New Member Introduction: Let us welcome Sri Lakshminarayana

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

With great pleasure, we welcome Sri Lakshminarayana,

new member to the list. Thanks for raising an

interesting question related to Bhakti and it is a

thoughtful question which needs careful consideration.

 

 

We invite and encourage the new members to actively

participate in the list discussions with their

thoughtful questions and comments.

 

 

Warmest regards,

 

--- Lakshminarayana <narayana_kl_71 wrote:

>

> My name is Lakshminarayana. With a seriousness in

> vedanta and some unshared ideas and unanswered

> questions this group is probably a good place to be

> in. One such question is whether or not the

> upanishads propound the doctrine of bhakti, for such

> a word or even such a doctrine does not occur at any

> place in any genuine one. An other is whether the

> gIta is really a purely vedAntic text or whether it

> combines the doctrines of vedAnta, sAmkhya, yoga and

> bhakti. Incidentally bhakti as a means of liberation

> is first seen in the gIta/Mahabharata and even there

> it seems to be implying devotional contemplation

> rather than emotional attachment. The latter variety

> occurs for the first time in the bhAgavata purANa,

> but this purANa is not mentioned anywhere in the

> works of Sankara or GaudapAda or even anyone before

> them, which makes one suspect that this is written

> after Sankara. That being the case, can it be safely

> said that the doctrine of bhakti as emotional

> relationship is relatively new

> unlike the doctrine of jNAna whose roots are placed

> in the upanishads? Please note that this is not an

> attempt to undermine bhakti at the cost of jNAna,

> but is just an honest question to know the antiquity

> or otherwise of bhakti. A genuine and sincere answer

> would be very much appreciated.

 

 

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