Madhusudana Sarasvati c. 1540 – c. 1640
Madhusudana Sarasvati (c. 1540 – c. 1640) was an Indian philosopher of the Modern era, associated with Vedanta and Indian Philosophy.
Madhusudana Sarasvati was a sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Indian Advaita Vedantin philosopher, traditionally regarded as one of the greatest Advaita systematists between Sankara and the modern period. His Advaitasiddhi, the Establishment of Non-Dualism, mounted the most thorough Advaita reply to the dualist arguments of Madhva and his school, while his Bhakti-rasayana, the Elixir of Devotion, defended the philosophical legitimacy of devotional bhakti within the strict Advaita framework, in which the non-dual self is held to be the only ultimate reality. He was also a champion of the philosophical defense of Hinduism in his time and is said to have advised the Mughal court of Akbar.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Vedanta, Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati:
“Brahman is the only real; the world is a true appearance, but appearance is not the real.”
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Attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati:
“Bhakti and jnana are not rivals; they are the two faces of one ascent.”
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Attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati:
“What the dualist mistakes for a final answer is only the question put more forcefully.”
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Attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati:
“The non-dual self is the witness of all states, and is itself never a state.”
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Attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati:
“To love God is the easy beginning; to know that the lover is no other than the beloved is the long end.”
Frequently asked about Madhusudana Sarasvati
- When did Madhusudana Sarasvati live?
- Madhusudana Sarasvati was born in c. 1540 and died in c. 1640.
- Where was Madhusudana Sarasvati from?
- Madhusudana Sarasvati was an Indian philosopher of the Modern era.
- What philosophical movements is Madhusudana Sarasvati associated with?
- Madhusudana Sarasvati was associated with Vedanta and Indian Philosophy.
- What was Madhusudana Sarasvati known for?
- Madhusudana Sarasvati was a sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Indian Advaita Vedantin philosopher, traditionally regarded as one of the greatest Advaita systematists between Sankara and the modern period.
- How many quotes are attributed to Madhusudana Sarasvati?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Madhusudana Sarasvati in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.