Nelson, Lance E. 1998.

Bhakti Preempted: Madhusudana Sarasvati on

Devotion for the Advaitin Renouncer. Journal of Vaishnava Studies 6 (1):
5374.

BHAKTI PREEMPTED:
MADHUS0DANA SARASVATI
ON DEVOTION FOR THEADVAITIN RENOUNCER'

Lance E. Nelson

Introduction: Advaita and Bhakti

he clash between the spiritual paths of knowledge and devotion has

T been a key source of tension within the Hindu tradition since the
rise of the devotional schools in the second half of the first millenni-
um C.E. Many Hindus have felt this opposition to be, for both faith and
practice, a critical problem. But it has also been on some important levels a
fruitful stimulus. It has led Hindu thinkers into deep reflection on the mul-
tifaceted nature of the supreme reality and the multidimensional structure
of the spiritual quest Madhusiidana Sarasvati, without doubt one of the
greatest geniuses of late medieval India, lived out this tension with intense
religious passion, and reflected upon it with great profundity. After a brief
explanation of the reasons for the tension between these two spiritualities, I
wish here to discuss an aspect of this famed scholar-saritnyasin's attempt to
integrate them.
Much Hindu piety, IK>lh rpular and .,,phi,tirated, centers on hhaktl, a
religion of devotion, grace, and loving surrender to a personal God. But
from the eighth century, the time of Sankara, Hindu metaphysical thought
has been deeply impressed and sometimes dominated by the doctrine of
salvation through knowledge of the radical onenes.s of the spiritual self with
an impersonal ultimate reality, Brahman. Sankara's Advaita or "nondualis-
tic" Vedanta, though well-grounded in the Upani~ds, seems to undercut
the idea of a personal relationship with a divine Other, so essential to devo-
tional spirituality. If the "That you are" (tat tuamtm) of the Upani~d means
53
54 LANCE E. NELSON

idnuity with the Supreme Being, and all difference is based on false per-
ception, how can one develop a loving association with the ulti1nate? If
the reality of the personal God is at best no greater (and perhaps less)
than that of the individual's own true Self, where is the possibility of
bhakti?
In his great commentaries, the only works we can be sure were actually
written by him, Sankara does not emerge as an important champion of
devotional spirituality. While he condones image worship and related ex-
pressions ofbhakti spirituality as preparatory for Advaitic knowledge, in the
end he seeks to undercut any form of devotion that suggests dualism.
Speaking for the benefit of his renouncer ( samn:yiisin) followers, Sankara
teaches (llhG.~ 12.13) that any attitude that posit< difference between the
Self and God ( iilmR.suara-bhRda), and a sense of reliance on an external
power (piiralantrya), is a serious hindrance on the steep ascent to Advaitic
realization. Devotees are aware of a dependence upon the Lord ( isuariidhi-
na), while those who have "become the very Self of God" (iivamsya iilmnb-
hiitiilJ) have attained a glorious independence ( sv/Uantrya). "No one who
has definitively known the Lord as the Self," Sankara declares, "would seek
out a state of subordination lo anything, for that would be contradictory."2
Not surprisingly, the teachers of the devotional schools felt considerable
hostility towards Sankara's views and considered it their duty to criticize,
indeed, lo denounce them. A significant portion of the vast literature of
theistic Vedanta (stemming from such teachers as Ramanuja, Madhva,
Vallabha, and Caitanya) was in fact made up of polemics against the Advai-
tic outlook.
A socio-religious dimension was added to the dispute by the fact that,
while the bhakti schools tended to be relatively egalitarian in their social
practice, admitting women and members of lower castes into the circle of
devotees and, in some cases, into positions of leadership, Sankara unhesi-
tatingly supported the elitist attitudes of his fellow orthodox Brahmins. TI1c
rl'khra1cd tiairyrt of Advai~t Uught that salvation ( ,ru~rt) was directly avail-
able only lo those following tl1e path of knowledge. This dcm,mding disci-
pline, and the contemplation of the "great sayings" ( ma.Mviikyas) of the
Upani~ds, which was its indispensable final step, was open only to re-
nouncers (sa:rhnyiisins). Since only male Brahmins were, according to wide-
ly accepted tradition, eligible for renunciation, the circle of those who
could hope for liberation in their present life was a very exclusive one
indeed. To others, Sankara offered only krama-mukti ("liberation by sta-
 Devotion for the Advaitin 55

~r- ges"). This involved attaining the highest heaven ( brahma-lnka) after death
If and then winning final release with the cosmic dissolution at the end of
s) the current world-age. Or-failing this-there was hope of rebirth as a
of 1nale Brahmin in a life that would lead to renunciation. 3
The devotionalists' response, at least in traditions influenced by the BM-
ly gavala PuraT).a, was two-fold. First, they denied that ~ a was in fact the
Jf highest spiritual goal (parama-pu~artha), claiming that bhakti itself held
X- that honor. Second, they asserted that, though devotees did not seek after
ie it, they were assured of ,rw/cya anyway, as a kind of incidental by-product of
1. the path of bhakti.

"
C Madhusiidana Sarasvati: Nondualist and Devotee
,1
C From their side, the theoreticians of orthodox nondualism made no seri-
i- ous attempt at a rapprochement with the devotional movements-though
>- the latter were becoming increasingly popular-for some 800 years after
J Sailkara.5 The first and most important contribution to discussion in this
area was made by Madhusiidana Sarasvati (mid-sixteenth to early seven-
' teenth centuries),6 one of the greatest and most forceful exponents of
post-Sankara Advaita. Dominating the scholarly world of his time with his
vast learning and formidable polemical skills, Madhusiidana was known for
r his brilliant and uncompromising defense of nondualist Vedanta in works
such as the Siddhiintahiwlu and, especially, the Advaitamldhi ("Vindication
ofNondualism"), which became a classic of the Sankara tradition.
Given the long history of conflict between the various devotional schools
and Advaita, it is significant that the argument of the Advaita.,iddhi, which
was expressly intended to refute the views of the Madhva theist Vyasaraja
(1460-1539), is interrupted by a verse that is highly devotional in nature.
In the midst of his efforts to prove, against the Vai~Q.ava position, that
Brahman is pure knowledge and bliss, devoid of any form, qualities, or dis-
ti11t1io11s (niriikiirtti ttir,.,rri.~u,, ttin,i.V~tl), Madhusiidana w11,tc:

I know of no higher reality than l{Jwa, whose hand is adorned by the

flute. His complexion is like a fresh dark cloud laden wilh water, and
He wears beautiful yellow silk. 1-lis reddish lips are like Lhc bimba fruit,
His face is as beautiful a.i; the full moon, His eyes arc like lotuscs.7

Paradoxically, it might seem, Madhusiidana combined his resolute adher-

ence to Sankara's nondualism with fervent devotion to Kni:,a, the Lord of
56 IANCE E. NELSON

ecstatic bhakti.
Verses expressing authentic devotional sentiment appear in his works
with a frequency that is singularly uncommon-or, more accurately,
unprecedented-in the writings of the leading teachers of Sankara Ve-
danta. Madhusfidana, in fact, wrote several works dealing with bhakti. Of
these, the most important are the Blwktira.sayana ("Elixir of Devotion"), the
only independent treatise on the subject ever written by one of the great
preceptors of Advaita, and the Bhagmmdgitiigii4hiirthadi/Jil<ii. (or O,uj.hiirtha-
dipikii), an extensive commentary on the "hidden meaning" (g,J.dJu'irtha) of
the Rluiw<r1adgilii. The teaching of the latter will be the central focus of the
present discussion.

