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.
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NOTES: INTRODUCTION 372 17 The overwhelming preponderance of scholarly
opinion has Madhus奴dana flourishing in second half of the
sixteenth century. Modi, on the basis of strong traditions
that Madhus奴dana (1) lived for 107 years, (2) had
philosophical discussions with Vallabha (1481-1533), and (3)
interacted with the Emperor Akbar about 1565, gives the
dates 1495-1602 (P. M. Modi, trans., Siddhanta Bindu
[reprint; Allahabad: Vohra Publishers & Distributors, 1985],
p. 27; see below, note 26; chap. 9, note 31). Divanji gives
the dates 1540-1647 (P. C. Divanji, ed. and trans.,
Siddh膩ntabindu of Madhusudana [Baroda: Oriental Institute,
1933], p. xxv). For a review of the rather complicated
discussion, see Modi, pp. 21-27; Divanji, pp. xviii-xxv; or
Gupta, pp. i-iv. See Swami Jagadiswarananda, "Sri
Madhusudanasarasvati," Vedanta Kesari, XXVIII (1941-42),
308-314, for a good summary of the semi-legendary traditions
on the life of Madhusudana.
18.
8 sarasvaty膩岣� p膩ram vetti madhus奴danasarasvat墨
madhusudanasarasvatya岣� p膩ram vetti sarasvati (A. K.
Majumdar, Caitanya, His Life and Doctrine [Bombay: Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan, 1969], p. 90, note 4; Jagadiswarananda, p.
312). According to Jagadiswarananda, this tradition is
preserved in the introduction to the Haril墨laviveka.
Se峁govinda, a disciple of Madhus奴dana, revered his master
as an incarnation of Sarasvati: sarasvatyavat膩ram tam vande
艣r墨madhus奴danam (Jagadiswarananda, p. 311). See the
colophon of the BR, which describes its author as a "master
teacher whose proficiency in all branches of learning is
famed throughout the world" (膩c膩ryavaryavi艣vavi艣ruta-
sarvatantrasvatantrat膩ka, JSP, p. 139).
19. navadv墨pe sam膩y膩te madhus奴danav膩kpatau / cakampe
tarkav膩g墨艣a k膩taro 'bh奴d gad膩dhara岣�, Majumdar, p. 90, note
4; Jagadiswarananda, p. 314.
20T0
my knowledge, he makes no reference to the
teachings of the Gosv膩mins of the Bengal Vaisnava school,
who were his contemporaries and as bitterly opposed to
Advaita as the Madhvas. It is likely that the Bengal
Vai峁ａ箛avas were not considered serious opponents since, not
yet having a commentary on the BS to their credit, they were
not recognized as an independent samprad膩ya or school of
痴别诲腻苍迟补.
21 The Prasth膩nabheda is actually a portion of his
larger work, the Mahimnastotra峁玨膩, being his commentary on
verse 7 of that hymn. See Divanji, pp. viii, xxvi; Modi,
pp. 12, 36.
