[Advaita-l] Madhusudhana Saraswathi and Advaita.

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Monday, February 27, 2012, V Subrahmanian wrote:

> But in Advaita wherever there is dvaitam and the possibility of dvaitam, it
> is within the broad definition of prAkRtam alone, coming as it under the
> prakRti, whether one chooses to term it prAkRtam or aprAkRtam.
>
>
> I don't think it is an arbitrary terminology at all. There is clear
> distinction between that which made of pancha Bhutas and that which is
> transcendental to pancha bhutas. I am not saying that advaitins should not
> call Krishna's form as made of five elements or say that Sridhara and
> Madhusudana misinterpreted Sankara in saying it is not panchabautika. All I
> am saying is that such a position should be based on at least one reference
> from Sankara etc. that these forms are panchabautika. We, who do not have
> bhagavat sakshat karam, cannot comment about it without reference to the
> works of acharyas. I would like to point you to the book you referred me to
> "Yoga, Enlightent and Perfection". The acharya, after realising nirguna
> Brahman, is moved to tears due to bhakti on seeing the form of Saradambal
> but is completely indifferent to  material forms!


It is a formless form. I am not adept at explaining it but an open minded
and patient reading of Madhusudana on BG 4.7 will make it amply clear. It
will also clarify why Advaita tradition produced more Bhakti literature
than vaishnavas and Saivites put together.  And why in the villages of
India, Sankara remains a reverred acharya and atmartha Bhakti is part of
the vocabulary of common people who call each other Sami.