Madhusiidana's Reputation as a Champion of Devotionalism

As a result of these works, Madhusudana gained renown as a great devotee

of KoQa and a strong advocate of the inclusion of bhakti within the spiritu-
ality of Advaita. His fame in this respect soon spread even beyond the
Sankara school, as witnessed by the Nijavarta, a sectarian biography of
KoQaite theologian Vallabha. In this work Madhusudana is reported as
having recited the verse from the Advaitasuidhi, "I know of no higher reality
than KoQa ... " (quoted above), for the eminent V~Qava iidirya, at which
the latter was highly pleased. The text freely acknowledges that Madhu--
sudana, though a Mayavadin ("illusionist"), was a great bhakta of the Lord. 8
The author of the Bhaktirasiiyana continues today to enjoy much the
same reputation as both a devotee and a champion of devotional spiritual-
ity. This recognition is due largely to the pioneering efforts (in English) of
P. M. Modi, who in a 1929 study concluded: "In his [Madhusudana's] opin-
ion the Path of Devotion was as good as that of knowledge, and as such he
himself followed that path, though he did not adversely criticize the
Ji\anamarga [way of knowledge]."" More recently, the eminent scholar and
i111<rpr<1r of Advaita, r. M. P. Mahadcva11, wrote that Lo Madh11s11dana
..,nust he given tJ1e credit of reconciling the philosophy of Advaita with the
experience of a bhakta." Understanding Madhusfidana's work on bhakti
as an effort to "liberalize" Advaita by including devotion along with knowl-
edge as an independent means to salvation-thereby introducing a path
available to all without discrimination as to caste or gender-Mahadevan
agreed with Modi that "to Madh usfidana Sarasvati, devotion is as good a
means to release as knowledge. "10
 Devotion fur the Advaitin 57

Close examination of the Bhaktirmnyana and the Giirjhiirtllllliifnkii, howev-

er, reveals that, despite the obvious depth of their author's devotional ex-
1, perience. his efforts to "reconcile" bhakti and Advaita were more complex,
and perhaps less "liberal," than has been recognized. The metaphysical
If questions raised by the fact that Madhusudana was speaking on bhakti as
C an Advaitin are intriguing, but I do not propose to deal with them here.
It More manageable-and equally important-is the problem of whether or
i- not Madhusiidana was really committed to the doctrine that devotion is an
,f independent path to 77UJ/eya. Is final salvation, in the Advaitic sense, avail-
e able to all persons through bhakti? This eminentAdvaitin's interpretation
of the Gita provides answers to this question, and they will be my primary
concern in what follows. 11

The Theology of Bhakti in the Bhalitirasayana

e
I- To set the stage, however, I must give an overview of the teachings of the
C /Jhaklirmriyana, Madhusudana's earliest work on devotion. This text seeks
,f to expound the ecstatic bhakti religion of the Bhiigavata Puriina in terms of
~ the nondualism of Sankara's Vedanta. Unlike most works on Advaita, which
y use the Upani~ds as their primary source of proof-tcxls, the Bhnklim<riyana
h relies almost totally on the Bluigrwata, from which it quotes literally hun-
1- dreds of verses. The core thesis of the work can without serious misrepre-
8
sentation be reduced to several essential points.
e The first is the idea, already mentioned in reference to its important so-
1- cial and religious consequences, that bhakti is an independent spiritual
,f path and not a mere preliminary to Vedantic grwsis. While it most certainly
l- would have been rejected by Sankara, this was a cardinal doctrine of all the
e Vai~i;tava devotional schools, which had, in the centuries since Sankara,
e grown considerably in popularity and influence. At Bhaktirasiiyana I.I,
i accorrlingly, Marlhusiiclana inrlicatcs that, after the mind has hern purified
a by the practice of kanna-yop;a (the way of selfless action), two alternate,
e equally valid options open up, according to the psychological disposition of
j
the aspiranL These are (I) bhnkli-yoga, the path of devotion, for those of
emotional makeup who are attracted to devotional practices, and (2)
jiiiina-yoga, the way of knowledge, for those of dispassionate temperament
who ace prepared to renounce the world.
l The second important teaching of the Bhaktim<nyana, also borrowed
from the devotionalists, is equally unorthodox from the traditional Advaitic
 58 IANCE E. NELSON

point of view. Bhakti, says Madhusudana, is not only an independent spiri-

tual path, it is also in itself the supreme goal of life (paramapurusiirtluz), the
ultimate spiritual attainment. The argument on the surface is simple:
bhakti is nothing less than supreme bliss, at least on par in this respect with
Advaitic mo/cya. Being such, it is also the paramapurusartha. 12
The thinking behind this exaltation ofbhakti turns, however, on the third
of the llhaklira.wiyaw, s key teachings: the idea that bhakti leads to and in-
cludes realization of the Atman (the spiritual Sell), which for Sankara is
identical with Brahman. This attainment is of course the traditional goal of
Advaita. Of the eleven stages of devotion enumerated at llluzktirasiiyana
1.34-36, the sixth turns out to be nothing less than the immediate intuition
of ultimate reality, in MadhusU.dana's words, "the direct rcali1..ation (sii/eyiiJ-
kiim) of the essential nature of the inner Self (pratyag-iitman) .13 This realiza-
tion-equivalent to knowledge of the identity of Brahman and Atman re-
vealed by the Upanisadic great saying tat tvam asi ('That you are") "--gen-
erates the intense non-attachment required for the more complete mani-
festation of bhakti in the higher stages yet to come. "Without it," Madhu-
. sudana says, "love (rat,), even though present, will not reach its full devel-
opment, due to the distractions of the body and senses. "15
Madh1Lsudana is here teaching, in effect, that the higher levels of devo-
tion are only experienced by the jtvanmukta, one who is '"liberated-in-life."
The state of living liberation (jivanmukh), 16 which includes knowledge of
one's identity with Brahman, is thus here an essential prerequisite for the
full development of bhakti. For a strict Advaitin, who must understand the
realized sage as being heyond all duality, including the distinction hctween
the Self and God ( lil.n,esuam-lmLda), the full implications of this teaching are
radical. But Madhusudana boldly asserts that "even saints who are liberat-
ed-in-life (jivanmukta) experience devotion to the Blessed Lord. "17
The fact that the state of Self-realization described in the llhalairasayana is
attained through hhakti is significant especially in that it seems to open
nondual reali1.ation and living lihcration to all classes of aspirnnLs. Madhu-
sudana states the universality of the path of bhakti in the most emphatic
terms possible: "All living beings," he says, "are qualified for dcvotion."18
The orthodox Advaitic insistence on hearing (sravarJ) the great sayings
( mahiivii/rym) of Vedic scripture as the mandatory final catalyst of liberation
is here absen L
Although Madhusudana gives us only a sketchy exposition of the higher
levels of devotional experience, it is clear that he regards them a~ further
 Devotion for the Advaitin 59

and more blissful developments, exceeding in value (at least experientially)

the state of Self-realization attained at stage six. The jivanmukh>devotee
ascends beyond the traditional goal of Advaita to enjoy higher and in-
creasingly more rewarding levels of spontaneous, ecstatic love of God,
plumbing the full range of /n-ema-bhnkti ("love-devotion") as it was enjoyed
by Prahlada, the gopts, and other great devotees famed in the /Jhiigavata. 19

Bhakti in the Gw/M.rlt.adipilrii

MadhusUdana's commentary on the Gilii is commonly mentioned along

with the IJhaktirasiiyana as his other important contribution to the debate
on the place of bhakti in Advaita. Since it cites the /Jhnktirasiiyana three
times, the Giit/.luirtluulifnM is clearly the later of the two works. It was prob-
ably written at about the same time as the Advaitasiddhi, Madhusudana's
mature masterpiece, because 00th works refer to each other.
Sankara, Madhusudana's revered predecessor, had in his Gita commen-
tary concentrated on efforts to establish his relatively new teaching that
knowledge and renunciation are superior to the active religious life. This
he did in face of the already well-en trenched opposition of the orthodox
Mimamsakas, who proclaimed a gospel of salvation through ritual action in
the householder's tiirama. Madhusiidana, on the other hand, was writing
not to establish but rather to expand the by that time centuries-old and
highly respected tradition of Sankara Vedanta. He wished, it appears, to
include in his beloved Advaita new elements derived from a then extremely
popular religious movement, KflQaite dcvotionalism. The latter had, in
fact, just undergone a widely influential revival in Madhusudana's native
Bengal, under the leadership of the influential sixteenth-<:entury saint,
Caitanya.

