Vishnu-Hiranyagarbha identity’ – Shankara in VSN Bhashya

‘Vishnu-Hiranyagarbha identity’ – Shankara in VSN Bhashya

While commenting on the name ‘agrajah’ – first born, in the Vishnu Sahasra Nama (891), Shankara says: अग्रे जायते इति अग्रजः हिरण्यगर्भः [One who is born first is called agrajah, hiranyagarbhah] and cites the Rg.Veda हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे…in support of this.

Shankara has cited this mantra in the BSB 1.2.23:

श्रुतिस्मृत्योश्च त्रैलोक्यशरीरस्य प्रजापतेर्जन्मादि निर्दिश्यमानमुपलभामहे — ‘हिरण्यगर्भः समवर्तताग्रे भूतस्य जातः पतिरेक आसीत् । स दाधार पृथिवीं द्यामुतेमां कस्मै देवाय हविषा विधेम’ (ऋ. सं. १० । १२१ । १) इति — समवर्ततेति अजायतेत्यर्थः — तथा, ‘स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते । आदिकर्ता स भूतानां ब्रह्माग्रे समवर्तत’ इति च ।

In the shruti-smriti the birth, etc. of Prajapati is stated ‘Hiranyagarbha was born at the beginning..he is the Lord of all the beings….’  ‘samavartata’ means ‘ajaayata’, ‘was born’. The Adikarta of all beings, Brahma, was born at the beginning.

In BSB 1.3.13 Shankara says:  जीवानां हि सर्वेषां करणपरिवृतानां सर्वकरणात्मनि हिरण्यगर्भे ब्रह्मलोकनिवासिनि सङ्घातोपपत्तेर्भवति ब्रह्मलोको जीवघनः ।   Hiranyagarbha is the samashti jiva and resides in Brahmaloka.  In BSB 1.4.1:  या प्रथमजस्य हिरण्यगर्भस्य बुद्धिः, सा सर्वासां बुद्धीनां परमा प्रतिष्ठा ; सेह महानात्मेत्युच्यते…   Hiranyagarbha is the Prathamaja, called Mahat. This idea Shankara reiterates in the Kathopanishat too. In Gita bhashya:   यतः ब्रह्मणः हिरण्यगर्भस्य अपि आदिकर्ता कारणम् अतः तस्मात् आदिकर्त्रे ।    You are the creator of Brahma, Hiranyagarbha.

Thus, the Brahma-Hiranyagarbha-Prathamaja-identity is admitted by Shankara and the entity being a created one too. Yet, Shankara also admits of the Brahman (Vishnu)-Hiranyagarbha identity. Just as he has admitted the Vishnu-Virat (another created entity, lower than Hiranyagarbha) identity in the Mundaka Bhashya. In two more places the term ‘Hiranyagarbha’ occurs in the VSN and in the first place Shankara cites the same Rg.veda mantra. In the second instance says Brahman is the cause of Hiranyagarbha and hence that name.

We thus find that the Karya-kaarana ananyatvam principle is upheld by Shankara.  The same is found in the Vishnu Puranam too.

ब्रह्मरूपधरो देवस्ततोऽसौ रजसा वृतः  ।

चकार सृष्टिं भगवांश्चतुर्वक्रधरो हरिः  ॥ १,४.५० ॥ [The Lord Hari, the four-faced, enveloped by Rajoguna, is the one, taking the form of Brahma, engaged in creating.], the krodha expressed by Brahma, which came to be designated as ‘Tamasa Rudra’, is actually of Hari. In the schema of Vedanta taught by the VP, as Sridhara Swamin has pointed out, Brahma and Rudra are avatara-s of Brahman, Vishnu.

For ‘bhUtakrt’ Shankara gives two meanings: The one resorting to Rajo guna, in the form of Virinchi (Brahma) (विरिञ्चिरूपेण) creates the beings: Bhutakrit. The one resorting to tamoguna, as Rudra, रुद्रात्मना destroys beings, and so bhutakrit. It is interesting to see that the Hindi translation for both the triteeyaa forms Shankara has used, virinchi-rupena and rudraatmanaa, is ब्रह्मारूपसे, रुद्ररूपसे. Even in the below stated triteeyaa of Shankara, विश्वप्रपञ्चरूपेण, the Hindi translation is: विश्वप्रपञ्चरूपसे. Only those who have fundamental knowledge of Sanskrit can appreciate this. Others will get confused and end up in funny interpretations. Sridhara swamin too, in the Bhagavatam commentary stated: One Brahman alone performs the three cosmic functions taking the three forms: brahma rupena, vishnu rupena and rudra rupena. All this is in perfect agreement with Shankara: Brahman alone takes various forms through maya.

One can appreciate this further by the name ‘anantarupah’ (932) where Shankara says: अनन्तानि रूपाणि अस्य विश्वप्रपञ्चरूपेण स्थितस्य इति अनन्तरूपः [Infinite are the forms of Brahman which appears as the expansive world]. This is consistent with the BG chapters 10 and 11 and Shankara’s bhashya. Thus for Veda Vyasa, Shankara and all advaitins, the entire world of varied forms and names is only a manifestation of Brahman through the agency of Maya/Shakti. Any difference across beings and between Brahman and beings will render Brahman tainted with svagatabheda-defect and vastu paricchinnatva defect.

Om Tat Sat