०९०

वृकभृगुसुनिमोहिन्यम्बरीषादिवृत्ते
ष्वयि तव हि महत्त्वं सर्वशर्वादिजैत्रम् ।
स्थितमिह परमात्मन् निष्कलार्वागभिन्नं
किमपि यदवभातं तद्धि रूपं तवैव ॥ ९०१॥

वृकभृगुसुनिमोहिन्यम्बरीषादिवृत्ते
ष्वयि तव हि महत्त्वं सर्वशर्वादिजैत्रम् ।
स्थितमिह परमात्मन् निष्कलार्वागभिन्नं
किमपि यदवभातं तद्धि रूपं तवैव ॥ ९०१॥

O Supreme Being ! From the episodes of Vrikasura, Sage Bhrigu, the Mohini incarnation, King Ambarisha and others, it is here firmly established that Thy glory is superior to, and transcends, that of Siva and all other gods. Thou art none other than the Nishkala (attribute-less) Supreme Brahman, as also all the Sakala (qualified, attributive) forms like Brahma, Siva, etc. and art that Indefinable One who doth shine as the essence of all.

मूर्तित्रयेश्वरसदाशिवपञ्चकं यत् प्राहुः परात्मवपुरेव सदाशिवोऽस्मिन् ।
तत्रेश्वरस्तु स विकुण्ठपदस्त्वमेव त्रित्वं पुनर्भजसि सत्यपदे त्रिभागे ॥ ९०२॥

मूर्तित्रयेश्वरसदाशिवपञ्चकं यत् प्राहुः परात्मवपुरेव सदाशिवोऽस्मिन् ।
तत्रेश्वरस्तु स विकुण्ठपदस्त्वमेव त्रित्वं पुनर्भजसि सत्यपदे त्रिभागे ॥ ९०२॥

Of the five-fold aspects of the Trinity, namely Brahma, Vishnu, Siva (Rudra), along with Sadasiva and Ishwara, which are spoken about by Saivas (followers of Siva), Thou, the Supreme One is, verily, Sadasiva; and Ishwara is Thyself too, the Lord of Vaikunttha. Thou alone dost manifest as the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Siva), in the Satyaloka of three divisions.

तत्रापि सात्त्विकतनुं तव विष्णुमाहु
र्धाता तु सत्त्वविरलो रजसैव पूर्णः ।
सत्वोत्कटत्वमपि चास्ति तमोविकार
चेष्टादिकं च तव शङ्करनाम्नि मूर्तौ ॥ ९०३॥

तत्रापि सात्त्विकतनुं तव विष्णुमाहु
र्धाता तु सत्त्वविरलो रजसैव पूर्णः ।
सत्वोत्कटत्वमपि चास्ति तमोविकार
चेष्टादिकं च तव शङ्करनाम्नि मूर्तौ ॥ ९०३॥

Among the Trinity, Thy pure Sattvik form is known as Vishnu. In Thy Brahma aspect, there is a preponderance of Rajas, with only a little of Sattva. In Thy form called Sankara, along with an abundance of Sattva, Tamoguna also expresses itself in its activities.

तं च त्रिमूर्त्यतिगतं पुरपूरुषं त्वां
शर्वात्मनापि खलु सर्वमयत्वहेतोः ।
शंसन्त्युपासनाविधौ तदपि स्वतस्तु
त्वद्रूपमित्यतिदृढं बहु नः प्रमाणम् ॥ ९०४॥

तं च त्रिमूर्त्यतिगतं पुरपूरुषं त्वां
शर्वात्मनापि खलु सर्वमयत्वहेतोः ।
शंसन्त्युपासनाविधौ तदपि स्वतस्तु
त्वद्रूपमित्यतिदृढं बहु नः प्रमाणम् ॥ ९०४॥

Thou art, indeed, that Supreme Being, that pure Consciousness, transcending the Trinity, and Thou alone art the Sarva (Siva) whom the Saivas worship, due to Thy being the soul (essence) of all. There are many definite proofs that, that Sarva is also Thy form only.

श्रीशङ्करोऽपि भगवान्सकलेषु तावत्
त्वामेव मानयति यो न हि पक्षपाती ।
त्वन्निष्ठमेव स हि नामसहस्रकादि
व्याख्यद्भवत्स्तुतिपरश्च गतिं गतोऽन्ते ॥ ९०५॥

श्रीशङ्करोऽपि भगवान्सकलेषु तावत्
त्वामेव मानयति यो न हि पक्षपाती ।
त्वन्निष्ठमेव स हि नामसहस्रकादि
व्याख्यद्भवत्स्तुतिपरश्च गतिं गतोऽन्ते ॥ ९०५॥

Sri Sankara Bhagavadpada, who is reputedly free from bias and sectarianism, worshipped Thee particularly among all Sakala forms (those having attributes) of Thine. He wrote Commentatries only on Vishnu Sahasranama, Bhagavadgita and other works depicting Thee. In the end, he also attained salvation singing Thy praises.

