The debates of Shankara : Mandana Mishra 4/4

Continued from:

Mandana Mishra: “Just like a pot or cloth are different surely the paramAtma who is sarvajna and the jeeva who is not sarvajna are different?

SaMkara: Is the difference real or imaginary?

They debate this point using the example of difference between inanimate objects. maNdana uses an arguments based on extrapolation which SaMkara refutes. When his arguments based on example and extrapolation are negated maNdana starts arguments with the vedas as the base.

भो ‘द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाये’ तयाद्या ‘ शृुतिभेदमुदीरयन्ती।
जीवेशयो: पिप्पलभोक्त्रभोक्त्रोस्तयोभेदरशृतिबाधिकाऽस्तु।।

bho dvA suparNA sayujA saKaye tayAdhyA srutibhedhamudIrayantI
jIveSayo: pippalabhoktrabhoktrostayobhedarasrutibAdhikA(a)stu.

“Like two birds with good wings sitting in a tree , the jeeva and paramatma reside in this body. One (jeeva) experiences the fruit of action, the other is dissociated from this. Thus the Sruti itself differentiates the two”

SaMkara refutes this – The Sruti here refers to the buddhi (mind) and Atma here. The buddhi experiences the consequences of karma – the Atma remains unaffected. maNdana objects – buddhi is inanimate (without consciousness) Therefore the buddhi cannot experience the consequences of karma. SaMkara quotes from the upaniSad (2) that says buddhi experiences and the Atma is (merely) witness.

maNdana raises the question of satva and kSetra. SaMkara clarifies that the word satva indicates why a person dreams (3), the body is the kSetra (4) and the jeeva interested in the body is kSetranjna. The term dvA suparNA sayujA thus refers to the jIva and citta not jIva and paramAtma.

They continue to discuss along theses lines. maNdana then takes up a verse from the kATaka sruti that infers that the jIva and paramAtma are separate. SaMkara says that words like tatvamasi that are instructed clearly instruct that there is no difference and hence dominant. At this time maNdana says that sruti vAkyas that indicate duality have the power to negate the ones which speak of naon duality.

SaaMkara replies: “O great scholar Other testimonies do not strengthen the vedas. Speaking with poor understanding only reduces the predominance of the words of the vedas”

इत्थं यतिक्षितिपतेरनुमेाद्य युक्तिं मालां च मण्डनगले मलिनामवेक्ष्य।८।१३२
ittham yati kSitipateranumodya yuktiM malAm ca maNdanagale malinAmavekSya.

When SaMkara said thus, in acknowledgement (and agreement) with it the garland on maNdana’s neck fades

भिक्षार्तं मुच्चलत मद्य..
bhikSartam muccalata madya..

Saraswati tells both of them – Please arise for bikSa (5)

She proceeds to tell SaMkara “I was cursed by durvAsa once. It was foretold that its redemption will be indicated by your victory. O foremost among the calm persons let me leave.”

Wanting to retain the devi as the adiSTAna devatA of his mutt and learning he held the devi back with the vanadurgA mantra. I know devi that you are the wife of the creator (6) and the sister of the destroyer of the tripura (7). You take various forms such as lakSmI. Please allow this baktha of yours to reply to your padas (8)

Footnotes

1. vedas
2. paingirahasyam
3. cit – intellect
4. body
5. Normally she would ask her husband to arise for lunch (after vaiSwadevam) and the yati for alms – bikSA. Noticing that her husband has lost and that the rules of the contest were for the loser to accept the aSrama of the winner (see here), she asks maNdana to rise for alms – meaning he has lost.
6. brahma
7. Siva
8. Statements

Condensed from

Sri VidhyAraNya. Srimad Shankara Digvijayam 2008 II edition Chapter 8 pages 187 – 217

Images : Amarchitra katha, Sringeri Sharadha Peetam,

The debates of Shankara – maNdana misra 2/4

Continued from..

