Brahmasütras, deified and worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Nārāyaṇa.
Author of the Yogasūtrabhāṣyavivaraṇa.
There are, likewise, sufficient grounds to believe that the author of the Vivaraṇa too is the same as Śaṅkarabhagavatpāda. The only real evidence, however, in support of this identification is the authority of the colophon at the end of each pāda as found in the manuscript, though it must be conceded in the same breath, that the reliability of the colophons of our manuscripts is not always beyond question. The colophon[१] is identically the same as those found in the acknowledged works identically of Śaṅkara, like the bhāṣyas on the prasthānatraya, and unequivocally states that the work is by Śaṅkarabhagavatpāda, disciple of Śrī Govindabhagavatpāda. It is however true, that, whereas in the case of Patañjali's authorship of the Yogasūtra and Vedavyāsa's authorship of the Yogasūtrabhāṣya, references in other works bearing out the traditional attribution of these works to them could be found, no such preserved tradition, oral or written, has been traced, associating with Śaṅkara, a commentary on the Yogasūtrabhāṣya . Nevertheless, in spite of these weaknesses, on the sole authority of the unequivocal statement in the colophon, it may not be unreasonable to plead that Śaṅkara's authorship of this Vivaraṇa be accepted, till sound evidences to the contrary are brought to light, particularly by those, who believe that validity inheres in all pramāṇas (svataḥpramāṇavādin).
Further a comparison of the opening sentences of some other acknowledged commentaries of Śaṅkara on the Chāndogya Upaniṣad and on the eighth paṭala of Āpastamba Dharmasūtra with the opening sentence of the present work reveals a family resemblance and suggests the pen of a common author behind them.[२]The identical name Vivaraṇa, used
- ↑ इति श्रीगोविन्दभगवत्पूज्यपादशिष्यस्य परमहंसपरिव्राजकाचार्यस्य श्रीशङ्करभगवतः कृतौ श्रीपातञ्जलयोगशास्त्रविवरणे प्रथमः पादः।
- ↑ Compare the following:--ओमित्येतदक्षरमित्याद्यष्टाध्यायी छान्दोग्योपनइषत् । तस्याः संक्षेपतः अर्थजिज्ञासुभ्यः ऋजुविवरणमल्पग्रन्थमिदारभ्यते । Chandogya Upanishad.
अथ आध्यात्मिकान् योगान् इत्याद्यध्यात्मपटलस्य संक्षेपतो विवरणं प्रसूयते । Āpastamba Dharmasūtra.
अथेत्यादिपातञ्जलयोगशास्त्रविवरणमारभ्यते । Yogasūtrabhāṣyavivaraṇa.