मूर्तित्रयातिगमुवाच च मन्त्रशास्त्र
स्यादौ कलायसुषमं सकलेश्वरं त्वाम् ।
ध्यानं च निष्कलमसौ प्रणवे खलूक्त्वा
त्वामेव तत्र सकलं निजगाद नान्यम् ॥ ९०६॥

मूर्तित्रयातिगमुवाच च मन्त्रशास्त्र
स्यादौ कलायसुषमं सकलेश्वरं त्वाम् ।
ध्यानं च निष्कलमसौ प्रणवे खलूक्त्वा
त्वामेव तत्र सकलं निजगाद नान्यम् ॥ ९०६॥

At the commencement of his Treatise on Mantra Sastra (known as Prapanchasara), Sri Sankara has described Thee as the Lord of all, transcending the Trinity of Gods, and possessing the lustre of the Kalaya flower. While dealing with Pranava, too, after describing meditation on Thy Nishkala aspect, he has mentioned Thee alone as the object of Sakala meditation, too, and not any other deity.

In the Puranasangraha, which gives the gist of all the Puranas, Thy glory is described without any room for doubt. Thy abode, Vaikunttha, is mentioned as being above the three divisions of Satyaloka occupied by the Trinity. No such mention is made in relation to Siva.

ये स्वप्रकृत्यनुगुणा गिरिशं भजन्ते
तेषां फलं हि दृढयैव तदीयभक्त्या ।
व्यासो हि तेन कृतवानधिकारिहेतोः
स्कान्दादिकेषु तव हानिवचोऽर्थवादैः ॥ ९०९॥

ये स्वप्रकृत्यनुगुणा गिरिशं भजन्ते
तेषां फलं हि दृढयैव तदीयभक्त्या ।
व्यासो हि तेन कृतवानधिकारिहेतोः
स्कान्दादिकेषु तव हानिवचोऽर्थवादैः ॥ ९०९॥

O Lord ! That form of Thine which was revealed to Brahma here in the Brahma Kalpa, and which is described in the Second Canto of the Bhagavata, has been assigned the appellations of Hari (Vishnu), Sarva (Siva), etc. in the Puranasara of Sri Vidyaranya (though he was a devotee of Siva).

भूतार्थकीर्तिरनुवादविरुद्धवादौ
त्रेधार्थवादगतयः खलु रोचनार्थाः ।
स्कान्दादिकेषु बहवोऽत्र विरुद्धवादा
स्त्वत्तामसत्वपरिभूत्युपशिक्षणाद्याः ॥ ९०१०॥

भूतार्थकीर्तिरनुवादविरुद्धवादौ
त्रेधार्थवादगतयः खलु रोचनार्थाः ।
स्कान्दादिकेषु बहवोऽत्र विरुद्धवादा
स्त्वत्तामसत्वपरिभूत्युपशिक्षणाद्याः ॥ ९०१०॥

Those who, in conformity with their natural inclinations, or tendencies (Vasanas), worship Siva, do obtain the desired ends by firm devotion to him (Siva) only. It is with a view to encourage and motivate such persons that Sage Vyasa has eulogised Siva in his works like Skanda Purana, and made statements deprecating Thee.

यत्किञ्चिदप्यविदुषापि विभो मयोक्तं
तन्मन्त्रशास्त्रवचनाद्यभिदृष्टमेव ।
व्यासोक्तिसारमयभागवतोपगीत
क्लेशान्विधूय कुरु भक्तिभरं परात्मन् ॥ ९०११॥

यत्किञ्चिदप्यविदुषापि विभो मयोक्तं
तन्मन्त्रशास्त्रवचनाद्यभिदृष्टमेव ।
व्यासोक्तिसारमयभागवतोपगीत
क्लेशान्विधूय कुरु भक्तिभरं परात्मन् ॥ ९०११॥

Arthavadas, or exaggeratory declarations, are of three kinds, namely, those which are neither contrary to available pramanas (proofs or authority) nor verifiable by experience; those which are verifiable by experience; and those which are contrary to experience, bordering on perverted interpretations. These are all devices employed by their proponents with a definite objective in view, or to score debating points, and are not to be taken in the literal sense. Statements in the Skanda and other Puranas attributing Tamoguna or defeat to Thee etc fall in this category and are motivated by the objective of intensifying devotion to one’s chosen deity, and are not to be understood as belittling Thee.