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Madhusūdana Sarasvatī | |
|---|---|
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1490 CE |
| Died | 1580 CE Bengal, India |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Philosophy | Advaita,Vaishnavism[1] |
| Part ofa series on | |
| Hindu philosophy | |
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| Orthodox | |
| Heterodox | |
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Madhusūdana Sarasvatī (c.1490–1580)[2] was anIndian philosopher in theAdvaita Vedānta tradition and devotee ofKrishna.[3] He was the disciple of Viśveśvara Sarasvatī and Mādhava Sarasvatī.
Madhusūdana composedAdvaitasiddhi, a line-by-line refutation ofNyayamṛta.[4] In response toAdvaitasiddhi, theDvaita scholars, Vyasa Ramacharya, and Ananda Bhattaraka, wroteNyayamṛta Tarangini andNyayamṛta Kantakoddhara and challenged Madhusūdana Sarasvatī.[5][6][7]
Madhusūdana was born in aVaishnavaBrahmin family in a village named Unashia situated in the present-day Kotalipara division ofGopalganj district nearFaridpur inBangladesh.[8] His father was aSanskrit scholar named Pramod Purandara Acharya, and originally called Kamalanayana (atau Kamalajanayana).[9] He was educated in theNavya-Nyāya tradition atNabadwip under reputed scholars of those days like Harirama Tarkavagisha andMathuranath Tarkavagisha, but later undertook sannyasa from asannyāsi ofDashanami Sampradaya named Vishvesvara Sarasvati, and moved toVaranasi in order to studyAdvaita Vedanta.[10]
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Madhusūdana wrote a number of works, all involving the defence and exposition ofAdvaita Vedānta, of which the largest and most respected is theAdvaitasiddhi,[11] which opposes theDvaita Vedānta positions and arguments inVyāsatīrtha's workNyāyāmṛta.[12] Madhusūdana also wrote at least nine other works, of which five were commentaries (on theBhagavadgīta, on parts of theBhāgavatapurāņa, and others). He wrote the Īśvarapratīpatti-prakāś, Vedāntakalpalatikā, Sārasangraha on Sarvajñātmā's Saṅkṣēpa-śārīrika, and the justly famous Siddhāntabindu on Śaṅkarācārya'sDaśaślokī.
A total of twenty-one books have been ascribed to Madhusūdana. Of them, nineteen books are undoubtedly his, but the authorship of the remaining two is doubtful. Twelve of his books are on philosophy, the rest are poems, plays and miscellaneous themes. The philosophical books include commentaries.
Madhusūdana was so accomplished in Navya Nyaya (New logic) techniques that the following verse is quoted about him when he visitedNabadvipa, the center for learning inNyaya Shastra[citation needed],
नवद्वीपे समायाते मधुसूदनवाक्पतौ
चकम्पे तर्कवागीशः कातरोऽभूद्गदाधरः
Meaning:When Madhusudana, the master of speech, came to navadvipa, Mathuranatha tarkavagisha (who was the foremost navya naiyayika during those times) trembled (with fear) and Gadadhara (another logician of great repute) became afraid.
A few words about the authors. Madhusudana Sarasvati is a towering giant among advaitins. An oft quoted verse regarding him is[citation needed],
मधुसूदनसरस्वत्याः पारं वेत्ति सरस्वती पारं वेत्ति सरस्वत्याः मधुसूदनसरस्वती
Meaning: (Only) the Goddess of Learning,Saraswati knows the limits of (knowledge of) Madhusūdana Sarasvati. And Madhusūdana Sarasvati knows the limits of Goddess Sarasvati (Knowledge).
Madhusūdana Sarasvatī was a great devotee of Krishna. Just likeAppayya Dikshita, who integrated Sivādvaita into Advaita Vedanta, Madhusūdana bridged the Satvata school ofPancaratraVaishnavism and Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Madhusūdana boldly differs fromAdi Shankara in some of his interpretations of theBrahma Sutras and theGītā, although he salutesAdi Shankara andSuresvara in the most reverential terms. Madhusūdana places a greater emphasis on the path of devotion (bhakti), while Shankara emphasizes knowledge (jnana) as the primary means to liberation. Tradition also recounts that Viṭṭhalesa, the son ofVallabha of theSuddhadvaita school, studied under Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, who thus forms a crucial link between Advaita Vedanta and many Vaishnava sects in the north.
Madhusūdana Sarasvatī draws upon theYogavasistha detailing of seven stages of yogic practice leading to self-realization and the end ofavidya (ignorance). It begins with preparatory practices like acquiring knowledge and detachment, progresses to engaging in reflective dialogues, deep meditation, and the revelation of reality. In the last three stages, focus is on attaining the state ofjivanmukti (liberation while living). The last three stages involves achieving complete detachment through determinate samadhi (while voluntarily returning to worldly consciousness), living in heightened detachment, and complete ease and surrender. The final stage is where bodily functions are sustained by God marking attainment ofjivanmukti.[13]
According to aDashanami legend,Madhusudana Sarasvati complained to theMughal emperorAkbar about Muslim attacks on Hindu ascetics. Akbar's courtierBirbal suggested that Sarasvati initiate non brahmin members in his group and arm them. This legend has been passed down through oral tradition, and its historicity is not confirmed by historical texts. However,J. N. Farquhar believed that it had some historical basis.[14]
Madhusudana Sarasvati is unique among monistic Vedantists to have profound faith in and to plead the cause of Vaishnavite devotion centred round Krishna.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Madhusudana Saraswati (1490-1580) is an Advaitin who simul-taneously enriched the literature on Advaita philosophy as well as on bhakti.
Madhusudana Sarasvati , the famous Advaitic dialectician and devotee of Krishna , gives some new ideas on Bhakti rasa in his Bhagavadbhaktirasayana.
