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A short selection from the Manasollasa of Someshwara III
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manasollasa
//The Mānasollāsa, also known as Abhilashitartha Chintamani, is an
early 12th-century Sanskrit text composed by the Kalyani
Chalukya king Someshvara III, who ruled in present-day South India. It
is an encyclopedic work covering topics such as polity, governance,
ethics, economics, astronomy, astrology, rhetoric, veterinary medicine,
horticulture, perfumes, food, architecture, sports, painting, poetry and
music. The text is a valuable source of socio-cultural information on
11th- and 12th-century India.//
The importance of the work can be known from the extensive research
that has been made based on the information provided therein on a
variety of topics enumerated above. It has also been translated to many
languages.
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p.6 of pdf:
p.7:
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p.18:
The mangala shloka-s invoking the grace of various deities: Ganesha,
Saraswathi, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahmaa, Indra, Aditya and Manmatha.
Shiva is shown as the jagat-kaaraNam with the entire creation abiding in Him.
The verse says Shiva is the seed of the creeper of samsara. In Vedanta both
saguna and nirguna Brahman are accepted as the seed of the samsara
tree/creeper. In the Bhagavadgita 15th chapter, the opening verses talk of the
avyakta being the origin of the samsara tree. In Kathopanishat a mantra similar
to the BG is commented upon as Brahman being the cause of the samsara tree.
Vishnu too is shown as one giving moksha.
This bunch of verses of invocation shows that even at the early 12th Century CE
Vaidika-s/Vedantins have been worshipers of all deities. They did not display
the narrow, sectarian practices that are un-vedic.
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5
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P: 24:
On the importance of Daana, gifting valuables to worthy people, the author
says:
One should give to a deserving vedic scholar who is not affluent but endowed
with pious conduct. He is also a scholar of the Puranas and the Veda and is a
householder. The gifting to such deserving recipients earns the grace of
Mahadeva, Shiva. This also shows that the author of the early 12th Century CE
was a vaidika, valued vaidika-s and also was not intolerant of any particular
deity. Such a display of devotion to all gods cannot be seen in sectarian
followers of Acharyas of post-Shankara era.
There is a lengthy versification of the vedic, smriti-ordained, noble
actions/rituals of vaidika-s called ‘iShTaa-pUrta’ that householders have to
observe, called pancha-maha-yajna. This too shows that the author is a vaidika.
On p.27-28 we find a short instruction on the method of worship and most
importantly the author’s exhortation that all deities have to be worshiped and
even more importantly, that no deity ought to be denigrated. This also shows
that the author belonged to the vedic lineage that shunned sectarian practices
that unfortunately were encouraged and practised by post-Shankaran
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Acharyas. The very section is titled: asheshadevataa bhakti – devotion to all
gods. Such a devotee is said to have the sama-drishti, the vision of sameness.
Such a concept is anathema to post-Shankara schools. The exhortation is:
when a person encounters god/temple, one should not proceed without
bowing or prostrating. Only such a one is an ‘aastika’, a follower of the Veda.
p.123: Arjuna is stated to be graced by Devi ChanDi: This shows that Vaidika-s
were also devoted to tantra practices.
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p.149: The concept of ‘kula devataa’ has been prevalent from very ancient
times:
Brahmins, especially smaarta-s, even today, have a specific kula-devataa,
family deity, for almost every household. The deities range from Shiva, Vishnu
(any particular form of Vishnu such as Narasimha, Tirupati Srinivasa, etc.), Devi
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(Banashankari, etc.), Subrahmanya, Graama devata-s such as Aiyanaar (in Tamil
Nadu) and Bhagavati in Kerala.
Pdf p.213:
The contents of the 2nd Volume of the Manasollasa gives an idea about the
kinds of deities that were worshiped by vaidikas during the early 12th century
CE: One can see an array of deities that encompasses the ‘ShaNmata-s’ of
Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Aditya (Surya), Kumara and Devi. Of especial
importance is the Hari-Hara murti signifying the Hari-Hara abheda concept that
has prevailed from the most ancient times among vaidika-s who were not
sectarians.
Hari-Hara Murti:
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p.279: After giving a detailed description of how a picture/painting of Ardha-
naareeshvara and Uma-maheshvara should be made, the Hari-Hara murti is
described. The two deities are to be shown in a fused manner:
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The last few verses above are that of Shanmukha.
Here the form of Kaatyaayani is given and she is described as ‘shiva-
naraayanaatmikaa’. She is shown as holding the weapons of Shiva and
Narayana:
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This short selection of passages from the early 12th Century CE work
‘Manasollasa’ shows us the practices among vaidika-s with regard to various
deities worshiped and their forms. What is significant is that this work which is
of a period several centuries prior to Sri Vidyaranya and Sri Appayya Dikshita,
reminds us of the ‘Prapanchasara’ of Shankara which has been authenticated
by Sri Amalananda who lived after the composition of the Manasollasa. The
worship of multiple devata-s for abhyudaya and moksha was perfectly in order.
Om Tat Sat
