Maṇḍana Miśra
Encyclopedia
was a Hindu philosopher
, who wrote on the Mīmāmsā
and Advaita systems of thought, and was a student and follower of Ādi Śankara
. Maṇḍana Miśra, also known as Suresvaracharya, was a follower of the Karma Mimamsa
school of philosophy and a staunch defender of the holistic sphota doctrine of language. Later, he became a disciple of Adi Sankara.
Maṇḍana Miśra lived in the ancient India
n town of Mithila
(Bihar
) during the time of Adi Sankara. He is known to be a student of a mimansa scholar Kumarila Bhatta
. Being a follower of the Karma Mimamsa school, he was a ritual
ist and performed all of the ritualistic duties prescribed by the Vedas
. In certain Hindu
traditions, Maṇḍana Miśra is considered to be an incarnation of Brahma
.
being that he started life as a Mīmāmsaka
, but changed his name and became a sannyāsin and an Advaitin after being defeated in debate by Śankara. This is controversial, however, as it is said that the two men's works are too different for them to have been the same person. According to Kuppuswami Sastri, it is not likely that Maṇḍana Miśra, the author of Brahmasiddhi, is identical with Sureśvara, but the tradition is correct in describing Maṇḍana Miśra and Śankara as contemporaries. His critical edition of the Brahmasiddhi also points out that the name Maṇḍana Miśra is both a title and a first name, which is a possible cause for a confusion of personalities. Maṇḍana Miśra's brand of Advaita differs in certain critical details from that of Śankara, whereas Sureśvara's thought is very faithful to that of Śankara.
, who was the leading exponent of the Purva Mimansa Philosophy. However, at that time, Kumarila Bhatta was slowly immolating himself as a penance for his sins. After reading some of Sankara's work and realizing the depth of his knowledge, he directed Sankara to his greatest disciple, Maṇḍana Miśra, who was leading a householder's life (Grihastha
), to debate the merits of their respective schools of thought. While trying to find the house of Maṇḍana, Sankara asked for directions and was told the following:
Sankara found Maṇḍana, but the first meeting between them was not pleasant. According to Vedic ritualistic rules it is inauspicious to see an ascetic on certain days and Maṇḍana was angered to see an ascetic on the death anniversary of his father, which was such a day. Maṇḍana initially hurled insults at Sankara, who calmly replied to every insult with wordplay. The people in Maṇḍana's house soon realized Sankara's brilliance and advise Maṇḍana to offer his respect. Finally, after a verbal duel, Maṇḍana agreed to debate with Sankara.
in the folklore of Mithila
, would be the arbiter for the debate, and that the vanquished would become a disciple of the victor and accept his school of thought. The debate spanned many days and ranged across many different subjects within the Vedas, and the arguments of both competitors were compelling and forceful. Sankara finally emerged victorious. But Maṇḍana's wife, who was the judge, would not accept an ascetic as having complete knowledge since he did not have any knowledge about kama sastras (rules about marital life). Sankara was then given a month to research certain aspects of sex-love sciences and then resume the debate. According to legend, he entered into the body of a king who had just died in order to learn these sciences. Later, after obtaining the necessary knowledge, the debate resumed. After a long debate, Maṇḍana accepted defeat.
, he was one of the four main disciples of Sankara and was the first head of Sringeri Mutt, one of the four matha
s that Sankara later established.
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
, who wrote on the Mīmāmsā
Mimamsa
' , a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation" , is the name of an astika school of Hindu philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma based on close hermeneutics of the Vedas...
and Advaita systems of thought, and was a student and follower of Ādi Śankara
Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
. Maṇḍana Miśra, also known as Suresvaracharya, was a follower of the Karma Mimamsa
Mimamsa
' , a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation" , is the name of an astika school of Hindu philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma based on close hermeneutics of the Vedas...
school of philosophy and a staunch defender of the holistic sphota doctrine of language. Later, he became a disciple of Adi Sankara.
Maṇḍana Miśra lived in the ancient India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n town of Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
(Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
) during the time of Adi Sankara. He is known to be a student of a mimansa scholar Kumarila Bhatta
Kumarila Bhatta
' was a Hindu philosopher and Mimamsa scholar from Assam. He is famous for many of his seminal theses on Mimamsa, such as Mimamsaslokavarttika. Bhatta was an staunch believer in the supreme validity of Vedic injunction, a great champion of Purva-Mimamsa and a confirmed ritualist...
. Being a follower of the Karma Mimamsa school, he was a ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
ist and performed all of the ritualistic duties prescribed by the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. In certain Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
traditions, Maṇḍana Miśra is considered to be an incarnation of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
.
Life
Maṇḍana Miśra is best known as the author of the Brahmasiddhi. He has often been identified with Sureśvara, a strong tradition in HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
being that he started life as a Mīmāmsaka
Mimamsa
' , a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation" , is the name of an astika school of Hindu philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma based on close hermeneutics of the Vedas...
, but changed his name and became a sannyāsin and an Advaitin after being defeated in debate by Śankara. This is controversial, however, as it is said that the two men's works are too different for them to have been the same person. According to Kuppuswami Sastri, it is not likely that Maṇḍana Miśra, the author of Brahmasiddhi, is identical with Sureśvara, but the tradition is correct in describing Maṇḍana Miśra and Śankara as contemporaries. His critical edition of the Brahmasiddhi also points out that the name Maṇḍana Miśra is both a title and a first name, which is a possible cause for a confusion of personalities. Maṇḍana Miśra's brand of Advaita differs in certain critical details from that of Śankara, whereas Sureśvara's thought is very faithful to that of Śankara.
