Mandana Mishra Panditha / Sureshwaracharya - First Pontiff of Sringeri

There lived a scholar named Kumarila Bhattu in present day Prayaga. He had great faith in Veda's. In 8th century, nastika vada's and anti vedic traditions were conquering India. Some of traditions are Baudda, Jaina, Charuwaka etc. He wanted to know what nastika's were doing. So, he went joined a baudda aarama in diguise. He was learning what nastika's were propagating against Veda's.

One day, when Baudda guru was making anti vedic comments, tears fell down from his eye and all present over there witnessed it. So, Baudda's spied on him and found that Kumarila Bhatta was pro Vedas. When he was sleeping, buddist monks pushed him from top of a hill. Some people say that he was thrown out from top of huge building. He woke up and realized that he was in air. He sreamed "If Vedas are pramana (eternal), I would survive."

Surprisingly, he survived. He simply lost one eye. There was no other physical damage to him. This so because he used "If" in his words. Had he said "Vedas are eternal and I would survive", he would not have lost his eye also.

Buddist monks saw this and realized that Vedas are eternal. They committed suicide. Many buddist monks died.

Since Kumarila Bhatta is indirect cause for those deaths and He also went in disguise to Buddist monks, he wanted to leave his body through "Prayopavesham". "Pryayopavesham" is the vedic way of committing suicide. One way is to go to a forest and sit there meditating on god. Some cruel animal would come and it would kill him for pray. The person should not resist the wild animal.

He entered "Tushaagni". That means he was sitting on bank of Ganga. He covered himself with husk. Or He sat in between heap of Husk and fire was put to the husk. The fire slowly spreads and kills the person finally.

Adi Shankara, as per directions of Veda Vyasa, he started propagating Adwaitha as described in scriptures. He reached Prayaga and wanted to debate with Kumarila Bhatta - a very great scholar in Purva and Uttara Mimamsa's of Vedas.

Purva mimansa talks about Karma Kanda and Uttara mimamsa speaks about Gnana Kanda. Kumarila Bhattu was considered the greatest scholar in Mimamsa's in those days. He was doing prayopavesham in between in fire of husk. Shankara went and met him. Shankara asked him to come out of that fire and debate with him. Shankara promised Kumarila Bhattu that he would grant Kumarila Bhattu Moksha finally.

Kumarila Bhattu disagreed and he wants to get rid of all his negative actions in the present birth and get rid of all sins. Kumarila Bhattu wanted Shankara to go to Mahishmati Pattanam in Kashmir & meet his prime disciple Mandana Mishra Panditha.

So Shankara went to Mahishamati through his yoga shakti to meet Mandana Mishra. Mandana Mishra is very big scholar. He is an avatara of Chaturmukha Brahma. It was curse of Durvasa muni that Brahma had birth of Mandana Mishra. His wife's name is Ubhaya Bharathi. She is an incarnation of Saraswathi. He learnt from Jaimini - prime diciple of Veda Vyasa.

Mandana Mishra believed in Karma margam. He used to believe firmly that his actions would give him moksha. He did not have respect for Sannyasi's. The parrots in house used to debate on various topics of Vedantha ! So you can imagine how great scholar he was !

The day Shankara reached Mandana Mishra's house, the latter was performing Shradda of his father. He closed all the doors of his house so that others can not come and see the ritual. Veda Vyasa & Jaimini were Bhoktas in Shraddam. Thats the Shakti of Mandana Mishra.

As per Sastra, a brahmin can not eat in front of non brahmins. He can not perform Shradda karma in presence of nastika's and other caste people. Also, we can not perform Shraddam in presence of a Sannyasi.

Shankara entered the house of Mandana Mishra through roof top using his Yoga Shakti. Thats possible through certain Yoga practices & Sri Vidya Upasana. You can enter closed buildings, visit different places with mano & vaayu vegam.

Mandana Mishra had zero respect for Sanyasi's. He used to think that Sanyasa is way to escape from rituals and responsibilities. As he was performing Shradda Karma, he should not get angry. He should remain calm. Else, pitru devatha's will not be happy. Any pitru karma will have mantra "akrudhani shauchani hi " - Means with out anger and with full neatness. This will be chanted repeatedly many times. Also, brahmacharyam is needed.

So, Mandana Mishra can not have any anger. But he doesnt like sanyasi's as they dont have yagnopavitam, waist thread (mola thadu) and Shikha Mudi. They will be tied to the "dandam" (stick) they hold in their hand. For a gruhasta or brahmachari, the yagnopavitam & mola thadu will be removed after death and just before "Dahana Karma".

They had very interesting conversation. We watch lot movies and lot of them have double meanings with filth meaning. Their conversation also had two meanings, but none of them have filth meaning.

