Vedanta aspects in Mahabharatha

https://adbhutam.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/core-vedanta-aspects-in-the-mahabharatha/

महाभारतम्-13-अनुशासनपर्व-045

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/31y

[The following section is present in the newly brought out 'Vaishnava paatha' of the Mahabharata from the Palimaaru (Madhva) maTha.]
In the Aanushasana parva of the Mahabharata, the Chapter 45 contains a description of the various aspects of Brahman. Uma, the consort of Shiva, explains the jagatkaaraNatva, paratva, etc. of Shiva. In this discourse, a number of core Vedantic doctrinal aspects are brought out by the Vedantin commentator NilakanTha.  

दुर्विज्ञेयो महादेवो दुराधारो दुरन्तकः। दुराबाधश्च दुर्ग्राह्यो दुर्द्दश्यो ह्यकृतात्मभिः।। Ambaa, the consort of Shiva, says: Mahadeva is extremely difficult to be realized. NilakanTha's (N) comments: It is difficult to know even through the shaastra. Even if known through the scripture, it is difficult to retain in the manas (duraadhaaraH). Even if retained in the manas, owing to the obstacles such as laya, vikshepa, etc. (detailed in the Yoga shaastra and Gaudapada Karikaa), one is battered. There are mischievous bondages (durantakaH) and owing to the engrossment in heavenly pleasures, He is durgraahya, extremely difficult to be grasped owing to the lack of supreme vairagyam. And even in the presence of vairagya, dispassion, He is difficult to be perceived, durdrshyah. Just as there are obstacles with regard to Atman contemplation such as laya, etc. there is the possibility of laya, etc. even with regard to prakriti (prakriti laya).
यस्य रूपाण्यनेकानि प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः। स्थानानि च विचित्राणि प्रासादाश्चाप्यनेकशः।। His forms are countless, say the Knowers. His abodes too are wonderful and His temples too are many. N says: Having stated His nirvisheSha nature in the earlier verse, His savisheSha forms are being stated now.
को हि तत्त्वेन तद्वेद ईशस्य चरितं शुभम्। कृतवान्यानि रूपाणि देवदेवः पुरा किल। क्रीडते च तथा शर्वः प्रसीदति यथाच वै।।   Who indeed has known in truth the Lord's auspicious exploits and His forms the Lord of lords assumed in the past!!   And the way Sharva plays and delights!!
हृदिस्थः सर्वभूतानां विश्वरूपो महेश्वरः। भक्तानामनुकम्पार्थं दर्शनं च यथाश्रुतम्। मुनीनां ब्रुवतां दिव्यमीशानचरितं शुभम्।। Maheshwara, the vishvarupa, the whole creation is his form, resides in the heart of all beings. He gives darshanam to his devotees out of compassion.
कृतवान्यानि रूपाणि कथितानि दिवौकसैः। अनुग्रहार्थं विप्राणां शृणु वत्स समासतः।।
तानि ते कीर्तयिष्यामि यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि।। N says: It is for the sake of blessing the devotee that Brahman, even though devoid of any form, takes a form. [This is in correspondence with Shankara's words:   स्यात्परमेश्वरस्यापि इच्छावशात् मायामयं रूपं साधकानुग्रहार्थम् । (1.1.vii.20) (Ishwara, out of compassion, takes on, by His Maya, a form to grace the spiritual aspirant.) [The context in the BSB is that Brahman is devoid of any form but takes up forms to help the aspirant.  In the Kenopanishad bhashya too Shankara lists several deities Vishnu, Ishvara, Indra, Prana, etc. as upasya as Brahman]  ब्रह्मविष्णुसुरेन्द्राणां रुद्रादित्याश्विनामपि। विश्वेषामपि देवानां वपुर्धारयते भवः।।  [Bhava takes the form of gods such as Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Rudras, Adityas, Ashvini-s, etc.] N says: All forms right from that of Brahmaa are that of Shiva.