The next day after finishing his daily anuStAnAs (1) proceeds to maNdana misra’s house. maNdana nominates his dharmapatni known by the name of SAradA who is proficient in all branches of knowledge as the judge of the debate

तत: समादिश्य सदस्यताायां सधर्मिणीं मण्डण पण्डितोऽपि।
स शारदां नाम समस्तविद्याविशारदां वादसमुत्सुकोऽभूत्।। ८।५९

tata: samAdiSya sadasyatAyA saDharmiNIm paNdito(a)pi
sa SAradAM nAma samstaviDyAviSAradAM vadasmutsuko(a)But. 8.59

The patrivratA accepts with a smile; her presence in the debate as judge is like bhArati (sarasvati) herself. SaMkara says : “there is no difference between the jeevAtma and the paramAtma. Just as in the dark a heap of shells appears to be silver, ignorance (ajnAna) covers the brahman (who is sat – chit) and gives the appearance of (the various universes/ dimensions that are) creation. When the true appearance is realised, the various dimension dissolve and only brahmaswaroopa (which is knowledge (jNana) itself) remains. This is the joy of deathless nirvANa; the sruti (here it means vedAnta) is the authority that gives this primacy.” He adds” If i am disproved I will give up my kASAya robes (2) and embrace gRhasta ASrama

mandana responds “the vedAnta is not the authority on the paramAtma. A noun (such as king or horse) alone does not have relevance unless it is associate with action (such as king goes, horse runs etc). mukti is achieved through karma alone and must be done through out life”. He adds “If i am defeated I will renounce my white clothes and dorne kASAya robes

With the acceptance that the loser will accept the ASrama of the victor, the two sat down to debate after finishing their daily karmAs. ubhayabharathi (SaraDA) gives them two garlands – (she garlands her husband and presents the other one to SaMkara through her husband)

माला यदा मलिनभावमुपैति कण्टे यस्यापि तस्य विजयेतरनिश्र्चय: स्यात्। ८।६८
mAlA yadA malinaBAvamupaiti kaNte yasyApi tasya vijayetaraniScaya: syAt 8.68

“In whosover’s neck the mAlA fades he would have to forgo victory” she says and proceeds with her duties to make food for her husband and bikShA for the yati.

The experts started their debates in earnest. The celestials lead by brahma positioned themselves at vantage points above the home to listen to the arguments. Also there was an assemblage of learned pandits increasing by the day as the arguments and the enthusiasm crested. In the afternoon SaradA would approach her husband and inform him that its time to eat and to the sanyAsi that its time for the th bikSA. Five to six days elapsed like this. The atmosphere of the debate was one of calm and mutual respect.

maNdana asked for proof for the statement made by SaMkara that there is no duality between the jIva and paramAtman. SaMkara says that the teachings of gurus such as uddAlaka and yAjnavalkya to swetaketu and janka are the testimony (3)

maNdana objects: “the use of a prescribed arrangement of words in a sacrifice do not have independent meaning. However if they are chanted there is dissolution of pApa (sin). Similarly the upaniSads provide a tool to dissolve sin; they don’t indicate nonduality between the jIva and the paramAtma”. SaMkara provides a rejoinder – “words which are used in a sacrifice are clearly delineated by elders as useful for japa. In the case of the upaniSads there is no such delineation and there is clarity that these indicate nonduality”. mandana objects to the interpretation of vAkyas such as tatvamasi from a superficial perspective. He argues that because the jIva performs karmas such as yagyas, it is the jIva that is praised as ISwara. He further argues that just as there is an injunction to meditate on the mind as the brahman, the sun, sky etc (4) as brahman – the statement you are brahman must be merely interpreted as an injunction to meditate on the atman as brahman.

Samkara points out that for the above sentences such as meditate on the mind as brahman, there is a clear injunction to “consider as”. “There is no such injunction for “tatvamasi” is there?”.

to continue…

Footnotes

1. daily prescribed rituals
2. Ochre robes that indicate sanyASa
3. तत्वमसि श्वेततो। (tatvamasi swetaketo): Hey! Swetaketo you are the very brahman.
   अभयं वै जनक प्राप्तोसि (aBayam vai janak prAptosi): Hey! janaka you are fearless because you have realised because you are brahman
   अहं ब्रह्मासि (ahaM brahmAsmi) I am (verily) the brahman
4. मानो ब्रह्म इत्युपासीत् – mano brahma it yupASit – Meditate on the mind as brahman etc.

Condensed from

Sri VidhyAraNya. Srimad Shankara Digvijayam 2008 II edition Chapter 8 pages 187 – 217

Slokas for kids: saraswati

saraswati namastuByam varade kAma rUpiNi
vidyArambam kariSyAmi siddhir Bavatu me sadA

सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदेकामरूपिणि।
विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा।।

ஸரஸ்வதி நமஸ்துப்யம் வரதே காமரூபிணி
வித்யாரம்பம் கரிஷ்யாமி ஸித்திர் பவதுமோ.

Meaning

(I) prostrate before saraswati who is the giver of boons and has a beautiful appearance
As I start my studies bestow (my learning) the right accomplishment always