Once Adi
Shankaracharya went to debate with Kumaarila Bhatta (around 700 AD) in Prayag
(modern Allahabad) on their respective philosophies. Kumaarila Bhatt, a Maithil
Brahmin scholar and philosopher had defeated Buddhist philosophers and proven
their doctrine wrong and is credited for decline of Buddhism in India along
with Adi Shankar. Kumaarila Bhatt by the time was doing penance by slowly
burning his body in a pyre and asked Adi Shankar to debate with his disciple
Mandana Mishra of Mithila (Bihar)...
So Adi Shankar went to debate with Mandana Mishra who was a great philosopher and believed that life of a householder was far superior to that of a monk. Mandana Mishra's wife Ubhaya Bhaarati was chosen as judge as she was a great scholar herself (tells about women's empowerment in those days) and it was decided that whoever lost debate would become disciple of the other...
At last Adi Shankar won the debate - Ubhaya declared her husband defeated - although knowing that he would have to renounce the world and become a monk to be disciple of Adi Shankar. Then she challenged Adi Shankar for a debate with herself and asked him questions on relationships, which Adi Shankar a celibate Sanyasi won't know (ladies were tricky even in those days). Adi Shankar asked for 15 days break in debate; (his soul) left his body and entered into a king, learnt the answers, and came back into debate and defeated her also. Ubhaya Bharti also renounced world and took Sanyas like her husband.
In our time if the debate happened, the two would simply 'unfriend' each other on facebook and go on in their respective lives. Also, the one with maximum friend-list count will get more 'likes' and hence will win the debate!
(C) Rahul
So Adi Shankar went to debate with Mandana Mishra who was a great philosopher and believed that life of a householder was far superior to that of a monk. Mandana Mishra's wife Ubhaya Bhaarati was chosen as judge as she was a great scholar herself (tells about women's empowerment in those days) and it was decided that whoever lost debate would become disciple of the other...
At last Adi Shankar won the debate - Ubhaya declared her husband defeated - although knowing that he would have to renounce the world and become a monk to be disciple of Adi Shankar. Then she challenged Adi Shankar for a debate with herself and asked him questions on relationships, which Adi Shankar a celibate Sanyasi won't know (ladies were tricky even in those days). Adi Shankar asked for 15 days break in debate; (his soul) left his body and entered into a king, learnt the answers, and came back into debate and defeated her also. Ubhaya Bharti also renounced world and took Sanyas like her husband.
In our time if the debate happened, the two would simply 'unfriend' each other on facebook and go on in their respective lives. Also, the one with maximum friend-list count will get more 'likes' and hence will win the debate!
(C) Rahul
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