Example:

Mandana Mishra: Sura peetha (Meaning 1: Did you drink liquor (Kallu). Meaning 2: Is liquor yellow in colour)

Mandana mishra meant 1st meaning. Shankara took the second meaning.

Shankara: Sura na peetaha . Shwetah (Liquor is not yellow. It is white in colour.)

Mandana Mishra: How do you know the colour of Liquor ? You are a Sanyasi !

Shankara: I know only colour. But looks like you know the tatse !

Vyasa intervened and explained the importance of "Abhyagati". Abhyagati is a guest who visited our house with out our invitation and with out any prior notice. Athidhi is our guest whom we invited. Serving Abhyagati is great when compared serving Sanyasi. More over, Abhyagati is Vishnu Swaroopam. In Vamana Avataram, Vamana was Abhyagati to Bali Chakravarty. Vyasa tried to calm down Mandana Mishra.

Adi Shankara was requested to be Bhokta in Vishnu stanam. This clears that Sanyasi can be bhokta in Shraadaam in Vishnu stanam but not Vishwe Devara and Pitru stanams.

Shankara refused as there were other brahmins available.

Shankara was offered bhiksha at Mandana Mishra's house. Shankara refused to take prakruta bhiksha (food). Instead he wanted Vaada Bhikhsa (Debate).

The debate started next day. Mandana Mishra requested Vyasa to be the judge. Vyasa said "Let Ubhaya Bharathi be the judge". She is Mandana Mishra's wife. She was equally scholar to men. This incident clearly proves that women had equal right in India in anient times. They were well educated. Only foreign invasions spoiled rich culture and heritage of India.

Ubhaya Bharathi is a pativrata. She was never biased. She always gave proper judgments with out any partiality.

Many scholars came to their house to witness the debate. If Shankara looses in debate, He would become disciple of Mandana Mishra and get married in the life. If Manadana Mishra looses, he should become Sanyasi and disciple of Shankara. This was the bet of the debate.

Ubhaya Bharathi was judge and also she had to take care of all scholars who visited their house. She had to cook food for all & do other host services. So, she told that she would listen to their debate while doing house hold duties. In her absence, garlands will listen to the debate. She made two garlands and put them around the necks of Shankara and Mandana Mishra. The person whose garland would fade away is the looser.

After 21 days of debate, Mandana Mishra's garland faded. She gave verdict that Shankara won and her husband lost.

She told shankara that Shankara won only 50% Manadana Mishra. Since he is married, other 50% of him She her self. So Shankara should win against her.

They had deabted for 29 days. Ubhaya Bharathi was participant as well as judge for this debate. She realized that she was loosing. She knows that Shankara is a bala sanyasi. He took Sanyasa at the age of 8. So he does not know any thing about "kaama Satra". So She asked him about Kama Satra.

Shankara doesnt know anything. She gave him 30 days times to learn it and come back for debate.

At the same time King of Kashmir died. Shankara did parakaya pravesham in to King's body and learnt Kaama Sashtram from queens. His disciples protected his body in cave.

Few days later, queens realized that a Sanyasi did parakaya pravesham into kings body and learning sex. Because, they knew that king was expert at it, but why he is asking basics every night ! They informed the same to ministers. Some cowboys inform ministers that a monks body was getting protected in a cave. Ministers go and try to burn the body. But by that time Shankara learnt kamasastram from queens completely and goes back into his own body. By this time his hands & legs were burnt. He prays to Lord Laskmi Nrusihma through Karavalamba stuthi and gets back his hands and legs.

He goes back to Ubhaya Bharathi and debates with her about Kama sastram for 1 days. Finally she accepts that she lost. Mandana Mishra agrees to take Sanyasa. Adi Shankara ascended Sarvgna Peetham in Kashmir after this debate. This site is currently under protection by United Nations and is located in Pak Occupied Kasmir.

Ubhaya Bharathi wanted to finish her avatara and goes back to her abode. Shankara prays her and requests her to bless people on earth. Shankara, Mandana Mishra and Ubhaya Bharathi walked all the way from Kashmir to Sringeri. It is Ubhaya Bharathi who is blessing devotees as Sharadamba from Sringeri.

Mandana Mishra was given Sanyasa dikha and was given name "Sureshwara". He is the greatest scholar after Shankara in those times. He is elder to Shankara in age. He is also called as "Vartikacharya." He wrote commentary on Shankara's Brahma Sutra Bhashyam, Dakshina Murthy stotram. He is first jagadguru of Sringeri. His samadhi can be seen besides Sharadamba temple in Sringeri. His samadhi and Sharadamba temple share common wall.

Shankara - Sureshwara guru - shishya relation proves verse in Dakshina Murthy stotram - Guru is young and Shishya is old. It also proves that it has got nothing to do with age to accept a person as guru.