The Devotional Flavor of the Text

The devotional tone of the (,rujhiirtluulipikn is obvious from the outset

In the introduction, Madhusiidana declares that devotion is essential at
every stage of spiritual development, since it removes the obstacles that
stand in the way of progress.2<l In the final chapter, he comments that,
while bhakti is the means to success in the paths of both knowledge and
action, it is at the same time the fruit (/Jlw.l.a) of both,21 being K1wa's high-
est teaching.2'1 The idea of devotion as the crowning joy of jivnnmukti-an
60 lANCE E. NEL'iON

important assumption, as we have seen, of the Blwluirasii)'ana--is a key

theme of Madhusudana's Gilii commentary. He asserts this idea emphati-
cally at several points, most notably in verses 37-39 of the introduction, in
which he quotes from both the Gita and the Bhngavata Pural]a:
Wei
In the state of living liberation there is no idea that devotion has any fur-
Bha!
ther end [i.e., it is experienced as an end in itself]. Worship of 1"lari is
natural to such persons, like the virtues such as "'lack of hatred" [BhG
12.13] and soon.
Mad
"Sages who delight in the Self, who arc free of the knots [of ignorance], ing
practice sclOess devotion to the Wid~tridcr [~Qa], such are the quali- basii
ties ofHari!" [Bh/'1.7.10] trali'
tion
or these, the person of knowledge (jiianin), constantly disciplined,
who ha'\ single-minded devotion, is the best" [BhG 7.17]. According to ing,
such declarations, such a one is foremost of those who are devoted with is SU
ecstatic love (prnnn./JluJkto.). 23 ing I
disa1
At several points in the course of the Giiljhiirt/uulifriM, the author refers to
the example of devotees such as Sridhaman, Ajamila, Prahlada, Dhruva,
Ambari5a, and the grt/Jit, all of whorn arc prornincnt in the lore of the
Bluigu:uala Purii1Jll but are rarely mentioned in the writings of Advaitins. For
a more detailed explanation of the experience of these individuals, Ma-
dhusudana refers his readers to the discussion of devotional theory in his
Bhaktirasayana. 24
The text of the Gii,J.hiirtluulipikii is richly adorned with devotional vers-
es found, for the most part, at the beginning and end of each chapter. The
following are representative:

If some yogins, with their minds controlled by the practice of mcdi-

lalion, srr lh<II a11rih111rlrss, actinnlrss, suprrmc Light-l<'t lh<'1n S<'<'
it! But as for me, 1nay th<II wondrous hlue L:lfulg<n<:c that runs ancl
plays on the hanks of the Yamuna long be the delight of tny cycs. 2:i
The
Some persons who arc pure in body and mind strive [for liberation] by
devc
restraining their senses, abandoning worldly enjoyments, and resorting
to yoga. But I have become liberated [simply by] tasting the essence of vidu
the ambrosia which is the endless and limitless glory of Narayaoa. 26 ative
harm
Brali
 Devotion for the Advaitin 61

I adore that darling son of Nanda, who is worshiped by all the

yogins, the suprcrnc bliss itself, without devotion to Who1n there can
be no liberation. 27

'We begin to suspect that austere Vedantic knowledge will here, as in the
Bhaktirasa_rana, play second-fiddle to love of K1wa.

Surrender to God the Gila's Key Teaching

Madhusiidana pays respect to Sankara and claims to be faithfully follow-

ing his lead in interpreting the BhagavadgWi. 28 Nevertheless, he has a
basic disagreement with his illustrious predecessor regarding the cen-
trality of sarimyasa. While Sankara argues at great length that renuncia-
tion is the central teaching of the Gita, Madhusiidana disagrees, believ-
ing, and asserting repeatedly, that the most essential message of the text
is surrender to God or bhagavad-,,ka-sarar,atii, literally "the state of hav-
ing the Blcs.scd Lord as one's sole refuge." He is not afraid to state his
disagreement with Sankara openly:

Only the state of having the Blessed Lord as one's sole refuge is the
mrans to moleya, nor 1hr JX"ffonnanrc of action or the rrnunriarion
ofaction.29

It is not renunciation that is enjoined here [as Sankara asserts]. Rather,

the state of having the Lord a.~ one's sole refuge is prescribed generally
for tJ1e studcn~ the householder, the retiree, and the renouncer. ...The
state of having the Lord as one's sole refuge is it"oelf the highest secret
(paramam raha.!yam) of all the scriptures; it is the final leaching of the
Cua. Without it, even renunciation will not lead to its proper end ....
Hence the Lord intends to teach only the state of having Him as one's
sole refuge with disregard for the patJ1 of renunciation.'

The Resurgence of Advaitic Exclusivism

The Gu,tharthadipilu,'s insistence that the universally available option of

devotional surrender is the single most important determinant of an indi-
vidual's spiritual destiny helps to cushion the impact of its author's conserv-
ative views on eligibility for samnyasa. The purification of the mind through
karmn1oga, says Madhusiidana, culminates in taking refuge in the Lord.
Brahmins who have done so may renounce, but leyatriJas and others may
62 LANCE E. NEL'iON

ff
noL31 Referring, for example, to the fact that Sankara interprets Gild 18.66
ti
as an argument in favor of samn.,iisa, Madhusfidana, who takes it a'i a call to
surrender lo the l..ord, complains: "The teaching of renunciation to Arjuna
who is a ~alnja and [therefore] not eligible (antulhikiirin) for renuncia- y,
tion is not proper."32 Thus, while rejecting Sa.ilkara's understanding of that OJ
particular verse in favor of his own theory of hhagavad-eka-{ararJJLlrl, Ma- 4.
dhuslldana accepts without question the great Advaitin 's view that only
Brahmins may renounce. Yet at tJ1c same time he scc1ns to admit tl1at non-
Brahmins may obtain moksa.
The relevant passages arc the following:

Whoever has purified his tnind hy the actions previously described nc<:-
essarily becomes one who has the Blessed Lord as his sole refuge, since
the purificatjon of the mind invariably leads to that state. If a Brahmin
tl
be such, let him renounce all actions, since he is free of any obstacle lo
a,
renunciation. He, having the Bles.<;ed Lord as his sole refuge, will attain
lilX'raljon fnnn .mfflsiim hy the power ,,f the Hlcsscd l.ord's gr.tee alt,nc s:a
(bhagm,al-jnn.widiid roa). If a lcyaJ:riyri he such, since he docs not have eli- I,
gibility for renunciation, let him pcrfr>rm action, but with Mc [Kooa) 711
as his refugc .... By the grace bestowed by Me, the Lord, he attains the g,
clcntal, i1npc1ishahlc place ,,f Vi~1.111 thnn1gl1 Ll1< arising of knowledge w
of Mc [without rcnunciati<n1J, like I lir.11.1y~arhha. Such a ,,nc wlu> has St
1hc Rlessc<l Lord as his sole rlfuge would not perform prohibited
St
actions, hut even if he should, by My grace no obstacle would arise and,
Lb.rough knowledge of Me, he would attain lihcration.33
b
h
/(sahiya.iand others, however, arc not eligible for renunciation .... Such tl
individuals, having the Lord as their sole refuge, will attain liberation n
[I] owing to the fructificat.ion of renunciation performed in a previous le
life or [2] by the arising of knowledge of reality simply by the grace of
the Blcs."Cd Lord, without renunciation, along with HiraQ.yagarbha or
f3l, having Ix-en tx,n1 as a Rrahn1in in thr ncxl life, hy th< arising of
k11owlt,l~1 11111Tdl'd hy 1c.1111111i,ui1n1.:H

