[Advaita-l] Supreme Brahman - the Ruler in Advaita?

[Ranga Rathnam]

Did gopis attain Atmasakshatkara or Paramatmasakshatkara?

Best Regards
Rangarathnam

.>>>... in this thread we are talking about nirupadhika brahman that Sankara and Madhusudana talk about in BhG 15 and BhG 8. Just as Gaudapada calls turiya as Ishwara, Sankara calls Him Ishanashila or Narayanana and Madhusudana calls it Vasusdeva. This is a state of un-differentiated knowledge or the state of Vishnu. This parabrahman appears as Krishna and without becoming anatma. He takes the qualities of anatma when He appears as jagat but not when He appears as Krishna. Any form is prakrta but His form is apraktram, paramayarupam and pure consciousness. This nitya suddha buddha mukta Krishna, the son of Devaki and Yasoda, is the garland of the gopis who are jnanis.  Janaka attained jnana because of being a jijnasa whereas gopis started as jnanis by being totally selfless and spontaneous in their love for Krishna.  Some contemporary advaita scholars, jnanis though they may be, don't recognise the position of gopis as did Madhusudana. They think gopis went to Brahmaloka as do normal sadhakas. There is a huge difference between worshipping Krishna as the Self and as non-Self. This para-bhakti, which is advayajnanam, is non-different from Him, who is all bliss, says Madhusudana. 
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