Meeting with Adi Sankara
A legend describes how Maṇḍana Miśra is said to have first met Adi Sankara. It was customary in the time of Sankara and Maṇḍana for learned people to debate the relative merits and demerits of the different systems of Hindu philosophy. Sankara, an exponent of Advaita philosophy sought out Kumarila BhattaKumarila Bhatta
' was a Hindu philosopher and Mimamsa scholar from Assam. He is famous for many of his seminal theses on Mimamsa, such as Mimamsaslokavarttika. Bhatta was an staunch believer in the supreme validity of Vedic injunction, a great champion of Purva-Mimamsa and a confirmed ritualist...
, who was the leading exponent of the Purva Mimansa Philosophy. However, at that time, Kumarila Bhatta was slowly immolating himself as a penance for his sins. After reading some of Sankara's work and realizing the depth of his knowledge, he directed Sankara to his greatest disciple, Maṇḍana Miśra, who was leading a householder's life (Grihastha
Grihastha
Grihasthya refers to the second phase of an individual's life in the Vedic ashram system. It is often called 'the householders life' revolving as it does around the duties of maintaining a household and leading a family-centred life.-Usage:...
), to debate the merits of their respective schools of thought. While trying to find the house of Maṇḍana, Sankara asked for directions and was told the following:
- "You will find a home at whose gates there are a number of caged parrots discussing abstract topics like — 'Do the Vedas have self-validity or do they depend on some external authority for their validity? Are karmas capable of yielding their fruits directly, or do they require the intervention of God to do so? Is the world eternal, or is it a mere appearance?' Where you find the caged parrots discussing such abstruse philosophical problems, you will know that you have reached Maṇḍana's place."
Sankara found Maṇḍana, but the first meeting between them was not pleasant. According to Vedic ritualistic rules it is inauspicious to see an ascetic on certain days and Maṇḍana was angered to see an ascetic on the death anniversary of his father, which was such a day. Maṇḍana initially hurled insults at Sankara, who calmly replied to every insult with wordplay. The people in Maṇḍana's house soon realized Sankara's brilliance and advise Maṇḍana to offer his respect. Finally, after a verbal duel, Maṇḍana agreed to debate with Sankara.
Debate on the Vedas
Maṇḍana and Sankara agreed that Maṇḍana's wife Ubhaya Bharathi, who in is considered to be an incarnation of the goddess SaraswatiSaraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
in the folklore of Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
, would be the arbiter for the debate, and that the vanquished would become a disciple of the victor and accept his school of thought. The debate spanned many days and ranged across many different subjects within the Vedas, and the arguments of both competitors were compelling and forceful. Sankara finally emerged victorious. But Maṇḍana's wife, who was the judge, would not accept an ascetic as having complete knowledge since he did not have any knowledge about kama sastras (rules about marital life). Sankara was then given a month to research certain aspects of sex-love sciences and then resume the debate. According to legend, he entered into the body of a king who had just died in order to learn these sciences. Later, after obtaining the necessary knowledge, the debate resumed. After a long debate, Maṇḍana accepted defeat.
Maṇḍana becomes Sankara's disciple
As agreed, Maṇḍana becomes a disciple of Sankara and assumed the name Suresvaracharya. Along with Hastamalaka, Padmapāda, and TotakacharyaTotakacharya
Note the misspelling of the titleTrotakacharya was a disciple of Adi Shankara, the Advaita philosopher. He was made the first Jagadguru of the Jyotirmatha Peetham, the northern matha founded by Adi Shankara near Badrinath...
, he was one of the four main disciples of Sankara and was the first head of Sringeri Mutt, one of the four matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
s that Sankara later established.
Primary texts
- Bŗhadāraņyakopanişadbhāşyavārttika (commentary on Śankāra's works on the UpanişadUpanishadThe Upanishads are philosophical texts considered to be an early source of Hindu religion. More than 200 are known, of which the first dozen or so, the oldest and most important, are variously referred to as the principal, main or old Upanishads...
) - Naişkarmyasiddhi (non-commentary)
- Sambhandhavārttika (commentary on Śankāra's introduction to the Bŗhadāraņyaka Upanişad)
- Taittirīyavārttika (commentary on Śankāra's work on the Taittirīya UpanişadTaittiriya UpanishadThe Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the older, "primary" Upanishads commented upon by Shankara. It is associated with the Taittiriya school of the Yajurveda...
) - Mansollasa (commentary on Dakshinamurty Stotram of Śankāra)
- Panchikarana Vartikam (commentary on Śankāra's Panchikaranam)
External links
- Adi Sankara and his Parampara
- Brahma-siddhi at archive.org
- Sphota-Siddhi at archive.org
- Taittiriyopanishad Bhasya Vartika by Suresvara at archive.org
- Naishkarmya-Siddhi http://www.archive.org/details/Naishkarmya-Siddhi.by.Sureshvaracharya.with.Chandrika.of.Jnanottama.Sanskrit http://www.archive.org/details/Naishkarmya-Siddhi.by.Sureshvaracharya.With.Hindi.Translation at archive.org