SANKARA-MANDANA SAMVADAH - FORWARD Dear friends,
I reproducebelow the Sankara-Mandana Samvadah posted in the Pattars group by senior memberSri P K Ramakrishnan on 8-5-2003. It was stored in my external memory Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan1-6-2021 From: "P.K. Ramakrishnan"<[email protected]> Subject : [Pattars] Sankara-Mandana Samvadah Date : Thu, 8 May 2003 16:35:26 +0530 I wish to present the story leading to thedebate between Sankaracharya and Mandana Misra in three parts. Part 1. Sankara entering the house of Mandana. Part 2.The confrontation between Sankara andMandana. Part 3. Sarada Devi challenging Sankara Now read Part1 in the attachment. P.K.Ramakrishnan Sankara-Mandana Samvadah -Part 1 After writing commentaries on Upanishad, Brahmasutram andBhagavadgita (the fountation trios of Vedanta), Adi Sankara started hisdigvijaya from Prayaga. Here vijayameant defeating all those who held views contrary to his view of AdvaitaVedanta. The first suchopponent was Mandana Misra who was wedded toKarma Kanda as opposed to Sankara who was an advocate of Jnana Kanda. Sankara had heard of Mandana Misra who was residing inMahishmati on the banks of the river Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. He reached Mahishmati but did know the exactlocation of Mandana’s house. While on the road he saw Mandana’s housemaids going to theriver for fetching water. He asked them the way toMandana’s residence. They replied – Where the female parrots kept in cages at the entrance say - “swathah pramaanam parathah prmaanam” be sure that house isMandana’s. Where the female parrots kept in cages at the entrance say -“phalapradamkarma phalapradojah” be sure that house is Mandana’s. Where the female parrots kept in cages at the entrance say - “jagad dhruvam syaat jagadadhruvam syaat” be sure that houseis Mandana’s. (Note – These sutras are some of Jaimini the propounder ofKarmakanda of which Mandana was an ardent follower) Hearing these words spoken by parrots Sankara identifiedMandana’s house but could not gainentry as closed doors secured it. Using his yogasakti he went up in the air and descended inthe quadrangle of his house exposed to the sky. He saw thelearned person performing Sradhamwhere the invited Brahmins were Veda Vyasa and his disciple Jaimini. Both these persons welcomed Sankara. Mandanaseeing the Sanyasi intruding at this stage became enraged and there occurred awar of words between the Grihasthasrami and the Sanyasasrami. Part 2 Sankara-Mandana Samvadah The followingis the story of their confrontation before they agreed to enter into a debate. To whateverquestions asked by Mandana, Sankara assumed a different meaning and answered to the discomfiture of Mandana. Mandana - Kutho Mundii? (Where fromare you shaven head?) Sankara -Aagalaath Mundi. (From neckonwards) Mandana -Panthaasthey prichchyathe mayaa. (Yourway is being asked) Sankara -kimaaha panthaah? (What did theway reply?) Mandana -tvanmaathaa mundethyaaha. (It said thatyour mother is a shaven head [widow]) Sankara-thathaiva hi (is it not so) Panthaanam thvaamaprichchastvaam panthaah prathyaaha mandana / (you asked the way and the way replied to you.Oh Mandana) tvanmaahtethyatra shabdoyam na maam bruyaadaprichchakam / (The word “Your mother” will not be told tome since I have not asked) Mandana - Ahopitaa kimu suraa? (Did youpartake liquor?) (It can also mean isliqueur yellow) Sankara -naiva swethaa yathasmara. (No it is white, you recollect). Mandana - kimtvam jaanaasi thatdvarnam? (Do you knowits colour?) Sankara - aham varnam bhavan rasam. (I thecolour and you the taste) Note - In the somalatha yaagam preparing liquorfrom somalatha and partaking it are some of the rituals in the karmakanada. Mandana -Mattho