A Tribute to Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha

Jagadguru Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha was a sage, philosopher, able administrator and founder mentor of Vijaya Nagara Kingdom. He was Jagadguru of Sringeri Shanrada Peetham for a short span of 6 years from 1380 AD - 1386 AD. The Hindu Community of South India, Brahmin community in particular must be thank ful to Him for thier life time for the wealth He has given them. Had He not established Vijaya Nagara Kingdom, Hinduism in South India would have been wiped out by other religions in 14th century itself. It is the boon of Sri Vidyaranya to every brahmin in South India that he is able to perform Sandhya Vandanam every day as prescribed in scriptures.

Vidyaranya was born as Madhava in Ekashilapuri - the present day Warangal. Ekashilapuri was capital city of Kakatiya Kindom that ruled the present day Telangana before Nizams took over it. There is a huge shila or stone in that city. If you stand on that Shila, you can see entire city. Thats how the city got the name Ekashilapuri. We can find this stone even today. This city also had another name - Orugallu. He is hardly known to any common person in this region.

Madhava had a younger brother named Keshava. These two brothers adorned Sringeri Sharada Peetham one after the other - the younger being first with a yoga patta of Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha for 47 years (1333 AD - 1380 AD). To best of my knowledge, Keshava and Madhava are the only brothers who headed a major monastery in the world in any tradition.

It was Keshava who first left home and started travelling in South India in persuit of Atma Gnanam. Keshava finally reached Sringeri where Jagadguru Sri Vidya Shankara Tirtha Mahaswamigal readily accepted him as a disciple. The Jagadguru gave him Sannyasa deeksha with ascetic name of Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha in 1328 AD.

Some time later, Madhava also left home in search of his younger brother and reached Sringeri. Upon reaching Sringeri, He realized that Keshava was given Sanyasa Deekha. Madhava also took Sanyasa Deeksha under Sri Vidya Shankara Tirtha and was given ascetic name of Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha in 1331 AD. It is very clear that they both were brahma chari's before they took Sannyasa deeksha. In Sringeri Guru parampara, all Jagadguru's are Brahmachari's before they took Sannyasa with an exception of Sri Sureshwaracharya. It is also very rare that two sibblings accept Sannyasa deeksha.

In 1333 AD, Sri Vidya Shankara Tirtha entered lambika yoga after installing Sri Bharathi Krishna Teertha as Head of Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri. Even though Sri Bharathi Krishna Tirtha was younger to Sri Vidyaranya, the former headed Sharada Peetham first by virtue of His seniority in accepting Sannyasa. After this, Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha went on for a Desha Sanchara - visiting holy places in India.

When Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha was meditating in Matanga Hills, two Kshatriya brothers - Harihara and Bukka approached Him. They were forcibly converted to Islam by Mohummad-bin-Tuglaq. Vidyaranya blessed them and converted them back to Hinduism. He guided them to build a new Hindu Empire to rule South India. This city was initially named as Vidyanagara in respect of Sri Vidyashankara Tirtha. Later on it became popular as Vijaya Nagara. The city is in the form of a Sri Chakra with Virupaksha temple at it's center. Since then, Sringeri Jagadguru's are called as "Karnataka Simhasana Pratishtapanacharya" .

Vidyaranya was Royal Guru, Minister & Mentor in Vijaya Nagara Kingdom. Once there was a draught in the empire. King Harihara approached Vidyaranya. Vidyaranya told the king that he would pray Goddess Lakshmi to shower gold in the kingdom. The king collected the gold that fell in his fort. What ever gold that fell in citizen's houses / farms was taken by the citizens. He worshipped Mahalaksmi using Kanakadhara Sthavam of Shankaracharya. In past 1400 years, there was a rain of gold only twice in India - first as requested by Adi Shankara & second being this incident of Sri Vidyaranya Tirtha.

The name Vidyaranya means forest of education. He had done justice to the name given to Him. He is the greatest among all scholars in Adwaitha philosophy in post Shankara period. Jagadguru has written more than 1800 works. When Vijaya Nagara kingdom collapsed, His disciples had hidden all His works in caves and under ground storages. Now only 80 works are available. Importantworks among them are Bhashyam (commentary) for 4 Vedas, Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam, Sarva Siddantha Sangraham, Vedantha Panchadashi and many others. He has given pointers on usage of various matra's on various ocassion. We see lot of self declared guru's using Veda Mantra's with out any knowledge in the present world.

He has given us the biography of Adi Shankara - Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam. There are many Shankara Vijayam's available to us in the literature. But most widely accepted biograpgy is Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam. Sarva Siddantha Sangraha compares Adwaitha philosophy with 16 other major schools of thought like Charvaka, Jaina & Bhauddha etc. It is not at all a criticism of those traditions.

