On the Significance of the Bhāgavatapurā
ṇ
a in
Madhusūdana Sarasvatī s Advaita Doctrine
M
ANABE
Tomohiro
1. Introduction
Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, a scholar of the Advaita Vedānta School who flourished in the 16th century, wrote the commentary Paramahaṃsapriyā (PP) on the Bhāgavatapurā
ṇ
a (BhP) 1.1.1–3. In the section on BhP 1.1.2, Madhusūdana argued that the BhP is superior to any other work (śāstra).1) Classifying all śāstras into the three categories of karmakāṇ
ḍa,jñānakā
ṇ
ḍa and upāsanakāṇ
ḍa or upāsanākāṇ
ḍa, he claimed that none of them fulfills the purpose of the BhP.2) From among these three categories, the jñānakāṇ
ḍa corresponds tothe Advaita Vedānta School to which Madhusūdana himself belonged. At that same time, Madhusūdana also argued in the PP on the BhP 1.1.1 that the doctrines of the BhP are con-sistent with those of the Brahmasūtra (BS), that is to say the Advaita theories.
In other words, Madhusūdana argued that the BhP is superior to the BS while simultane-ously claiming that the BhP is consistent with the BS. Focusing on the PP on the BhP 1.1.2, this paper will clarify how Madhusūdana conceived of the relation between the BS, that is the Advaita doctrines, and the BhP.
2. The Consistency of the Doctrines of the BhP with Those of the BS
In the PP on the BhP 1.1.1, Madhusūdana claimed that each phrase of the BhP 1.1.1 is con-sistent with the BS and established the following correspondences. BhP janmādi asya yata
ḥ
=BS 1.1.2; BhP anvayāt =BS 1.1.4; BhP artheṣv abhijñaḥ
=BS 1.1.5; BhP tene brahma hṛdā ityādi=BS 1.1.3; BhP muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
=BS 1.1.6–1.4.28; BhPtejovārimṛdām ityādi=BS 2; BhP dhīmahi =BS 3; BhP dhāmnā svena sadā nirastakuhakaṃ satyaṃ param =BS 4.3) Madhusūdana also thought that the 12 chapters of
the BhP converge in the BhP 1.1.1.4) Consequently, it is clear that Madhusūdana considered
Moreover, in the PP on the BhP 1.1.2 Madhusūdana interpreted the expression entity (vastu) found in the BhP 1.1.2 as not to be rejected , and the phrase the one that gives happiness (śivadam) as the one whose essential nature is bliss .5) These interpretations
clearly are offered with the Advaita understanding of brahman in mind. Additionally, Madhusūdana interpreted the term the one that eradicates the three sufferings (tāpatrayonmūlanam) in the BhP 1.1.2 as the brahman which severs avidyā, the cause of all unhappiness.6) This interpretation harks back to the theory of Śaṅkara (ca. –756–772–)
who is the founder of the Advaita school.7) In short, also the commentary Madhusūdana
of-fered on the BhP 1.1.2 affirms the BhP s consistency with the Advaita school.
3. The BhP Is Superior to the BS
However, in the PP on the BhP 1.1.2 it is also claimed that the BhP is superior to the BS. Both the BhP and the BS seek to reveal the same object, namely the pure brahman that is the highest human purpose and called Vāsudeva . Nevertheless, there are differences in terms of the persons qualified to realize brahman and the ease with which they can do so.
First, in terms of the the persons qualified to realize brahman, according to the BS these are the Paramahaṃsa ascetics drawn from the top three castes. However, those possessed of dull intellectual faculties cannot comprehend the difficult doctrines of the BS and conse-quently cannot realize brahman even if they belong to the same top three castes. Further-more, women and Śūdras completely lack the necessary qualifications and cannot realize brahman at all. In the BhP, on the other hand, since there is no provision restricting those who are qualified to realize brahman,8) so that any person including women and Śūdras can attain
it.
Next, with respect to the ease of realizing brahman, according to the doctrines of the BS realizing brahman is exceedingly difficult. Even Paramahaṃsa ascetics drawn from the top three castes can only attain an approximate realization of brahman, and those of inferior faculties, even if they belong to the top three castes, cannot grasp it at all. However, by repeatedly explaining the essence of the doctrines of the BS in easy-to-understand words, the BhP males it possible to fully realize brahman not only for people with outstanding ca-pacities but for stupid and mediocre people as well.9)
In brief, for Madhusūdana the BhP is superior to the BS in two respects: first, there is no restriction to those qualified to realize brahman and second it is easy to realize brahman.
