Maṇḍana Miśra
Maṇḍana Miśra | |
---|---|
Personal | |
Born | |
Religion | Hinduism |
Nationality | Indian |
Known for | Expounded Advaita Vedanta |
Philosophy | Advaita Vedanta |
Religious career | |
Guru | Kumārila Bhaṭṭa |
Mandana Mishra (
Life and scholarship
Maṇḍana Miśhra, who was a contemporary of Shankara, is known to be a student of the
Although it is common to find Western scholars and Hindus arguing that Sankaracarya was the most influential and important figure in the history of Hindu intellectual thought, this does not seem to be justified by the historical evidence.[3]
According to King and Roodurmun, until the 10th century Sankara was overshadowed by his older contemporary Maṇḍana Miśhra. In the centuries after Sankara it was Maṇḍana Miśhra who was considered to be the most important representative of Vedanta.[3][4] His influence was such, that some regard this work to have "set forth a non-Sankaran brand of Advaita."[2] The "theory of error" set forth in the Brahma-siddhi became the normative Advaita Vedanta theory of error.[5] According to Maṇḍana Miśhra, errors are opportunities because they "lead to truth", and full correct knowledge requires that not only should one understand the truth but also examine and understand errors as well as what is not truth.[6]
His student
Maṇḍana Miśhra's influence and status can also be discerned in a popular legend about his debate with Adi Shankara. According to legend, described in biographies of Shankara,
Identification with Sureśvara
Maṇḍana Miśhra has often been identified with
According to Kuppuswami Sastri, it is not likely that Maṇḍana Miśhra, the author of Brahmasiddhi, is identical with Sureśvara, but the tradition is correct in describing Maṇḍana Miśhra and Śankara as contemporaries.[11] His critical edition of the Brahmasiddhi also points out that the name Maṇḍana Miśhra is both a title and a first name, which is a possible cause for a confusion of personalities.[11] Maṇḍana Miśhra's brand of Advaita differs in certain critical details from that of Śhankara, whereas Sureśvara's thought is very faithful to that of Śhankara.[11]
According to Sharma, Hiriyanna and Kuppuswami Sastra have pointed out that Sureśvara and Maṇḍana Miśra had different views on various doctrinal points:[12]
- The locus of avidya:[12] according to Maṇḍana Miśhra, the individual jiva is the locus of avidya, whereas Suresvara contents that avidya regarding Brahman is located in Brahman.[12] These two different stances are also reflected in the opposing positions of the Bhamati school and the Vivarana school.[12]
- Liberation: according to Maṇḍana Miśhra, the knowledge which arises from the Mahavakya is insufficient for liberation. Only the direct realisation of Brahma is liberating, which can only be attained by meditation.[13] According to Suresvara, this knowledge is directly liberating, while meditation is at best a useful aid.[14]
R. Balasubramanian disagrees with the arguments of Kuppuswami Sastri and others, arguing that there is no conclusive evidence available to prove that Maṇḍana, the author of the Brahmasiddhi, is different from Sureśvara, the author of the Naiṣkarmyasiddhi and the Vārtikas.[15]
References
- ^ "Sri Sureshwaracharya". Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetham. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- ^ a b c Roodurmun 2002, p. 31.
- ^ a b King 2002, p. 128.
- ^ Roodurmun 2002, pp. 33–34.
- ^ Roodurmun 2002, p. 32.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0982-6.
- ^ a b Roodurmun 2002, p. 34.
- ^ Roodurmun 2002, p. 35.
- ^ a b Roodurmun 2002, p. 29.
- ^ Roodurmun 2002, p. 30.
- ^ a b c d Kuppuswami Sastri 1984.
- ^ a b c d Sharma 1997, p. 290.
- ^ Sharma 1997, p. 290-291.
- ^ Sharma 1997, p. 291.
- JSTOR 597522– via JSTOR.
Sources
- Printed sources
- John Grimes, "Sureśvara" (in ISBN 0-631-22967-1)
- King, Richard (2002), Orientalism and Religion: Post-Colonial Theory, India and "The Mystic East", Routledge
- Kuppuswami Sastri, S. (1984), Brahmasiddhi, by Maṇḍanamiśra, with commentary by Śankhapāṇī. 2nd ed., Delhi, India: Sri Satguru Publications
- Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, et al. [edd], History of Philosophy Eastern and Western: Volume One (George Allen & Unwin, 1952)
- Roodurmun, Pulasth Soobah (2002), Bhāmatī and Vivaraṇa Schools of Advaita Vedānta: A Critical Approach, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited
- Sharma, C. (1997). Indian Philosophy: A Critical Survey. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0365-7.
- Vidyaranya, Madhava (1996), Sankara Digvijaya: The Traditional Life of Sri Sankaracharya: Translated by Swami Tapasyananda, Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math
- Web-sources
Further reading
- Allen Wright Thrasher (1993), The Advaita Vedānta of Brahma-siddhi, Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
External links
- Texts
- Brahma-siddhi at archive.org
- Sphota-Siddhi at archive.org
- Taittiriyopanishad Bhasya Vartika by Suresvara at archive.org
- Naishkarmya-Siddhi at archive.org
- Naishkarmya-Siddhi with Chandrika at archive.org