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 528 of: Bhakti-rasayana by Madhusudana Sarasvati
528 (of 553)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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NOTES: CHAPTER NINE 516 27 madeka艣ara峁嘺t膩m膩tram mok峁s膩dhanam na karm膩-
nu峁ａ弓h膩nam karmasamny膩so v膩, GAD 18.57; Pan, p. 746.
vidhiyate
28 na hy atra karmaty膩go vidhi虈yate apitu vidyam膩ne
'pi karma峁噄 tatr膩n膩dare峁嘺 bhagvadeka艣aranat膩m膩traq
brahmacarig峁沨asthav膩naprasthabhik峁峁嘺m sadhara峁噛ena
sarve峁Ｄ乵 tu 艣膩str膩峁嚹乵 paramam rahasyam
I艣vara艣ara峁嘺taiveti tatraiva 艣膩straparisam膩ptir bhagavat膩
k峁泃a t膩m antare峁嘺 samny膩sasy膩pi svaphal膩paryavasayitv膩t /
tasm膩t samny膩sadharmesv apy anadarena
bhagavadeka艣ara峁嘺t膩m膩tre t盲tparyam bhagavata岣�, GAD 18.66;
Pan, 753-754.
鈥�
29. tasyaiv膩ham mamaiv膩sau sa ev膩ham iti tridh膩 /
bhagavacchara峁嘺tvam sy膩t sadhan膩bhy膩sap膩kata岣� // vi艣eso
varnito 'smabhi岣� sarve bhaktirasayane
ambarisa-
prahladagopiprabh峁泃aya岣� c膩sy膩m bh奴mik膩y膩m udahartavya岣�, GAD
18.66; Pan, p. 754.
30GAD
鈥�
3.20, Pan, pp. 159-160; GAD 18.56, Pan,
pp. 744-746; GAD 18.63, Pan, pp. 749-750. See following
three notes.
3larjunam ca k峁triyam samny膩s膩nadhik膩rinam prati
sa峁噉y膩sopadesayogat, GAD 18.66; Pan, p. 754. See note 53.
At GAD 3.20, Madhusudana outlines the whole orthodox
argument for this position, and explicitly rejects the more
liberal interpretation of Suresvara:
"[Only Brahmins are eligible] because the saying of the
Upanisads enjoining renunciation, namely, `Brahmins,
having overcome the desire for sons, wealth, and heaven,
practice the life of mendicants' [BU 3.5.1], intends
only Brahmins, as the injunction, The king desiring
dominion should perform the r膩jas奴ya sacrifice,' intends
only K峁triyas. And the smrti declares, 鈥楤rahmins have
four stages of life, K峁triyas three, and Vai艣yas two.'
And in the Pur膩nas the absence of samny膩sa for K峁triyas
and Vaisyas is also declared: 'This dharma which bears
the mark of Vi峁u is for the Brahmins; it is not taught
for the Ksatriyas and the Vaisyas.' You [Arjuna], whose
body was acquired through actions that led to birth as a
K峁triya, even though you may be a knower, are qualified
only to perform action for the sake of the well-being of
the world, like Janaka and the others. You are not able
to renounce, because of not having obtained birth as a
Brahmin. This is the meaning. It was determined by the
Blessed author of the Commentary [Samkara], who knew the
intention of the Blessed Lord to be such, that samny膩sa
is for Brahmins only, not for others. We note, however,
that the author of the V盲rttika [on the BU, Suresvara]
has made the merely audacious assertion that
renunciation is for K峁triyas and Vaisyas as well"
