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Re: lakshmi-nrsimha-karAvalamba-stOtram-22

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • July 1, 1999 


Sri Sudarshan wrote:
> Dear bhAgavatOttamA-s,
>
> Verse#8 of the LNKS and the poetic metaphor of "samsAra-vruksha" in it
> can be understood better if we take a fleeting glimpse into the biography of 
> Sankara bhagavathpAdA.

I realize this was a "fleeting" glimpse, and Sankara's biography
is indeed interesting, but this post tends to praise Sankara as
a revitalizer of *the* Vedic faith.  At least according to 
Yamuna, Ramanuja and successive Sri Vaishnava acharyas, Sankara's
philosophy did not revitalize the original and proper interpretation
of the Vedanta. In fact, Sankara's Advaita itself was seen as
an "attack from within" (to quote Sri Sudarsan) by other Vedantins, 
striking at the very heart of the teaching of the Upanishads.

Perhaps it is better that on this List, dedicated as it is to
Sri Vaishnava topics, that we stick to discussing Sankara's praise
of the Lord, rather than a praise of Sankara himself?

Mani