jaathaH kalanjaashii Viparareethaani bhaashase / (Taking an intoxicating substance you havebecome intoxicated and therefore you speak contradictory things) (Note- heremathho jaathah can also mean born from me) Sankara -sathyam braveethi pitruvat tvatho jaathah kalanjabhuk / (Born from a drunkard rightly behaves like thefather) Mandana - kanthaamvahasi durbudhe Gardabhenaapi durvahaam / sikhaayajnopaveethaabyaam kaste bhaarobhavashyathi? (OH Idiot! Youare wearing a load of dress (a parched garment), which will not be carried evenby a donkey. They why it is burden to wear a tuft and sacred thread? Sankara -kanthaam vahaami durbudhe! Tava pitraapi durvahaam / Sikhaa yajnopaveethabhyaam Srutherbhaaro bhavishyathi// (O Durbudhe! Iam wearing a patched garment, which cannot be worn even by your father. Thetuft and sacred thread are a burden for the sruthi (meaning both the ear andVeda) Mandana -thyaktva panigrihitim swaam Asaktya parirakshaNe / Sishya-pustaka-bhaarechchoh Vyaakhyaathaabrahma-nishtathaa // (Abandoning aduly wedded wife unable to maintain her and placing the load of the books onthe disciples, one can understand the devotion to Brahma) Sankara - gurususrushanaalasyaat Samavarthya guroh kulaat / Sthriyas susrushamaaNasya Vyakhyaathaakarma-nishtathaa // (After returning from Gurukula being lazy of serving the Guru, and nowserving women - one can understand his devotion to karma) Mandana -sthithosi yoshithaam garbhe Thaabhireva vivardhithah / Aho krithaghnathaa murkha Katham thaa eva nindasi? (Staying in a woman’s womb and nourished by women,how ungrateful you are to despise women) Sankara -yasaam sthanyam thvayaa peetham Yaasaam jathosi yonithah / Thaasu murkhathamsteshu Pasuvad ramase katham? (You have suckled their breasts and you are bornfrom their yoni then O Fool how do you enjoy in them like an animal?) Mandan -Veerahathyaam avaaptosi Vanheenuddhasya yatnathah / (Afterproducing fire with great effort you are killing a Veera) Sankra -Atmahathyaam avapthastvam Aviditvaa param padam // (Withoutknowing the Supreme you are committing the sin of killing the self) Mandana - Dowarikan vanchayitvaa Katham sthenavadaagathah / (How have you come here like a thief eluding thewatchmen)? Sankara -Bhikshubhyonnam adatvaa tvam Sthenavad bhokshyase katham?// (How are you eating like a thief without offeringfood to a Bhikshu?) Mandana -Karmakaale na sambhaashye Aham murkheNa samprathi / (Engaged in a Karma [performing sradham] I will nottalk with an idiot now.) Note - InMandana’s words there was a grammatical mistake called “yathibhangam”. Sankara - Aho prakatitham jnaanam Yathibhangena bhaashiNaa / (Your knowledge is exposed speaking with yathibhangam) Note -Yahtibhanga can be split as defeat of a Yathi or Sanyasi. So Mandana says - Yathibhangepravrittasya Yathibhango nadoshabhhaak // (For whomengaged in defeating Yathis, Yahtibhanga is not a mistake) Note -Yathibhanga can also be split as defeat from a Yathi. So Sankara says - Yathibhangepravruthasya Panchamyanthamprakalpyathaam // (Engaged inYathibhanga you take it as defeat “froma Yathi” instead of “of a yathi”) Mandana - KwaBrahma? Kwa cha durmedhaah? Kwa vaa swargah? Kwa vaa kalih? / Swaadvannabhakshakaamena Veshoyam yoginaam dhruthah // (Where is Brahma? Where is this fool? Where isswarga? Where is Kali? Taking this dress of a yogi is only for getting goodfood) Sankara - Kwaswargah? Kwa duraachaarah? Kwaagnihotram? Kwa vaakalih? / Manye maithunakaamena Veshoyam karmiNaamdhrithah // (Where isSwarga? Where is crooked achara? Where is agnihotram? Where is Kali? Taking the robe of akarmi is only for conjugal enjoyment) At this stage Vyasa and Jaimini who had beeninvited as Brahmins for the sraadha intervened and suggested to Mandana totreat