िो셍 ं धववस्वत े आधदत्याि स셍ादव ौ प्रोतवान अ् हं..

In the beginning, the supreme ParamAtma, taught Brahma-vidya to Aditya. Tradition has it that Aditya taught the same to Manu. As anyone who has attained Para-brahma-jNAna is indeed verily the Parabrahman; Aditya is also Para Brahma. This has the concurrence of Sri Shankara BhagavatPAda.

GANapatya

Sri Shankara has no objection to accept GaNapati as Para Brahma, though there is no direct reference for this in any of the prasthAna-traya-bhAshya. How? There are 4

many famous ‘gAyatri’ hymns in the taittirIya-Aranyaka. One of them is “tat purushAya vidmahE vakra tunDAya dhImahi | tanno dantih prachOdayAt |”. Sri SAyaNA has interpreted this as GaNapati and alone. In the beginning of SAyaNA-bhAshya, it has been stated that a mumukshu (the one seeking liberation) should meditate on these mantra-s. So, GaNapati is indeed ParaBrahma. It may be noted that the taittirIya-aranyaka also has ‘gAyatri’ mantras for Shiva, VishNu, Skanda, Narasimha, HiraNyagarbha, GaruDa, Nandi, Surya and Agni.

SkAnda:

The chandOgya-upanishat has this to say about Sanat KumAra, the guru who taught bhUma-vidyA to NArada (SanatKumAra- NArada dialogue):

भ셍वान्सनात्कुिारस्तꣳ स्कन्द इत्याचक्षत े तꣳ स्कन्द इत्याचक्षत े ॥ २ ॥

“BhagavAn SanatKumAra is called ‘Skanda’”.

Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda’s commentary for this is as under:

कोऽसौ ? भ셍वान ‘् उत्पधि ं प्रलि ं चवै भतू ानािा셍तत 셍धति ।् वधे ि धवद्यािधवद्या ं च स वाच्यो भ셍वाधनधत’ एविं िा व सनत्कुिारः । तिवे सनत्कुिारं दवे ं स्कन्द इधत आचक्षत े कथिधन्त तधद्वदः ।

Citing the smRti-vAkya “BhagavAn is one who knows and understands everything - creation and destruction of the universe, the course of life, ignorance and enlightenment of all jIvas.”, the wise say Sanat KumAra is such.

In the Brahma sUtra BhAshya, Sri Shankara has revealed that Sanat KumAra, at the request of Rudra, incarnated as Skanda. So, Skanda or Subramanya is Bhagavan, Para Brahma. And, per Upanishats, the one who realizes Brahman is verily Brahman; so BrahmajNAni SanatKumAra is Skanda, Brahman.

In the view of Upanishats and Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda, the one who has direct experiential knowledge (of the Self) is verily ParaBrahma:

Mundakopanishad 3.1.10: 5

ि ं ि ं लोकं िनसा सधं वभाधत धवशद्धु सत्त्वः कािित े िािं कािान ।् त ं त ं लोकं जित े तािं कािास्तं िादात्मज्ञ ं ह्यचिव द्भे ूधतकािः ॥ १० ॥

The hymn 3.1.10 of the MunDaka upanishat informs that anyone wishing for prosperity and pleasures in the Here and the Hereafter worlds can attain the same by worshipping the Direct Knower of the Self.

स वदे तै त्परि ं ब्रह्म िाि ित्र धवश्व ं धनधहत ं भाधत शभ्रु ि ।् उपासत े प셁ु ष ं ि े ह्यकािास्त े शक्रु िते दधतवतधव न्त िीराः ॥ १ ॥

The next hymn 3.2.1 (above) of the same MunDaka upanishat informs that anyone desirous of liberation can also fulfil his wish by worshipping the Direct Knower of the Self.

Thus, for Sri Shankara, the brahma-jNAni is indeed Para Brahman. That the afore- mentioned six deities are Para Brahman is well known from Shruti, smRti, itihAsa and purANa.

