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This is certainly does not sound like the path of bhakti presented in the Bhakti-rasayana, where there is no mention of the necessity of knowledge or the Vedic sentences. The fact is that the Gudhartha-dipika present a style of devotion very much adapted to the mood of the Vedantic samnyasin, not a path designed, as in the Bhakti-rasayana, "for the contentment of all. Thus, in " Madhusudana's explanation of the meaning of the compound brahmabhuta ("having become Brahman") at Bhagavad Gita 18.54, we read: "Having become Brahman" means having attained, through hearing (sravana) and meditation (manana), the firm conviction "I am Brahman" [Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10], and having acquired, through the practice of equanimity and selfcontrol, a tranquil nature and a pure mind . . Being thus, an ascetic following the path of knowledge attains devotion to Me, the Blessed Lord, the pure supreme Self. And then comes the startling declaration: Devotion is upasana, a repetition of the mental modification having my form known as deep meditation (nididhyasana), the fruit of the practice of hearing (sravana) and reflection (manana). This devotion is the supreme, the best, the last of the four types of devotion described [at Bhagavad Gita 7.17] thus: "Four-fold are they that worship Me." Or, it is knowledge itself.47 In the Bhakti-rasayana, bhakti is an independent path which attains the ultimate goal with no reference to the Vedic path of knowledge. In the Gudhartha-dipika, on the other hand, though bhakti has a prominent place, it is ultimately made subordinate to the path of knowledge and, in deference to orthodoxy, forced to accommodate itself to traditional Vedantic discipline and pass through the final bottleneck of the mahavakyas.

342 It is difficult to say what the reason for this change of position might have been. One possibility is that the Bhakti-rasayana represents a rash burst of youthful enthusiasm, and the Gudhartha-dipika the more sober views of a later period. But the Bhakti-rasayana when written already constituted a departure from the respectably orthodox teachings of earlier works such as the Vedanta-kalpalatika and Siddhantabindu, and as we have seen, Madhusudana was still dabbling in the unorthodox teachings of the Yoga Sutras and YV in the Gudhartha-dipika and the Advaita-ratna-raksana, the latter perhaps his latest work. cannot speak of a simple and orderly development of thought. My suggestion is that Madhusudana is in the Bhakti-rasayana and the Gudhartha-dipika simply speaking to different audiences and adjusting his discourse accordingly. So we In the former, he is writing "for the contentment of all," perhaps with the intention of recommending the viewpoint of Advaita to educated bhaktas 48 that stood outside the exclusive tradition of Samkara samnyasins. He therefore, as Divanji suggests, presents the teachings of Advaita in a form adapted to the egalitarian ethos of Bhagavata devotionalism, with which, as the result of his own predilection toward bhakti, he has considerable sympathy. In the Gudhartha-dipika, however, he is speaking from within the samkara tradition, 49 and trying to recommend bhakti--as well as yoga--to his fellow samnyasins. Though, as we have seen, he subordinates renunciation to surrender to God, he still argues clearly for the superiority of path of knowledge.

343 The first eight verses of Bhagavad Gita 12 are crucial to the discussion of the relation of devotion and knowledge. The author of the Gudhartha-dipika chooses to follow Sankara in regarding the denigration of meditation on the "imperishable" (i.e., the path of jnana) in that passage as nothing more than a pedagogical device designed to emphasize the efficacy of devotion. "Seeing that Arjuna is eligible only for the knowledge of the qualified [Brahman] (sagunavidya), Madhusudana writes, "the omniscient Lord will teach that to him, since the means (sadhana) must be graded according to one's eligibility (adhikara). Interestingly enough, the " devotion to the saguna Brahman described here involves merging the mind into the Lord "like the color vermilion into lac."50 This analogy figures prominently in the description of bhakti given in the Bhakti-rasayana Its use in this context may indicate the level at which Madhusudana places the spirituality expounded in that text, relative to the kind of Vedantic bhakti he is championing here. Quoting Amalananda's versified put-down of the "dull-minded" devotees who are unable to realize the unqualified Brahman 51 and, once again, the Gita's praise of the jnanin-devotee at 7.17-18, Madhusudana concludes: "From the highest perspective (paramarthatah), the most well-versed in yoga are those who meditate on the imperishable. making this remark simply out of deference to Sankara's "52 He is not

