Saguṇa and Nirguṇa-Bhakti, Advaita Vedānta, and Madhusūdana Sarasvatī

Abstract

This article delves into the devotional dimension within the Advaita Vedānta philosophy of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī (c. 1540-1647 CE), a significant post-Śaṅkara Advaitin from Bengal. While Śaṅkara's Advaita primarily emphasized knowledge (jñāna) as the sole path to liberation (mokṣa), Madhusūdana significantly departed by integrating the importance of bhakti for attaining liberation. He uniquely argued that Kṛṣṇa, his chosen deity, was none other than nirguṇa-brahman (the attributeless ultimate reality), reconciling devotionalism with non-dualism. Drawing extensively from the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Madhusūdana established bhakti, particularly nirguṇa-prema-bhakti, as a direct and even superior means to realizing ultimate truth, often quicker than jñāna. The paper analyzes Madhusūdana's commentaries, especially on the Bhagavadgītā, highlighting his interpretations of bhakti as intense love for God, and his assertion of three paths to liberation (knowledge, action, and devotion) as opposed to Śaṅkara's two. Ultimately, Madhusūdana's work represents a profound synthesis, demonstrating that ardent devotion to saguṇa-brahman (Kṛṣṇa) is entirely consistent with the realization of nirguṇa-brahman, thereby expanding the scope and appeal of Advaita philosophy.