[Advaita-l] Modern science and Vedanta.

[Srikanta Narayanaswami]

To: 
"A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>



If mere repetitive assertion is valid means of knowledge, I have to concede
that your position is correct. But unfortunately, I dont believe that it is
so and hence have to request you again to look at and present facts to
substantiate your points. Sri Subrahmanian has sent a long post
consolidating all the references to bhakti in BG and has shown that Sankara
uses bhakti as equivalent to jnanam. I have no evidence to believe otherwise
and it is the conclusion by Madhusudana also. Please find below my specific
response to your points. I am happy to be corrected if you can provide
logical arguments based on facts as it will help my research on bhakti in
advaita.
______________________________________________________________________________
What according to you is Bhakthi?Is it maintaining the Upasana-Upastha, diference?.that is the Upasana vigraha(whether gross or subtle) and Jnana.No where Shankara has stated both are same.Bhakthi is translated in the ordinary understanding and no where it is same as Jnana.By upasana Shankara clearly differentiates between Vidya(this is not Jnana)buttaking the form of the image(see the concluding portion of the Bhashya of Shankara in the "IshavasyaUpanishad"where he has clearly stated this Bhakthi is different from Jnana.The purpose of the Upanishads,Brahmasutra Bhashya and the Bhagawadgita as per Adwaita is to clear all wrong perceptions and blocks(Pratibhandhaka)towards Jnana.Madhusudhana Sarawathi is not an Adwaiti equivalent of Shankara.we can cite many verses from his Adwaita Siddhi where he differs from the conventional view.More over Bhagawadgita in the beginning which forms a portion of the Mahabharatha is a Bhagawatha Grantha as per the
 scholars.(Vide:Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya).However,there are many verses in the BG which points out that it is a grantha along with Upanishads and the BrahmaSutra.If we say that BG says Bhakthi is same as Jnana,then the statement of Shankara that Upanishads,Brahmasutra and the Bhagawadgita is Adwaita vedanta para is violated.
N.Srikanta.