In the article published by the Tirumala vaibhavam on Sri.Ramanujacharya,it is said,Sri.Shankara interpreted the statement from Chandogyopanishath,"Kapyasampundarikamevakshini",as "The two eyes of that Supremebeing are like lotuses resembling the buttocks of a monkey(kapyasam)".
This is wrong.First of all this interpretation is not by SriShankara,but by the vrttikara on Chandogyopanishath,Acharya Brahmanandin,or Acharya Tanka,who has witten a vrtti on Chandogyopanishath.In his vrtti,Brahmanandin has given "six"interpretations on this statement.
The actual statement from the Chandogyopanishath is as follows:
"Tasya yatha kapyasam pundarikamevashini tasyoditi nama sa esbha sarvebhyaha papmabhyaha udita udeti havai sarvebhya papmabhyo ya evam veda".
The Bhasya of Sri.Shankara is as follows:
"Tasya evam sarvatah suvarnavarnasyapi akshovisheshaha.Katham?Tasya yatha kapeh markatasya aasaha kapyasaha.Aaserupaveshanarthasya karane ghang.Kapi prstantantaha yena upavishati.Kapyasa iva pundarikam atyantatejasvi evam asya devasya akshini.Upamitoupamanatvat na hiinopama.Tasya evam gunavishishtasya gaunamidam nama ut iti.Katham gaunatvam?Sa esha devah sarvebhyaha papmabhyaha papmana saha tatkaryebhyah ityarthaha."Ya Atmaapahatapapma"(8-7-1)ityadi vakshati."
From the above,it is clear that Sri.Shankara has not used a "Neechopama"(an inferior simile.He explains,"Upamitopmanatvat na hiinopama",which means ,this simile is used just for comparision of one upamana to another,and not for direct comparision.
N.Srikanta.