344 53 interpretation, for at 18.66, as we have seen, he is not afraid to openly disagree with the great commentator. Madhusudana's final advice to Arjuna--and through him all other non-Brahmins who seek spiritual realization--is that of a conservative Samkarite: Krsna's pupil should follow the path of knowledge, having first "attained the proper qualification" (adhikaram asadya).54 Of course, Madhusudana neglects to mention that such competence cannot be obtained by a Ksatriya in his present birth. I The ideal life of devotion portrayed in the Gudhartha-dipika is, then, something quite different from that described in the Bhakti-rasayana It is bhakti rendered compatible with jnanayoga. The latter, it will be remembered, was the alternative left undiscussed at Bhakti-rasayana 1, section III, where the spiritual life was split into the ways of knowledge and devotion. suggest that, just as the Bhakti-rasayana opts for the path of pure love, and speaks from a point of view proper to it, so the Gudhartha-dipika chooses the path of wisdom. It picks up, as it were, the way neglected by the earlier text, speaking, as did samkara, out of the rather different set of values belonging to the samnyasins to whom, like the Samkara-gita-bhasya, it is primarily addressed. Yet, unlike Samkara's work, it strives to show the relevance of bhakti to the path of knowledge. If the Bhakti-rasayana can be said, at least in part, to be recommending Advaita to the bhaktas, the Gudhartha-dipika is promoting the cause of bhakti among the Advaitins.

345 The teaching of the Gudhartha-dipika is perhaps best epitomized in the following verse found at the conclusion of its ninth chapter: Those whose hearts are purified by the taste of the nectar which flows from the lotus-feet of Govinda quickly cross over the ocean of samsara and see the perfect Effulgence. They comprehend the highest beatitude (paramam sreyas) by means of the Upanisads, cast off error, know that duality is like a dream, and 55 find the untainted bliss. Note that devotion here serves a purificatory function, while the final realization comes through the standard orthodox means. On a more theoretical plane, the following passage from Gudhartha-dipika 7.14 provides a fascinating example of the way in which Madhusudana applies his great genius to the problem of infusing the spirituality of his beloved Bhagavata-purana into the samnyasins' path of knowledge. full: It is well worth quoting in The jIva, because it is limited by the mind, cognizes by means of the eyes, etc., only that which is connected with the mind and becomes restricted in its knowledge, knowing only a little. Thus arises participation in hundreds of evils [that begin with ideas] such as "I know," "I do, "I do, " and "I enjoy." The Blessed Lord, who is original (bimba), is possessed of infinite powers. He is the controller of maya, omniscient, the bestower of all results [of actions], sleepless, having a form of pure bliss. The supreme guru, he assumes numerous incarnations in order to grace His devotees. If the jIva pays homage to Him by offering all its actions to Him, it will attain all the goals of life, because what is offered to the original is also returned to be imaged in the reflection (pratibimba).

346 This is what was intended by Prahlada when he said: The compassionate Lord, who is innately full of the wealth of the Self, does not seek the esteem of humans who are ignorant. Whatever regard they may offer to Him, the Blessed Lord, is [really returned] to themselves, as the auspicious mark [placed] on the face [appears] in its reflection [Bhagavata-purana 7.9.11]. If it is wished that a face reflected in a mirror acquire an auspicious mark such as the tilaka, the mark must be placed on the face, which is the original. [Then] it will quite spontaneously be reflected in the image. There is no other way of achieving this. In the same way, the jiva, who is the reflection, acquires that which is offered to the Lord who is the original. There is no other means for it to attain the goal of life. This is the meaning of the illustration [given by Prahlada]. The mind of one who constantly pays homage to the infinite Blessed Lord becomes devoid of sin, which is an obstacle to knowledge, and full of merit, which is conducive to knowledge. Then, refined by the service of the guru and the hearing of, and reflection and meditation on, the sayings of the Upanisads, which [discipline] is preceded by renunciation of all action and [the acquisition of] tranquillity, self-control, and the other virtues, it [the mind] becomes completely clear like a spotless mirror. In such a mind there arises the mental mode which is an immediate realization of the form of unconditioned Consciousness and is free of the forms of anything that is not the Self. This is [the realization] "I am Brahman" caused by the saying of the Upanisad "Thou are That" that has been imparted by the guru. Consciousness, reflected in that mode, immediately destroys ignorance, which has Consciousness as both its object and its support, just as a light destroys darkness. 56 Thus far it is apparent that, through devotion, the mind of the follower of jnanayoga is prepared for the final vision of unity. But is there anything more that can be said of bhakti, or is it now reduced to its former instrumental function as a purifier of the mind, a mere preliminary to knowledge? At this point, we remember that

