[Advaita-l] Question on Mayavada

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

Vidyasankar: Please show us where SrI madhusUdana sarasvatI exempts any kind
of *activity*, devotional or otherwise, from renunciation.
RV: Please read introduction to gudartha dipika. After stating the
importance of devotion to progress *from* sannyasa to a state free
from scriptural injunctions, Madhusudana Saraswati talks about persistence
of bhakti in the case of jivan mukta. His words: "But in the state of
jivanmukti, no result of devotion is to be imagined. *Adoring Hari is
natural to the jnanis,* like their being devoid of hate etc. Such is the
greatness of Hari (Vishnu) that, *though free from bondage of karma*, the
sages, who delight only in the Self render *spontaneous devotion to
Vishnu*(Bh. 1.7.10). According to the sentence, 'Of them the jnani
excels as he is
endowed with steadfastness and one pointed devotion', etc. (7.17), this one
who is *full of loving devotion* is declared to be the highest." Panchadasi
says jivan mukta: hari bhakta: Sadasiva Brahmendral composed devotional
verses on Krishna, Rama and Nirguna Brahman after attaining jivan mukti.
Sankara himself was devoted to Sri Govinda. I have no doubt that no
tradition true to Sankara will accept giving up of devotion while in the
body. Giving up devotion is impossible and unnecessary because Hari (in his
forms as Siva, Durga etc.) is infinitely attractive to a jnani also. In fact
Vasudeva, who is the Self, is more attractive to the jnani than to us. My
question was "What happens to this abheda bhakti on giving up the
body?" Does Vishnu know "I am Vishnu"?