Is Sri ShankarAcharya a Demon??!! - 3

In the following video, the Dvaita scholar is continuing to provide more reasons to prove Sri Adi Shankaracharya is an incarnation of the demon, Maniman   : 

ಅದ್ವೈತಿ ಭಕ್ತನು ಜಗನ್ಮಾತೆಯರ ಪಾತಿವ್ರತ್ಯವನ್ನು ನಾಶ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾನೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ ಶಂಕರರು ಗೌರವಕ್ಕೆ ಅರ್ಹರೇ?

Here is a high level summary of the above video:

In the Soundarya lahari, Acharya Shankara has written that a true Advaitic devotee of the Devi, will get to become equal to Brahma and Vishnu and will enjoy the company of their consort godesses like Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Rathi and will even attract them with his beauty, so much that they would even shirk from their Paativratyam or chastity. This is obviously demonic and proves that Shankara is the demon, Maniman.

Advaitin's Reply: 

This may apparantly appear to be demonic when the text is seen through the lens of Rajas and Tamas. But from the sattvic view point, the Advaitic Bhakta is only a child of the divine parents - Parvathi or Maya and Parameshwara. The Advaitic devotee who is actually a jnAni is just a witness for the passtimes of the Ishwara and His mAyA shakti, manifesting in the form of all the many gods and godesses like Brahma-Saraswathi, Vishnu-Lakshmi and Manmatha-Rathi and so on. The devotion of such a devotee-JnAni who is a non-doer and non-enjoyer (with no karthrutva or bhoktrutva ) is nothing but an expression of pure love to the divinity, similar to Gopika bhakti towards Sri Krishna. In the Rasa Leela of Bhagavatam, All Gopika sthrees, left their husbands and family duties and came to enjoy the company of Sri Krishna. Did they lose their chastity? That kind of spiritual love or pure devotion should never be reduced or compared to the mundane human lust. 

A pure devotee could be considered "equal" to Brahma, Vishnu and Manmatha only in similarity of their auspicious gunas or attributes. Such a devotee's sankalpa aligns or becomes one with that of Ishwara, which is always directed towards loka kalyana, jagat or dharma rakshana. The entire world of nature or prakruti is the Mother and Ishwara as the husband, is her protector. Like wise, Advaita jnAni bhakta who as their child, is also a protector of Dharma or Jagat or Prakruthi who is in the form of his mother. The Vishnu Purana clearly states that all feminine forms are of Lakshmi and all masculine forms are Vishnu. All the godesses like Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Rathi and so on are different forms of his mother only for an Advaita jnAni-Bhakta. So as a protector of his Mother, he can be considered as her "husband" also. The words 'sapatna" or "samana" in Soundarya lahari, should only be interpreted in this sattvic way. There is only pure unadulterated love or prema between Ishwara and his consort in the spiritual realm with no tinge of earthly "lust". There is no place for earthly human lust at all in the spiritual realm.

The Vedic mantra that is used in marriages states - "AtmA vai putra nAmAsi" which means that the husband himself is born as the son from his consort. The devotee is a child and Ishwara and his consort Shakti are his divine parents. The reference to the advaitic devotee "enjoying" the company of the godesses should only be taken as a child enjoying the company of the mother. The so called "shirking from pAtivratyam or chastity" of the divine mothers, is nothing but the pure motherly love and appreciation of the devotee child, who, due to his constant contemplation, acquires similar gunas and attributes of his divine father, Ishwara! 

So, there is no such thing as shirking from Paativratyam or chastity, on the part of the divine mothers and there is no such thing as advaitic devotee becoming equal to Brahma or Vishnu.

Objection: Then why did Shankara not explicitly state the Advaitic devotee as the child of the Mother? He himself has interpreted the word "sapatna" as a "shatru" or enemy, elsewhere. So the above interpretation goes against that.

Explanation: There is no need to explicitly state that as there is only unadulterated pure love in the spiritual realm. Even then, in the act of protecting His mother (Parkruthi / Nature / Dharma) Advaitic jnAni bhakta could also be considered as a "enemy" or "competitor" for Ishwara in a positive sense, because such a jnAni, unlike Ishwara, will not hate or punish his haters also, just like sage Vasishta tolerated all the hardhips caused by Vishwamitra without any kind of retaliation! 

So the claim of Dvaitins that Sri Shankara is an incarnation of the demon Maniman stands refuted!

