Telugu Upanyasa Mala by Samavedam Shanmukha Sharma
A Telugu Upanyasa Mala by eminent Upanyasaka, Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sharma, was organized by devotees of the Peetham at Sringeri from 28th March to 1st April 2016. Sri Shankmukha Sharma gave Upanyasas on Shiva-Parvati Kalyanam based on the Puranas and the descriptions of the event by Telugu poets of yore. Hundreds of devotees attended the event that took place at the Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekhara Bharati Sabha Bhavanam opposite the temple of Goddess Sharadamba.
On April 1 2016, the concluding session was held in the divine presence of the Ubhaya Jagadgurus at Guru Nivas in Narasimha Vanam. Sri Shanmukha Sharma completed His Upanyasa with a splendid description of the divine wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Sri Mahasannidhanam in His Telugu Anugraha Bhashanam blessed Sri Shanmukha Sharma and the devotees who ardently participated in the event, and pointed out that such Upanyasa Malas and Pravachanams help people tread the path of Dharma.
Bhagavan Veda Vyasa penned the eighteen Mahapuranas and Mahabharata in order to strengthen and expand on the tenets of the Vedas – इतिहासपुराणाभ्यां वेदः समुपबृंहयेत् . The Puranas and Itihasas provide in simple and lucid style the essence of the teachings of the Vedas. Even the Vedanta Tattva has been made available to all of mankind through these Itihasas and Puranas. It is because of these facts that in our tradition, Pravachanams based on the Puranas are organised since time immemorial. Such programs help the common man to be aware of the Puranas and Itihasas and in turn give an opportunity to assimilate the Tattva contained in the Vedas.
When we look at the Puranas, some may wonder how is it that some of the Puranas extol Lord Shiva as the Supreme, some extol Lord Vishnu, and others praise the Divine Mother as the Supreme. In addition, in each of these categories of Puranas, all the other Devatas or gods are given a subsidiary position. So people wonder what the truth is and what is it that Bhagavan Veda Vyasa actually intends to convey. Here, we must all understand that Bhagavan Veda Vyasa intends to lead us to what is the Para-brahma-Tattva, as referred to in His very first Brahma-sutra – अथातो ब्रह्मजिज्ञासा. While the Supreme Divinity is Nirguna and Niraakaara – attribute-less and formless, it is to grace mankind that the Supreme takes various Saguna aspects – the various Forms such as Shiva, Vishnu, Devi etc. This has been explained by Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada in His commentary on the Brahmasutras. If all these divine forms are eventually the same, why then do some Puranas extol one as the Supreme and assign subsidiary positions to the other forms of divinity. The purpose of this is to enable a devotee of a particular form of God to strengthen his devotion and purify his mind, and not to put down other forms. This is called “न हि निन्दा न्यायः” – न हि निन्दा निन्दितुं प्रवृत्ता, अपि तु स्तुत्यं स्तोतुम् – The purpose here is to not denigrate other forms, but only to extol the Divine Form that is being praised as the object of devotion. This is why some Puranas that extol Vishnu at the cost of other forms of God, some extol Shiva and others extol the Divine Mother. Eventually the Essence of all forms is the same Supreme Entity. Hence the Puranas are to be looked upon as means to strengthen our devotion towards the Supreme and to facilitate an easy understanding of the philosophic tenets. With this understanding when we look at the Puranas, we will realise the true import of the purpose of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa penning the Puranas.
Given the context of the Shiva-Parvati Kalyanam on which the Upanyasas had taken place, Sri Mahasannidhanam also made reference to the Girija Kalyanam festival at the Malahanikareshwara temple in Sringeri. Sri Mahasannidhanam explained the beautiful description of the Kula, Gotra, Rishi Parampara of the eternal Lord Mahadeva is mentioned during the festival. The Lord is stated as belonging to the Parashiva Gotra. His Pravara consists of Pancha-rishis namely Parashiva, Parameshwara, Paraaparashiva, Paranjyoti and Paramatma. When His Kula is mentioned, His father, grandfather and great-grandfather are stated as Nishkalanka (indicating that Lord Shiva is stainless and immaculate) , Niraamaya (indicating that the Lord is defectless and perfect) and Niranjana (indicating that the Lord is spotless and pure) respectively. All these indicate that all the respective names (of Kula etc.) are again only those of the Lord, for the Lord is truly unborn.
Sri Mahasannidhanam then commended Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sharma for his excellence in expounding the Puranas and stated that such scholarship and devotion is the result of meritorious deeds of previous lifetimes and the Grace of the Lord. Sri Shanmukha Sharma then received the blessings of Sri Mahasannidhanam and Sri Sannidhanam.