Interestingly there is a single vAkya wherein Sri Shankara recognizes Hari, Hara, prANa and Indra as Brahman.

In the Kenopanishad Pada Bhashyam 1.5:

आत्मा धह नािाधिकृ तः कि赍व िपु ासन े च ससं ारी किोपासन ं वा सािनिनष्ठु ाि ब्रह्माधददवे ान्स्व셍 ं वा प्राप्तधुिच्छधत । तििादन्य उपास्यो धवष्णरु ीश्वर इन्द्रः प्राणो वा ब्रह्म भधवतिु हधव त, न त्वात्मा ; लोकप्रत्यिधवरोिात ।् िथान्य े ता셍कका ईश्वरादन्य आत्मत्ये ाचक्षत,े तथा क셍िणोऽि ंु िजाि ंु िजत्ये न्या एव दवे ता उपासत े । तिाद्यतु ं िधद्वधदतिपु ास्य ं तद्ब्रह्म भवते ,् ततोऽन्य उपासक इधत ।

A samsari by -upasana desires to attain Deva-s such as Brahmaa, or svarga. Thus the upasya Brahman can be Vishnu, Ishwara (Shiva), Indra, Prana, that is something which is different from the aspirant.

The brahma-sUtra-bhAshya itself mentions that Indra is a Direct Knower of the Self and that he taught the supreme principle to one named ‘Pratardana’. 6

Likewise, Yama taught NachikEta. The opinion of Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda is evident from the assertion that “brahma-jNAni is worthy of meditation to attain liberation”, based on the authority of munDaka-upanishat, as cited above.

In view of the foregoing, it would not be wrong to consider Sri Shankara BhagavatpAda as the originator of the six sects, as Sri Shankara believed the six deities as verily Para Brahman. It is not important for us to explore when and how Sri Shankara originated the six sects. What is indeed important is that Sri Shankara had nothing against any of the six dieties or their worship and meditation. The staunch follower of Sruti that Sri Shankara was, all deities mentioned as Para Brahman in the and upanishats were acceptable to him, just on the sheer authority of the vedas.

The Uttara Khanda of Padma Purana has a beautiful reference to . Bhagavan says the following to Satyabhama in the 88th Chapter : शैवाः सौराि 셍ाणशे ा वैष्णवाः शधतपजू काः । िािवे प्राप्नवु तं ीह वषाभं ः सा셍रं िथा ॥ ४३ ॥ एकोऽहं पचं िा जातः क्रीडिन्नािधभः धकल । दवे दिो िथा कधित्पत्रु ाद्याह्वाननािधभः ॥ ४४ ॥ ( 6.88.43-44) Bhagvan says to Satyabhama , "As rain-water reaches the ocean, so also, the worshippers of Shiva,Surya,Ganesha,Vishnu and Shakti attain me. I am one, yet manifest in five ways. As one Devadatta is addressed in many ways, so also, I am called variously owing to my play. "

The first line directly and the second line implicitly form the basis for this shloka of Sri Madhusudana Saraswati in his Gudhartha dipika commentary to the Bh.Gita: शैवाः सौराि 셍ाणशे ा वैष्णवाः शधतपजू काः। भवधन्त िन्मिाः सव े सोहिधि परः धशवः।।3। I am that Supreme Consciousness that Shaivas, Sauras, Gaaneshas, Vaishnavas and Shaakta hold to be their upasya devataa. It is well known that the Ishta Devataa of Madhusudana Saraswati is Balakrishna. So, we have the authority of the Padma purana that the five sects such as Shaiva, Saura, etc. are authentic. I had once shown the Narada purana reference too to a similar mention.

7

The different ‘gAyatri’ hymns from the TaittirIya-araNyaka, with SAyaNA- bhashya, are presented hereunder:

(See the pages below)

Contd… 8

Contd… 9

Contd… 10

Om Tat Sat