What are we to make of such teaching? Several things should be noted, the
first being that the orthodox doctrine that liberation comes through knowl-
edge, not devotion, is here accepted as a matter of course. Second, renun-
ciation remains an important factor even for non-Brahmins. It can function
as a carry-over from a previous life, as in alternative (1), which conveniently
rattonahzes any remarkable spiritual gifts that may be possessed by a non-
 Devotion for the Advaitin 63

renouncer. Othenvise, it figures in as the hope of a future life, as in alterna-

tive (3). Third, in the absence of renunciation, as in option (2), salvation
can only be attained by the power of divine grace. The mention of Hirar.i-
yagarbha and the "place of Viil)u" is intended to indicate the locus of the
operation of that grace by recalling Sankara's commentary on Brahmasutra
4.3.10, the relevant portion of which reads as follows:

When the dissolution of the manifest Brahman world (brahma-lolca)

draws near, the blessed souls, in whom right knowledge has arisen [dur-
ing their stay] in that world, enter-together with HiTaJJyagarhha the
ruler of that world-the supreme, the pure highest place of Vi$JJU. This
is liberation by stages (kmma-mukli).35

The conclusion is as inescapable as it is surprising. In the final analysis,

the Gii4/liirthadipilui is offering the non-samnyasin, not the salvation through
an independent path of devotion presented in the Bhalrlimsayana, but the
same limited fare set out by Sankara. This is perhaps made more palatable
by the lavish use of the language of bhakti, but it is still in effect either km-
ma-mukli--wadual liberation, involving rebirth in the world of Hirar.iya-
garbha and a delay of countless years until the end of the cosmic age-or
waiting for rehirth a~ a male Brahmin inclined to sathnyiim.. Devotion and
surrender to God may be open to all, but ""1/eya is noL"6 Despite the perva-
sive devotional tone of the text. the liberal view of the Bhnktirasiiyana has
been abandoned and, on this important question at least. Madhusildana
has returned to the fold of orthodoxy. This retreat may not be total, but as
the following passage indicates, it goes to the extent of restoring the Vedic
revelation to its privileged place as the final mediator of salvation and saving
knowledge, even for the devotee who has taken recourse to God's grace:

The supreme liberation (parama-kaivalya) ... is attained by those who

have LLlSl off all obstacles by ronlcmplation on the unqualified at the
,,ul of 1htir t11joy111r111 of r<lt!41i:1I JKW<Tlt ill lmUlffl11-l11'u&. 'J'hi~ i!I <K'c'a-
sioned by the rise of knowledge of reality and the cessation of ignorance
and all its cffecL'i through the medium of the Upani$-idic sentences,
which manifest themselves S(Xlntancously by the Lord's grace, without
the necessity of insuuction by the guru and the difficulty of the practice
of hearing (.iraua~). reflection (manana), and deep meditation (nidid-
hydsana) .37
 LANCE E. NELSON

That the hearing of the great sayings of the Upani~ds is essential even
for bhaktas is reaffirmed in a particularly perplexing passage at Gwjluirtlu,-
difw 18.65. Madhusudana begins by quoting llhiigm1ala Puriirz 7.5.23-24,
the classical source of the nine-fold "disciplines of the Lord's devotees"
(bluignvata-dharmas), the efficacy of which is much stressed in the llhakti-
rasayana. Then, having referred his readers back to that earlier text for a
more detailed explanation of those practices, he writes:

Thus, constantly having your mind absorbed in Me because of the aris-

ing of attachment to Mc through the practice of the disciplines of the
L>rd's dcvolees, you will come to Mc, the Blessed Lord Vasudcvd, i.e.,
you will attain Mc by the realization of Mc ( mad-bodha) produced by the
Upanisadic scntcnccs.38

Apart from the continuation here of the close identification of bhagavat

("the Blessed Lord") and Brahman found in the llhnktimsiiyana, these re-
marks arc con1plctcly contrary to the spirit of the author'!\ earlier work.

Devotion for Renouncers

This certainly does not sound like the path ofbhakti presented in tJ1e /lluzk-
li,rasiiyana, where there is no mention of the necessity of knowledge or its
mediation by the Vedic sentences. The fact is that the Gu,Jh.iirthadipikii pre-
sents a style of devotion very much adapted to the mood of the Advaita
samnytisin, not a path designed, as in the Bhaktirasiiyana, "for the content-
ment of all" (akhila-t~tyai, I.I). Thus, in Madhusiidana's explanation of
the meaning of the compound brahma-bhiila ("having become Brahman")
at Gita 18.54, we read:

"Having become Brahman" means having attained, through hearing

(.frm~) anct rrflrrtion (mn:nana), thr fim1 convic1ion "I am l\rah1n;n1"
[/J(/ 1.4.IOJ, and having acquired, through Lhc (>f'..tcticc of cquanirnity
and !W'lf-contml, a tranquil nature and a pure mind ... Being thus, an
ascetic following the path of knowledge (jnana-nis/ho yalil)) auains devo-
tion to Me, the Blessed Lord, the pure supreme Self.

And then comes the startling declaration:

Devotion is upasanti, a repetition of the rnental modification having

 Devotion for the Advaitin 65

My form known as deep meditation ( nididh_.,'ii'iana), the fruit of the prac-

tice of hearing (imvaQa) and reflection ( manana). This devotion is the
suprcn1c, the bcsL, the last of the four types of devotion described [at
/Jh(; 7.l 7] thus: "Four-filld arc they thal worship Mc." Or, it is knowl-
edge iL~clf (jfiiina-ln./qarJ..ii.). 39

In the Bhaktirasiiyana, bhakti is an independent path leading to the ulti-

mate goal with no reference to Advaita's way of knowledge. In the Gu-
l/hii1thadipikii, on the other hand, though bhakti has a prominent place, it is
ultimately made subordinate to the path of knowledge and, in deference to
orthodoxy, forced to accommodale itself to traditional Vedantic discipline
and pass through the final bottleneck of the mahiiuiikyas.
The first eight verses of the Gila's twelfth chapler are crucial to the discus-
sion of the relation of devotion and knowledge. The author of the Gu,Jhiir-
thadipiM chooses to follow Sankara in regarding the explicit denigration of
meditation on the "Imperishable" (i.e., the path of ftw.na) in that passage as
nothing more than a pedagogical device designed to emphasize the effica-
cy of devotion. "Seeing that Arjuna is eligible only for the knowledge of the
qualified [Brahman) (sagu71-vidyii)," Madhusudana writes, "the omniscient
Lord will leach that [knowledge) to him, since the means ( siidhana) must
be graded according to one's eligibilily (adhilriim)." Quoting Amalananda's
versified put-down of the "dull-minded" ( marula) devolees who are unable
to realize the unqualified ( nng,,71) Brahman and, once again, the Gitas
praise of the ftw.nin-devolee at 7.17-18, Madhusudana concludes: "From the
highest perspective, the most well-versed in yoga are those who meditale on
the Imperishable."' He is not making this remark simply out of deference
to Sankara's interpretation, for at 18.66, as we have seen, and in other
important instances, he is not afraid to openly disagree with the great com-
mentator.41 Madhusudana's final advice to Arjuna-and through him all
other non-Brahmins who seek spiritual reali,ation-is that of a conservative
Sai1kari1c: Kn1ia' pupil shoulrl follow the path of knowlrrlgc, having fi111t
"attained the proper qualification" ( tuflukiiram iisiidya). Of course, Madhu-
sudana neglects to mention that such competence cannot be obtained by a
leyatriya in his (still less her) present birth.
The teaching of the C,ii,Jluirthadipikii is perhaps best epitomized in the
following verse found at the conclusion of its ninth chapter:

