[Advaita-l] Re: yoga and vedanta

[bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com]

praNAms Respected Sri Anand Hudli prabhuji
Hare Krishna

Thanks for taking time to clarify my doubts prabhuji.  Kindly allow me to
share my thoughts.

AH prabhuji:

When an AchArya writes a work, his points may be elaborated on by
subsequent
AchAryas. Further, a subsequent AchArya may write on points that were not
addressed by the previous AchArya. In doing this, if there is an appearance
of contradiction or difference between the AchAryas, it is probably only an
appearance, but not real.

bhaskar :

Yes, you may be right prabhuji. If possible, kindly let us know which are
the points have been elaborated by Sri madhusUdana from shankara
siddhAnta??  Which are the points omitted by shankara but pointed out by
madhusUdana?? Kindly dont think otherwise, just I am curious about Sri
madhusUdana's stand as against shankara.  As pointed out by Sri Vidya
prabhuji, he is differing on some points from shankara's gIta & sUtra
bhAshya..I'd like to know those differences & wanted your goodself to
confirm that those differences are only  superficial.

AH prabhuji:

By whatever (approach) one attains the knowledge of the Inner Self, that
itself is to be understood as *a* (not *the*) right method. It is not fixed
(to a particular approach).Going by this definition, we can talk about *a*
right method but not *the*
right method.

bhaskar:

Kindly bear with my ignorance & clarify...if the path of realization has
multiple directions & in that advaita is only *a* right method..why
shankara emphasized on *the* right method of Atmaikatva jnAna & the
importance of teachings of saMpradAya though other schools ultimately one
way or the other admitting non-dual state??  (for example in bruhadAraNyaka
shruti bhAshya he explicitly mentions that there is no dissension among the
followers of the vaidik dharma with regard to identity of the jIvAtman &
paramAtman.)

AH prabhuji:

Perhaps, the only so-called "difference" between Madhusudana and Shankara
is
the emphasis of the former on bhakti, as described in the gUDhArtha-dIpikA.

bhaskar :

that might not be the case IMHO prabhuji.  Because shankara's stress on
bhakti is vivid in gIta bhAshya though bhakti siddhAnta has sporadic
importance in other two prasthAna-s.  As we all know, shankara is not a
logician but he is a saint par excellence.  For example we can see how
shankara gives great emphasization on sharaNAgati, Ishwara praNidAna etc.
bhaktEH punaH grahaNAt bhakti mAtrENa kEvalEna shAstra saMpradAnE pAtraM
bhavati iti gamyate...when shankara himself saying *kEvalEna bhakti
mAtrENa* I dont think the issue of difference between shankara &
madhusUdana is *bhakti*...kindly correct me if I said anything wrong.

Anand

Humble praNAms onceagain,
Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
bhaskar