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 473 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
473 (of 553)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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NOTES: CHAPTER SEVEN 461 (Kane, II, 1206-1212); (6) the atir膩tra, "overnight"
sacrifice, involving nocturnal libations of soma (Kane, II,
1205); and (7) the aptory膩ma, an extension of the preceding
(Kane, II, 1206).
26惫补谤峁嚹伵况补尘补诲丑补谤尘补.
27 anta岣ara峁嘺, literally "the inner organ, composed
of buddhi, the discriminative faculty; ahamk膩ra, the ego-
sense; citta, memory; and manas, thought. There is some
dispute within the tradition as to the exact meaning of
these terms, especially citta and manas, so these
translations are very rough. In practice, manas, citta, and
antahkarana are often used loosely as synonyms. Since this
is the case in the present work, we need not delve into
further complications here. See BSSB 2.3.32 (Th II, 48) and
2.4.6 (Th II, 81); Ved膩ntas膩ra 65-69 (Nikhilananda, pp. 46-
47).
28 gruti, the authoritative statements of the Veda,
regarded as revealed scripture, which are "heard" (艣ruta)
directly from one's teacher. I have not been able to trace
the source of these particular texts. The ideas, however,
are common and similar expressions may be found, for
example, in Satapatha and Pa帽cavi峁嚺沘 Br膩hma峁嘺s (personal
communication from Dr. Fred Smith, Department of Oriental
Studies, University of Pennsylvania).
29 The words "melted mind" (drutacitta) refer to a
state of heightened emotional sensibility in which the mind
can be deeply impressed by emotionally-charged objects. (See
secs. XII-XIII, below.) The melted state is a
characteristic of the devotee (bhakta) as opposed to the
possessor of knowledge (j帽膩nin), whose mind remains
unmelted, i.e., not emotionally aroused, and hence more
inclined toward an intellectual, analytical approach to life
and the spiritual quest.
30 In the present translation, the term
It
The
10 bh膩gavatadharma is invariably rendered by the phrase
鈥渟piritual disciplines of the Lord's devotees".
bh膩gavatas are the devotees of bhagavat. Dharma in this
context means "practice," "discipline, "rule, 'duty.' The
bh膩gavatdharmas are traditionally listed as nine: (1)
hearing of the virtues and glorious exploits of the Lord
(艣ravana), (2) singing his praise and chanting his name
(k谋rtana), (3) constant thinking of him (smarana), (4)
constant attendance and service (padasevana), (5) worship
(arcana), (6) reverent prostration (vandana), (7) regarding
oneself as the Lord's servant (d膩sya), (8) regarding the
Lord as one's friend (sakhya), and (9) self-surrender