Those whose hearts arc purified by the taste of the nectar which flows
from the lotus-feet of Govinda quickly cross over the ocean of sarilsdra
66 LANCE E. NELSON

and sec the pcrfccl Efli.1lgcncc. l'hcy co1nprchcnd the highest beati-
tude (f,aram11ffl Sre;as) by means of the Upani~ds, ca.~t off error, know
that duality is like a drea,n, and find the untainted bliss. 42

Note that devotion here serves a purificatory function, while the final
realization comes through the standard orthodox means.
Providing more detail, tl1e following passage from Madhusfidana's corn-
mcntary on Gita 7.14 provides a fascinating example of the way in which he
applies his great genius to the problem of infusing the spirituality of his
beloved Bhiiguvata Pura,, into the samnyasins' path of knowledge. In the
Gitiiverse in question, Kr~Qa declares: 'Those who resort to Mc alone, cross
over this miiyii.." After making reference to the teaching of tl1e 11hiigavat.a
and to Prahlada as an ideal of devotion, Madhusfidana comments:

The mind of one who constantly pays homage to the infinite Blessed
Lord becomes devoid of sin, which is an obstacle to knowledge, and full
of merit, which is conducive to knowledge. Then, refined by the scivicc
of the guru and [the discipline of] hearing, reflection on, and deep
meditation on, the sentences of the Upanisads, which [discipline] is
preceded by renunciation of all action and [tl1e acquisition ofl tranquil-
lity, self-control, and the other virtues, it [the mind] becomes complete-
ly clear like a spotless mirror. In such a mind there arises the mental
mode ( vrttz) which is an im1nediate realization (siileyiitkiira) of uncondi-
tioned Consciousness ( nirnpiidhi-cailanya) and is free of tl1c fonns of
anything that is not the Self. This is [the realiz.ation] "'I am Brahman"
caused by the Upani~dic sentence 'Thou art That," which has been
imparted by the guru. Consciousness, reflected in that mode, immedi-
ately destroys ignorance ... ,just as a light destroys darkness. 43

Thus far it is apparent that the mind of the samnyasin who follows jiiana-
yoga is prepared for the final vision of unity through devotion. But is there
anything more that can be said of bhakti, or is it now reduced to its former
instrumental function as a purifier of the 1nind, a mere prelin1inary to
knowledge? At this point, we remember that the Gii(ihiirthadipilui agrees
with the Bhaktirastiyana, and deviates from orthodox Advaita, at least to the
extent of accepting the teaching that the experience of devotion is avail-
able in the state ofliving liberation, after knowledge has dawned. Hence we
are not overly surprised to find that tl1ere follows in this same passage a
description of devotional experience of the personal God. This statcn1cnt is
indeed more explicit and 1norc extravagant 1han anything in the /lltakti-
 Devotion for the Advaitin 67

rasiiyana. After a brief exposition of the three-fold Vedantic discipline of

hearing, reflection, and deep rneditation, Madhuslldana states its result:
"With the dropping off of all limiting adjuncts, they [those who resort to
Kf}I)a (JJ}z(; 7.14)] ren1ain with the form of pure heing-consciousness-
hliss." Then the mood of the discourse changes abruptly:

So the intended n1eaning of"resort" [in Hh(;7.14] must be ..sec." Those

saintly ones who have Me as their sole refuge see "Mc alone," the Bles-
sed Lord Vasudev.1, the complete essence of infinite beauty, the abode
of all rcfinemenL'i, the glory of whose two lotus feet is greater than the
beauty of a fresh lotus, Copa.la, who delights in uninterrupted playing
on the flute, whose heart is attached to playing in Vrndavana, who held
Lhe Govd.rdhana mountain aloft in sport, by whom a host of wicked per-
sons such as SiSupala and Karhsa were slain, whose feel sleal all the
beauty of a fresh lotus, whose fonn is a mass of supreme bliss, who tran-
scends the world created by Brahma. Meditating constantly on Me as
such, they spend their days. Because their minds are immersed in the
great ocean of bliss which is ecstatic love of Mc ( mat-prema), they are not
overcome by all the fluctuations of miiyii. and the material qualities
(gu,u,.s) _44

This, we must assume, is intended as a description of the experience of ft-

vanmuktas.
The Gwjhiirthmlipikii' s presentation of the glory of bhakti is certainly im-
pressive. The devotional poetry suggests deep attachment to Krwa, and the
descriptions of the liberated soul's vision of the Blessed Lord evoke an
ecstatic mood reminiscent of the Bhagavala. Yet at the same time the
unqualified support of devotional spirituality expressed in the B/wlairasay-
ana is missing. We discover here a style of bhakti designed to be compatible
with, and included within, jiiiina-yoga, the path of Advaitic knowledge. Not
only does the Oiir,lhiirthadipikii reject the earlier text's understanding of
bhakti as an independent spiritual path, leaving the ordinary devotee to
wait for liberation in Brahma's highest heaven, where the mahiiviikyas mani-
fest spontaneously at the end of the cosmic age, it also drops the theme, so
important in the Blwktirasiiyana, of bhakti as the highest goal of life (pam-
ma-purnsiirtha). The latter idea is simply not mentioned. While the possibili-
ty of bhakti in the state of living liberation is admitted, even celebrated, this
can hold little interest for those not qualified to renounce. The Giir,lhiirtha-
1lipikli's renewed emphasis on the conservative social teaching of the
Saiikara tradition renders such a,;pirants ineligible for the discipline that
68 LANCE E. NELSON

leads to this blissful experience.

MadhnsUdana's commentary on the (;ua makes, in other ,vords, a rather
surprising reversal of dcvotionalist thinking. It claims for sa1hnydsin.\- the
right to enjoy the highest states ofhhakti without, as did the /llumtirasiiyana,
granting non-renouncer devotees a corresp<>nding access to Self-realization
and mok.ya. Neither in this life, nor at the time of death, nor for a consider-
able time thereafter is it possible for anyone but tl1e sa1hnyiisin to attain lib-
eration. This lack of reciprocity is rendered particularly inequitable by the
fact that the realization of jivanmukti is, according to tl1e llhaktirawlyana
itself, an essential prerequisite of the full flowering of the devotional experi-
ence. But again bhaktas, unless as male Brahmins they qualify for sa1hnyiisa,
are not (according to the Gii4/uirthadi/Jikii) eligible for the discipline that
leads to ftvanmukli. So the ironic result is that Madhusiidana, in borrowing
~Qa-bhakti from the devotionalists, has excluded the latter from the high-
est levels of their own path, which have, in effect, been preempted for the
Advaitin renouncer alone. The teaching of the Gii4hiirtluufi/Jikii therefore
represents in certain crucial respects not an accommodation but actually a
betrayal of the devotional ethos of the Bhiigavata Puriiri.

