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)—one 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 482 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
482 (of 553)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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NOTES: CHAPTER SEVEN 470 vicÄrya / yata ätmani harau ratir bhavet / tad eva manİṣaya
adhyavasyat niscitavan, JLS, p. 65.
84ya nirvá¹›tis tanubhá¹›tÄm tava pÄdapadmadhyÄnÄd
bhavadjanakathÄÅ›ravaṇeṇa vÄ syad / sa brahmaṇi svamahimany
api natha ma bhÅ«t kim tv antÄkÄsilulitÄt patatÄm vimanÄt.
This is a difficult verse. Sridhara comments:
"It may be objected that, while the joy of heaven, etc.
can be obtained through [rituals] motivated by selfish
desire, it cannot be [attained] by desireless worship.
Therefore he [Dhruva] says, 'The complete fulfillment,
etc.' The phrase 'even in all its greatness' means
'even in its innate bliss-form'; 'let not' means 'is not
found.' Is it necessary to say that this [fulfillment]
does not exist [for those falling] from celestial cars
`crushed' (i.e., `cleaved') 'by the sword of death'
(i.e., `by Time') (nanu svargÄdisukham sakÄmaiá¸� prÄpyate
niá¹£kÄmabhajane tan na syad ity ata aha yeti svamahimani
nijanandarupe pi mã bhất na bhavatity arthaá¸� antakasyÄ-
sinÄ kÄlena lulität khaṇá¸itad vimÄnÄt sÄ nÄstÄ«ti kim u
vaktavyam, JLS, p. 180).
Viṣṇu Purf's remarks indicate essential agreement:
"Since in reality the joy of hearing [the Lord's
glories] is superior even to liberation, it is proper to
speak of it as a goal of life in its own right. Nirvá¹›ti
means 'joy.'.
In Brahman' means 'in the state of
liberation.' If that joy is not found even there, it
goes without saying that it will not be enjoyed by
persons 'falling from celestial cars' (i.e., from
heaven) `crushed' (i.e., attacked) by the sword of death
(i.e., Time)" (vastutas tu moká¹£Äd api Å›ravaṇasukham
garfya iti svata� puruṣarthatvam evaiṣam yuktam iti
nirvṛti� sukham /*
brahmani moká¹£ÄvasthÄyÄm apity
artha� / sa nirvṛtir ma bhut na bhavati yadi tada
antakaá¸� kÄla evasiá¸� khaá¸gas tena lulitÉ—d upadrutÄd
vimÄnÄt svargadeá¸� patatÄm janÄnÄá¹� tat sukham na
bhavatÄ«ti kim vÄcyam iti, KantimÄla, BRA, p. 74).
The idea is that neither the celestials nor those merged in
Brahman enjoy a bliss as great as that enjoyed by embodied
bhaktas. Cp. BG 9.20-21.
�
85 sadhana, the means to the highest goal, and not
the goal itself. See note 42.
86ahaituka, "not of the reasoning kind. Viṣṇu Purt
comments: "knowledge,' whose object is the Self; `not
dependent on reasoning,' not requiring proof, not the object
of dry argumentation, i.e., Upanisadic knowledge" (jñÄnam
ätmatattvaviá¹£ayam ahaitukam hetuśūṇyam Å›uá¹£katarkÄdy-
agocaram / aupaniṣadam ity artha�, Kantimala, BRA, p. 7).
He seems again to follow Sridhara, who glosses: ahaitukam
Å›uá¹£katarkÄdyagocaram aupaniá¹£adam ity arthaá¸�, JLS, p. 16.