Madhwa's argue that Vidyaranya was defeated in a debate with Akhyobhya Tirtha. I feel that it is a baseless statement. Vidyaranya was busy with establishing a Hindu Empire in South India. He had written 1800 vedantic works. I dont think that He would waste time in useless discussions. Added to this, Madhwa's say that Sri Vedanta Deshika, a Sri Vaishnava follower of Sri Ramanujacharya, was the Judge for this debate. The cooked up story mentions that the debate was on Mahavakya "Tatwamasi". Already Sri Ramanujacharya has written in favour of "Tatwamasi". I dont really think an ideal disciple would give his verdict againt His Guru's words. This story is completely a fake story. Vidyamanya Tirtha of Palimar Mutt, Udupi has been doing some thing similar in the recent past and declaring himself that he won against Jagadguru's of Sringeri. It is better if we dont spend much time on this topic.

During His time, many branches of Sringeri Mutt were established. They are Kudli Mutt, Virupakha Peetham in Hampi, Bandigade Mutt & Tirtha Mattur Mutt . Hariharapura - a small village near Sringeri is the agraharadonated by King Harihara. Hariharapura Mutt was established during the time of Sri Sureshwaracharya - the first Jagadguru of Sringeri. Vidya Shankara temple was constucted under his guidance.

Vidyaranya was a constructive force in the times he lived. He inculcated unity among the citizens of the region. Now a days, we find lot of self declared Swamiji's. They are more interested in money making business than real welfare of their visitors. The modern day self declared guru's have are interested to travel to Western countries & donations than spending time in Dhyana / Meditation. Vidyaranya was an ideal Guru. Even though He mentored Harihara & Bukka to establish a Kingdom that spanned whole South India, He never lived a luxurious life in Palaces. He lead 100% monastic life as prescribed by Vedas. Even though there was a rain of golden coins in Vijaya Nagara, He never touched a single gold coin. He is a role model for all of the present day Sannyasi's.

The vision of Sri Vidyaranya lead to preserving of Sanatana Dharma in South India. Other foriegn religions could not penetrate beyond Vindhya Mountains as they did in North India. This vision clearly lacks in present day selfish politicians. Vidyaranya's vision helped the integrity and soverignity of the region. He preserved the native's regions rich culture and tradition. The present day politics are divisive. Politicians do not possess even 1% of the vision of Vidyaranya. The politicians divide the people based on many factors for their personal benifits. Neither the rulers nor the ruled show any interest in preserving our rich Indian culture and tradition.

The democratic Governments of Karntaka & Andhra Pradesh are showing little interest in recognising Vidyaranya. As I mentioned in the beginning, people of Warangal & Telangana region hardly know Him. The hereditary democratic poloiticians encroach hundreds of acres of land in the name of trusts and memorials. But there is no memorial for Vidyaranya so far in Telangana region.

Vidyaranya is role model for all of us - youth, students, writers, rulers, administartors, vedantic scholars and Sannyasi's. He had been through all these phases in his life of 90+ years. Sri Vidya Shankara - Bharathi Krishna Tirtha - Vidyaranya period marks the rise of Sringeri Sharada Peetham and Sanatana Dharma in particular in South India.

Homage to this serene Vidyaranya, Who holds aloft the torch of discrimination, Knowledge of the Real form unreal and helps the devoted across the sea of birth!!

References:

1. Interview with Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Tirtha Mahaswamigal by Sri B Santosh Kumar.

2. Official website of Sringeri Sharada Peetham

3. Official website of Hampi Vidyaranya Mutt.

4. A talk on Vidyaranya in Bhakti TV by Brahmasri Mudigonda Shankara Sharma on April 11, 2009

5.Remembering Madhava Vidyaranya at Seriously Sandeep.

6. Vidya Tirtha Vilasa, Website of Kamakoti Bhakta Mandali.

Welcome to Nachiketha's Blog

Namaste !

Welcome to my blog on Adwaitha. There are multiple blogs / email groups on this particular topic over WWW and many experts have been posting their opinions.

I am a beginner in learning Vedantha and I will keep posting my views and ideas on this topic when ever I get some free time. All the readers must note that what ever is posted in this blog, is solely my personal view and do not intend to hurt any. More over, my intension is not to create any controversy. I don't claim myself as an expert and may commit some mistakes now and then !

My posts will be concentrated on following:

- Adi Shankaracharya - Sringeri - Tradition
- Adwaitha
- Chora Prasangam (Bhagavatham)
- Stree Prasangam (Ramayanam)
- Juda Prasangam (Maha Bharatham - Only Selected Topics)
- Upanishads (Katha, Kena and few Sanyasa Upanishads)

Thanks & I Hope Sringeri Jagadguru Showers infinite Blessings on me and all readers of this Blog !