‘Turiya’ Shiva and Vishnu in the words of Madusudana Saraswati

There is a complete commentary of Madhusudana Saraswati for Purshpadanta’s Mahimna stotram
and the highlights of the same are shown below:

https://www.facebook.com/subrahmanian.vaidyanathan/posts/2385054338174580  [For images of the commentary see this FB post]

Turiya’ Shiva and Vishnu – in the words of Madhusudana Saraswati

https://archive.org/…/MahimnaStotraOfPushpandantaWithShivaV…

Purshpadanta’s Mahimna stotram is commented upon by Madhusudana Saraswati as applicable to Hara and Hari. In this particular verse –

त्रयीं तिस्रो वृत्तीस्त्रिभुवनमथो त्रीनपि सुरान्।
अकाराद्यैर्वर्णैस्त्रिभिरभिदधत् तीर्णविकृति।।
तुरीयं ते धाम ध्वनिभिरवरुन्धानमणुभिः।
समस्त-व्यस्तं त्वां शरणद गृणात्योमिति पदम्।। २७।।

Trayim tisro vrittis tribhuvana-matho trinapi sura
nakaradyair-varnais tribhir-abhi-dadhat-tirnavikri- ti,
turiyam te dhama dhvanibhi-rava-rundhana-manubh- ih
samastam vyastam tvam sharanada grinat-yomiti padam.

O Giver of refuge, with the three letters A, U, M, indicating the three Vedas, three states, three worlds and the three gods, the word AUM(Om) describes You separately. By its subtle sound the word Om collectively denotes You – Your absolute transcendental state which is free from change. (27)

The highlights of the commentary are:

1. त्रीनपि सुरान् = Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
2. They represent srishti, sthiti and laya
3. The Turiya is the principle that transcends the three
4. The Mandukya, the Nrsimha Tapini, the Atharvashikha, etc. expound this idea.
5. Turiya = undivided pure consciousness, nirguna brahman.
6. ते धाम of the verse is explained as ‘your svarupam’. ‘your’ is non-different from ‘svarupam’. This is on the lines of ‘rahoh shirah = rahu’s head. Rahu is just head only. Yet the usage Rahu’s head only means अभेदे षष्ठी.

[Shankaracharya, in the Kathopanishad bhashyam for तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् has used the above method of explaining which only means: There is no paramam padam ‘OF’ Vishnu; Vishnu ‘IS’ paramam padam. And Paramam padam is undivided pure consciousness, nirguna brahman. Some commentators have stated the ‘rahoh shirah = rahu’s head example.]

7. Madhusudana demonstrates the Triad of waking, etc. eminently according to the Mandukya Upanishad. It is a must read for a student of Vedanta. The images from the pdf are appended here.

8. Madhusudana signs off the commentary by stating: what has been stated here as Shiva is Turiya, holds good to Vishnu as well.

Om Tat Sat