Bhagavati Uma is the impeller of Trimurtis and Devatas - says Swami Shankarananda Saraswati

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Bhagavati Uma is the impeller of Trimurtis and Devatas - says Swami Shankarananda Saraswati

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As known to all, Bhagavati Uma is revered as Brahma-vidya in the Advaita sampradaya. All our Acharyas, including Bhagavatpada himself, have beheld her very dearly and this love of Advaitacharyas for Uma is glaringly evident in their works. This post aims to share one such example. 

Swami Shankarananda Saraswati ji, the guru of Swami Vidyaranya Mahaswamiji, has enriched the Advaita sampradaya with his tikas on the three prasthanas : Brahma-sutra, Bhagavad-geeta and Upanishads. He has also composed a magnanimous work called Atma-purana which summarizes the Upanishadic teachings in a Puranic style.

The Kaivalyopanishad prescribes the dhyana of Uma-Maheshvara in the context of Sagunopsana. While elaborating on this Saguna dhyana, Swami Shankarananda ji, in his Atma Purana, gives a beautiful description of Bhagavati Uma.  She is described as Brahma-vidya swaroopini,  as the bestower of happiness on all beings including devatas and as giver of Swarga and Moksha.  Interestingly, Shankarananda ji also says that, Brahma-Vishnu-Rudra and the Indra-adi devatas perform their respective functions only by the virtue of Bhagavati's grace. 

उमा भगवती येयं ब्रह्मविद्येति कीर्तिता। 

रूपयौवनसंपन्ना वधुर्भूत्वाऽत्र सा स्थिता॥११३६॥

यस्याः प्रसादतः सर्वः स्वर्गं मोक्षं च गच्छति।

इह लोके सुखं तद्वज्जन्तुर्देवादिकोऽपि वा ॥११३८॥

ब्रह्मा विष्णुस्तथा रुद्रः शक्राद्याः सर्वदेवताः।

कटाक्षपाततो यस्या भवन्ति न भवन्ति च ॥ ११३९ ॥ 

~ पूज्यपाद श्री शङ्करानन्द सरस्वती, आत्म पुराण, ११ अध्याय

[In this Saguna vigrah of Parameshvara, Bhagavati Uma, who is known as the Brahma-vidya, endowed with youth and beauty, is stationed as the consort of Parameshvara]

[All beings attain swarga or moksha only by her grace. The happiness that the devatas or creatures get in this world is only due to her]

[Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra and all other devatas, perform their functions only by the virtue of Bhagavati's gracious glance and fail to do their duties without it]