347 the Gudhartha-dipika agrees with the Bhakti-rasayana, and deviates from orthodox Advaita, at least to the extent of accepting the teaching that the experience of devotion is available in the state of liberation-in-life, after knowledge has dawned. Hence we are not overly surprised to find that there follows in this same passage a description of devotional experience of the personal God. This statement indeed more explicit and more extravagant than anything we have seen in the Bhakti-rasayana, which relies in this respect perhaps too heavily on quotations from the Bhagavata-purana After a brief exposition of the three-fold Vedantic discipline of hearing, reflection, and deep meditation, Madhusudana states its result: "With the dropping off of all limiting adjuncts, they [those who resort to Krsna] remain with the form of pure beingconsciousness-bliss."57 Then the mood of the discourse changes abruptly: So the intended meaning of "resort" [in Bhagavad Gita 7.14] must be "see. Those saintly ones who have Me as their sole refuge see "Me alone," the Blessed Lord Vasudeva, the complete essence of infinite beauty, the abode of all refinements, the glory of whose two lotus feet is greater than the beauty of a fresh lotus, Gopala, who delights in uninterrupted playing on the flute, whose heart is attached to playing in Vrndavana, who held the Govardhana mountain aloft in sport, by whom a host of wicked persons such as Sisupala and Kansa were slain, whose feet steal all the beauty of a fresh lotus, whose form is a mass of supreme bliss, who transcends the world created by Brahma. Meditating constantly on Me as such, they spend their days. Because their minds are immersed in the great ocean of bliss which is ecstatic love of Me, they are not overcome by all the 58 fluctuations of maya and the material qualities.

348 This, we must assume, is intended as a description of the experience of the jivanmukta. 59 The Gudhartha-dipika's presentation of the glory of bhakti is certainly impressive. And yet at the same time the unqualified support of the devotional spirituality that we found in the Bhakti-rasayana is missing. Not only does the Gudhartha-dipika reject the earlier text's understanding of bhakti as an independent path, it also drops the theme, so important in the Bhakti-rasayana, of bhakti as the highest goal of life (paramapurusartha). idea is simply not mentioned. The only possible basis for The an argument that that Madhusudana may still be entertaining this theory is found in two passages, already referred to, found in his commentary on chapter 18. The first asserts that bhaktiyoga is the Lord's "most secret word, more secret than karmayoga and jnanayoga its fruit, more secret than all, supreme, elevated above all."60 In the second, explaining the relationship between the disciplines of karma and jnana and the path of bhakti, Madhusudana declares that the latter is the "means to both and the end of both."61 But there is no explanation of what is meant by either of these pregnant sayings, and the first may be merely an echo of the Bhagavad Gita verse (18.64) being commented upon. Madhusudana, furthermore, makes no attempt to suggest, as he does in the Bhakti-rasayana, that the blissful experience of Krsna-bhakti enjoyed in jIvanmukti is eternal. On the contrary, he asserts that the

349 "highest beatitude" param nihsreyasam) is nothing other than "the complete cessation of samsara along with its cause, " which is to say, in standard Advaitic parlance, moksa. And he makes this statement conspicuously, in verse two of his introduction to the Gudhartha-dipika, where he identifies the attainment of the state in question, equivalent to liberation, as the aim of the whole teaching of the Gita.62 Consider in this connection the following passage from the Advaitasiddhi, which was probably written at about the same time as the Gudhartha-dipika since the two works refer to each other. 63 In the fourth Pariccheda, Madhusudana comments on two verses of the Bhagavata-purana, expressing ideas which must disappoint those who see him as a champion of the devotionalism of that text: Verses such as "He who asks blessings of Thee [is no servant, he is nothing but a tradesman]" [Bhagavata-purana 7.10.4 b] teach the superiority of the devotion that, motivated by attachment to the [Lord's] glories, desires no reward. This [superiority of devotion], however, lies in its expediting the immediate realization of Reality. It does not indicate its status relative to liberation. The superiority [of bhakti to moksa] taught in verses such as "[Selfless devotion toward the Blessed Lord is] superior to liberation" [Bhagavata-purana 3.25.33 a] is only to the extent that devotion is the generator of liberation, as the father is [said to be superior to the son only 64 because] the father is the generator of the son. The view of the Gudhartha-dipika--not surprisingly, given its emphasis on the path of renunciation, Vedantic discipline, and so on--is substantially the same. Thus, in his commentary on Bhagavad Gita 13.10, Madhusudana quotes the Bhagavata again, with a similar end in view: "This [bhakti] is the cause of

350 knowledge, as shown in the saying, 'So long as one has not developed love (priti) for Me, Vasudeva, one will not be released (mucyate) from the conjunction with the body [Bhagavata-purana 5.5.6]."65 I cannot see in these passages anything but a rejection of one of the most central teachings of the Bhagavata-purana (and the Bhakti-rasayana as well), namely, the doctrine that bhakti is the paramapurusatha, a greater goal than liberation. If Madhusudana is in fact changing his position on the ultimate value of bhakti vis-a-vis moksa, as he certainly appears to be, he is saved from the two most difficult philosophical dilemmas arising from the teaching of the Bhakti-rasayana These are: (1) the problem of explaining how it is possible for devotion to continue in videhamukti ("disembodied liberation").and (2) that of establishing the ontological parity of bhakti and moksa. Devotion now being at its grandest only an added enhancement of the jIvanmukta's interior bliss, neither its eternality nor its ultimacy will require proof. So the only difficulty remaining of those we discussed in chapter eight will be that of justifying presence of bhakti in the condition, admittedly temporary, of liberation-in-life.