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164
While this last idea is of considerable interest in
its own right, a discussion of the theory of rasa and its
adoption by devotional writers must be reserved for the next
chapter. Of immediate concern, however, are the
philosophical implications that Madhus眉dana has worked into
this discussion for the benefit of the discerning reader.
In this connection, I must again emphasize that much of the
most significant teaching of this text is implicit rather
than explicit.
First it should be noted that our author is no
longer speaking of devotion as a v峁泃ti, but as a reflection
of bhagavat. Observe also that he is careful to start by
defining his key term so that we know exactly what he is
talking about: "A reflection is nothing but the original
(bimba) itself, apprehended within limiting adjuncts. "24
Placed as it is at the beginning of the section, this
definition can only be intended to alert the knowledgeable
reader to the fact that the author is making use of the
pratibimbav膩da. More specifically, it is designed to bring
to mind one of the important distinguishing features of this
doctrine, the idea that the "reflection is nothing but the
original itself."
Unlike the appearance theory (膩bh膩sa-
v膩da). its closest rival, the reflection theory regards the
'
pratibimba as real and identical with the bimba.25