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)鈥攐ne 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 263 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
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of life] is uncontradicted. On the other hand, the means-
consisting of hearing, singing, and so on 89 --is suggested
when we understand the word in accordance with its
instrumental derivation: "The Blessed Lord is worshiped,
i.e., He is served, the mind having His form is fashioned,
by this."
Because this sort of devotion is not itself the
goal of life, the authoritativeness of the statements
describing devotion as means also remains uncontradicted.
To illustrate, we find that the word "vij帽膩na" is
used in the sense of "Brahman" in the verse "Brahman is
knowledge (vij帽膩na) and bliss" [BU 3.9.2]. This is in
accordance with its abstract derivation as meaning
11 "knowledge. At the same time, the word is used in the
sense of "mind" in the verse, "Knowledge (vij帽膩na) directs
the sacrifice" [TU 2.5.1]. Here the usage is based on the
instrumental derivation, "Something is known by this."90
The above 91 is clarified by Prabuddha: 92
Thinking constantly of Hari, the destroyer of a
multitude of sins, and reminding each other of Him,
their bodies thrill in the rapture of devotion-generated
devotion. 93
11.3.31
In this verse, the first use of the word "devotion" is meant
to suggest the spiritual disciplines of the Lord's devotees,
in harmony with the instrumental derivation. By the second
use, devotion as end is intended, in accordance with the
abstract derivation. This is shown clearly in the verse
which summarizes this passage:
