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 293 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
293 (of 553)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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281
Even though melting is discussed here in general
on the basis of experience it must be restricted to
the melting that is a result of attachment, hate, and so
forth. Otherwise, in the absence of these factors, there is
mere softening. This point has already been discussed
above. 207
The mind takes on the form of the object because,
like light, it removes the covering which conceals the
object--this inference is declared by Samkara to be the
authority in the matter:
22. OR JUST AS LIGHT, THE MANIFESTOR, TAKES ON THE FORM
OF THAT WHICH IT MAKES MANIFEST, SO THE MIND, BECAUSE IT
IS THE MANIFESTOR OF ALL THINGS, IS KNOWN TO ASSUME
208 THEIR FORMS.
Because the removal of the object's covering does not occur
if the manifestor does not assume its form--this is the
meaning.
23. THESE WORDS OF THE HOLY ONE WHOSE FEET ARE WORTHY
OF WORSHIP 209 ARE LOGICALLY COMPELLING. THE PRESENT
TOPIC IS NOW EXAMINED BY THE AUTHOR OF THE VARTIKAS.
210 The words of Samkara are in the stanza, "Or just as light,
the manifestor
"1
鈥�
The reasoning of the author of the
V膩rtikas [Suresvara] is also presented in the form of an
inference, as follows:
24. THE MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE GOES OUT FROM THE KNOWER
AND, HAVING GONE OUT, MEETS THE OBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE.
JOINED WITH THE OBJECT, IT TAKES ON ITS LIKENESS.
211 This special transformation of the mind is preceded by the
melting of the mind and is called the means of knowledge 212
or "knowledge in the form of a mental modification.
"213
