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 418 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
418 (of 553)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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NOTES: CHAPTER TWO 406 100,
m膩m ca yo' vyabhic膩re峁嘺 bhaktiyogena sevate / sa
gu峁嚹乶 samat墨yaitan brahmabuyaya kalpate.
101bhakty膩 m膩m abhij膩n膩ti y膩v膩n ya艣c膩smi tattvata岣� /
tato m膩m tattvato j帽atva vi艣ate tadanantaram.
102 parame艣vare bhaktin bhajanan par膩m uttam膩m
j帽膩nalak峁峁嚹乵 (SGB 18.54; Pan, p. 741); j帽analak峁nay膩
bhaktya (SGB 18.55; Pan, p. 741).
103 vivekaj帽膩n膩tmakena bhaktiyogena, SGB 14.26; Pan,
pp. 605-606.
104 s膩str膩c膩ryopadesena jn膩notpattiparip膩kahetum
sahak膩r墨k膩ra峁嘺m buddhivi艣uddyady amanitvadi capek峁a
janitasya k峁traj魔aparam膩tmaikatvaj帽anasya kartradi-
karakabhedabuddhinibandhanasarvakarmasamnyasasahitasya
sv膩tm膩nubhavani艣cayarupe峁嘺 yad avasth膩nam s膩 para j帽膩峁嘺-
ni峁ａ弓hety ucyate / seyam j魔anani峁ａ弓hartadibhaktitray膩pek峁y膩
para caturthi bhaktir ity ukta taya paraya bhaktya
bhagavantam tattvato 'bhij膩n膩ti / yadanantaram
evesvarak峁traj帽abhedabuddhir a艣e峁to nirvart膩te ato
j帽膩nani峁ａ弓h膩lak峁峁嘺y膩 bhakty膩 m膩m abhij膩n膩t墨ti vacanam na
virudhyate, SGB 18.55; Pan, pp. 742-743.
TE
105 This identification of devotion and the
鈥�
11 Advaitin's discipline of knowledge is found also at
Vivekac奴岣嵞乵a峁噄 32-33a. There we are at first surprised to
read: Among all causes of liberation, bhakti is the best.'
We soon learn, however, that "bhakti is an earnest seeking
to know one's own real nature
the reality of one's own
Self" (mok峁k膩ra峁嘺s膩magry膩m bhaktir eva garfyas谋 / svasva-
r奴p膩nusandh膩nam bhaktir ity abhidhiyate // sv膩tma-
tattv盲nusandhanam bhaktir ity apare jagu岣�). See Swami
Madhavananda, trans., Vivekacudamani of Sr墨 Samkar膩c膩rya
(Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1978), p. II.
106m膩m ekam 艣ara峁嘺m vraja.
107m膩m ekam sarv膩tm膩nam samam sarvabh奴tastham
I艣varam acyutam garbhajanmajaramara峁嘺vivarjitam aham evety
evam ekam 艣ara峁嘺m vraja na matto 'nyad astity avadh膩rayety
artha岣�, SGB 18.66; Pan, p. 753.
108" The Blessed Lord N膩r膩ya峁嘺, having divided the
enlightened S膩mkhyas from the unenlightened men of action,
makes them take two paths" (bhagav膩n n膩r膩ya峁嘺岣� s膩mkhy膩n
viduso 'vidu峁艣 ca karminah pravibhajya dve nisthe
grahayati, SGB 2.21; Pan, p. 73.
109 karmani峁ａ弓h膩y膩 j帽膩nani峁ａ弓h膩 pr膩ptihetutvena
puru峁Ｄ乺thahetutvam na sv膩tantrye峁嘺, j帽膩nani峁ａ弓h膩 tu
