Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
(Study and translation of first chapter)
by Lance Edward Nelson | 2021 | 139,165 words
This is a study and English translation of the Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati (16th century)—one of the greatest and most vigorous exponents of Advaita after Shankara-Acharya who was also a great devotee of Krishna. The Bhaktirasayana attempts to merge non-dualist metaphysics with the ecstatic devotion of the Bhagavata Purana, by assertin...
Part 2 - The Four Types of Yoga
239 II. The Four Types of Yoga 16 17 Four yogas, namely the yoga of action, the eight-fold yoga, 18 the yoga of knowledge, 19 and the yoga of devotion, are well known as being the means to the highest goal of life. The Lord declares: Three yogas have been taught by Me with the desire to confer the highest good on humanity. They are the yogas of knowledge, action, and devotion. There is no other means whatsoever. 11.20.1620 Here, the eight-fold yoga is to be understood as included within the yoga of knowledge, because it too is taught in verses such as the following: Having controlled the breath and having mastered the proper yogic posture, one should tirelessly steady the mind, holding it on a single point by means of nonattachment and constant practice. 11.9.11