Who/What is KUTastha : Bhagwad Gita Verse 16, chapter-15

[smaranam]

Jai Sjri KRshNa ~
Namaste

All along this thread, Devoteeji (and Adi ShankarAchArya), YajvanJi (and Abhivav Guptaji) and Jopmala ji (and VaishNav AchArya of the 4 schools) have been all saying the same thing -- because Shri KRshNa wants all of them to know the same thing

he nAtha nArAyaNa vAsudeva, jay ho DwArikAdheesha tumhAri jay ho dwArikAdheesh ~ ~

Shri KRshNa's Three Purushas of the Bhagavad GeetA :

1. aparA prakruti == jaDa -- kshara -- perishable = pancha mahA bhUta / beings undergoing birth-death cycles
2. parA prakRutI == avyakta akshara == unmanifest imperishable nature == mooLa prakRutI == [Shankara's mAyA] == [VaishNava's prakRutI*] == [Kashmiri Shaiva prakRuti/mAyA]
3. purushottam == NArAyaNa == Brahman

I do not think there is any contest about 1. and 3.

2. VaishNav : this is the aggregate mooLa (original, root) parA (higher) sUkshma prakRuti which exists as the aggregate of the jeeva s --
By VaishNav definition, jeeva is parA prakRutI and deha (body of pancha mahAbhUta -- 5 elements) is sthula i.e. aparA (lower prakRuti)
REF: www.bhagavad-gita.org [Geeta PRess BG links up apara-para prakruti of chap 7 with kshar - akshara purush of chap 15]


Kashmiri Shaiva : this 2nd element which is indeed kuTastha as per Adi Shankara's defN (trickster, cheater), is also kuTashtha as per Abhinav Guptaji et al because this avyakta akshara BELONGS TO That Purushottam Mukunda MAdhava. It is HIS INHERENT NATURE

So if Purushottam is at the summit , peak, so is HIS AVYAKTA AKSHARA SVABHAV, His Sweetness is Him, His Love is Him, His cheating is Him, His waving of the magic wand / flute / Eye / beej is from Him.

If He is at the summit then so is His magical charm that gives rise to this visible Universe -- a phenomenon arising from Purushottam ... is Him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz26iwDj4Pw
adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram
hRudayam, gamanam, veNu, reNu, salilam, kamalam, gopI, gAvo, gopA, bhuktam, suptam, dalitam, phalitam
taraNam, smaraNam, haraNam ramaNam vamitam shamitam vachanam valitam charitam bhramitam ....
madhurAdhipater akhilam madhuram

Everything about the Lord of Sweetness is Ssweeeet
** face, flute, lips that play it, sing and speak sweet words, His eyes, gait, smile, dance, singing, Yamuna, Lotuses, sand, pastimes, Gopa friends, Gopis, cows,
** His simplest acts of eating, sleeping, stealing butter,
** His taking devotees across the ocean of samsAR (taraNam), His remembrance, memory, ** Freedom offered by Him (muktam)
** His character, exemplary respectful behaviour commanding respect, gentleness, righteousness, enchanting power, humility...
** Taking away those Who secretly love Him and wish to serve His Lotus Feet eternally (e.g. RukmiNi, SatyA-nAgnajItI, LakshmaNA, kAlindI-yamunA) (haraNam and ramaNam)...
** His downtrodden ones (dalitam) and the fruits He bestows -- which are eventually sweet for the well-being even when temporarily bitter (phalitam)
.......

So just by the association of the Purushottam, anything is sweet like Him -- He is the pAras-maNi (touchstone) and everything associated with Him is at the summit with Him.

Someone may argue this is pointless because what about the avidyA (ignorance) and vikAr (flaws, blemishes) -- these are not associated with Him so they are not at the summit