4. Madhusūdana s Innovativeness
Madhusūdana accepted that women and Śūdras can attain brahmavidyā, that is, liberation (mokṣa) according to the doctrines of the BhP. However, since the Advaita belong to the conservative schools of the brāhma
ṇ
a traditional, in principle it denied that anyone not be-longing to the top three castes could acquire brahmavidyā. Śaṅkara in the Brahmasūtrabhāṣya (BSBh) did accept the possibility of Śūdra liberation according to ep-ics (Itihāsa) and Purāṇ
a based on the Mahābhārata. However, he denied that possibilty un-der Vedic authority.10) Thus Śaṅkara s attitude represents a position that draws a cleardis-tinction between the Veda and the Epic/Purā
ṇ
a tradition.Madhusūdana, on the other hand, declared that women and Śūdras also could acquire brahmavidyā through the BhP. What is important in this regard is that Madhusūdana con-sidered the BhP to be consistent with the BS and to reveal a similar essence (tādṛśarasavyaṃjaka)11) as the BS. Moreover, in his commentary, Madhusūdana clearly
stated that the BhP is superior to the BS. His attitude could thus be said to be more innova-tive than Śaṅkara s position, which clearly distinguishes between the Veda and the Epics/ the Purā
ṇ
a. Madhusūdana is said to have opened the monastery s gate not only to Kṣatriya and Vaiṣya but also to Śūdra for the first time in Advaita history.12) It is thought that thestatement of the PP provide some of the doctrinal grounds for his actions.13)
5. Conclusion
Madhusūdana thought the BhP to be consistent with the BS in terms of teaching brahman. Since for Madhusūdana the doctrines of the BS are none other than the Advaita doctrines themselves, this means that he considered the BhP and the Advaita doctrines based on the BS to be basically the same. However, contrary to the conservative Advaita doctrine that in principle only accepts the realization of brahmavidyā for the top three castes, Madhusūdana clearly stated that women and Śūdras also could acquire brahmavidyā through reciting the BhP. It can be said that for Madhusūdana the BhP is not only signifi-cant in that it agrees with the Advaita doctrine, but also triggered the demise of the Advai-ta s conservative traditionalism.
Notes
1) PP2 166: tathā ca sarvaśāstrāpekṣayā śreṣṭhatvād idam eva sarvadā śrotavyam iti bhāvaḥ.
2) See Manabe 2017.
3) PP1 67,26–68,14: caturlakṣaṇamīmāṃsārūpatvaṃ cāsya sūcitam. tathā hi pūrvārddhena janmādy
asya yataḥ iti nyāyas sākṣād eva darśitaḥ. anvayād ity anena tat tu samanvayāt iti. artheṣv abhijña ity anena īkṣater nāśabdam iti. tene brahma hṛdetyādinā śāstrayonitvāt iti. muhyanti yat sūraya ity anena etena sarve vyākhyātā vyākhyātāḥ ityanto nyāyakalāpas sūcitaḥ. iti samanvayādhyāyo vyākhyātaḥ. tejovārimṛdām ityādinā tadananyatvam ārambhaṇaśabdādibhyaḥ ityādinyāyasūcanād avirodhā-dhyāyārthaḥ. dhīmahīty anena sahakāryantaravidhiḥ pakṣeṇa tṛtīyaṃ tadvato vidhyādivad ityādinyāya-sūcanāt sādhanādhyāyārthaḥ. dhāmnā svena sadā nirastakuhakaṃ satyaṃ param iti phalādhyāyārthaḥ, avidyātatkāryanivṛttyupalakṣitaparamānandarūpāvaśeṣāt.
4) PP1 68,24–69,9: evaṃ ca sargādīny api daśa lakṣaṇāny anena ślokena sūcitāni. janmādy asya yataḥ
ity anena sargavisargasthānāni tṛtīyacaturthapañcamaskandhavyutpādyāni sūcitāni. tene brahma hṛdā ya ādikavaye ityādinā bhaktānugrahalakṣaṇaṃ poṣaṇaṃ ṣaṣṭhaskandhavyutpādyaṃ sūcitam. muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ ity anena karmavāsanārūpā ūtiḥ saptamaskandhavyutpādyā sūcitā. manvantareśānukathe aṣṭamanavamaskandhaprameye sthānamadhya evāntarbhūte. tejovārimṛdāṃ yathāvinimayaḥ ity anena nirodho daśamaskandhārtho darśitaḥ. dhāmnā svena sadā nirastakuhakam ity anena muktir ekādśaskandhārtho darśitā. satyaṃ param ity anenāśrayo dvādaśaskandhārtho darśitaḥ. dhīmahi ity ātmanepadottamapuruṣaprayogād adhikārī prathamaskandhārthaḥ. tenaiva dhyānopalakṣitasādhanānuṣṭh ānarūpo dvitīyaskandhārthaḥ.
