Indispensability of the Story of Creation to the Philosophy of Sankaradeva

I am inclined to believe that in the discussions on Sankaradeva’s philosophy, there is not as serious a consideration of the account of creation that is found in the Bhagavata—rendered by Sankaradeva in his Anadi Patana—as there should be. If this story of creation is properly understood then not only would the symbolism of ‘personalities’ like Laksmi, Brahma, Siva, the devas and asuras be understood, but also, the fact that the jiva (purusa) is a spiritual personality (similar to Isvara) separate from these (anthropomorphized) material entities would be internalized; the endless grace of the Lord for the jiva would be understood—for then it would be grasped that the creation of the material universe by Isvara, both macro-cosmic and micro-cosmic, external as well as internal, is for the use and benefit of nobody else but the spiritual personality known (in material terms) as jiva.