Maṇḍana Miśra facts for kids

Mandana Mishra (born around the 8th century CE) was an important Hindu philosopher. He wrote about two main ideas: the Mīmāṁsā and Advaita systems of thought. He was a strong supporter of the Mimamsa school, which focused on rituals. He also believed in the idea of sphota, which is about how language works.

Mandana Mishra lived at the same time as Adi Shankara, another famous philosopher. It is said that Mandana Mishra later became a student of Adi Shankara. His wife was Ubhaya Bharati. Some people think Mandana Mishra was the same person as another philosopher named Sureśvara, but scholars still discuss this.

Life of Mandana Mishra

Early Life and Studies

Mandana Mishra was born into a simple family in a region called Mithila, which is now part of Bihar in India. He lived in an old village called Mahishi. This village is in the Saharsa district of Bihar. Some stories say he lived in a town called Mandleshwar and debated with Shankara there. This town might even be named after him.

Mandana Mishra was a student of a well-known Mimamsa scholar named Kumārila Bhaṭṭa. Even though he followed the Mimamsa school, he also wrote a book on Advaita philosophy called Brahma-siddhi. This book is his most famous work. As a follower of Karma Mimamsa, he was a ritualist. This means he performed all the religious duties and ceremonies described in the Vedas. In some Hindu traditions, people believe Mandana Mishra was an incarnation of the god Brahma.

Becoming an Advaita Follower

There is a strong story in Hinduism that Mandana Mishra started as a Mimamsa follower. But he later changed his name and became a sannyāsin (a renunciate) and an Advaitin. This happened after he and his wife were defeated in a famous debate with Shankara.

Was he Sureśvara?

Many people have wondered if Mandana Mishra and Sureśvara were the same person. Both were important philosophers who lived at the same time as Shankara. They both explained Shankara's ideas in their own ways.

However, some scholars, like Kuppuswami Sastri, believe they were not the same person. They point out that Mandana Mishra's ideas on Advaita were different from Shankara's in some important ways. Sureśvara's ideas, on the other hand, were very similar to Shankara's. Also, the name "Mandana Mishra" could be both a title and a first name, which might have caused confusion.

For example, they had different views on:

• Where avidya (ignorance) is located: Mandana Mishra thought avidya was in the individual person (the jiva). Sureśvara believed avidya about Brahman (the ultimate reality) was located in Brahman itself.
• How to achieve liberation: Mandana Mishra thought that just knowing the great sayings (Mahavakya) was not enough for liberation. He believed true freedom came only from directly realizing Brahma through meditation. Sureśvara, however, thought that this knowledge itself was directly liberating. He saw meditation as a helpful tool, but not strictly necessary.

Mandana Mishra's Influence

Mandana Mishra, who lived at the same time as Shankara, might have been more important in the Advaita Vedanta tradition than people usually think. According to scholar Richard E. King, many people believe Shankara was the most important figure in Hindu thought. But historical evidence suggests that Mandana Mishra was very influential.

King and Roodurmun suggest that until the 10th century, Mandana Mishra was even more famous than Shankara. For centuries after Shankara, Mandana Mishra was seen as a leading figure in Vedanta. His ideas were so strong that some believe his work created a different kind of Advaita than Shankara's. His "theory of error" from the Brahma-siddhi became a standard idea in Advaita Vedanta. Another philosopher, Vachaspati Miśra, tried to connect Shankara's ideas with Mandana Mishra's. Some Advaita traditions even say that Shankara was reborn as Vachaspati Miśra to help spread the Advaita system.

Debate with Adi Shankara

Many stories about Shankara describe his famous meeting with Mandana Mishra. In those times, it was common for learned people to debate different Hindu philosophies. Shankara, who supported Advaita, wanted to debate Kumārila Bhaṭṭa, a top expert in Purva Mimamsa. However, Kumarila Bhatta was performing a penance at the time. After reading some of Shankara's writings, he was impressed by his knowledge. He then sent Shankara to his best student, Mandana Mishra, to debate. Mandana Mishra was a householder, meaning he lived a family life.

When Shankara was looking for Mandana's house, he was told:

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.

Shankara found Mandana, but their first meeting was not friendly. According to Vedic rules, it was considered bad luck to see an ascetic (like Shankara) on certain days. Mandana was angry because Shankara appeared on the death anniversary of his father. Mandana first insulted Shankara, but Shankara calmly replied to every insult with clever wordplay. The people in Mandana's house soon realized Shankara's brilliance. They advised Mandana to show him respect. Finally, after a verbal argument, Mandana agreed to debate with Shankara.

Mandana and Shankara agreed that Mandana's wife, Ubhaya Bharati, would be the judge of their debate. Ubhaya Bharati is believed to be an incarnation of the goddess Saraswati in the folklore of Mithila. They also agreed that the loser would become a student of the winner and accept their philosophy. The debate lasted for many days. It covered many different topics from the Vedas, and both philosophers presented strong arguments. Shankara eventually won.

However, Mandana's wife, the judge, said that an ascetic could not have complete knowledge because he didn't know about Kama sastras (rules about married life). So, Shankara was given six months to learn about "the art of love" and then continue the debate. Legend says he entered the body of a king who had just died to gain this knowledge. After learning what he needed, the debate continued. After a long discussion, Mandana accepted his defeat. There is also a legend that the debate took place in the town of Mandleshwar, near Maheshwar, at an ancient temple called Chhapan Deo.

As agreed, Mandana became a student of Shankara and took the name Suresvaracharya. He became one of Shankara's four main students, along with Hastamalaka, Padmapāda, and Totakacharya. He was also the first head of Sringeri Mutt, one of the four important centers that Shankara later established.

Mandana Mishra is said to have debated with Aadya Guru Shankaracharya at the Gupteshwar Mahadev Temple in Mandleshwar.