5) PP2 103–108: śivadam ity anena paramānandarūpatayā tasya puruṣārthatvaṃ kathitam. śivaṃ
dadāti sarvebhya iti śivadam. tathā ca śrutiḥ̶ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyād yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt. eṣa hy evānandayatīti ānandarūpasyaiva sataḥ sarvānandahetutvaṃ darśayati.
6) PP2 109–118: tāpatrayaṃ ca̶ādhyātmikaṃ jvaraśokādi, ādhidaivikaṃ grahāveśādi, ādhibhautikaṃ
vyāghrasarpādīti. tasya ca unmūlanaṃ niḥśeṣavināśanam. tāpatrayonmūlanam ity anena sarvānarthanivṛttirūpatayā sarvānarthahetoḥ anādyavidyāyā ucchedakatvaṃ sūcitam. tathā ca śrutiḥ̶
tam eva viditvātimṛtyum eti / nicāyya taṃ mṛtyumukhāt pramucyate / ityādyā tataḥ sarvānarthanivṛttiṃ darśayati.
7) Bhagavadgītābhāṣya (BhGBh) 244,2–4 (on Bhagavadgītā 16.18): ahaṃkāram ahaṃkaraṇam ahaṃkāraḥ, vidyamānair avidyamānaiś ca guṇair ātmany adhyāropitair viśiṣṭam ātmānam aham iti manyate, so haṃkāro vidyākhyaḥ kaṣṭatamaḥ sarvadoṣāṇāṃ mūlaṃ sarvānarthapravṛttīnāṃ ca, tam; Gauḍapādīyakārikābhāṣya (GKBh) 206,22f. (on Gauḍapādīyakārikā 2.36): yasmāt sarvānarthapraśama-rūpatvād advayaṃ śivam abhayam, ata evaṃ viditvainam advaite smṛtiṃ yojayet. Madhusūdana himself said as follows: Siddhāntabindu (SB) 337,10–338,3 (on DŚ 6): tathā ca śrutiḥ̶asthūlam anaṇv ahras-vam adīrgham alohitam (Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad 3.8.8.) ityādyāḥ aśabdam asparśam arūpam avyayaṃ tathārasaṃ nityam agandhavac ca yat (Kathopaniṣad 1.3.15.) ityādyāś ca sarvānarthaśūnyaṃ paramātmasvarūpaṃ pratipādayanti.
8) Rather, the BhP poditively affirms the possibility of women and Śūdras attaining deliverance. BhP 7.7.54: daiteyā yakṣarakṣāṃsi striyaḥ śūdrā vrajaukasaḥ / khagā mrgāḥ pāpajīvāḥ santi hy acyutatāṃ gatāḥ //
9) The above discussion is based on PP2 119–123: evaṃ ca yat paramapuruṣārthabhūtaṃ śuddhaṃ
brahma vāsudevākhyaṃ caturlakṣaṇīmīmāṃsayā vicārya mumukṣubhis traivarṇikaiḥ
mahān atiśayaḥ. strīśūdrādīnāṃ caturlakṣaṇīmīmāṃsāśravaṇe nadhikārasya tatraiva vyutpāditatvāt. mandamatīnāṃ ca traivarṇikānāṃ tādṛśadurūhatarkeṣu apraveśāt. iha tu tat tādṛśarasavyaṃjakair eva śabdaiḥ komaloktyā bhūyobhūyaḥ pratipādanāt mandamadhyottamānāṃ sarveṣāṃ brahmavedanaṃ yuktam iti bhāvaḥ.
