Part 5 - Sri Sankara Vijayam

Thanks to my spiritual Friend Subramanian Garu for sharing this information.

Sankara looked upon Ubhaya Bharati, as Mother and Saraswati Swarupa.She is Uma, she is Lakshmi, she is Saraswati. Everyday she was feeding Sankara delicious food, as Annapurna.

Sankara went into raptures and sang the famous Annapurna Ashtakam.

This Annapurna-Ashtakam, has actually got twelve stanzas.So,it is also called Annapurna Stavam.

The debate between Sankara and Mandanamisrar continued for eighteen days.

Mandanamisrar had a good grounding on Karma marga.So he said:"Karma is the most important requisite for liberation.The Maha-vakyas, like Aham Brahmasmi and Tattvam-asi are all anartha-vada, that is logical fallacy used in arguments.He quoted from Jaimini's poorva-mimasa sutras and argued.

Sankara said: "All karmas so long as they are good and are helping the world, they may confer you heavens. Bad karmas will push you into hell.But they never confer liberation. Liberation is only possible with Jnana.The good karmas and devotional practices are only auxillary aids for purification of mind.Jnana works on destruction of the mind itself.Atma Sakshatkaram, or realization is possible only through Atma Vichara.Peace is the only requirement for that.

Padmapada, after a few days, offered to Sankara that he would debate in lieu of him, since Mandanamisrar is quite adamant,and he needs some tougher treatment!Sankara said:Do not worry.I have already stirred up the fire, the ambers will start shining soon!

Mandanamisrar gave room for some anger and sulkiness.Sankara was quite cool.In result, the garland of Mandanamisrar started drying up.Sankara's garland was fresh and fragrant as if it was new.

Sankara continued:All karmas are founded on the twin pillars of doer and the receiver of karmic-benefits.In Jnana, there is no doership at all. Even in nishkamya karma, there are deficiencies of body.As one gets old, the nishkamya karmas cannot be continued. Jnanam does not care about desireship and doership.The only desire for Jnana is mumukshutvam, desire for Self Realization.There is no desire for body-maintenance and there is no mind to worry about the body at all!

Mandanamisrar gave up eventually, on the 18th day.He said: O Poorna bala!(the child of fullness), I prostrate to you.

Sankara said:O the elderly father, you are my disciple, if you like to be one.I shall call you as Sureswarar.Sureswarar in Sanskrit means the Chief of gods.Since Mandanamisrar has completed his karmas in full, the gods were pleased and so he was called chief of gods.

Ubhayabharati said: I am half of my husband.I am Mandanamisrar's wife.I shall have to be defeated in debate if you want to be a real winner.Sankara also knew the script of the whole play.He agreed.

Ubhayabharati asked him about erotica! (pornography)

This is the most controversial part of Sri Sankara Vijayam.All readings of Sankara Vijayam, from Madva Vidyaranya, down to Sri Seshadri Iyer, mentions about this story without omission.

There are two lines of argument:

1. A Brahma Jnani having realized the Self, knows every art of this worldly life, including erotica, since there is nothing unknown to the Self.Bhagavan Ramana also says, in ULLadu Narpadu - Anubandham, Sad Darsanam, Supplement, Verse 27.(This is a translation from Yoga Vasishtam).

Seeming to have enthusiasm, and delight, seeming to have excitement and aversion, seeming to exercise initiative and perseverance, and yet without attachment, play, O hero,in the world.Released from all bonds of attachment and with equanimity of mind, acting outwardly in all situations in accordance with the part you have assumed, play as you please, O hero, in the world!

2. If one has to take the world-standards viz., a Sannyasi does not know anything about erotica and if he knows, he is not a true ascetic, more particularly if he had embraced ascetism directly from brahmacharyam, youth without marriage.

So Sankara had to play as per the world standards.

Sankara requested Ubhayabharati to give him thirty days' time, to contemplate on the question and come back. It was agreed to by Ubhayabharati.

The story goes that Sankara, after shedding his body in a cave under the custody of his disciples, entered into the dead body of King Amaruka and sported among the hundred queens in the guise of their husband.When the disciples found that the period specified by Sankara had already expired, they grew anxious.So, some of them went to him in the disguise of minstrels and sang the famous Guru Stuti to remind him about the urgency.

Brahmasri Nochur Venkataraman says that is kukkuda-nyaya,the logic of the hen.What is this logic of the hen?Logicians say to prove the cause and effect theory, that the hen could be half egg and half hen!The egg will be the cause and it will give effect to the effect the hen and ad infinitum....Gaudapada in his famous Gaudapada Karika digs at this logic.This is not the way to prove the theory of causation.There is only a Primal Cause, the Cause which starts the chain of effect and cause.This Primal Cause is Brahman or the Self.He need not have come from any pre-existing effect!

So this Sankara's story of getting into King Amaruka's body has to be taken as it is, without any logic.Logic is a product of learning, and learning is intellectual.The Self is experiential.So, without any further discussion into the rightness of this
act of Sankara, let us see further.

Ubhayabharati gave up the debate without any further delay,when Sankara returned and answered all the replies to her questions.Both Mandanamisrar and Ubhayabharati became the disciples of Sankara.They were called Sureswarar and Sarasavani.

Sources:

1) http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?board=10.150
2) http://bhagavan-ramana.org/ramana_maharshi/books/coll/cw053.html