New Article: Part II continuation of "Sridhara, Anugita, and Miscellaneous Topics"

This journal entry is about the latest article titled “Sridhara, Anugita, and Miscellaneous Topics: Part II”.

Part I of this two-part article focused on Sridhara Swami’s commentaries on Vishnu and Bhagavata Puranas.

There are Vishnu/Vaishnava haters who similarly misinterpret the Anu Gita and other sections of the shAstra to show that Shiva is supreme. We have written up the second part focusing these issues.

Some interesting excerpts:

para.n hi brahma kathitaM yogayuktena tanmayA |itihAsa.n tu vakShyAmi tasminnarthe purAtanam || 12||

yathA tAM buddhimAsthAya gatimagryA.n gamiShyasi |shR^iNu dharmabhR^itA.n shreShTha gadataH sarvameva me || 13||

...

This “yOga-yuktEna” has been misused and abused by a number of internet vishNu-dvEshis.

“yOga-yukta” – If the Shaivas had read how many times “yOga” occurs in the gIta, they wouldn’t be misusing this term to claim that “krishNa was in yOga with shiva to discourse gIta”. For that matter, why bizarrely introduce shiva when he is nowhere mentioned either here or in the bhagavad gIta?

...

“yoga-yukta” – By engaging or making use of my divine will, which is unimpeded by anything. It was his will or sankalpa to discourse the gIta to Arjuna, and he does not have that sankalpa now, due to Arjuna causing displeasure for him.

BhagavAn himself has said this in the gIta itself, as follows:

maya prasannena tavarjunedam rupam param darsitam atma-yogat (~gIta 11.47)

Meaning: Through the unfettered power of my will (Atma-yOgAt), out of grace to you, ie, favoring you who are devoted to me (prasannEna), I have shown my cosmic form to you.

…

So, bhagavAn, anticipating the objection mentioned previously, is saying, “Do not think, Arjuna, that you had any merit back then. Because even back then, I discoursed the gIta out of my own will to favor you, not because you were eligible, but because you didn’t reject my grace, which is an alpa-vyAjam for me. But now, by forgetting everything, you have rejected my grace. So in that sense, I am not acting arbitrarily. The “acceptance or rejection of my grace” is my reason for deciding to teach you”.

…

The idea is that the term “yOga” can mean several things, but it definitely does not mean shrI krishNa meditated on some lesser deity who has repeatedly been defeated by the Lord whenever he came up against the latter.

On the Kathaka Aranyaka:

There is an anecdote from the Aranyaka that is used by vaishnavas and shaivas alike. There are two opinions on this section:

1. Some vitanDa vAdis use this section to claim that it is declaring Rudra as the supreme.
2. On the contrary, we have the Vaishnavas (Dvaitins) who claim that this section is declaring VishNu as the supreme.

On the Kaivalyopanishad:

We have the upabrahmaNam for our interpretation in the brahmAnda purANa, which occurs in the form of a stOtra (kavacha) to Narasimha. Quoting the sloka,

विवृतास्यं त्रिनयनं शरदिन्दुसमप्रभम् ।

लक्ष्म्यालिङ्गितवामाङ्गं विभूतिभिरुपाश्रितम् ॥ ३॥ (~ narasimha kavacham, brahmAnda purANA)

Meaning: His (Narasimha's) mouth is wide open, he has three eyes, and he is as radiant as the autumn moon . He is embraced by LakShmIdevI on his left side, and his form is the shelter of all auspicious attributes which are his wealth.