नराणां देवनारीणां तथा प्रेतपिशाचयोः। किरातशबराणां च जलजानामनेकशः।। Humans, the divine damsels, the ghosts, spirits, hunters, forest-dwellers, aquatic beings – all are His forms.
करोति भगवान्रूपमाटव्यशबराण्यपि। कूर्मो मत्स्यस्तथा शङ्खः प्रवालाङ्कुरभूषणः।। The tortoise, first, the conch…etc. are his forms. N says: the Kurma and Matsya avataras are indicative of the other incarnations. Time is also Shiva alone.
यक्षराक्षससर्पाणां दैत्यदानवयोरपि। वपुर्धारयते देवो भूयश्च बिलवासिनाम्।।
व्याघ्रसिंहमृगाणां च तरक्ष्वृक्षपतत्त्रिणाम्। उलूकश्वशृगालानां रूपाणि कुरुतेऽपि च।।
हंसकाकमयूराणां कृकलासकसारसाम्। रूपाणि च बलाकानां गृध्रचक्राङ्गयोरपि।।
करोति वा स रूपाणि धारयत्यपि पर्वतम्। गोरूपं च महादेवो हस्त्यश्वोष्ट्रखराकृतिः।।
छागशार्दूलरूपश्च अनेकमृगरूपधृक्। अण्डजानां च दिव्यानां वपुर्धारयते भवः।।
दण्डी छत्री च कुण्डी च द्विजानां वारणस्तथा। षण्मुखो वै बहुमुखस्त्रिनेत्रो बहुशीर्षकः।।
अनेककटिपादश्च अनेकोदरवक्त्रधृत्। अनेकपाणिपार्श्वश्च अनेकगपसंवृतः।। In the above verses the variety of forms of Shiva is listed. All beings of all kinds are He alone. The idea of 'sahasra shirsha purusha,….' is also depicted here. All hands, feet, stomachs, faces/mouths, are all His. We get a feeling of reading the Vishvarupa adhyaya of the Bhagavadgita.
ऋषिगन्धर्वरूपश्च सिद्धचारणरूपधृत्। भस्पपाण्डुरगात्रश्च चन्द्रार्धकृतभूषणः।।
अनेकरावसंघुष्टश्चानेकस्तुतिसंस्कृतः। सर्वभूतान्तकः सर्वः सर्वलोकप्रतिष्ठितः।।
सर्वलोकान्तरात्मा च सर्वगः सर्ववाद्यपि। सर्वत्र भगवान्ज्ञेयो हृदिस्थः सर्वदेहिनाम्।।
यो हि यं कामयेत्कामं यस्मिन्नर्थऽर्च्यते पुनः। तत्सर्वं वेत्ति देवेशस्तं प्रपद्य यदीच्छसि।।
नन्दते कुप्यते चापि तथा हुंकारयत्यपि। चक्री शूली गदापाणिर्मुसली खड्गपट्टसी।।
भूधरो नागमौञ्जी च नागकुण्डलकुण्डली। नागयज्ञोपवीती य नागचर्मोत्तरच्छदः।।
हसते गायते चैव नृत्यते च मनोहरम्। वादयत्यपि वाद्यानि विचित्राणि गणैर्युतः।।
वल्गते जृम्बते चैव रुदते रोदयत्यपि। उन्मत्तमत्तरूपं च भाषते चापि सुस्वरः।।
अतीव हसते रौद्रस्त्रासयन्नयनैर्जनम्। जागर्ति चैव स्वपिति जृम्भते च यथासुवम्।।
जपते जप्यते चैव तपते तप्यते पुनः। ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति युञ्जते ध्यायतेऽपि च।।
वेदीमध्ये तथा यूपे गोष्ठमध्ये हुताशने। दृश्यते दृश्यते चापि बालो वृद्धो युवा तथा।।
क्रीडते ऋषिकन्याभिर्ऋषिपत्नीभिरेव च। ऊर्ध्वकेशो महाशेफो नग्नो विकृतलोचनः।।
गौरः श्यामस्तथा कृष्णः पाण्डुरो धूमलोहितः। विकृताक्षो विशालाक्षो दिग्वासाः सर्ववासकः।।
अरूपस्याद्यरूपस्य अतिरूपाद्यरूपिणः। अनाद्यन्तमजस्यान्तं वेत्स्यते कोस्य तत्त्वतः।। Who indeed can know the extent of the one who has no beginning and no end at all? The theme of Lingodbhava is hinted in these lines.
हृदि प्राणो मनो जीवो योगात्मा योगसंज्ञितः। ध्यानं तत्परमात्मा च भावग्राह्यो महेश्वरः।। N says: Shiva alone is the pratyagaatmaa, the innermost true self of all jivas – this is stated by the word 'hridi' – in the heart.  