Here the invocation of various deities by Vachaspati Misra (841 CE) is given along with an explanatory gloss: The deities are: Shiva, Aditya, Ganapati, Gowri (non-different from Saraswati) and Vishnu. The five-fold deity invocation is in line with the Panchayatana puja method following by the non-vaishnavite vaidikas. If it is asked ‘What about Kartikeya, the inclusion of whom would make up for the six-fold deity method of the ShaNmata-s?’, the reply is Vachaspati Misra has included Subrahmanya in his invocation to the Bhamati: The word ‘Tilakaswami’ refers to Subrahmanya, Kartikeya.
From the above we come to know that the practice of worshiping many deities was in vogue among vaidika-s. The verse of Vachaspati Misra in the Tattvabindu shown above assumes great significance as it has been cited as an invocation by Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Mahaswaminah of Sringeri Peetham in an article He had penned on Shankara Bhagavatpada during his early days. The article is available in a compilation, in English translation in a book titled ‘Didactic Discourses’ published by the Sri Vidyatirtha Foundation, Chennai.
Om Tat Sat