Madhusiidana's Fmal Intention

It is difficult to say what the reason for this change of attitude toward devo-
tional spirituality might have been. One possibility is that the Bhaluirasiiyarw
represents a rash outburst of youthful enthusiasm, and the Gii4hiirthadi/Jikii
the more sober views of a later period. But the Bhaktirasdyana when written
already constituted a departure from the conservative teachings of Madhu~
siidana's earlier works, such as the Ve.dii.ntakalpalntikii and Su/4/uintabimlu.
Madhusiidana, moreover, was still occasionally displaying interest in the
unorthodox (from the strict Vedantic point of view) tenets of the Yogasulms
and the Yogaviis4/ha in late works such as the C.utjhiirthadiJ1ik<i and the
Advaitaralnara/cya7Ja. The fact that Madhusiidana in the Gii{jhiirtluuli/Jik<i
repeatedly refers his readers back to the Bhaktirastiyana disallows the sim pie
explanation that, having changed his mind, he had repudiated the teach-
ing of his earlier work. So we n1ust find another explanation.
My suggestion is that Madhusiidana is in the Bhaktira,ayana and the Gil
rJhiirthadi/nkii simply speaking to different audiences and adjusting his dis-
course accordingly. In the former, he is writing "for tl1e contenunent of
all," perhaps with the intention of recon1mending the vic,vpoint of Advaita
 Devotion for the Advaitin 69

to educated bhaktas that stood outside the exclusive tradition of Sankara

sarhn)'iisins. 45 He therefore presents the teachings of Advaita in a form
adapted to the egalitarian ethos of Bhagavata devotionalism, witl1 which, as
tl1e result of his own predilection toward bhakti, he has considerable sym-
pathy. In ilie Gu(lhiirthadiflikii, however, he is speaking from within ilie or-
iliodox Advaita tradition, trying to recommend bhakti to his fellow samnya-
sins. Although, as we have seen, he subordinates renunciation to surrender
to God, he still assumes unquestioningly the superiority of the path of
knowledge.
We know that Madhusiidana himself was a member of one of the most
prestigious orders of Sankara samnyasins and a disciple of highly respect-
ed orthodox teachers. It seems certain that during his novitiate he had fol-
lowed tlle traditional disciplines of ilie Sankara school. The relatively con-
servative brand of devotional Advaita taught in ilie Gli(ihiirtlwdipikii is thus
likely to be more representative of his own personal spirituality ilian ilie
more "liberal" vision of the Bhaktirasiiyana. It is significant that, even in the
latter work, Madhusiidana identifies himself with renouncer-devotees such
as tl1e legendary saint Sanaka, and in a dran1atic departure from Vai51.1ava
tradition, asserts that the devotion of such sages is superior even to that of
ilic gupi5 ofV(Tldavana. 46
Since Madhusudana, despite his change of pusition in ilie Gli(ihiirthadipi-
ka, nevertheless continues to recognize and refer to the Bhaktirasiiyana, it
is possible that the earlier text was the product of a sense of noblesse
oblige, his recognition of his duty as a sa1hnyasin to instruct the unenlight-
ened in terms acceptable and comprehensible to them, to speak for the
"well-being of the world" (lnka-samgrahn). 41 In his Prasthiinnbheda (which is
actually a purtion of his commentary on tlle Mahimnastotra), Madhusiidana
enunciates the principle that those teachers who advocate viewpoints
inconsonant wiili ilie highest truili of Advaita are not necessarily ignorant.
They are only, he says, seeking to capture ilie minds of iliose whose aware-
ness is not sufficiently developed to comprehend nonduality, hoping tllere-
by to prevent tlle latter from embracing heterodox doctrines. 48 Was ilie
llhaktirasiiyana part of a similar stratagem?

Conclusion

In view of his tradition and training, as well as the orthodox nature of his
major works, 49 I am inclined to the conclusion that the teachings of the
70 LANCE E. NELSON

Giu/.hiinluuii/m<ii, and not the /llwluirawlynna, are closer to Madhusudana's 2

own personal experience as a jritinin-<levotee and more indicative of his virod
final out1ook. l"hc result is that Madhusfidana's reputation as a cha1npion Sai1k
of devotion must be qualilic<l. l"o be sure, his status as the tOrcn1ost advo- cign
cate of tl1c inclusion of bhakti within the Advaitic spiritual experience re- karhr
mains intact. But it must be recognized that his was a type of bhakti much frlf t
different in spirit from that of the KriQaite devotional schools. Despite his St~
the (
encounter with the Lord of the simple cowherds, Madhusfidana remains
Univ
an orthodox Advaitin and, as such, fim1ly in tJ1c grip of that tradition's spi-
exce
ritual elitistn. have
Studi
ABBREVIATIONS Curz
3.
AS Advailasiddhi of Madhu.nuianasarasvati. Edited by N. S. Ananla 18.5:
Krishna Sa.o;tri. Delhi: Parimal Publications, 1982. Hhar
/lhagavadgflii. Sec BhGS. 4.:
.~rimadhhagavadgitii n,ith the (A1mmenlarir..'i .~rimat-liankarabhifyya 11,ith I. I.I
Anandagiri, Nilaka1J/hi, llhiisyotkarsadipilui of /Jhana/iali, .~ridhari, 5.
Gitiinhmamgraha of Abhinavagupliiciirya, and Giitf.hiinhadipikii of dcvo
MadhusUdana. Edited by Wasudev I..axnian Sastri PanSikar. 2d ed. am<J
l)clhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1978. crcd
llhR .~rihhtiktira..wlyanam (Jr Maflh1Lnldana Sara.wati Edited hy Janardana l'rcn
Sastri PaQdcya. Varanasi: Molilal Banarsidass, 1961. com
BS Brahma Sulras. Sec BSS. pro11
BSS IJrahmasUtm with Sarikambh~a. Worlcs of .~tikara in Original cont
Sarultrit, vol. 3. Delhi: Motilal Ranan~idao,;s, I 985. hhal
Bhl' llhiigflvata Purii.1),a 6.
BU Rrhadltra7]yaka Upanisad lnsti
cc (Aitanyarnritiimrt,a lndi:
ChU Chiind('l{Ya Upanisad 7.
GAD Rhagavadgiliigiil/.hiinhadi/JWi of Madhusiidana Sara.svati. See BhGS. /mnJ
NOTFS
AS2
H.
l. I would like here to express my gr.tlitude to Sri K. Vcnugopalan a11d Srin,ati M. hut<1
K.. llcsai, with whom I first read the Bhaklim.fflyana, and also to ack11owledgc the 9.
kindness of the late Prof. R. l). Laddu, with who1n l read portions of the (;,uj}ui.rlha- sun11
dipikii. An earlier version of this article w.is published as "'The Sannyasi and the IO
Bhakta: Madhusudar1a Sara.w.iti's Reintelllretation of the C'.ilas Ideal of Devotion," Ltd.,
in The Vedanta K,sari 76 (March, April, May 1989): 9~96, 134-139, 172-180. The II
author is gr.ucful lo the editor of that publication for pennis.~ion to include most of gavr.
the material fron1 that article here. gc1u

