[Advaita-l] Did Madhusudana Saraswati Reconcile Bhakti and Advaita?

[Bhaskar YR]

"Reply: Let it be so. Brahman is not the author of ignorance nor subject 
to
error. But it is not admitted that there is any other conscious entity
but Brahman which is the author of ignorance or subject to error....."

praNAms
Hare Krishna

There are two sentences here, in the first sentence shankara says brahman 
is neither the author of ignorance nor the subject to error.  And in the 
second sentence he is saying there is no conscious entity but brahman 
which is bhrAnta & avidyA karta.  This has to be understood with the 
famous analogy of gold and ring.  Here second sentence pertains to jeeva 
(ring), who is nothing but brahman (gold) having ajnAna. But brahman (pure 
gold)  who is not jeeva (ring) first sentence conveying this.  Though 
jeeva svabhAva is nothing but brahman, brahman does not have jeeva 
svabhAva.  The original sentence in bhAshya goes like this :  bhavatvevaM 
nAvidyAkartru bhrAntaM cha brahma, kiM tu naivAbrahma avidyAkartA chetanO 
bhrAnta anya ishyate. 

There is a shruti story with regard to this in bruhadAraNyaka.  A prince 
who broght up in hunter's family later realized that he is indeed belongs 
to royal family and he is a king. 

Hari Hari Hari Bol!!
bhaskar