The Life of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī

Abstract

The article "The Life of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī" by Lance E. Nelson traces the fragmentary and complex biographical narrative of the celebrated Advaita Vedāntin, Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, while exploring his deep and paradoxical engagement with Vaiṣṇava devotion. Nelson surveys a variety of sources—including hagiographies, internal references from Madhusūdana’s own writings, and historical chronicles like the Dabistān-i Mazāhib—to reconstruct his life and thought within the tumultuous religio-political climate of 16th-century Varanasi. Emphasis is placed on Madhusūdana’s profound allegiance to Kṛṣṇa even while defending a non-dualist metaphysics. The article explores Madhusūdana’s potential role in upholding Advaita against Muslim critiques, his debates with Dvaita thinkers, and his theologically rich devotional stotras like the Bhagavad-bhakti-rasāyana. Nelson critically examines how Madhusūdana reconciles his intense bhakti with Advaita's radical non-dualism, suggesting that such synthesis was both a spiritual and polemical strategy. The study demonstrates Madhusūdana’s lasting importance as a bridge between impersonalist philosophy and personalist devotion.