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.