[Advaita-l] Bhakti and Jnana

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 5:39 AM, Kalyan K <kalyankc.81 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Rajaram,
>
> Have you discussed this issue with Prof. Sanjukta? If yes, what does she
> have to say on this topic?
>
> Regards
> Kalyan


Rajaram: Dr. Sanjukta's view, "Neither bhakti nor jnanam are sublated in
Brahman. What we see (or experience) is a reflection of pure bliss which is
the svarupa of bhakti and jnana. And the reflection is non-different from
the original as per the bimba-pratibimba vada. Now, Bhakti is integral to
even early Advaita. However, the theoretical formulation of bhakti in
precise philsophical terms was preceded by the rise of heterodoxy, bhakti
cults and the alankara sastras which taught secular rasa. Liberalism
ushered in by Emperor Akbar contributed to bold deviations within the Hindu
traditions as there was less fear of social censure.

She is very open minded and agreed that there is some merit in my analysis
that


   - Madhusudana was mosly like a South Indian and was not influenced by
   Gaudiya Vaishnavas.
   - While Bhakti is in Upanishads, Bhakti Rasa is in Hari Vamsa. So it is
   not that it is a later day concept
   - Madhusudana does not deviate from Sankara because he says so where he
   does.