The five koshas are being stated by the words hridi, etc. annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnana and the term Yogatma is the blending of chit and achit that is the ananda maya kosha. [Advaitins hold that the Anandamaya kosha is the seat of karana shariram, ignorance.] The word Yogasamjnitah means the one who is free of the five koshas, the tvam padaartha, the innermost essence of the jiva. The word 'dhyanam' shows the means to arrive at the true self free of the koshas. The word Maheshwara is the mayavi, the weilder of maya (Shvetashvataropanishad mantra 'maayaam tu prakritim vidyaat, maayinam tu maheshvaram' is meant here) , the Tat padartha. 'Bhaavagraahya' means Brahman is grasped, realized, perceived by bhaava, contemplation culminating in the subtle akhandakara vritti. Is it grasped as an object, knowable? No, it is verily the subject, pratyagaatmaa. By this verse, the mahavakya 'ayam atma brahma' (mandukya upanishad, atharva veda) is indicated.
वादको गायनश्चैव सहस्रशतलोचनः। The musical instrument players and the songs/singers are also Shiva, Brahman alone. N cites the mantra 'brahma daasaah, brahma daashaah' which means 'Brahman is the slaves, the gamblers/fishermen…' which Shankara has cited in the Brahma sutra bhashya 2.3.43:  तथा ह्येके शाखिनो दाशकितवादिभावं ब्रह्मण आमनन्त्याथर्वणिका ब्रह्मसूक्ते — ' ब्रह्म दाशा ब्रह्म दासा ब्रह्मैवेमे कितवाः' इत्यादिना ; दाशा य एते कैवर्ताः प्रसिद्धाः, ये च अमी दासाः स्वामिष्वात्मानमुपक्षपयन्ति, ये च अन्ये कितवा द्यूतकृतः, ते सर्वे ब्रह्मैव — इति हीनजन्तूदाहरणेन सर्वेषामेव नामरूपकृतकार्यकरणसङ्घातप्रविष्टानां जीवानां ब्रह्मत्वमाह ; तथा अन्यत्रापि ब्रह्मप्रक्रियायामेवायमर्थः प्रपञ्च्यते — ' त्वं स्त्री त्वं पुमानसि त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी । त्वं जीर्णो दण्डेन वञ्चसि त्वं जातो भवति विश्वतोमुखः' (श्वे. उ. ४ । ३) इति, ' सर्वाणि रूपाणि विचित्य धीरो नामानि कृत्वाभिवदन्यदास्ते' इति च ; ' नान्योऽतोऽस्ति द्रष्टा' (बृ. उ. ३ । ७ । २३) इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यश्च अस्यार्थस्य सिद्धिः । चैतन्यं च अविशिष्टं जीवेश्वरयोः, यथाग्निविस्फुलिङ्गयोरौष्ण्यम् ।   Shankara says above: These Upanishadic passages declare that all forms of all beings, even the lowly ones, is of Brahman alone thereby bringing out the jiveshvara aikya.  N paraphrases the above in the MB commentary.  एकवक्त्रो द्विवक्त्रश्च त्रिवक्त्रोऽनेकवक्त्रकः।। N explains here: One-face is the praajnaa of the third paada stated in the Mandukya upanishad:   ह्यानन्दभुक्चेतोमुखः प्राज्ञस्तृतीयः पादः | Two-faced is: the taijasa which comprises of the sukshma sharira and the jiva. Three-faced refers to the earlier two plus the gross body. That way all the three states are covered by this shloka in the MB.
तद्भक्तस्तद्गतो नित्यं तन्निष्ठस्तत्परायणः। The devotee of Shiva is stated here: He is completely taken over by devotion, and reminds us of the Bh.Gita 5.17:  expression: तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणाः । गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषाः ॥ १७ ॥   [Those who are given to the complete devotion, in intellect, manas, and totally His alone, go to the state of liberation never to return to samsara by the Jnana that purifies them of all defects.] Thus we find here in this small section, as a sample, Veda Vyasa teaching the Paratvam of Shiva just as he has done in several places the Paratvam of Vishnu. The core Vedantic teachings embedded in the above verses are brought out eminently by NilakanTha, the advaitin.  भज पुत्र महादेवं ततः प्राप्स्यसि चेप्सितं।। Ambaa concludes: O son, pray to Mahadeva and you will certainly get what you have desired.