I
 Devotion for the Advaitin 71

2. na ditmiinam H1mmriz frramiilJ.fl.lo ln.ulltvll ka.f)ari.ti gut_1a-bhiivarh jignmisali ltascid

virodluit, Bh\.,,,_Ci 12. l.'l At lhe ix-ginning of his con1n1cn1.ary on Lhc Knm UfmniJad,
Sai1kara prodairns: "I le who, having hecn lead to l\rah1na11, is consccr.llcd lo sover-
eignty docs not wish to bow lo anylxxly" ( na hi n1iirrij)'- 'hhileyito bmhmatvam gamiJa/J,
karhrana namilum irrluw.). Sec Lance Nelson ~rhcism for the Mac;,,;cs, Non-dualism
frlf the Monastic Elite: A Fresh Look at Sankara's Trans-theistic Spirituality," in 77ie
St111/?,gk Over the Pa.,t: Fundamentalism in the Modern World, The Annual Publication of
the College 11,eology Society, 1989, vol. 35, ed. William M. Shea (Lanham, MD.:
University Press of America, 1993), 61-77; also Jiicquclinc Gaynor Suthren Hirst's
cxcelJcnt study (in light of which some of the conclusions of my earlier article will
have to be revised) 1'hc Place of Rhakti in Sankara's Vedanta," in Luvt Divint:
Studies in Rhakli and Devotional Mysticism, ed. Karel Werner (Richmond, Surrey:
Curzon Prcss, 1993), 117-145.
3. See Nelson, 'Theism for the Masses"; also Saitkara on BhG 2.10, 3.1, 3.4,
18.55, and BS 3.4.20; P. V. Kane, History of /Jharmasastm (2nd. ed.; Poona:
llhandarl<ar Oriental Research Institute, 1974), vol. II, pt. II, pp. 942-944.
4. See, e.g., llhP 10.14.4, 11.20.34, 12.10.6; Rupa Gosvamin's flholrJimsmnrtandhu
h 1.1.17, 1.1.38, 1.2.22-57; Tula.sida.sa's Riimamritamana.,a, l/Uamka~ 118.2-4.
i, 5. Sridhara Swamin (ca. 1350-1450)-nominally an Advaitin but sympathetic to
devotion, was sufficiently innuenced hy Vaist:tavism to accept a plurality of souls and
I. a more realistic inteipretation of ia.kLi than Sai1kara. I-le therefore cannot be consid-
ered a true non-dualist. I lowcvcr, I a,n 1ol<l hy Shriva..o;;la (ri)swami of Sri (:aitanya
l'ren1a Sarnthana, Vrindaban, that he ha.,;; in his pos.o;cssion, in manuscript form, a
commentary on the tenth hook of the BhP by Citsukha (thirteenth century), a
prominent and strictly orthodox post-Sai1kara Advaitin. If it is indeed authentic, the
contents of tJ1is work n1ay well force revisions in our understanding of the history of
hhakti spirituality in Advaita.
6. P. C. Divnji, ed. and trns., Suldhiintabind1t of Madhurudana (llaroda: Oriental
Institute, 1933), p. xxv; V. Sisupala Panicker, V,diintakalpalatiltii: A Study (Delhi:
Indian llooksCentre, 1995), 4-0.

,. 7. vamii-bhtl$ita-kariin nava-niradiibhiit fnlambariid arnria-fnrnba-phaliidham1thiit/

Jnl.nru/.u-sundara-mukluid aravinda-netriil knr.uit pararir. kim api tattvam ahaffl na fant!,
AS 2.7. The verse, frequently quoted, is also fo11nd at the end of the GAD (p. 775).
H. P. M. Modi, lran!t., Sitldliii11la llhulu (Alh1hahatl: Vohra Puhli~hcr~ & lli~tri-
11. butors, 1985), 22-23.
lie 9. Modi, p. 175. Appendix II and Ill of this work gives a useful-if uncritical-
la- sun1mary of Madhusfidana's views 011 bhakti
he IO. T. M. P. Mahadevan, The l'hilo.mphy of Advaita (Madras, Ganesh & Co. Private
,. Ltd., 1969), 271.
he 11. S. K. (;npta's translation of the c;AD (Madhusiidana Sara.watt on the Bha-
of gavad Gilii [Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1977)), while perhaps helpful for the
general reader, is often seriously inaccurate, tending to make the text's prescn-
72 LANCE E. NELSON

tation of devotion appear n1orc liberal 1ha11 it is. I

)2. 7ikii on l\hR 1.1, pp. 11-16. Cp. the Bengal Vai~1_1ava notion of bhakti as the
"fifth goal of Ii IC" (J,anramn-fn.irnsllrtlui), cnunciat<:d, for example, at (;(~ I. 7.84-R5.
13. pratyag-iitma-:r.vantpasya sllulla-siiksma-deha-d11a)'iitiri.ktatvena siiksiitkiiras sas/hi
bh,imikii, 7,kii on llhR 1.35, p. 126. I
14. "\\'hen, in this way, that which is designated by tl1c word 'you' is realized in its I
purity, tl1crc arises knowledge of its non--dilfcrcncc from what is designated by the l
word 'That'" ( roam fuddh, lvam1mda-laleyye 'vagau tat11ada-/a/eyy'1Jll .<ahiibhedafiiiinam
bhavali, Tikii on llhR 1.35, p. 128).
15. anyathii thhmdriyiidi-vii<sep'!la jiililya api rater anitviihii~ Tikii on llhR 1.35, p.
126-127.
16. On jilHlnmukti in Sallkard Advaita, see Lance E. Nelson, "l.iving Liberation in
Sa,lkara and Classical Aclvaita: Shadng the lloly Waiting of (;od," in l,ivin.g f
libemtitm in llindu 11wught, ed. Andrew(). Forl and Pauicia Y. Mumme (Albany, C
N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1996), 17-62. I
17. Tiha on llhR I.I, p. 32. s
18. frrii'}i-miitm.rya bhaktau adhikiim~, Tikiion llhR I.I, p. 27.
19. For a fuller discussion of the tcachinJ.,rs of tJ1c HhR, see I.a.nee Ncl"'111, "Hhakti-
rasa for the Advaitin Renunciant MadhusUdana Sarasvali's Theory of Devotional
Scntimen~" Rdigiou., Traditimu 12 (1989): 1-16.
20. GAD, inrro., vv. 31-32, 36, p. 6. h
21. GAD on IR.66, pp. 754-755. 11
22. GAD on 18.64, p. 750. p
23. GAD, inlro., vv. 37-39, pp. 6-7. tl
24. See GAD on 7.16, 9.26, 9.30-31, and 18.65-66. j,
25. dhyiinabhy~a-vafilq-teru,. mana.,ii tan nirgu,i/J ni$kriyal:, jyoti~ kimcana yogirw yadi r,
para,h pa.fyanti paJyantu te/ asmiikii,h tu tad roa lor.ana-camntkiiriiya 1,/ulyri.r riram.
kiilindi-f,ulinadarl kim a/n yan ni/a,h malw dhiivali, (;Al) on Uh(; 13, opening invoca- s,
tion, p. 522. p
26. kerin nigrhya kamQiini visrjya blwgnm ii.!thiiya yogrzm amalatma-dhiyo yatank/ niiriiy- k
aU4l]a mahimiinam ananta-param iiroiidayann amrta-siiram aham tu mukta/J, GAD
(Anandasrama [Poona] edition), p. 417. ,,
27. yad-bhakti111 na vinii m1tktir _yah .wrr,ya~ .tan1a--y11J!jnllm/ tam uandr /1aramii11anda- g
lfhana1h .frl-nntul1111tnu/rnuun, (;Al} 1111 l\h(; 7. ,,11t11i11~ i11v11c:11ic111, p. '.\11. i;
28. rhc author of the (;AL) rcfCrs to Sal1kara 's <0111n1cntary al leas! 23 1i1ncs. a
29. GAD on 18.57, p. 746. $
30. GAD on 18.66, pp. 75~754. d
31. In the GAD on 3.20 (pp. 159-160), Madhusfidana outlines the whole orthodox d
argumenl for this posit.ion, and explicitly rejects the more liberal interpretation of 1
Suresvara, who felt thal renunciation should he open to lcyatriJas and vai{Jaf. The tl
quest.ion of eligihilily for .iaPnnyrim rnust have been an important issue for Madhu- fl
sfidana. He also <lisrus.c;cs it at sornc length under Bh(; 5.5-6, 18.56, and 18.fi~. Sec d
 Devotion for the Advaitin 73

Nelson, ''Thcisn111:,r t.hc Masses."

