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Introduction
 
parameśvaravigraha evamprakāraviśiṣṭatayānusamdheya iti pra-
darśitamadhuraprakāre tasmims taditaraviṣayapratyahṛtasya
bahyendriyasahitasya
 
abhyasena tu kaunteya vairāgyena ca grhyate/
 
iti bhagavadvacanãd, abhyasena viṣayāntaraviraktyā ca sthirīkārya-
tvāt,
 
20
 
...
 
As can be seen in the above extract, the poet within the saint becomes
manifest in describing the merits of meditation on Vișnu. In short,
the purport of the introduction is to present the form of Vișnu as the
suitable and efficient means for meditation to purify the mind.
 
xxi
 
With this view in mind, according to Pūrṇasarasvatī, even though
Śankara advocates meditation on the Supreme Reality to realise the
identity of the Self, he has composed this description of the form of
Visņu in this devotional poem to help aspirants beginning to contem-
plate this form and facilitate their practice of yoga.
 
It can be seen that Pūrṇasarasvati has condensed the concept of saguṇa
of the Supreme Reality in accordance with the vivarta theory pro-
pounded by Sankara, maintaining its abstract nature (nirguṇa) and he
seems to reconcile the two concepts, the abstract and concrete forms
within the framework of advaita philosophy with the phrase ghṛta-
kathinyavat parabrahmaṇo viṣṇvākhye vivarte. The above extract jus-
tifies Sankara's monist position and makes it clear that it is only out
of his sympathy for beginners in yoga and other devotees longing for
welfare and prosperity in life that he has composed this stotra. This
objective has been further scrutinised later on in the commentary.
 
bhuktimuktyabhilāṣukasukṛtijanānugrahārtham
 
paramakaruṇā-
parādhīnacetāḥ parameśvarāvatārabhedabhūto bhagavan śrī-
macchārīrakamīmāṇsābhāṣyakāraḥ, tadvigrahaprakāśanāya
bhagavataḥ puruṣottamasya pādādikeśāntavigrahavarṇanarūpam
strotram ārabhamāṇaḥ, taddvārā sakalavedadharmaśāstrapurā-
netihāsamīmāmsānyāyādyarthāmś ca prasangato vyutpipāda-
21
 
yiṣuḥ...
 
The other purpose of the composition of this stotra is that both the
aspirants of liberation (mukti) and enjoyment of prosperity in life
 
20 Bhaktimandākinī 0:39-43.
21 Bhaktimandākinī 0:44-48.