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Essay name: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati

Author: Lance Edward Nelson
Affiliation: McMaster University / Religious Studies

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 asserting that Bhakti is the highest goal of life and by arguinng that Bhakti embodies God within the devotee's mind.

Page 151 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati

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151 (of 553)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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139
(viśrambha), either maitra, friendship qualified by
humility, or sakhya, unreserved fellowship. 80
Raga,
literally "attachment" or "passion," is described as "that
stage at which affection for the beloved converts
unhappiness into happiness."
With this kind of love, Rupa
81 declares, one is willing to give up one's life for Kṛṣṇa.
Anuraga is the state in which love is ever fresh, constantly
revealing what was unknown before. It has four aspects:
self-surrender (paravasibhÄva), anxious anticipation of
separation (premavaicitya), desire for birth as an inanimate
object dear to the Lord (aprÄnijanma), and having visions of
the beloved in the state of separation (vipralambha-
±¹¾±²õ±è³óÅ«°ù³Ù¾±).82
BhÄva or mahÄbhÄva (the "great ecstasy"), the last
stage, is the highest pinnacle of love. According to the
tradition, it can be experienced only by Kṛṣṇa's queens and
the gopfs. 83 The gopis alone, however, have the ability to
experience its higher reaches. Indeed, in its fully
developed form it can be attained only by Radha 84 or a
divine incarnation that is able to reactualize her unique
intensity of love, the only example of the latter recognized
by the tradition being Caitanya himself. 85
MahÄbhÄva is said to have two levels of development.
When several, but not all, of the physical manifestations of
love (sättvikabhÄvas) are "burning intensely," it is said to

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