Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
View full book text
________________
Brahma who is 'beyond cause" is Parabrahma, Nirguna Brahma. 'Ambike' is described as the "Parabrahma" in the stanza of the hymn. Because all the three- the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer take shelter in Her. That means the fundamental cause of creation, preservation and destruction is Parabrahma i.e. Ambike". Not only Shri Shankara, several other great spiritualists and sages have praised the mother universe in the same way. "Sachchidanda Swaroopini" "Sarvoponishadudgustha" etc. are the terms used in "Shri Lalita Sahasranama Stotra." The ultimate essence of the message of all Upanishaths which they proclaim as Brahma is "Ambika". Further she is Sachchidananda roopini. Whenever the terms "Satyam Jnanam Anantam Brahma", "Vijnanam anandam Brahma", "Sat Chit Ananda" occur, they refer to the Parabrahma. Thus Shri Shankar's philosophy of harmonizing principle has seen the Parabrahma, even while praying the Goddess of Energy and Power.
Shiva:
Shri Shankara's devotion to God Shiva is quite distinctive. All hymns composed by Shri Shankara are not available. Of the hymns available, maximum hymns are on the Mother. Still, hymns on God Shiva and God Vishnu are good in number. One instance wherein he has seen the Parabrahma in God Shiva is in Naxatra Malika stotra- "Shrimadatmane Ganaika Sindhave Namah Shivaya". This is how it begins. Further he says
मूलकारणाय कालकाल ते नमः शिवाय
"O! God Shiva, you are the cause fundamental, and you are the bringer of end to the God of Death". The word Moolakarana (The fundamental cause has a special meaning. In Sanskrit, the meaning of 'moola' is the 'cause'. The literary meaning of the word is 'root'. Here he has used along with Karana (the cause) the word "moola" (the root). That means God Shiva is the principle behind the cause. That principle means the Parabrahma. This is how he prays God Shiva.
Vishnu :
Shri Shankara was a Veera Vaishnava also. He has composed several hymns on God Vishnu. Of hisbooks on Vishnu the important one is his interpretative text on the Vishnu Sahasranama. He goes on interpreting the thousand names of God Vishnu in terms of Vedanta philosophy. There he states that God Vishnu is the root cause of this world. Vishnu himself is the Parabrahma. At the end, he prayfully calls Him "Sarvapraharnayudhah" that He is the destroyer of everything. Shri Shankara thus interprets every name of God Vishnu in the sense that He is the Parabrahma.
428