Sankara as Vishnu and invite him for meals in the third leaf of theSradham. Sankara declinedsaying that he wants vaadabhikshaa or a debate and notanna-bhiksha. The followingexplanations may be useful. Two meanings: Peethaa 1) Drunk 2) yellow Mattah 1)Intoxicated 2) from me Shruthi 1)Ear 2) Vedas Threemeanings: Yathibhangam1) A sort of mistake in poetry 2) Defeat of a yathi 3) defeat from a yathi Sankara-Mandana Samvada-Part 3 Sankaraagain said that he had not gone there for food. He wanted Mandana to enter into a debate with a wager that whoever wasdefeated would become the Sishya of the other person. Mandanaagreed for a debate. But who wouldproclaim the winner after spending all the energy in the debate. “I am prepared to start the debate from tomorrow. Let that day’s rituals be over. Let Vyasa and Jaimini be the witnesses.” Both Vysa andJaimini knew that Mandan’s wife Sarada was an avatar of Saraswathi andsuggested that she be the arbitrator. The nextday they assembled in the nearby temple where an assembly of pundits was alsopresent. Sankaraproclaimed that hewould win, but if he was defeated, he would throw away the kashayarobe and put on a white dress. Since Sarada was involved in household duties, shecould not be present throughout the debate. So she placed a garland on each of them and said that the garland of thedefeated person would fade. Every day heated debate wasgoing on. Every day Sarada would go there during mid-day and invite Mandana forBhojanam and Sankara for Bhiksha. This continued for five six days. Ido not consider fit enough to narrate the intricacies of their arguments. So Igo to the next stage. Then on one day when Sarada went to invite themfor meals, she found that the Mala on Mandana’s neck had faded. Soshe invited both of them together for Bhiksha. Then shementioned to Sankara that he had not defeated one half of Mandana that washerself. After defeating her only, she could makeMandana as his Sishya. Sankara said that ifhe had to enter into a debate with a woman to establish his contentions, thenthat should be done. Did not Yajnavalkya argue with Gargi and Janakawith Sulabhaa. Heagreed for a debate with her in the assembly of Pandits. This continued for 17 days and nightsexcepting for reasonable intervals. Finding Sankara undefeatable inany topic, Sarada thought like this. Sankara had become a Sanyasi straight fromboyhood. So he would not have known manythings on Sringara sastram. He was alsoforbidden to answer such questions. So she startedasking him such questions. Sankarahesitated for some moments. If he did not reply, hewould be called as ignorant and be declared defeated. If he answered, it would be against hisDharma. So he wanted one month’s time to answer thosequestions. This was agreed to. Then Sankara lifted himself inthe air and saw a king (called Amaruka) who had just then died in a forest.His queens and relatives were lamenting. Sankaraleft his body to be taken care of for one month by his disciples and enteredthe dead body of Amaruka. He asked Amaruka’s son to takecare of the administration. Thereis a long story here. I have to end thispart here. Sankarareturned and defeated Sarada also. Mandana who wasdefeated in the debate became the first disciple of Sankara with the name ofSureshwaracharya. He was appointed as the first Sankaracharya of Sringeri. Sankara also built a temple for Saradaat Sringeri. THIS EPISODE IS GIVEN IN SANKARADIGVIJAYAMof Vidyaranya. Vidyaranyahimself was one disciple -descendant Sankaracharya of Sringeri. He was earlier called Madhava and was the Prime Minister of VijayanagarKingdom. I am ending the story here.P.K.Ramakrishnan -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1292524222.1701129.1622528467723%40mail.yahoo.com.
