[Advaita-l] Bhakti and Jnana

[Rajaram Venkataramani]

On Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 3:44 PM, Kalyan K <kalyankc.81 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you for posting the view of Prof Sanjukta. Now, a small question -
>
> "Rajaram: Dr. Sanjukta's view, "Neither bhakti nor jnanam are sublated in
> Brahman."
>
> Does Dr Sanjukta say that this is just madhusUdhana's view or does she say
> that this is also Sankara's view?
>
Rajaram: According to her, it is Sankara's as well. She thinks Bhakti (with
its exalted status) is integral to Advaita as it is in the Upanishads.
However, she thinks that the concept of bhakti rasa - not jus becoming
sugar but enjoying it - came in to Advaita from Alankara sastras which
describe secular rasas. She also thinks that it is the influence of Gaudiya
Vaishnavam on Advaita. But she does not think that this enrichment of
Advaita tradition primarily by Madhusuda is in any way against its core
tenets. She thinks it is the result of syncretic, heterodox and liberalist
culture of India under the rule of Emperor Akbar.

I asked Sri Mani Dravid Sastrigal if the early Advaita Acharyas were aware
of bhakti rasa (sakhya, madhurya etc.). He said though they may not have
used  the term, we cannot say that they did not have that knowledge. Though
I am inclined to believe that, I requested him to help me with literary
references for my work on Bhakti in Advaita and he said he will.

Sankara quotes Hari Vamsa in the introduction to Vishnu Sahasranama, which
most scholars admit is his work. It describes the different rasas but have
to find a critical edition. Sridhara Swami has a scheme of bhakti rasa in
his work. There areother works such as Muktiphala. But I have to find
references to bhakti rasas in the Vedas and Upanishads themselves in
addition to the works of early Advaita acharyas. It will make the case for
Bhakti in Advaita rock solid.