gauDIya vaiShNava objections to advaita of shrI shankarAchArya - part 1: bhakti

[Guest guest]

Often it is said by followers of Advaita that ShankarAchArya was a

great devotee, citing several of his devotional stotras in support of

this. Indeed, bhakti (devotion) has its place in Advaita philosophy,

and in fact it is actually encouraged. Therefore, why should there be

objections from gaudIya vaiShNavas to Advaita?

 

While certainly gauDIya vaiSNavas do not object to the idea of

shankarAchArya as a closet bhakta, since he is regarded by them as an

incarnation of Lord Shiva, it is true in general that bhakti as it is

conceived of in Advaitist literature of Shankara and practiced by

them is not compatible with gauDIya vaiShNava/shAstric concept of

bhakti.

 

Let us quote from shrI shankarAchArya to establish the Advaitist

conception of bhakti:

 

mokShakAraNasAmagryAM bhaktireva garIyasI |

svasvarUpAnusandhAnaM bhaktirityabhidhIyate || 31 ||

 

Among all means of liberation, devotion is supreme. To seek earnestly

to know one's real nature - that is said to be devotion.

(vivekachUDAmaNi 31)

 

svAtmatattvAnusandhAnaM bhaktirityapare jaguH |

uktasAdhanasaMpannastattvajij~nAsurAtmanaH |

upasIdedguruM prAj~naM yasmAdbandhavimokShaNam || 32 ||

 

In other words, devotion can be defined as the search for the reality

of one's own Atman. The seeker after the reality of the Atman, who

possesses the above mentioned qualifications, should approach an

illumined teacher from whom he can learn the way to liberation.

(vivekachUDAmaNi 32)

 

shraddhAbhaktidhyAnayogAnmumukShormukterhetUnvakti

sAkShAchchhrutergIH |

yo vA eteShveva tiShTatyasuShya mokSho'vidhyAkalpitAddehabandhAt ||

46 ||

 

Faith, devotion, and constant communion with God through prayer -

these are declared by the sacred scriptures to be the seeker's direct

means of liberation. To him who abides by them comes liberation from

that bondage of physical consciousness which has been forged by

ignorance. (vivekachUDAmaNi 46)

 

In the above sayings of shrI shankarAchArya, bhakti is said to be the

means to liberation. Indeed, it is considered the direct means to

liberation. What is bhakti? ShrI Shankara says it is the search for

the reality of one's own Atman, which culminates in liberation. On

the surface, this seems like high praise for bhakti. So apparently

bhaktas should not object to Advaita as another path of devotion.

 

However, shrIla rUpa gosvAmI defines bhakti *quite differently*:

 

anyAbhilAShitAshUnyaM j~nAnakarmAdyanAvR^itam |

AnukUlyena kR^iShNAnushIlanaM bhaktiruttamA || BRS 1.1.11 ||

 

The highest devotion is dedicated service to Krishna that is rendered

pleasantly, is devoid of desire for anything else, and is

unobstructed by j~nAna or karma. (bhaktirasAmR^itasindhu 1.1.11)

 

In the above defintion of bhakti, several features stand out in

striking contrast to the definition offered by shrI shankarAchArya:

 

1) Bhakti is service dedicated to Lord Krishna. In other words,

shrIla rUpa gosvAmI does not endorse such a definition in

relationship to any other ishta-devata. This is in contrast to

Advaitins who traditionally conceive of bhakti to Shiva, bhakti to

Durga, etc as all being same.

 

2) Bhakti as conceived of by shrIla rUpa gosvAmI is untinged by

j~nAna and karma. That pure devotion is untinged by the desire for

fruitive results is probably not incompatible with Shankara's view.

But it's the j~nAna part that is the real clincher. J~nAna refers to

discrimination between matter and spirit, culminating in self-

realization and liberation. While such knowledge is indeed a feature

of bhakti, it does not overshadow bhakti in rUpa gosvAmI's view. This

is in contrast to the definition offered by Shankara (above) in which

bhakti is conceived of as j~nAna - the search after understanding

one's own Atman culminating in liberation. For rUpa gosvAmI, and

indeed for gauDIya vaiShNavas, bhakti done for the purpose of

attaining liberation, self-realization, etc is not actually bhakti.

Rather, bhakti aims only for the pleasure of Lord Krishna, and self-

realization, understanding the difference between the self and

matter, etc are subordinate concepts. Thus, the emphasis is

completely different: in one case, bhakti is the search for j~nAna,

while in the other case, bhakti which already includes j~nAna is only

the selfless, unalloyed service to Lord Krishna.

 

These are irreconciable differences in the two concepts of bhakti.

Perhaps if shAstra did not say one way or another what this bhakti

is, we could argue that the differences are trivial, though they do

represent differences. However, it is very clear that srI rUpa

gosvAmI's definition of bhakti has full endorsement from shAstra,

while shrI shankara's does not. Quoting from shrImad bhAgavata purANa:

 

sAlokyasArShTisAmIpyasArUpyaikatvam apy uta |

dIyamAnaM na gR^ihNanti vinA matsevanaM janAH || bhA 3.29.13 ||

 

A pure devotee does not accept any kind of liberation — sAlokya,

sArShTi, sAmIpya, sArUpya or ekatva — even though they are offered by

the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (bhAgavata purANa 3.29.13)

 

The above explains that the devotee does not accept any kind of

liberation, in conrast to shankarAchArya's view that the devotee

undertakes devotion to secure liberation.

 

tasmAn madbhaktiyuktasya yogino vai madAtmanaH |

na j~nAnaM na cha vairAgyaM prAyaH shreyo bhaved iha || bhA 11.20.31

||

 

Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind

fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is

generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within

this world. (bhAgavata purANa 11.20.31)

 

Again note the contrast with ShankarAchArya's view: for him, bhakti

is basically j~nAna, while for devotees bhakti is a separate process

which for its effectiveness is independent of any separate

cultivation of knowledge and renunciation.

 

Indeed, there are many, many verses in the BhAgavata purANa

explaining how the devotee is NOT interested in liberation; he only

wants the service of the Lord. We cannot quote all of them if we want

this to remain concise. Suffice it to say that because of his

selfless service and the Lord's grace, the devotee gets liberation

automatically. By contrast, in shankarAchArya's view, bhakti is not

the service of the Lord necessarily, but rather the search after

one's own Atman, which is the direct means to liberation. For rUpa

gosvAmI, bhakti is unalloyed service to the Lord, not even tinged by

j~nAna (the desire for self-realization and liberation).

 

These two views are as different as night and day.