Namaste

Suresh

Is Sri ShankarAcharya a Demon??!! - 2

 

In this Youtube Video - Advaitins cannot even realize Advaita with Sri Shankara - a Dvaita scholar is trying to claim Sri Shankara is indeed a demon by name Maniman.

Here is a highlevel summary of the above Video:

In the Madhva siddhanta, Acharya Sri Shankara is considered to be a reincarnation of a demon called Maniman. Obviously, Advaitins are considering this as an insult to their Acharya and they are asking to review and re-edit all such texts where this claim is made and remove all such derogatory remarks against Acharya Sri Shankara. The Shiroor Mutt swamiji from the Madhva tradition, who is currently in charge of the paryaya system in the Udupi Krishna temple, has agreed to do the same. But many fanatic Dvaita scholars are opposing Sri Shiroor Mutt Swamiji's move and are trying to support the claim that Sri Adi Shankaracharya is an incarnation of the demon, Maniman. 

This is a very dangerous development that can divide and fragment Hindus, destroy Sanatana Hindu dharma. So here is a humble attempt to refute fanatic Dvaitin's claim, in the above Youtube video, with the sole intention to bring Harmony among all the different Vedic Hindu traditions.

Dvaitin's first argument:

As per the transitive law in Mathemeatics, if a = b and c = b, then it follows that a = c. Accordingly, if Shankara = Brahman and Maniman = Brahman then what it is the problem for Advaitins in accepting Shankara = Maniman?

Advaitin's reply: 

The above is a very childish argument, because based on the same logic, it follows that even Madhva = Maniman and every Maadhva = Maniman! 

The Advaitic Brahman is the Universal Self in which every particular self is rooted. There is no separate identification for the inividual self. All names and forms like Shankara and Maniman only point to the Universal non-dual Self which is beyond names and forms, and is everywhere! 

The difference in names, forms and gunas or attributes are not denied and accepted as transactional reality and there is no "equality" as such between any particular name or form in transaction. So, Dvaitin's claim that Shankara is an incarnation of demon Maniman, which is not even supported by any scriptural statement, stands refuted!

Dvaitin's second argument:

We Dvaitins, the followers of Madhva, accept there is no swagata bheda between any form of Vishnu. We accept aikya or oneness in all the infinite forms of Vishnu - like the Matsya, Kurma, Varaaha, Narasimha, Raama, Krishna and so on. Likewise, we accept oneness between all the many forms of Shiva - like the Shiva, Rudra, Kashi Vishwanatha, Somanaatheshwara, Kailaseshwara, Ashwatthaama, Durvasa, Shukamuni and so on.  Similarly we accept oneness in the form of Vayu, Hanuman, Bheema and so on...

We Madhvas meditate on the above oneness of deities. Can Advaitins do the same with Shankara and Maniman? Advaitin's cannot even practice what they preach!!

Advaitin's reply:

Advaitins meditate on the oness of the entire universe (Vishwa) with the Atman which is explicitly taught in the Mandukya upanishat. They SEE the entire universe in the Self and the Self in the Universe which is explicitly taught in the Bhagavad Gita (6-29) and is very much experietial also. They SEE Brahman through all names and forms. But difference in names, forms and qualities is accepted in transaction. So the oneness in all the Vishnu's forms, Shiva's forms and other devata's forms are all valid as transactional reality in Advaita also. Ultimately the oneness of the Ishwara with the entire universe is also accepted as per BhagavadGita, VishnuSahasranAma dhyana sloka and Purusha Sukta. Are Dvaitins ready to accept this universal form of the Lord? If yes, is there any second entity outside this cosmic form of the Lord?

Dvaitins preach Ishwara is swatantra (independent) and Jiva is paratantra (dependent). In transaction, every jiva is absolutely dependent on the universe for existence. So it follows that the entire universe is Ishwara and all jivas are not external to Him. Every name and form has no separate existence apart from the Universe. When the entire Universe is realized as the ONE universal form of Ishwara, Advaita automatically gets established. 

If Dvaitin's accept the oneness of Vishnu who is present in all the many jivas and jada, as their inner Self (paramAtma) - then it leads to Advaita only, as the self (jiva or atman) has to separate identification apart from Ishwara/Brahman who is everywhere.

So Dvaitins claim that Sri Shankara is an incarnation of the demon Maniman stands refuted!  If Vishnu is identified as the All pervading and indwelling Self of all - it leads to Advaita only. Dvaita is indirectly teaching Advaita only.

 

Namaste

Suresh