[Advaita-l] additional doubts!!

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Bhaskar YR <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> RV:Madhusudana's view is that there is no need for a teacher if he is a
> bhakta and atma jnana will manifest!
>
Bhaskar YR: Can we say this is another clear cut deviation from shankara
> siddhAnta by
> Sri MadhusUdana??  shAstrajnOpi svAtantreNa brahmajnAnAnveshaNam na kuryAt
> ityetat *gurumeva* ityavadhAraNa phalaM, shankara says clearly in mUndaka
> bhAshya.  tadvijnAnArthaM sa gurumevAbhigacchet...is just like an
> injunction by shankara here...If what madhusUdana says is something
> different from this then we have to either say he has deviated from
> saMpradAya bodhana or said it in a different context & his intention is
> not exactly go against shankarOpadesha.
> RV: Madhusudana is fully aware of the traditional position because he talks
> about the importance and nature of guru at length. But his position on
> bhakti is based on Ishvara becoming the swift deliverer of a bhakta who has
> not overcome selfidentification with the body. This is illustrated by many
> examples in puranas and itihasas. We should see how the tradition interprets
> it. Also, we should see Sankara's position on Vidura, who is a sudra but a
> jivan mukta jnani and a parama bhakta. Who instructed him?
>