32. GAi) on 18.66, p. 754. For Lhc full rxtcnl of the author's disagreement, see
note 41.
33. GAD on 18.56, pp. 745-746. f havr clccLcd to translate the masculine singular
pronouns used here and elsc\vhcrc by Madhusiid~na as they arc in the original.
Regarding Madhusiidana's cstirnatc of the spiritual potential of wo1nen, we have lit-
t1c evidence. But sec note 36.
34. GAD on 18.63, pp. 749-750.
35. BSS 4.3.10.
36. There is of course the well-known protnisc, at BhG 9.32, of access to '"highest
goal" (pamm gatim) for those "of sinful birth, women, vaiiyas, and even itidras," if
they surrender to Kn;1.1a. Madhusiidana, conservative Brahmin that he is, acknowl-
edges the obstacles faced hy such persons, whotn he secs a.'i being "defiled by inher-
ent defects" (suabhiivika~a-dusfa). Still, he follows the text in granting them the
pamrit gntim (GAD 9.32, p. 439). According to what we have already noted Madhu-
sUdana saying elsewhere in the (;AL>, however, this must mean by way of kmma-
"m.ukli in bmhma-lnka, not the inunediatc fullnes.,; of Advaitic mnksa-
37. (;Al) on 12.f,-7, p. 507.
38. GAD on 18.65, p. 751. Sec also GAD on 12.10, p. 509.
39. c.;AJ> on 18.54, pp. 740-751. l\io<li ( 170) suggcst'i that Ma<lhusOdana's gloss or
bhakti a"1i jiuina-lnleyari ("'knowledge it&lf," or "defined a."1i knowledge") represent'i
nothing rnorc than his subn1ission tn the aulhority of Sai1kara, who uses the same
phrase in his interpretation of this verse. But Madhusiidana feels free to deviate from
the great aairya's interpretation at other places where the latter glosses bhakti as
jfiiin.a. Thus he substitutes pmna-laleya,z for Sankara's jiriina-lnksa,z at 8.22 and priti
forSai1kara's_jntinaat 13.10.
10. (;AI> on 12.13, p. 512. A1nala11anda's verse, frnrn his Knlpatmu, reads: nirvi~
sam f,aram brahma siiksiitkartum ani.fvariil_,./ )',. mandiis tf. 'nukampyank saviiqa-ninl-
panai!J/1 va.iikrt, manasy eyarit sagutt-brnhma-silaniil/ tad <rllivir/Jhaud siil<sad ap,topiidhi-
kalfmnam.
41. As Modi (7-9) emphasizes, MadhusGdana is the only great teacher of Advaita
to openly differ from Sankara's hallowed cornmcntary on the BS, questioning the
great iiriirya's in1crpn1;11io11 of 1hr n1f'ani11g of I\,..; 2.28.29. I lis di!I.IKrrr.mrnt with
Sai1kara over lhc Jailer's thcsi."i lhal n11111ui;1tio11 is the key TIICS."-"ll{C of the Bh(; ha.<i
alrrady been discussed. Sec above, note 39, for his willingness to diverge from
Sai1kara's interpretation of the tenn hhakti. Particularly interesting are MadhusO-
dana's remark.c; on 18.66 (GAi), p. 755), in which he waxes somewhat ironic 'The
discipline of devotion to the Rlcs.'ied Lord .. .is summed up at the end [of Chapter
18], thus: 'f-laving abandoned all duties, come to Mc a'i your sole refuge.' The au-
thor of the Cornrncntary {Sa,lkaraJ, however, says that 'come to Me a'i your sole
refuge' is the sunnnary of the disc:iplinc of knowledge, with 'having abandoned all
dutirs' .'i(rving as a rcs1.ate1nc11t nfthc llC'cd to ahandon all action. (But then] who
 74 LANCE E. NEL50N

am I, wretched person that I am, to expound the intention of the Blcs.~d Lord?
The speech of the Suprctnc Person called the Gilii is the secret n1caning of the
words of the Veda; who an1ong those that arc not cxtrcn1cly brilliant ran explain it?
{Yet] so1nchow I have 1nanag:cd this childish pcrfonna1uc. It will lf hope) invoke
the appreciation of great sottls who have spontaneous aflCct.ion [for all, incl11ding:
my humble sell]."
42. Sri~govinda-padiira11inda-makarandii.n1iida-iuddhii.iayiili snriuiiriimhudhim
utlaranti .~aha.wi /1a.i)anlt fnl.niffl mahal)/ veddntair avadhdra)'anti /1aramaril .frryn.~
tyajanti bhramaril dvaitarit sva/nia-samath uidanli 11imalii't11 uindr111t; rii,untrlnliim,
GAD on BhG 9.34, p. 441.
43. GAD on 7.14, p. 360.
44. GAD on 7.14, p. 361.
45. I arn thinking here especially of dcvotionalisL<; without clear SL'<'larian aflilia-
lion, such a<; Madhusiidana's contemporary and fellow rcsi<lcnl of llanards, rulsi
Dalli, of whom the great Advailin is sai<l lo have written: 'This rnoving tulasi plant
ha.Iii leaves of supreme blis.<;; it<; flower.Iii arc poetry, kissed by the hcc R.1rna" (fuzramd-
nanda-J,atrr, yam Jam,,imn.l tul,ui-tant/J./ kn,lilii-maiijari yary" uimn. /,lintmar11-rumf,itii.).
46. Sec l\hR 2.1(i, 2.fi1-(i5, 2.7:l; also Nelson, "Bhak1i-1asa l(ir the Advaitin
]
Rcnunic.1tc ... or
47. Sec Sai1kara's commentary on Bh(; 2.11 and 3.20-2(i. ag
48. 'The Sages who promulgated [the various apparently contradi<:to1yJ !-."}'Stc,ns as
of doctrin( all hacl as tluir lin.11 puq,nrl th<' S11pnnu Loni, th(' ()ne witho111 S('(- th:
ond taught in the Upani~<l<;, and the ult.i1natc truth or the appearance theory gic
(vai11arta-11ada) [as taught in the Advdita school). (:Crtainly these sages were not
en
deluded, since they were omniscient. Realizing, however, that persons inclined
m
tow.ird [er~jc1yrncnt or] extcn1al <1t"!jcc1s <'1111hl nc11 be i1n1nediately intr<Kh1ccd to the
!it1prcme goal oflili.:, lhey taught a v-.uicty of [lesser] fonns [lf doctrine] with a view bh
to [attract the n1ind<o of 1hc ig11orc111t and thus] ward oil' heterodoxy (n.d1tikya), .. th:
MadhusOdana's 7ilra on Mahimnastolra 7 (Mahimnasrotmm [Banara<;: Chowkhamba th,
Sanskrit Series Office, 1919], pp. 16-17). ur
(Almpare the lc.,llowing rcn1arks made earlier in the commentary on the same th
verse: 'The Ganges and Nannada Rivers, following a straight course, reach the en
ocean dir<'clly, h11t 1hr Yann,n;1. and the Sar.tyfi. fC:11l(1wing a cnM,k<"cl co11rsi:. r(';uh it in
only indircrtly. ah('I' llowinl,!; i1110 the (;;.111gcs. Even 1h11s, 1J1osc dcvotl'd lo h<"aring,
wl
rcllcrting on, rte, !he great sayings of the Ved,-1nta auain You ( Par..uncSvaraJ din.'ct~
Tl
ly, while others attain You only indirectly, according to the relative purity or their
minds." (pp. 1\-9) hi
49. Unlike Sridhara and, later, Appaya Di~ita, he never abandons his strict
Advaiti<: 1netaphysics while writing on devotion.