Sankara meets Mandana mishra! ...story of the week!

[Guest guest]

hey balaji,

 

You would enjoy this interlude between two scholars as much as i

did !

 

According to Kumarila's advice, Sankara and his disciples started for

Mahishmati, on the banks of Narmada where Mandana Mishra lived.

"O, gentle women, Do you know one Mandana Mishra here ?

"Mandana Mishra ?You go this way straight. You will find a big house

with a tall gate and walls all around.There the parrots living on

trees would be repeating Vedic Mantras !"

"Even parrots repeating Vedic Mantras? Wonderful; great indeed is our

opponent and it is not that easy to win over him", said Sankara to

his disciples.

The gate of the house of Mandana was locked from inside.

Sankara with his Yogic power forced himself inside the house.

Mandana was performing the Srardha ceremoney for his father.

He was not amused by the sudden appearance of a sanyasi

in the middle of a srardha ceremoney.

He got annoyed due to his allergy to one who was not a ritualist and

also because of the way he got in uninvited.

He asked him in a sarcastic manner:

"Kuto Mundi ? "From where are you, O clean shaven one ?"

Sankara could see the sarcasm in the words

and decided to have some fun.

The words Kuto Mundi can also be interpreted in Sanskrit

as "How far have you shaved?"

Sankara replied: "Agalan mundi " Shaven up to the neck only "

"Margam Prichate Maya."said Mandana,"I am asking the way."

Sankara did not leave the joke.

He replied, ""Kim aha Pantha? What did it tell you?"

Mandana was visibly upset by the taunting remarks.

He replied angrily, "The way said that your mother is a widow."

Sankara said mischievously,"Tha Thevahi"It might be true,

Thus he meant that the way told Mandana about his (Mandana's) mother.

Mandana got angry shouted, "Sura Peetha ?"Are you drunk?

Sankara,"Liquor is white ,not yellow" .

The word Peetha asked by Mandana can also mean yellow.

"I see ,So you know the colour?"

"I know the colour, but you perhaps know its taste?'

Mandana became more angry and this

sort of sarcasm continued for some time.

Later the other guests for the Srardha ceremoney

intervened and advised Mandana to invite Sankara for Biksha.

" I want only a VAADA BHIKSHA - a Biksha of discussions

and arguments - not for eating." said Sankara.

Mandana said, "We shall have it tomorrow.

But now you have your food with me."

 

..(FROM A WEB SOURCE) ...

 

in spirituality, there is only "samvadam" (dialogue) - not "vivadam"

(arguments! Only Tarka ( debates) not Ku-tarka (verbal fights) !

 

Balaji, i will post the verses of Manika vachakam when the time is

appropriate!

 

LOVE AND BLESSINGS