10) BSBh 281,2–5: yeṣāṃ punaḥ pūrvakṛtasaṃskāravaśād viduradharmavyādhaprabhṛtīnāṃ jñānotpattiḥ, teṣāṃ na śakyate phalaprāptiḥ pratiṣeddhum, jñānasyaikāntikaphalatvāt. śrāvayec caturo varṇān iti cetihāsapurāṇādhigame cāturvarṇyasyādhikārasmaraṇāt. vedapūrvakas tu nāsty adhikāraḥ
śūdrāṇām iti sthitam. 11) See fn. 9).
12) See Farquhar 1925. Regarding the situation of the monastery before Madhusūdana, see Sawai 2016 pp. 231–233.
13) In adition to the BhP, the BhG may also be mentioned as a work that influenced Madhusūdana s atti-tude. Saha 2014 offer a study of the Advaita doctrines in the Bhagavadgītāgūḍhārthadīpikā, which is Madhusūdana s commentary on the BhG.
Abbreviations
BhGBh Bhagavadgītābhāṣya (Śaṅkara). Śrīmadbhagavadgītā with Śaṅkarabhāṣya. Works of Śaṅkarācārya in Original Sanskrit, II. Pūṇā: Motilal Banarsidass, 1929 (5th ed: Vārāṇasī: Motilal Banarsidass, 2004).
BS Brahmasūtra (Bādarāyaṇa). See BSBh.
BSBh Brahmasūtrabhāṣya (Śaṅkara). Brahmasūtra-śāṅkarabhāṣyam with the Commentaries, Bhāṣyaratnaprabhā of Govindānanda, Bhāmatī of Vācaspatimiśra, Nyāyanirṇaya of Ānandagiri. Ed. J. L. Shastri. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1980. Repr., 2000.
BhP Bhāgavatapurāṇa. Śrīmadbhāgavata-Mahāpurāṇam: Śrīdharī -Ṭīkopetam. Ed. Ramatej Pandhey. Brajajīvan Prādhyabhāratī Granthamālā, 28. Dillī: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Pratishthan, 2011.
GKBh Gauḍapādīyakārikābhāṣya (Śaṅkara). Ten Principal Upaniṣads with Sankarabhāṣya. Works of Śaṅkarācārya in Original Sanskrit, I. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1964. Repr., 2007.
PP1 Paramahaṃsapriyā on Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.1.1 (Madhusūdana Sarasvatī). See PP1P, PP1K, PP1S
(The root text is PP1P in this paper).
PP1P The Harilīlāmṛtam by Śrī Bopadeva with Commentary by Śrī Madhusūdana Sarasvatī and Śrī Bhāgavata (First Śloka) with the Paramahaṃsapriyā Commentary by the Same Commentator. Ed. Parajuli Pandit Devi Datta Upadhyaya. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, no. 411. Benares: The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1933, 58–73.
PP1K Śrīmadbhāgavatamahāpurāṇam Sātvatasaṃhitā: anekavyākhyāsamalaṅkṛtam. Prathamaskandhaḥ.
Ed. Śrī Śrīmad Kriṣṇa Śaṅkara Śāstrī. Ahmedabad: Śrībhāgavatavidyāpīṭha, 1965, 55–60. PP1S Śrīmadhusūdanasarasvatībhiḥ viracitā Paramahaṃsapriyā nāma Śrīmadbhagavatādyapadyavyākhyā.
Ed. Svāmīnīlakaṇṭhānandagiri. Brahmacārī Gyānavaitanya for www.lalitaalaalitah.com, 2011. PP2 Paramahaṃsapriyā on Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.1.2 (Madhusūdana Sarasvatī).
http://sans.lalitaalaa-litah.com/2014/07/paramahaMsapriyA-25.html. (PDF version: Downloaded from https:// ia902504.us.archive.org/3/items/paramahaMsapriyA-2-shlokaH/paramahaMsapriyA-2-shlo-kaH.pdf on 02/07/2017).
SB Siddhāntabindu (Madhusūdana Sarasvatī). Siddhāntabindu of Madhusūdana Sarasvatī: Being a Commentary on the Daśaślokī of Śaṅkarāchārya: With Two Commentaries Nyāya Ratnāvalī of Gaudabrahmānanda and Laghuvyākhyā of Nārāyaṇa Tīrtha. Ed. Tryambakram Śāstrī
Vedāntāchārya. The Kashi Sanskrit Series, 65. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Sansthan. 2nd ed., 1989.
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(This research was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 17J00156)
Key words Madhusūdana Sarasvatī，Bhāgavatapurāṇa，Paramahaṃsapriyā, Advaita Vedānta
